Ayumi, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was actually born in Tokyo Japan, my father was a Marine. We later moved to the states when I was around one year old. Las Vegas, Nevada is where I called home for most of my life until I decided to join the Army. I served for about six years as a Maintenance Sergeant being second-guessed on about everything because I was a female in what’s largely considered a man’s trade “diesel mechanic”. It was in my last two years that I met my husband Terry in a pretty rough deployment to Afghanistan. During that time, while dodging mortars and rockets, we somehow found our soulmates. We both were driven people with inspiring goals to be future business owners after we left the military. So, we did just that. Soon, after that deployment, I decided to leave the Army and finish my schooling as a Dental Hygienist. Terry stayed in for a little while longer and left as well. We both decided to move to Atlanta for the business opportunities and partnerships that we observed during multiple weekend visits. About a year and a half after moving to Atlanta and purchasing our beautiful 4200 sq. ft. family home, my husband and I decided that we wanted to inspire other families by basically sharing our life and family traditions and values on YouTube. Our YouTube channel is called Lashley Life, we vlog our family moments and have fun. The goal is to show the world that it’s possible to have a strong, culturally aware family with tradition and strong family values. Our channel motto is about “Having fun, and building a strong family Legacy”. We balance our family life raising three beautiful girls, Yuri (7yrs.), Zoe (3yrs.), and Skye (2yrs.) with our Schooling and Vlogging so there are no dull moments. So far, our channel has been extremely successful with over 200,000 views in less than six months attracting three sponsors and were awaiting the word from Atlanta’s wife swap TV show who contacted us to be on their next show.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. During our deployments, we were separated from our kids, which can be defeating in itself. Then, Terry and I were separated while he deployed to Africa. There have been times where school, kids, and YouTube were very overwhelming. Times when one of the kids are extremely sick and I would have to take a step back from everything else. My advice for other women out there is to surround yourself with people who support you, don’t quit when things are not going the way you wanted at the moment, also be unique and stand out compared to your competitors in whatever field you’re involved with.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Lashley Life – what should we know?
I am a YouTuber and I edit my own content. I am known for being funny, humble and kind. One of my proudest moments is having a viral video on my channel that was called, “Husband Rates my Forever21 Outfits.” It got over 100,000 views in a month. What sets my channel apart from others is that I respond to all of my viewers and fans. I also give relationship advice and answer to all my viewer’s questions. I try to set an example for young women out there on respecting yourself and others. I represent the working class of women and maintaining my household by raising 3 kids, working, staying physically fit and a full-time student in the medical field. I want to show women out there that it is possible to do all of the above and you just need the drive and support.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Yes, I do. Growing up, I witnessed my parents struggling and I always wanted to help them financially. I got my first job at CVS Pharmacy when I was 15 to take care of myself so my parents would have one less of a responsibility out of 3 kids. Being in the military also taught me how to work hard, have discipline, and become stronger. All of those lessons helped me be the person I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5h0moQKkQZmzLfrzZ2acow/featured?sub_confirmation=1
- Email: lashleylife@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ayumilashley_
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/LashleyLife/
- Twitter: @ayumilashley_
- Other: @terrylashley_
Image Credit:
@ayumilashley_, @terrylashley_
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