“The brand you are building will impact the world. So will your success story of how it all began.”
How it all started
When I started My Living Spree a year ago, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, what the blog would become, who would support it, or how I would manage it. All I knew was that God placed a calling on my life that would help me realize my God-given purpose. As mentioned in my first blog post, I felt an intense urge to move beyond my comfort zone and to express my creativity in a new way. I decided to go on a living spree that entailed doing anything and everything that came to me naturally. I wanted to work on improving every area of my life—mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Simply put, I wanted to live my best life from the inside out.
One year later
Here we are one year later, and I am immensely grateful for growth, fulfillment, and everything that manifested in my life as a result of my decision to abandon my comfort zone. I’m proud to say that My Living Spree has excelled exceedingly, abundantly above all that I could ever ask for or think about and it’s all because I said “YES!” to my purpose and allowed God to move freely in my life. Today, My Living Spree is not only a blog, but it is also a brand and a lifestyle. It is one of my greatest accomplishments to date.
The key to growth
I could give you the “Social Media” politically correct answer to growth (and I probably will in a later post just for your reference lol). But honestly, the key to real growth is believing in yourself, and not following an ever-changing algorithm. If you focus on external or superficial measures of growth, you will always have to change who you are, and you will never find your true voice. Instead, I learned to focus on creating content that I loved and having confidence in myself and my platform. No matter the odds stacked against me, including low or stagnant follower count, imposter syndrome, and self-doubt (to name a few), I believed relentlessly that I would defy and overcome all barriers to realizing my purpose. And I did. I knocked the analytics out of the park and grew in every tangible way you can imagine. I am extremely grateful for the growing community of people who genuinely love, support, and believe in me and my brand.
With your support and my faith, I landed numerous brand collaborations, magazine features, and partnerships. I sold hundreds of dollars in apparel and created a lifestyle brand—all with no prior experience. I attended New York Fashion Week for the first time as an influencer and blogger for an incredible fashion show. I say all of this to show you that it can be done! The key is to tap into the greatness inside of you and to hold onto it fearlessly, even in the face of doubt and insecurity.
Purpose over popularity
Although I am grateful for growth, the intangible results matter the most. All the external markers of a successful blog community pale in comparison to the countless messages I received from people who believe my daily devotional posts enhanced their prayer life; people who have explained how my fitness journey motivated them to level up and become their best self; or the people who have been inspired to experiment with fashion trends they never would have considered before. I’ve encouraged, motivated, and inspired people near and far just by sharing my story with transparency and being true to Ashley. Sometimes God uses your purpose to propel others into their destiny. Operating in your purpose is crucial because it can help others become who God destined them to be.
The growth that I am MOST proud of is the growth that I’ve witnessed from within. My life suddenly changed. I realized that God empowered me to deliver something that ultimately delivered me. Above all else, My Living Spree is a form of therapy for me. Through its transformative power, I am healing and allowing God to deliver me from everything that has ever held me back! I am rewriting the narratives of “no” and “you’re not good enough” that plagued my life. If you recall from this blog post, I was in a very dark place in 2016. The self-hate and insecurity I felt had seeped into every aspect of my life to a point where I didn’t even recognize myself. Today, as I reflect on a year of My Living Spree, I declare victory over every lie I was taught to believe about myself. I now know that confident, fierce, and fabulous Ashley was right here all along.
Transparency is key
I used to go back and forth about how much of my story I wanted to share with the world until I realized that this is bigger than me. My Living Spree is not your everyday lifestyle blog. Rather, it’s a “Life” and “Style” blog teaching you how to “live on purpose, in style.” Here, you will see the shine and the struggle. The glow-ups and the let-downs. As I motivate and empower you to level up, trust me I am doing the same. I realized that I have a responsibility that is beyond me. If I am to fulfill my purpose, I must be as transparent as possible about my journey to becoming everything God wants me to be. My prayer is that by sharing my story I encourage at least one person not to give up.
Yes, I am going to keep serving, slaying and educating on the latest in fashion, fitness, travel, and more! But, beyond that, I have committed to digging deeper and sharing more of my life and my journey to the woman I am today. The beauty of it is, I am not done. I am constantly evolving and becoming. Let me just say, it’s about to get real y’all. I promise it will be worth it, so tap in, fully commit and buckle up for this ride! In 2019, I am living life unapologetically! And I invite you to do the same. Let’s go on a Living Spree!
Photographer: @jp.hanney_visuals
Styled by Me
Beret: Nasty Gal
Lace Bodysuit: Mod Chic Couture
Leather Pleated Skirt: H&M
Red Suede “Wagner” Booties: Steve Madden
