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What happens when life takes an unexpected turn and suddenly you're a 20-year-old single mother needing to create a stable future? For Ashley, it became the catalyst that launched her remarkable journey from the factory floor to VP of Human Resources.

Ashley's story defies conventional career trajectories. Growing up in a blue-collar family where college wasn't necessarily the expectation, she found herself working in the same hot dog factory as her mother—hired by the same HR professional who had brought her mother on board nearly two decades earlier. But ambition burned within her: "I wanted to explore what my full capabilities were." That desire, combined with the responsibility of raising a child, pushed her to discover her passion for human resources through a chance encounter at a staffing agency.

Twenty years later, Ashley has transformed her organization by implementing the Seven Healthy Habits across six companies under a holding company structure. Her approach centers on a powerful principle: self-improvement must precede relationship improvement. "Build a relationship with yourself and then go build better relationships with the people you live with and work with," she explains. This philosophy has created a common leadership language from the executive level down to supervisors, fundamentally changing how teams communicate and collaborate.

Ashley's educational journey mirrors her professional one—persistently pushing boundaries. After completing her undergraduate degree, she earned a Master's in Leadership, began teaching at the university level, and then pursued an MBA to expand her capabilities further. Her mantra? "We don't fail, we learn." This resilience defines both her personal philosophy and the leadership principles she now instills in others. Listen now to discover how embracing unexpected paths and focusing on continuous self-improvement can transform not just a career, but an entire organization.

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