Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Marand Iwanicki.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ashley. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up on the east coast, where my natural tendencies for perfectionism and control were only exasperated by the societal norms in that area of the country. While I adore so many things about the east coast, I quickly fell victim to the busy badge of honor, losing myself to the perpetual need to do, be and achieve more.
In high school, this played out by being overly committed to sports, extra-curricular, Advanced Placement classes, and part-time jobs, while somehow still maintaining a social life. Throughout college, my need to perform and accede extended beyond my work and to my body. I became hyper-aware of my possessions, looks and weight. A quick stint in Los Angeles during college further engrained how important it was to be pretty and skinny.
Upon graduating, I moved to New York City to work in publicity and the fashion industry. The fast pace and ultra judgmental environments were the perfect breeding ground for my body image issues to really take root. I was miserable and completely void of a purpose in life. My self-worth rested entirely on what my body looked like. My thoughts around food and fitness became so entangled and insecure that I became unrecognizable to myself. The cherry on-top of this self-loathing sundae was that I hated my job and couldn’t stand the realities of my everyday.
It wasn’t until found my way to San Diego and completed a yoga teacher training program that my entire perspective on myself, my world and my life shifted for the better. After nearly ten years of struggling with disordered eating, body image issues and a lack of purpose, I finally learned what it meant to eat, move and live intuitively.
My yoga teacher training program served as the catalyst for so much change in my life. Shortly after the program ended, I left my corporate job to open a marketing consulting business where I’m committed to working with conscious brands in the health and wellness space whose values align with mine.
Since then, I have also become a certified integrative nutrition health coach, a Reiki practitioner and have launched my blog, Ashley Marand Health.
In my wellness-based work, I use an intuitive approach, rooted in reality to challenge, guide and empower my community to trust in themselves and to take ownership of their own unique wellness journeys. I strive to offer content focused on many different areas of wellness that is both approachable and achievable and do so by being very raw, honest and vulnerable about my own journey. My hope is that in being vulnerable and sharing my story, I can inspire others to do the same. Because the more we authentically share and let down our guards, the more we realize that we are not alone.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I don’t feel that it’s been a smooth road to get to where I am today. But, I am grateful for the road I’ve walked because I know that every part of it has played an important role in my evolution and not only getting me to where I am today but also to where I’m going tomorrow.
There have been a lot of times I’ve moved forward in one direction and once I got there have realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do be doing. There have been a lot of times I’ve judged myself for wanting to change directions again or have had fears around “if things were going to work out”, “would I may money”, “would anyone pay me for this”? There have also been lots of moments where I’ve doubted if I’m skilled enough, knowledgeable enough, experienced enough, etc. to be playing in the health and wellness arena. I’ve also wondered if my work is even making an impact – really a lot of the same internal struggles many of us go through when making life transitions.
But throughout the years, I’ve learned that the more I listen to my intuition – or those little gut instincts that seem to come out of nowhere – and release judgment over every time I decide to change my mind, career, life direction, etc. the smoother the road becomes. It’s also only through experimenting and trying out different things that we learn what is and isn’t meant for us and can potentially move closer to living more fulfilling, passion-fueled lives.
My advice to other women who are just starting their journey is to learn to trust yourself, and only yourself, and to try to release control as much as you can and allow life to unfold as it will. This can be much easier said than done though if you have perfectionist tendencies like I do. We tend to spend so much of our time forcing projects, careers, relationships, etc. to move forward when if we were to release the reins a bit, we’d feel less resistance throughout our lives and would start to move into more of an aligned, flow state.
Just know that you’re never too early or too late, you’re right on time.
Tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I have two businesses I focus my time and efforts on: AH+M Strategic Consulting, my marketing consulting business and Ashley Marand Health, my health and wellness blog.
At AH+M Strategic Consulting, I guide and advise brands, businesses and personalities in the health and wellness space on various areas of marketing from integrative programs, to web design, email campaigns, social media, influencer relations – you name it!
At Ashley Marand Health, I lean on my personal experiences and professional certificates in yoga, nutrition and reiki to create content that helps my community become the best versions of themselves. Together, we explore a variety of topics from fitness and nutrition to self-care, spirituality and conscious living. My goal is to help guide as many people as I can to living a blissfully intuitive life by pairing practical science with everyday magic. Wellness isn’t about infrared saunas, luxury workouts or high-end organic foods (although I love all of those things), it’s about learning how to incorporate and adopt simple, daily practices that leave you feeling radiant and joyful. It’s about finding sustainable, balanced practices that work for your body, your lifestyle and most importantly, you.
I think what sets me apart, and what I’m most proud of, in both of my businesses is how I authentically and unapologetically show up as myself every day. I think often times in the digital and social media space, interactions can lose their “human” factor. But, through both my work and how I engage with my blog community, I strive to inspire genuine, human connection.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
The most important piece of advice I would give to a young women just starting her career is to learn how to be resourceful and resilient. In my opinion, there are a lot of desirable, key qualities you should have as a star employee or entrepreneur, but above all else, I think at the end of the day you have to have the ability to just buckle down and figure things out. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t seek mentors, ask for help, or delegate work. But, anytime I have been faced with a challenge or a difficult situation, instead of asking myself “why is this happening to me”? I ask: “how can I get through this?” or “how can I find a solution?”. Become someone that is self-reliant, solution-oriented and able to navigate challenges with grace. That will truly help you stand out.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashleymarandhealth.com
- Email: ashley@ashleymarandhealth.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ashleymarandhealth
- Facebook: facebook.com/ashleymarandhealth
@maryjoeweichel
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