We recently connected with ASHLEY COLE and have shared our conversation below.

ASHLEY, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

The legacy I am committed to building is synergistic vulnerability. This is a term I created to mean the willingness to risk being open, loving, honest, and caring, to value and accept differences that powerfully create a vision bigger than the people involved. What this boils down to is acceptance and is my intention and North Star in everything I create.

The willingness to accept ourselves and others, to create better products, experiences, life stories all come with risk. It is vulnerable to risk, to risk coming together, and risk accepting the differences of one another. It is within the vulnerability of risking to create something bigger than the individuals involved that forward movement within a community and within the world becomes a reality.

Two examples I have found that support my concept of synergistic vulnerability are in the story of the movie “Best of Enemies” and the creation of Apple, Inc. It is evident that when two people come together to risk being vulnerable and accepting of each other’s differences, a shift in the trajectory of the future takes place that would never have occurred otherwise.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My whole life I have embodied being in service, from volunteering during high school to serving on various organization boards within my community. It is thanks to my time spent in volunteer work that I learned how to build meaningful relationships and networks.

During 2020, I discovered what I was passionate about creating in my life. By following my intuition, I knew I wanted to create my own business that focuses on supporting and creating ideas for other businesses. This could range from creating business names to marketing ideas to supporting business owners with networking efforts.

All through 2020, solopreneurs and side-hustle businesses started to increase on social media. Consequently, I desired to support and partner with these individuals in getting their businesses exposure and to stand out from the competition while maintaining my freedom as a consultant. In essence, a business buddy! I would provide them the support they desperately needed while giving them autonomy to focus on what they do best.

It took time to come up with a name that would be clear, direct, and combine my passion for business with services for success. I also desired to incorporate my love of creating something from nothing. As a result, Business Success Services was established in June 2021! The “Success” in the name is a reminder for me to continuously stretch into new opportunities of growth. The “Services” grounds me into why I created this business in the first place; to serve others and the community. This embodied the spirit of a supportive and creative consulting agency that partners with solopreneurs and small business owners in bringing their ideas to life.

Since starting Business Success Services, I have gotten to share my love of creativity, ideation, and support through service. It is from this joy of ideation that I remain committed to the success of others and will continue to build a legacy of synergistic vulnerability.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Throughout my journey of being an established consultant and business owner, imposter syndrome would creep in along the way, having me doubt my ability to establish a business.

Turning the concept of an ideator into a solo-business venture was a big step. Not only was I embarking on new business, I also got to communicate with others what my business does in a way they would understand it.

I was constantly reminding myself of my past experiences where I created results without any prior evidence, of turning the impossible into the possible. There were times I thought I was crazy for thinking of something that was somewhat abstract. Yet, it was from these times and the work and energy I invested that I was able to create possibilities, keeping my vision at the forefront of what I wanted in my life.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A major pivot in my business came when I started noticing what my clients were requesting. Originally, I had a one-month contract and through listening to the feedback they were providing, I soon realized that a monthly retainer would be more effective for my clients and my business.

While I enjoy efficiency, I acknowledge that some clients take longer to execute certain actions or may need further support. A monthly retainer would allow me the opportunity to be an impactful support factor to their business instead of a one-hit-wonder.

By pivoting to the needs of my clients, I began to attract a larger clientele. This was a great reminder that as long as I start the venture being flexible to what comes up, it will lead to an abundance of doors for me to choose from.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bizsuccesserv.com
• Instagram: @bizss_

Image Credits
Cathleen McGrath