We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Finley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
In December of 2019, I found myself in a position where I felt I lost it all. In a matter of one week, I lost a meaningful relationship, a managerial job, and I had to move back home with my parents. To make matters worse, I came face to face with the realization that after 27 years of living for other peoples’ expectations, I didn’t know who I was or where I was going. My life did not reflect my true being nor a sense of purpose.
One day as I was sitting in my bedroom, taking in the scent of my lavender candle while staring at my lavender colored walls, I noticed myself being filled with an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility. I was inspired by the realization that although it felt like my world was in chaos, I was somehow able to experience a feeling of peace. This heightened sense of awareness was new for me, so I started writing all the thoughts that began to flood my mind.
That free flow writing experience brought me back to my natural love of creative writing and journaling. In that moment, immersed in that lavender colored room, I began to wonder, ‘What if everyone could find their peace and spark their creativity during times of stress? What if I could harness this experience and use it for the better good of humanity?’ I wanted everyone to benefit from what I had experienced, and as a result, Aganee was born.
My mentality and sense of self started to change as I became more impassioned and began dreaming bigger than I have ever dreamt before. My mission, Aganee’s mission is to build self-awareness through creativity and intention to help relieve stress and anxiety.
Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I like to say the calling of Aganee came to me. My life was a revolving door of taking care of others, living up to their expectations and in the end, I had nothing to show for it. After that one week where everything in my world came crumbling down, I began to build my mind, myself and started to accept difficult changes for just what they were… transitions. I began to walk intentionally and opportunities started to present themselves. Following my intuition, I started completely over. I moved to a new state, failed forward along the way, and became a Realtor and business owner in the process. Journaling and free flow writing became my go to every morning, and sometimes every night. Finally, I started to see a life for myself that I was proud of, but most importantly, a purpose.
That’s why creating uniquely designed self-published journals, hoodies, t-shirts, and everyday products that remind people of their power and peace is what I provide. I wanted to help people tap into the knowing of their true selves and to never stop pursuing their creativity and peace, even in times of stress and anxiety. To further the experience, I stepped out of my comfort zone to create and facilitate workshops to help empower those who need it.
The main problem Aganee solves is finding creative ways to bridge the gap between a person and their chaos and the therapy room, by building self-awareness in everyday life. Everyone may not have the resources to go to therapy, so self-help can be a convenient and beneficial tool to utilize before getting to a therapist. Self-awareness can also help with choosing if a particular therapist is right for you.
I am mostly proud of the impact I feel I’m making. Self-awareness is important, especially at a younger age where life hasn’t been experienced enough. Building awareness of self before “adult life” brings stress and anxiety can help better navigate how to handle those hard times. My story is what sets me apart from others. I believe in leading Aganee through the story that created it.
Aganee was built on the principles of community, faith, intention, creativity and peace. None of this would have been possible without betting on myself even though I couldn’t see it; faith. Creativity was my world of no judgement, just me and my imagination. Without being intentional with my purpose, life would’ve kept me in the same loophole of conforming to the expectations of others. Aganee wouldn’t be possible without support from the community of people that helped me get here along the journey. As for peace, when life feels like it’s too much, everyone deserves to have and access it and that’s why our tagline is “Because Your Peace Matters.”
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Many books have helped me along the way. “There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem”, by Dr. Wayne Dyer was the first book that impacted my thinking. It helped me understand how to better navigate problems when they arrived and how overreacting to circumstances can change the outcome or deviate you from learning the lesson of it all.
“The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho strengthened my understanding of one’s journey and the many different paths that ultimately leads you to what you desire if you stay focused on the mission.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
The lesson I had to unlearn was the limited belief of not deserving what I desired. One day while sitting in meditation with my partner, they painted a visual picture for me. They said, “Imagine you wake up and your business is thriving. Everything you wanted has unfolded. You walk into the doors of your business, everything is operating smoothly, and everyone is in a good mood. Then you walk into your office, take a seat at your desk and start to look around at everything you’ve built. In that moment, what are you thinking?”
Without hesitation, my answer was, ‘I don’t deserve this.’ The moment I said it, there was a complete shock that overtook me. I couldn’t believe how easy it was for me to say such a negative thing about myself, but that’s when the light switched on. That very moment, I rewrote that belief to ‘I deserve everything I desire, and the Universe wants me to have it.’ The new belief became my daily mantra until it was solidified in my mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://iamaganee.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamaganee/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamaganee
