We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Raspen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.
Alright, Ashley thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Back in 2019 I was juggling starting a new business and managing the group exercise at a local gym. I made peanuts at this job but I loved what I did so I continued to stress, work way too hard for people that didn’t appreciate my work and still wasn’t able to make ends meet . My business Buttinhead Farms Goat Yoga took off at a rapid rate but everyone said it would fade out quickly so that fueled me to prove them all wrong. Covid hit 2020 and the gym I worked at was closed as well as my business contracts. We had now the mere $20 per class I got to teach online yoga from the gym. It was not easy but after a little time of feeling woe is me and crying a lot over the huge challenges covid brought us it was time to pull up my badass boss lady panties and get sh*t done. I had not only a family to feed but ALOT of animals that counted on me.
Time was spent pondering what does the community need right now and fresh ,quality ,safe food was the answer and I already had strong relationships with a few Amish communities out of the area that trusted me to market their products , The Amish are phenomenal growers but lack in marketing which was my strength, so together we started a Farmer’s Market at the farm . Before we opened there would be swarms of people waiting in line and we would sell out of everything within the hour. The community’s response was incredibly. People came out to volunteer their time to help at the market and we were able to host other small businesses and musicians that were struggling with income . We had many acres of open fresh air so I then started teaching my fitness classes in the field . A client came to the house with $5000 cash to borrow for the purchase of a shed to hold products in . That generosity was incredible and it was a lesson in life I will never forget.
At this time my employer wanted me to apologize to an instructor that was a prominent doctors wife in the area that always treated us less than and I felt I always had to put her on a pedestal . I know with all my heart i had done the right thing and I believed everyone should be treated equal so it was time to Go Big or Go Home and I submitted my resignation This is Horseshit I am done . I do believe to be the G.O.A.T of resignations .
2020 I took Buttinhead Farms full-time and my husband quit his full- time union job to be my Goat handler and driver,
it’s been a ride but I’m grateful for the journey and the chapters good, crazy and pure insanity.
I now started a wedding business called UnforGOATable Weddings where I officiate ceremonies with my goat tribe .
There are days I get down and frustrated but I have to go back and reevaluate how exactly far we’ve come .
And why I didn’t Go Big or Go Home sooner .
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?
I found a passion for fitness 16 years ago when I was going to lunch with an older woman that was extremely fit. She looked at me and said Ashley your getting fat . I was so enraged that she would say this to me especially on my birthday . But it was the slap I needed to have to get me to find something I was naturally good at . When I started to change my body everyone came for advice on getting in shape , Reminder I’ve never worked out a day in my life , At the time I was a stay at home mother and wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I grew up . I received this email to get Insanity certified out of the area . My father in law said do it and gave me the $350 to do the cert . This would be a huge life changing weekend for me . My first trip on my own and when i came home I was offered a job immediately at a local gym . Once I stepped foot in my first gym / class experience I knew this was my calling .
2015 would be a challenging year for our family . We had an unexpected caboose baby that I had complications with during delivery . My spine was punctured during the epidural , I was discharged from hospital leading to a deadly fever ,full of infection , and brain injury . I spent the next 7 days on the top level of the hospital fighting for my life while friends cared for my newborn . After discharged my father in law the core of our family was life flighted to ICU over an hour away . We lost him a few days later . Not only going through the loss but his new wife caused havoc that was going to be the worst battle of our lives in the upcoming months . This story I’ve shared with so many people in my classes . I used the pain and trauma to help others . Difficult roads lead to beautiful destinations .
2018 I woke up one day and decided I wanted a goat and once my unmedicated ADHD brain wants something that’s it .Game on! traveled to an auction and bought myself that male baby milk goat and that was where the obsession started.
Everyone in the gym became obsessed with the goat stories and a clients showed me a magazine that had a model with a goat on her back and said do this ! A few months of hundreds of No’s i had finally got my Yess i needed and then Buttinhead farms began . My accountant said no just do what your doing . My insurance agent said F+#% No on the insurance and friends and family wouldn’t even like the business page . This just fueled the fire inside of me . Give the Haters and the Naysayers a shout out .
I had just envisioned having a few yoga’s in our yard but I started reaching out to local business owners to host events and lucky for me a lot said it’s crazy but I like it and gave me a place to host . We have worked with some incredible people in the community . We now do many University’s , Corporate Team building , Concerts on the farm , Ag Education ,Nursing facilities , State police barracks and wherever the road leads us .
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2020 we had a very miserable neighbor move in down the road and his one and only goal was to shut me down and drive customers away .He would call the county and township and report me almost everyday for the most ridiculous things like dancing in my field during a Zumba class. He would shoot guns off during wedding ceremonies and have speakers cranked towards my house blasting Polka and Hymns during my yoga classes . This went on for 3 years until i had enough and started making Tik Tok videos regarding the complaints he would make . Then a sign war began in our yard . I had a guy that would make me signs that said my Neighbor is a Karen and he would have signs put up in response . A few videos on Tik Tok went viral and he led to the growth of my business because everyone wanted to see where the bastard neighbor resided, He finally threw in the towel on trying to shut me down and now he’s onto the other neighbor with trash up over their trailer high.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I found building a solid following on social media was being authentic to yourself . Sharing everything the good , the ugly and the downright dysfunctional with my followers . Being active and engaged and not giving a rat’s ass what people think . Your people will find you , support you and love you .
Contact Info:
- Website: www.buttinheadfarms.com
- Instagram: buttinheadfarms
- Facebook: Buttinhead Farms
Image Credits
KalenSowul Photography Jill hoyt Photography