We recently connected with Ashton Joe and have shared our conversation below.
Ashton, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
The bulk of my story begins during the pandemic. I was at a place in life where I didn’t really know my big picture. At the time, I was a freelance photographer/filmmaker, and I didn’t necessarily know if it was what I wanted to do for the next ten years. Staying in isolation allowed me the time to reflect, and boy, it was a messy process. I also decided to start a YouTube channel at the time, so you could say I was starting to actually dabble myself into growing a personal brand, besides just sharing my favorite photos and films online. My hope was to start building something that I could be proud of in ten years. I wanted to make a deeper impact than what was currently happening with one-off gigs. I wanted to help others; to get more involved. I went down a path of sharing what I was learning about mindfulness on YouTube. I figured it’d be helpful, especially during the pandemic. But without a clear vision in mind, I ended up in a space where I was starting to treat YouTube just like freelance. Then I realized I was getting in my own way.
I eventually started to find answers. I invested in a coach. I found clarity, developed a strategy for serving others, and the vision started to feel more actionable. Then, I thought back to my old-self just a few years ago, and wondered how many other people out there really want to start something bigger than themselves but don’t know how to piece the puzzle together.
So that brings me to my mission today: Helping stuck entrepreneurs paint their big picture, so they can redesign their personal brand and drive their unique path to financial freedom.
Ashton, 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?
My name is Ashton Joe, and I’m a coach & entrepreneur. Most of all, I love to serve others. My father was such a huge service to me in every single one of my endeavors, and I’m so grateful for all that he did for me. What motivates is knowing that there’s someone out there who doesn’t have that helping hand; that guidance; someone to inspire them to create the life of their dreams. A personal brand is so powerful, because it gives you the ability to serve your people and make a specific impact. On top of that, the ball is completely in your court. What lifestyle do you want? How do you want your business to be set up? Do you want your time back? Each of us have the ability to design our lives, regardless of what mainstream tries to say.
This is why I help stuck entrepreneurs find clarity for their long-term vision, build confidence, and become the designer of their lives. There isn’t one surefire path to financial freedom, and seeing perspectives change once students learn how to turn their ideas into actionable steps is such a rewarding process. My favorite part of it all is watching people realize their potential. And we do this in our coaching program by taking each student through a 5-step process.
I’m currently working on releasing a crash course for anyone looking to build and structure their personal brand. If you’re interested, head over to my IG to stay up-to-date!
Have you ever had to pivot?
Goodness… just a few months ago. I was blindly heading down a path of a freelance filmmaking and photography career. It wasn’t very fulfilling. I knew I wanted to be of service to others but had such a hard time narrowing down the why, who, and how. Once I figured that out, I knew I solved my puzzle. My why became helping others realize their potential. The who became my younger self and the guidance he needed at the time. The how became my coaching program and delivering value to my audience online through organic content.
How did you build your audience on social media?
By no means do I have a crazy large audience, BUT what I have learned is that a deeply connected community trumps a huge, viral community. Whenever you’re getting started, get scrappy. Reach out to people. Ask what they’re struggling with and present solutions. If someone struggles with something, someone else is struggling with it too. So how can you be the broker between the two – the person struggling and the answer to solve their problem? This is the most authentic way to build an audience online. Authenticity wins. Relatability wins. Overall, just serve those you want to impact, be persistent, and the audience will inevitably come to hear what you have to say.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ashtonjoe.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ashtontjoe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashtontjoe
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonjoe/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ashtontjoe
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/AshtonJoe
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@ashtontjoe