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Ashley: Letter to My Younger Self

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Three photos of Ashley VanWyk "Letter to My Younger Self"

Hey there Ashley Pink Princess. Woah! Haven’t heard this nickname in while. I have grown up quite a bit since we last chatted. Have you started high school yet? That’s where things get pretty crazy. 

High school is when you start experiencing a new environment for really the first time. New school, new friends, new everything. You may feel intimidated now, but just wait until bigger, better, and way scarier things come along in your life. You got this! 

Put yourself out there, try to meet as many people as you can, don’t settle for the comfortable. Push the anxiety aside and use this time to have fun! Enbrace being called the “floater” friend who doesn’t have a set group, but instead be happy going from friend group to friend group and feeling like you belong. 

Work hard at cross country even when your body is in pain and you mentally want to walk for the next 2 miles. Embrace being the back of the pack and don’t let anyone tell you that you should quit because you are too slow. Are those people able to run 5 miles? 

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and admit when you don’t know something. Ignore people who give you a weird look or laugh at you for not understanding the new trend. Trends come and go and the things that happened in high school are so lame today (well actually fashion trends are coming back and you’ll start sounding like mom saying that you already did that.) 

Get ready for the future, because it’s a lot crazier than you think! You will be prepared to skip senior year of high school and go straight to college, but slow down and take this time to enjoy being a teenager. Because once you are in college, a lot of the real world will begin. Working 2 jobs and being a full time student is going to kick your butt but you will meet a lot of amazing people that are still part of your life in the future. You get to travel and live abroad and have to navigate living away from your family for 6 months. You’ll learn more about yourself and what you think your plan is for the future. 

And then the future comes and the really scary stuff happens. You graduate from college and work 5 jobs for a year and half before you land your career job. You work hard so you can buy a house on your own at 25. You still have a great and supportive friend group. 

So have fun in the now, don’t stress about the future, and know that if you are confident enough (or at least seem confident enough) you can pretty much do anything.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18112263326023209
Have you tuned into The Happy Hour Hustle Podcast yet? If not, a) you’re missing out and b) you need to follow immediately. Hosted by @bodespeaks, episodes drop every other week, and feature some pretty bada$$ guests if we do say so ourselves. This week, Kim sits down with @kelsey_orchard , VP of Marketing and Communications at @fifthwheelfreight to chat building a personal brand, Gen Z entering the workforce, misconceptions about logistics, spotting fake LinkedIn profiles – oh and why your GPA doesn’t matter anymore. Grab a watermelon margarita, sit back and enjoy for lots of laughs and real talk. Listen now at the link in bio.

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We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation.

When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared.
Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan
Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later).

Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18132641716644887
National Perimenopause Month starts today. We have a LOT to say, and we’re not going to be quiet about it, especially this month, so buckle up. We were not prepared for perimenopause, much like our periods, sex, or anything else to do with our bodies. God forbid we talk about it openly. We were taught to be ashamed, keep quiet, and to accept that it is just part of being a woman. We reject that narrative. In fact, like @bodespeaks, we want to bring it up in every conversation. When we normalize perimenopause and the conversation around it, we stop isolating, and we’re all more prepared. Join us for Uncomfortable Conversations: The Pause on September 24th — a powerful conversation hosted alongside the @smallbusinessassocofmichigan Women’s Business Council, featuring some kicka$$ experts who will give you the real talk on perimenopause (more to come on them later). Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18089775152664042
You asked, we delivered. Introducing the Women's Owners Network - a new program built for what comes first, joining our proven Fellowship model to support Michigan women at every stage of business ownership. Whether you've got a team of 10 or it's just you and your laptop, you deserve a room full of women who get it. Six months of leadership, finance, operations, capital access, paired with real support for the isolation, emotional volatility, and decision fatigue that come with owning your own business. You'll have your own board of directors in your corner, including @bodespeaks plus a group of mentors, instructors, and coaches who've been exactly where you are. Applications due October 1. Apply now at the link in bio.

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You are the hero in your own story. Be like Leslie and believe it.

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It`s personal branding with a shot of tequila. Register in bio.

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Open post by 8thirtyfour with ID 18026151482745649
"I am big enough to admit that I am often inspired by myself" - Leslie F*ucking Knope You are the hero in your own story. Be like Leslie and believe it. Come to the Big Deal Energy Workshop, @bodespeaks will show you how. It's personal branding with a shot of tequila. Register in bio.
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