December 5, 2012

And this Month's Interviewee Is....

Hola my peeps!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful and fulfilling life where ever in the world you may find yourself these days.  I am excited about this post.  It is been long awaiting.  But, after some diligent dedication, determination and surfing the waves of scheduling conflicts and lost or missed emails, I did it!  I got my interview.  I accomplished my mission and poked the mind, heart and soul of one AWESOME lady.
Do you all remember my post Prelude To A Long Awaited Interview?  You don't?  Well, I can't blame you considering three months have gone by since I published that post. Yep, plenty has happened in those three months, but that did not stop me from accomplishing what I set out to do.  As a refresher, below is a short quote from that post.

"One project I am superdeedooperdee excited about is an upcoming interview I have set up with someone amazing. Yep, yours truly here being the interview-er.  Whose brain, heart and soul will I be poking at?  Well, lets just say it's someone amazing.  Someone worth and deserving of recognition.  a young woman whom I've never even met personally yet somehow has managed to inspire me in many ways positive.  Ever since the first time I stumbled upon her blog, I knew there was something extra-ordinarily special about this lovely lady.  I was so intrigued by all her accomplishments, but more so her intentions behind them!  Her expressed desire to help and inspire others were not just words I read, there were and still are proven actions that she is a force to reckon with.  All I knew is that I wanted to know more about her.  I wanted to be part of this great and amazing service she is providing to others just like you and me.  You may very well already know who she is or at least you have heard about her.  As a matter of love, I am pretty sure you have.".


Have you ever seen a picture that just took your breath away?  A picture that for some unknown reason  spoke to you?  Well, when I first stumbled upon her blog (months ago when I began my blog), this is the picture that captivated me.  I remember saying to myself  "what an amazing expression of freedom!"  That is what I felt...a sense of freedom.  I don't know if that's what she was trying to reflect, but she nailed it with that picture, if it was.  All I knew is that I wanted part of that freedom.  Do y'all recognize that sweet, jolly jumper?  I will give you a hint.  She is the founder of one of the most "energy-positive" and "self-confident building" blogging networks out there.  But, I will say no more.  Here is the long-awaited interview:


   What is your name & age?  (age is optional)
Ashley Griffith, 25

   Are u married? Children?
Married, no children yet.

  Where did you grow up?
I was born in TX but have spent a majority of my life in WI

  What is the extent of your family? Parents? Any siblings?
I have a rather large family, most of which I don't get to see very often because they
don't live that close to me. But I'm pretty close with my parents who live abut 5 minutes away.

   As a little girl, what did you dream/aspire to be?
Anything and everything. I wanted to conquer the world then just as much as I want to now.

  What were you like when you were a kid?
Pretty much who I am now, just less mature. ;)
My tastes have always varied so it's hard to really pin-point who I was back then versus now.

  What was your favorite toy, game or pass-time as a child? 
 I was always the artist.
My mom had a massive collection of what I believed to be
 masterpieces on the fridge all of the time.

   How would you describe your childhood memories?
Forgotten? Haha. I'm not sure.
I've experienced a lot since then so I feel like the older I get,
the less important they feel. But overall I'd say they were good.

  Ever had an imaginary friend as a child?  If yes, please tell a little about it.
Nope.

   Did you enjoy your high school years?
Does anyone enjoy their high school years? I didn't hate them, 
but I was pretty happy to get out of them. The drama that revolved around high school isn't something I ever wish to be a part of again.

 Did your dream/aspiration as a child changed in high school?  If yes, how so?
Nope. I've always been independent and a lot of carefree.


 Let's talk about BBN.  What inspired you to start this community and why?
I wanted to create something I wish I had when I was just starting out as a blogger.
A community that didn't revolve around a popularity contest where people could get there questions answered, free of judgement.  My hope was to create that kind of 
thing for people who were in my position at one point and to 
continue to help everyone grow as a blogger, and even a person.

 What was/is your goal or vision for BBN?
It's always changing to be honest. I want to take the community where the community wants to go. That means that my visions for it may not always fall in line with it or may be put on a different schedule. I want to make sure it's a reflection of the people in it - not just me.

  Is BBN what you envisioned?
SO much more than I envisioned.
It's grow beyond where I expected it to and always presents something new to learn.
  
What inspired RH? and How does it differ from BBN?
RH was created well before BBN, just in a different format. It was something that I wanted to create specifically for women to come together and help each other live the lives they dream of. It's all about community though so while they have different target audiences, they are pretty similar.

 Did you face any fears when contemplating to leave your 9-5 to follow your dreams?
Probably many less than most.
I'm an act first, think later when it comes to certain risks for me.
Some say it's be being bold or brave, some think I'm crazy.
Me? I'm just happy I love life enough to take chances.

  How did you face/overcome your fears?
I didn't really have any to face, honestly.
I took a leap of faith and ended up on a long,
twisted path that brought me where I am today and I couldn't be happier.

  Do you feel it is important to have a support system to follow your dreams?  
If so, why?  If no, why not?
Yes and no. It certainly helps, but I would never say it's necessary.
If you want something bad enough you'll make it happen - with or without the support to do it.
In the end, it only matters if you can support yourself. The rest is just a bonus :)

  Any challenges/setback you're facing since your departure from 9-5 lifestyle?  
If so, how do/did you deal/handle it?
We don't make quite as much money as we used to when I worked a corporate job, 
but that's about it. We knew that would be a part of the deal and that hasn't 
stopped us from doing anything. We watch our money and I work 
my butt off to help make sure we're still comfortable.

  If the whole world were listening (which they kinda are ;))  
what would you say to those contemplating leaving their 9-5 to follow their dreams?
 I mentioned it above, but if you want it bad enough... 
I promise that you can make it happen.It's as easy or as hard as you make it to be. 
Your mindset, determination and motivation
are powerful tools when it comes to being self-employed or following any dream.

 How do you wish your life to turn out?
I'm a go with the flow kind of person so I can't see much past the next couple 
of months, much less the rest of my life. I hope to some day run everything from home(or the beach if I can make that happen) with my husband so we can work on our own schedule and live our lives the way we want to live them.

 Ms Ashley, you mentioned you are married.  It is known for many women, for one reason or another, to lose their independence once they marry.  
What are your personal thoughts on the subject?
I'm one of the most independent people I know and my husband would have been crazy if he thought that a ring on my finger or a beach wedding was going to change that. I have lost it to some extent, but I think both men and women do. Isn't that kind of the point of being married?
To lose a little bit of yourself to gain that special someone?


***Bonus Question***
If we lived in a world where money was non-existent and all our commodities and personal necessities where provided to live a healthy and happy life,
how would you spend the rest of your days?
I'd travel for a while and volunteer in foreign countries that needed aid - but ultimately, I'd probably still do what I'm doing. I get bored really easily so I can't sit and do nothing day after day so I'd need to keep busy. And what better way to do that than to do what I love doing,
without the pressure of needing to sell it to live comfortably?


I want to give my heart-felt thanks to Ashley for being so willingly kind and patient during this long awaited interview process.  Please go over and take a peek at Ashley's After Nine To Five and let her know just how fantastic she is.  And if you have not yet joined Better Blogger Network, I urge you to do so.  Why?  Because I said so!  If you won't take my word for it, then here it is straight from the horse's mouth:


"The Better Blogger Network community prides itself on being respectful of other bloggers and their blogs. We want you to feel right at home when you’re within our virtual walls and will do everything we can to ensure that you do. It doesn't matter what kind of blog you have or how long you've been blogging when it comes to being apart of the BBN. All that matters is that you have a blog, have a want to improve it, and hopefully a want to help others do the same exact thing."
- The BBN Admin Team


As always, it is a pleasure to have y'all come by and visit.  I LOVE it!  All of you make my day a little brighter!  So please keep coming back for more of... To Inspire and Be Inspired!  Also, I suggest y'all be in the look-out for your emails, you just might find one from ME requesting your "kind willingness" to be interviewed ;)

Tootles!

7 comments:

  1. LOVE THIS!!! I just read through the entire interview quickly because I was so excited, haha, gonna go re-read! Ashley is amazing, one of my favorite ladies. I have enjoyed every project I have worked with her on and she's always an inspiration!!!

    GREAT job, Mayra! I loved the q's. Who doesn't love an awesome interview?!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hola Angie!
      You are just too sweet! Thank you for the kind words, I really did enjoy the interview. It was a very inspirational project ;)

      ~SimplyyMayra

      Delete
  2. Neat post and great questions! I am so glad to have learned about the BBN through you and this interview. I have just signed up!

    Ally

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  3. This was a very nice read. I hadn't heard of the BBN but Ashley sounds very inspiring. I'm headed to the BBN website now. Thanks for pursuing this interview!

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  4. What a beautiful idea!

    You have a lovely blog!

    Telly via the Blog Hop

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very nice nterview

    I am your new follower from Aloha Blog Hop....Can you plz follow both of mine

    http://styleuplife.blogspot.in/

    www.shabnam.me

    thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great blog! Found you through the blog hop :)
    -Kelly (your newest followers)
    http://www.blartblog.com

    ReplyDelete

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