Meet Ashlee Garrison of Walnut Creek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlee Garrison.

Ashlee, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I didn’t choose this work. This work chose me. My story is one of obedience, humility, surrender, and learning to honor the whispers of God even when I didn’t have the full map. I’ve always had a voice, even before I knew what it would carry. I grew up with parents in ministry, surrounded by prayer, presence, and purpose from a young age. That early exposure to faith, service, and sacred space shaped the woman I am becoming long before I had language for any of it.

My story has also been one of unlearning, unbecoming, and unraveling—so that God could rebuild me whole. I didn’t arrive here by a straight line or a polished plan. It came through detours, heartbreaks, spiritual awakenings, and seasons where I had to strip away every false layer of identity to find the one God intended all along.

But it wasn’t until the world shut down in 2020 that I began to fully surrender to the voice God had cultivated in me. One night in March, I felt a divine nudge to simply go live on Instagram—no script, no strategy, just obedience. That moment birthed what would later become Social Hour With Ash – She Speaks. What started as a conversation turned into a movement—a digital gathering space for Black, White, and Brown voices to not only share their businesses, but to speak their truth, tell their stories, and be heard in a world that often silences them.

As the world grieved the murder of George Floyd and reckoned with deep-rooted injustice, I knew that healing would require more than headlines. It would require safe spaces, holy conversations, and prophetic clarity. That’s what She Speaks became—a place for spiritual women and men with deep stories, sensitive hearts, and sharp vision to be seen, restored, and reclaim their voice.

Before that, I had served in ministry and creative communications—working in higher education, public service, and nonprofit spaces—but behind the deliverables, I was quietly carrying an assignment, a message, a mantle. One forged in heartbreak, transition, and the sacred wilderness of my own unbecoming. I walked through a season where everything I thought would define me—relationships, roles, even certain friendships—began to unravel. But instead of it being the end, it became the beginning of my becoming. God led me into stillness to heal what I thought I had already healed, stripping away performance, people-pleasing, and perfectionism until He awakened the voice I had silenced to survive.

I keep showing up because I know this isn’t just a platform—it’s a divine assignment. I believe stories carry the oil to heal, to disrupt, and to deliver, and I’ve been entrusted to hold space for them. When the work feels heavy, I remember that I’m not just curating conversations—I’m stewarding testimonies that will outlive me. I see myself as a vessel, here for as long as God keeps pouring, committed to making sure no voice goes unheard that He has called forward.

From that sacred unraveling came She Speaks—more than a platform, it has become a ministry. A convergence of storytelling, deliverance, and soul-deep strategy. I don’t just help women and men clarify their voice; I help them hear God in the quiet. Today, I serve as a spiritual writer, speaker, and facilitator of healing spaces, walking people through their own unlearning and unleashing. My approach is both prophetic and practical, rooted in Christ. At the core, I am an advocate for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, believing that true transformation requires tending to all three. I’m not afraid to talk about triggers, transformation, trauma, and the tenderness of transition because I’ve lived it. I don’t have all the answers, but I know how to walk with people through their undoing and help them name who they are becoming. That’s what brought me here, and that’s what keeps me here.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been smooth, but it’s always been sacred.

When I first began building the platform, my heart was set on equipping, elevating, and spotlighting others — creating space for truth-telling, healing, and visibility for voices that were often overlooked. But I quickly learned a truth I could never unlearn: obedience is better than sacrifice.

While I was publicly building others, I had to confront the reality that there were hidden places within me that still needed attention, healing, and restoration. You can’t truly lead people where you haven’t gone yourself. And while I was showing up with excellence, producing consistently, and pouring into others, there were moments when my inner world felt out of sync with my public message.

I was carrying so much. So, I made a hard but holy decision — I placed the show down for 2 ½ years, not out of defeat, but out of devotion. I didn’t want to just talk about being healed, whole, and spiritually grounded — I wanted to become that woman. I wanted my life to match my message.

During that sacred pause, I chose healing over hustle. I stepped back to face what I had once buried, to reestablish my relationship with God, and to allow the identity I had hidden behind performance and productivity to be gently restored. That season — though quiet and unseen — became one of the most formative chapters of my life. It taught me integrity. It sharpened my discernment. It trained me to use my voice from a place of truth, not just talent.

There were days in that pause when I questioned if I would ever return to the work, but I now understand that what I thought was stillness was actually strategy. God was refining my roots so that when I returned, I would not just be anointed — I would be anchored.

In late 2024, I felt a divine prompting to relaunch and rebirth the vision — but this time, with greater clarity, deeper covering, and legal protection. In February 2025, I officially filed Social Hour with Ash as an LLC — not just to protect my brand, but to honor the intellectual, spiritual, and creative labor I had poured into this work for years.

So no, it has not been an easy road — but it has been worth every step. What looked like a setback was actually a secret setup. What I thought was a pause was really preparation. I don’t resent the detour — it refined me. And now, I lead, speak, and serve from a place that’s not just inspired, but instructed… not just anointed, but anchored.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I wear several hats — but at the core, I am a communicator, curator, and connector. I currently work professionally in the higher education and nonprofit space, where I lead strategic engagement initiatives, develop equity-centered programming, and help bridge the gap between institutions and the communities they serve. My work focuses on impact, inclusion, and intentionality — ensuring that people aren’t just reached but seen, heard, and valued.

I am also the founder and voice behind She Speaks, a faith-based media and storytelling platform that uplifts the voices, journeys, and healing of men and women — particularly Black and Brown voices — while remaining open to all people and perspectives. Whether I’m hosting conversations, writing reflections, teaching workshops, moderating events, or curating sacred digital spaces, I am deeply committed to helping others feel less alone in their journey of becoming. I refer to She Speaks as a digital sanctuary — an altar of authenticity where truth-telling is honored, transformation is possible, and healing is celebrated.

What I specialize in is both broad and deeply rooted:

Narrative clarity — helping individuals name and frame their lived experiences in a way that brings healing to themselves and impact to others.

Soulful strategy — guiding creatives, leaders, and organizations to align their vision with their values while building with intention.

Emotional resonance — creating spaces, whether online or in person, where people feel deeply seen, genuinely heard, and spiritually strengthened.

Community curation — designing and facilitating experiences that foster connection, dignity, and belonging.

In addition to my digital platform, I am actively involved in community and cultural work. In 2021, I hosted the virtual Art of the African Diaspora, featuring over 110 artists of African descent. In 2023, I hosted the Artist Achievement Award Winners event at the Richmond Art Center, and in 2024, I was honored to guide an excerpt reading and facilitate directive questions for the debut book release of The Power of Perception by Dr. Taia Willis. These moments have allowed me to stand in my gift as a host and moderator, drawing out the depth, humanity, and brilliance in others. I am open to traveling to create more of these transformative experiences wherever they are needed.

I am also actively seeking to interview individuals who are ready to share their testimonies of how they’ve overcome to become. These “They Speaks” moments are part of a greater movement I’m cultivating a community of Overcomers whose voices, journeys, and healing can inspire others to live boldly, authentically, and whole. If you feel called to share your story or join the movement of healing and empowerment, I warmly invite you to connect and be aprt of this growing community. Together, we rise, heal, and become.

I’m currently building and scaling my consulting and contract company, where I support organizations, campuses, and creatives in cultivating equitable strategies, curating transformational programming, and telling stories that spark change. Long-term, I envision expanding into spiritual life coaching offering faith-forward support for men and women navigating healing, identity, and purpose.

What sets me apart is my ability to fuse professional excellence with spiritual depth. I don’t just lead from intellect I lead from insight. I bring my full self into every room: the strategist, the storyteller, the survivor, the daughter of ministry, the healed woman. I have an innate ability to listen between the lines, hear what’s not being said, and speak to the soul of a matter. This isn’t simply skill it’s calling.

What I’m most proud of is that I didn’t wait to be perfect to begin I just started. And I’ve grown publicly, vulnerably, and truthfully. Social Hour with Ash the heart of She Speaks has left footprints not only throughout the Bay Area and Northern and Southern California, but has also reached audiences in Texas, Georgia, Illinois, and as far as Lagos, Nigeria. Even with pauses and seasons of stillness, the essence, heartbeat, and mission have never wavered. I’m proud of the work I have fasted and committed to, knowing that every seed planted continues to grow in unseen ways.

I’ve learned that when you create from a place of obedience, not ego, the impact will always outlive the applause.

How do you define success?
Success, for me, has never been about status, spotlight, or even traditional metrics of achievement. I’ve lived through enough trials, transitions, and quiet seasons to know that chasing success for the sake of validation will always leave you empty. My journey deeply faith-centered and often misunderstood by the world’s standards has taught me to reach for significance, not success.

I define success as the ability to make meaningful, measurable impact to reach people, to hold space for them, to plant seeds of healing, and to help others feel less alone in their journey. I once had a mentor tell me, “Take your eyes off yourself long enough to see and meet the needs of someone else, and you’ll always have what you need.” That stayed with me. And it became the foundation of how I live, lead, and serve.

To me, success looks like obedience walking in alignment with what God has asked me to steward, even when it doesn’t make sense on paper. It looks like integrity doing the right thing when no one is watching. And it looks like legacy leaving people better, softer, and more seen than when you first encountered them.

So while I may not always fit the world’s blueprint for success, I can confidently say: my needs have always been met, my path has always been led, and the fruit of my life continues to multiply not in applause, but in impact. And that is more than enough.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialhourwithash?igsh=Z3dhYzc3M291c3Vo&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialhourwithash
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleegarrison
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@socialhourwithash
• Other: https://www.threads.com/@missashion