Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Howard
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Grit + Gratitude all began when my husband was in a horrific snowboarding accident. Between his brain injury, broken neck and shattered left arm, I was living in this state of grit to simply survive through it all. But also with this immense amount of gratitude for his miraculous recovery and the community that surrounded around us to keep us afloat during that time.
I’d had always dreamed of owning a studio that could be a place of true healing, transformation and community, but it wasn’t until my husband’s accident that I realized how short and precious life is. I decided during that time that I want to live my life full out, and that I wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to us.
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?
How many struggles should I list here, haha!
Opening a business is uncharted waters and it can be so lonely in that struggle to create and bring something to life. Aside from all of the financial fears that I think most people can relate to, I never would have imagined of a worldwide pandemic.
I have to laugh thinking of all of my old possible fears and the way my mind would jump to one false narrative to the next. What I never imagined and what I never saw coming was Covid. In truth though, I really am grateful for all of the uncertainty and all of the chaos, because it allowed me to truly practice what I preach. I had to take it one day at time with the building process, with the health regulations, with my team and slowly but surly those small steps turned into giant leaps forward and the business that I am so proud of today.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Grit + Gratitude is the first studio of it’s kind to offer a method that encompasses yoga, pilates, pranayama, meditation, cardio and strength training on the Power Plates and Pilates Reformers.
Our mission is to build community and lasting relations. While encouraging gratitude and to create a culture of positive transformation.
The flow of class will always be the same, yet what’s taught switches daily. It’s the perfect mix of familiarity and safety, but also progressive, and challenging both mentally and physically.
All in all, we believe that more gratitude equals more life. When you’re present to what’s going right in your life and all of your blessings it’s easier to live a life fully, and a life that feels good.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned how to pivot…
The business plans I had thought out became useless and I had to learn to trust my gut and follow my intuition when making calls related to the future of the brand and business. I operate well under pressure and can focused so deeply on my goals that nothing was going to stop my progress. I focused on daily manageable “to-do’s” and those small tasks really kept the forward momentum that I needed to build Grit + Gratitude.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gritandgratitudestudios.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com › gritandgratitudestudios
- Facebook: www.facebook.com› gritandgratitudestudios
Image Credits
Jennifer Arthur Photo
Kristin Richardson
Carly Mask
