About

About

NO-BULLSHIT SPIRITUALITY FOR THE MODERN MYSTIC

My name is Ashley – many people close to me just call me Ash – and you’re in My Sacred Space.

Humanity is in the midst of a collective awakening, and more people than ever before are being introduced to spirituality for the first time, but online spiritual circles –– and the teachers, coaches, and influencers who lead them –– are rife with misinformation, exploitation, ethical issues, exclusivity, narcissistic egos, unintegrated spiritual perspectives, and harmful belief systems.  This toxic brand of “pop” spirituality ends up inflicting more trauma than it heals –– especially when it’s commoditized by capitalism.

A lot of the content out there encouraging discernment and critical thinking about spirituality, however, looks at it through an incredibly dismissive and condescending lens because it’s being critiqued by outsiders who don’t have a full grasp of the concepts. To be fair, most of the people on the inside –– particularly those in visible positions of power like influencers, coaches, and self-proclaimed teachers –– don’t have a full grasp of the concepts either, so it’s understandable why someone with no exposure would look at those people and think this is all bullshit.

At In My Sacred Space, my mission is to provide spiritual newcomers and long-time truth seekers with a responsible, grounded perspective of spirituality and conscious business –– one that offers thorough and nuanced explanations for spiritual concepts that dovetail with science, sociology, and psychology rather than contradicting them. Through this exploration, I aim to shine a light on the shadows of spirituality and challenge toxic belief systems within the spiritual community, wellness, and coaching industries.

I’m here to help you detect the bullshit. 

If you’re new to this journey, and even if you’ve been on it for a few years, you’ll find a wealth of information here to help you sharpen your critical thinking skills, cut through the crap, and maybe discover a little bit of Truth.

I am NOT a business coach.

I‘m a rational mystic, shadow worker, divine feminist, burgeoning astrologer, and writer moonlighting in the real world as a science editor and marketer.

As a trained journalist, former entrepreneur, and ex-tech business consultant with nearly two decades of marketing and advertising experience in retail, ecommerce, tech, business-to-business, and higher education, I can spot coaching and wellness industry business bullshit from a hundred yards away – and I’ll show you how to, too.

I spend my free time raising awareness about toxic spirituality and spiritual narcissism, and advocating for ethical and trauma-informed approaches to spirituality and business in the wellness industrial complex.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet. Be sure to find me on social media for loads of trauma-awareness and ethical business and spirituality advocacy.

Xo,

Ash

I am NOT a business coach.

I‘m a rational mystic, shadow worker, divine feminist, burgeoning astrologer, and writer moonlighting in the real world as a science editor and marketer.

As a trained journalist, former entrepreneur, and ex-tech business consultant with nearly two decades of marketing and advertising experience in retail, ecommerce, tech, business-to-business, and higher education, I can spot coaching and wellness industry business bullshit from a hundred yards away – and I’ll show you how to, too.

I spend my free time raising awareness about toxic spirituality and spiritual narcissism, and advocating for ethical and trauma-informed approaches to spirituality and business in the wellness industrial complex.

Welcome to my little corner of the internet. Be sure to find me on social media for loads of trauma-awareness and ethical business and spirituality advocacy.

Xo,

Ash

Ash creates dissonance that sits with you and stirs deeply introspective investigation. The result is the kind of insight, healing, and personal growth that typically takes years of therapy, in a period of a few months, and at a fraction of the cost. – Ann from Connecticut

I wanted you to know that your postings have brought me hope again and your writings have profoundly helped someone to not feel so alone. – Anonymous

BUSINESS CREDENTIALS

There’s a lot of “conscious” business coaches out there with no real business experience outside of YouTube and Instagram, so I feel it’s necessary to be transparent about mine:

I am a trained journalist and business consultant with nearly two decades of marketing and advertising experience in retail, ecommerce, tech, nonprofit, business-to-business, and higher education. I’m experienced in marketing, branding, and operations initiatives with companies ranging from early stage startup to $20M in annual revenue.

As an advocate for ethical, socially responsible, and trauma-informed approaches to business and management, I educate business owners on the intersection of business and social systems to catalyze a culture shift toward a more conscious paradigm of business and marketing. I apply a cross-disciplinary, systems-thinking approach to deconstruct the negative psycho-social impact of capitalism on humanity and devise ethical strategies to reduce or eliminate harm.

BRANDING AND CONTENT 

As a copywriter and branding expert, I have worked with early-stage startups, nonprofits, and businesses in an agency and consulting capacity to discover their core values, vision, mission, differentiators, and brand identity. I’ve helped develop internal messaging matrices, and craft external messaging, look, and feel to carry their brands forward in a cohesive fashion and ensure that the way they present themselves in writing and design is in alignment with who they say they are. I’ve led the development and implementation of content strategies for multiple organizations to help them achieve organic growth, including thought leadership and other organic PR initiatives. My ghostwriting has appeared in ​Forbes on multiple occasions. Fun fact: the most social media properties I’ve managed at one time was 32. Yes, it was a bit overkill.

MARKETING

Analyzing market research and making data-driven decisions is a large part of my career. I’ve worked on initiatives in every stage of marketing, from evaluating market viability, target market selection, product development, and go-to-market strategy, and mapping customer lifecycle journeys, to developing and implementing digital inbound lead generation strategies for tech-oriented B2B companies, including digital marketing campaigns involving paid social and search (Google Adwords, Facebook and Instagram Ads), organic search (on-page SEO), and organic social media content.

CRISIS PR AND REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

For six years, I served as Vice President and Marketing and Public Relations officer on the board of a nonprofit animal rescue. As part of those duties, I was solely responsible for handling internal communications and external public relations, and used my public relations skillset to handle volunteer retention issues and reputation management. 

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND USER EXPERIENCE

I’ve developed branding assets such as logos and brand documentation, and helped implement those designs via websites, email marketing templates, business cards, digital and print advertising, brochures, pitch decks, and other brand properties. I am a self-taught web designer and have designed and built more than 20 sites for personal brands and small businesses, including the one you’re viewing right now. I’ve also dabbled in UX and UI design for mobile apps.

SCALING OPERATIONS

I’ve worked with multiple tech startups and nonprofits to develop detailed, longterm business growth and implementation plans, as well as internal systems and policy documentation. This included product development roadmaps and 5-year growth plans for company expansion such as hiring plans and resource investment, as well as creating internal systems and software selection to improve efficiency and efficacy of business operations to support sustained growth. This includes scaling the operations and annual revenue of a small virtual nonprofit organization from $90,000 in annual donations and a 100% volunteer staff to over half a million in annual donations, a physical building, a paid staff of 5, and 200+ volunteers over a six-year period. I have also served as an organizational manager for the local chapters of four professional associations.

PRODUCTION

I’ve written, produced, and directed multiple television and radio commercials, and I’ve done acting and voiceover work. Embarrassingly, I have appeared in national television commercials, one of which aired on a big screen in a bar at a New Years Eve party I was attending. I was mortified. I’ve also styled and directed commercial photo shoots for use in product catalogs, ads, billboards, and other properties. My favorite was working with James Laurinaitis (NFL/Big 10 Network), David Backes (NHL), and Ryan Reaves (NHL) on a campaign for a local animal rescue.

INDUSTRIES

As a business and marketing professional, I’ve worked on or led global, national and regional branding, marketing, advertising, and public relations initiatives on both the agency and client-sides. I have five years experience working in an advertising agency environment and the rest working in industry or for my own consulting business. The companies I’ve worked with include five national brick and mortar retail chains, two ecommerce startups, two B2B companies with annual revenues of $20M+, multiple nonprofit organizations and associations, numerous early stage tech startups, and an accredited STEM research institution in higher education.

 

Education: University of Missouri School of Journalism – Bachelor of Journalism, Strategic Communications Concentration

Business-related coursework in:

  • Creative Copywriting
  • Graphic Design
  • Account Management
  • Media Planning and Buying
  • Public Relations
  • Consumer Research
  • Consumer Behavior
  • Marketing
  • Economics
  • Communications Law

Other related coursework in:

  • Anthropology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Political Science
  • Philosophy
  • Investigative Journalism
  • Journalism Ethics
  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology

Continuing education in:

  • Understanding Authoritarian Cults
  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Impact of Early Childhood Trauma
  • Psychic Development Levels 1 & 2

Professional training in:

  • Unconscious Bias
  • Mental Health Crisis Response
  • Accessibility and ADA Compliance
  • Sensitive Data Management

READY FOR SOME CONSCIOUS BUSINESS TRASH TALK?

I’ve got a lot to say about the toxic state of the health, wellness, and conscious coaching industries. Visit my business blog to start unlearning predatory business practices.

@ASHRISING ON INSTAGRAM