We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley K. Stoyanov Ojeda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m not sure I ever thought I had a choice? Haha.

From a very young age I knew I saw the world differently. I never liked structure and felt that it limited my potential. Society made me feel like I had to fit into some kind of box in order to succeed – and I just could not see a future for myself just dedicated to one thing for the rest of my life. I wanted something else.

And so without knowing it, I slowly started developing skills that could help me break out of the normal 9 to 5 and ultimately take a risk on starting something else. I wanted to help people, I wanted to see other people grow their creative projects, but I wanted to do it my way.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m the author of Jefa in Training, the first Spanglish business book + hands on guide to launching/growing your business.

I’m also a business strategist that helps the new majority grow their businesses through my newsletter La Hoja, membership community, workshops and consulting.

Building this business has been and continues to be a journey but one that I am grateful to be on. I’ve had to learn a lot of lessons along the way like: asking for help, getting comfortable with finances and learning to trust my creativity and ultimately – to let what makes me different lead the way.

Everyone has something unique and valuable to bring to the table – if you want to start a business you have to think not necessarily about what you’ll do differently, but more of the “how”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live a little outside of Portland, OR so some of my favorite spots are: – Brunch at Broder and Wine Tasting near Hood River (Just went to Stave and Stone, loved it)
– All the farmers markets
– All the vintage stores
– The Oregon Coast
– Coffee at many of the local shops
– Lauretta Jean’s Pie

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to give a shout out to my Jefa in Training community – my clients, fans, collaborators – my day 1s! They continue to see the vision and I’m so excited to grow with them.

Website: https://ashleykstoyanovojeda.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleykstoyanovojeda/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleykervabon/

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