Ashley Thompson’s journey through profound personal loss—her divorce and her mother’s passing—might resonate with anyone facing life’s most difficult moments. Despite the overwhelming grief, Ashley found strength and clarity in her darkest hours, learning to embrace her resilience and redefine her path. Through prayer, introspection, and prioritizing her mental health, she rediscovered purpose and ambition. Today, Ashley is a testament to the power of perseverance and the belief that even in the face of deep loss, there is always a way forward. Her story is one of triumph, transformation, and creating a legacy filled with purpose.
- Can you describe the emotional impact of your divorce and your mother’s passing?
The emotional impact of my divorce and my mother’s passing honestly nothing could have prepared me for. There were days when I literally thought I was losing my mind. I questioned everything. I quit caring about making any real progress at a certain point and was in such a dark place. I tried to make sense of things that just don’t make sense, but I am so glad that I made it to the other side. Don’t get me wrong there are still bad days. But the good days definitely outweigh them now. - How did these experiences shape your understanding of yourself and your future?
The experience definitely helped me find clarity. And although I already knew I was resilient, it made me feel like I could face and conquer whatever was thrown at me and gave me the motivation to succeed. I knew I wanted to create a legacy my mom could be proud of, so that became the focus. - What specific practices or strategies did you use to gain clarity during this time?
I isolated. I actually lost quite a few friendships because people took my isolation personally. But I also admit I didn’t do the best job at communicating. There was a lot of prayer involved as well and just me figuring out, “Ok, we’ve literally hit the lowest of lows. Where do I go from here?” I also started prioritizing my mental health a bit more. Started going to therapy. At one point, I even stopped drinking for like 6 months. - How did the process of introspection help you redefine your goals and desires?
It honestly made me more serious about things. Before all of this, I was kind of just living off vibes but afterwards I realized that I wanted my life to mean something and it made really hone in and ask myself some tough questions and get intentional about what I really want out of life. - How did you find strength and resilience in the face of such significant loss?
My dad did a good job of checking in on me. He lost his mother, my grandmother back in 2012, so he was able to comfort me a bit. Other than that, I just really tapped into wanting to make my parents proud. Knowing that I still have my health and my family and people who want and need me here helped me find my way back and get out of bed each morning. - Can you share any moments of insight or breakthroughs you had during your period of reflection?
I think the biggest breakthrough I had was the realization that this is truly all temporary. You get one life and you just need to drown out the noise and go for it. If something doesn’t work, pivot. - How has your perspective on life and happiness changed since these events?
I’m just happy to be here honestly lol. I was in such a dark place. I’m so grateful that I’m here on this earth at this time and taking tangible steps towards creating a life I love. - What advice would you give to someone who feels lost and unsure about their future?
As cliché as it may sound, I promise it gets better. But it doesn’t get better until you get better. You have to make the choice. Pull the trigger. The more you sit in your uncertainty, the longer your not pursuing your goals. And the time is going to pass anyway. - What have you learned about self-care and protecting your peace through your experiences?
I literally have the lowest tolerance for bs now. Like if I feel like I’m not safe, I’m over explaining myself, vibes are just off, like any thing that doesn’t feel right and in alignment, it’s not for me. I’ve learned to prioritize me. Which was really tough because for a very long time I didn’t have good personal boundaries. - How do you now approach setting and achieving personal goals?
I definitely approach it more candidly because I know sometimes things are out of your control. I also work on creating a voice and image that’s consistent with the woman I want to be. They say the beauty in having a platform is you have a voice and help shape the world. When I started @shopexvii_ / The Society Empire LLC, I recognized that I wanted to fill a space that no one at that time was in. I wasn’t doing it for the trendy crowd or the fashion nova crowd. I was doing it for the women, no matter what age, that knew they were different. That didn’t care about fitting in. That were multi faceted and didn’t want to be put in a box. I don’t believe in niches, although everyone will tell you that’s what makes a successful business. I believe in problem solving and making people feel at home within themselves. ELEVEN17 has been therapeutic to me. It has given me a way to honor my mother in a way I never thought imaginable and it has helped me create a space I wish I had as a little girl. I have had customers as young as 8 and as old as 60. And that, in my opinion, let’s me know I’m doing something right. Knowing I have a reputation to live up to helps when I’m kind of looking for the next step. - How do you envision your future moving forward, and what steps are you taking to realize it?
My next big goal is to open an event space, shoot a film, and the biggest goal is to create a franchise model for ELEVEN17. I’m not allowed to talk about some of the steps being taken because of NDAs and such. Just know I’m working lol 😉
IG: @iloveashleye and @shopexvii_
