Inside the C-Suite

She Turned Rejection Into ROI - And Now Everyone’s Listening | EP43

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Most leadership stories start with a title. This one starts with a name people tried to weaponize.

In this episode of Inside the C-Suite, Christy Honeycutt sits down with Ashley T Brundage - a former homeless part-time bank teller turned national VP, political candidate, and now CEO of Empowering Differences. Ashley didn’t just navigate discrimination, transition, and poverty - she transformed it into one of the most dynamic leadership blueprints of our time.

Her method is simple, but not easy: track power, own your differences, and use both to lead.

This episode explores:

  • Why “diversity” isn’t a checkbox - it’s a business development strategy
  • How to dismantle fear-based inclusion programs and replace them with ROI-backed leadership pipelines
  • What most companies get wrong about DEI (and why renaming it won’t fix it)How to navigate identity-based ignorance without retreating or retaliating
  • Why socioeconomic class is the most overlooked dimension of inclusion
  • What it really takes to campaign for office while being “othered” on every doorstep
  • How Ashley scaled her impact by treating empowerment like a strategy, not a sentiment

    • Ashley’s story isn’t about making people comfortable. It’s about making people capable - of leading with clarity, building across difference, and staying rooted in conviction when the spotlight turns political.

    This isn’t just a masterclass in equity. It’s a case study in courage.


    Chapters:

    00:01:20 – How We Met and Why Ashley Stood Out  

    00:01:47 – Ashley’s Background Beyond the Bio  

    00:03:10 – What Happens When You Google Ashley T Brundage  

    00:04:19 – How Ashley Helps Teams Feel More Inclusive  

    00:08:07 – Ashley’s Journey from Homelessness to the C-Suite  

    00:18:49 – A Common Myth About the C-Suite Experience  

    00:20:07 – A Failure That Shaped Ashley’s Leadership Path  

    00:22:11 – Campaigning Stories and Leadership Lessons from the Field  

    00:27:42 – The Deeper Layers of Empowering Differences  

    00:33:55 – Final Thoughts and How to Engage with Ashley’s Work


    | Connect with Us |

    Learn more about Empowering Differences:

    https://empoweringdifferences.com/

    Grab Ashley’s book and start empowering differences today:

    https://empoweringdifferences.com/product/empowering-differences-book/

    Follow Ashley Brundage:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleytbrundage/

    (Rebuilt from rock bottom and now equips leaders to recognize power, difference, and what’s really driving impact.)

    Follow Inside the C-Suite:

    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cwiseman/

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