From religious cult survivor to CEO advising million-dollar brands across 17+ countries. From silent and voiceless to angel investor on television. From armored corporate warrior to soft, authentic leader building an ecosystem for female founders. Ashley Deland's story is proof that you can rewrite the rules of your life at any moment - and that evolution is not only possible, it's powerful.
Ashley is a strategic business advisor, investor, and multi-business founder who serves as CEO of Maison Deland and Business Mastery Academy (the world's first ICF-accredited business coaching program for women). She's the founder of the clothing line Female Founder, author of Unreserved, and has advised million-dollar brands while mentoring thousands of entrepreneurs globally. She's also currently filming a television show that will premiere at South by Southwest, educating women on how to grow, scale, and position their businesses for exits or investments.
But three years ago, Ashley made a decision that changed everything: she leaned heavily into authenticity. On the very first episode of her podcast She Wears the Pants, she shared her story publicly for the first time - including being molested daily by her best friend's father, growing up in a religious cult where women had no voice or choice, the crisis of identity when her family relocated to Canada's richest town, and eventually being excommunicated from the religion. She shared it all, thinking it was about self-expression. But hundreds of women from around the world messaged her, thanking her for her courage and strength.
That's when Ashley realized: she didn't tell her story for herself. She told it for them.
That moment of vulnerability transformed everything. It softened her previously masculine, armored corporate energy. It inspired her book Unreserved. It became one of the causes for her television show being created. And it taught her that you can decide to be whoever you want to be - that the evolution of a woman is a beautiful thing, and you don't need anyone's permission but your own.
This conversation explores the power of teaching people how to treat you through how you show up, why success in masculine energy served Ashley for so long until it didn't, and how giving permission to yourself creates ripple effects that give others permission too. We talk about modern motherhood with her 3-year-old daughter Haven, the importance of bringing your family into rooms of power so they witness what's possible, and why your marriage is your biggest business decision as an entrepreneur.
Key Takeaways:
- Authenticity and vulnerability can transform not just who you are, but the global impact you create
- You don't tell your story for yourself - you tell it for those who need to hear it
- Sitting in your truth means speaking from the scar, not the wound
- You are a product of your marketing - you teach people how to treat you based on how you show up
- The evolution of a woman is beautiful, and you get to rewrite the rules at any moment
- Permission is the mantra - when you give yourself permission to evolve, you give others permission too
- Your marriage is your biggest business decision, especially as an entrepreneur
- Bringing your children into rooms of power shows them firsthand what's possible for women
- Operating in masculine energy can serve you until it doesn't - evolution is allowed
- Service over self: always think about how your story serves others, not just yourself
Connect with Ashley:
- Instagram: @ashleydeland
- Website: ashleydeland.com
- Business Mastery Academy: bmacertification.com
- Maison Deland: maisondeland.com
- Book: Unreserved
- Clothing Line: Female Founder
- TV Show: Premiering at South by Southwest in March