I’ve spent nearly twenty years exploring one question:
What becomes possible when we live with intention?
That question has taken me across countries and careers, through seasons of uncertainty and profound growth, and ultimately toward the work I feel deeply called to do today. Along the way, I’ve learned that the life we’re searching for begins by remembering who we are.
My professional journey began in service, working with a nonprofit before building my entrepreneurial career as a photographer. Photography taught me the power of presence, connection, and seeing what is often overlooked. Over time, that work evolved into something bigger— a calling to create spaces where people can slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most.
Today, I’m an intentional living coach, author, photographer, retreat host, workshop facilitator, and ceremonial cacao facilitator. I’m also the former host of the Living an Intentional Life podcast, a resource that continues to offer conversations and inspiration around living with intention.
While these offerings may look different on the surface, they share a common purpose: creating meaningful spaces for women, leaders, teams, and communities to reconnect with themselves, their values, and what matters most.
A life shaped by curiosity -
My path has never been particularly linear. I’ve taught English on Mafia Island, Tanzania, traveled and lived around the world, built businesses, reinvented myself, and continually said yes to experiences that stretched me beyond what was familiar. Those experiences have taught me that courage is the willingness to keep moving toward what feels true. They’ve also taught me to trust curiosity, follow the heart, and make room for the unexpected.
I believe we’re never finished becoming.
Every season invites us to return to ourselves, to listen, grow, reflect, and discover what wants to emerge next.
The life I’m living -
These ideas aren’t just the work I do—they’re the way I try to live.
I’m a fire-wife to a South African immigrant I met while traveling in Tanzania, a mom to our radiant daughter, and caretaker to a lively collection of animals. We call the mountains of Lake Arrowhead, California home, where we embrace the seasons, explore endlessly, gather around good food and conversation, and try to live the kind of full, imperfect, meaningful life I encourage others to create. I’m endlessly curious. I love meaningful conversations, new places, beautiful photographs, big questions, and the small moments that make an ordinary day feel extraordinary.
What I believeI believe a meaningful life begins with knowing yourself deeply and having the courage to live from that place.
Through coaching, workshops, retreats, photography, writing, and ceremonial cacao, I create spaces to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most.
To remember who you are.
To trust your inner wisdom.
To choose with intention.
And to take the next courageous step.
Because when you live more fully as yourself, you give other people permission to do the same.
And I believe that’s how we create a world where everyone has a place to belong, including you!
What becomes possible when we live with intention?
That question has taken me across countries and careers, through seasons of uncertainty and profound growth, and ultimately toward the work I feel deeply called to do today. Along the way, I’ve learned that the life we’re searching for begins by remembering who we are.
My professional journey began in service, working with a nonprofit before building my entrepreneurial career as a photographer. Photography taught me the power of presence, connection, and seeing what is often overlooked. Over time, that work evolved into something bigger— a calling to create spaces where people can slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most.
Today, I’m an intentional living coach, author, photographer, retreat host, workshop facilitator, and ceremonial cacao facilitator. I’m also the former host of the Living an Intentional Life podcast, a resource that continues to offer conversations and inspiration around living with intention.
While these offerings may look different on the surface, they share a common purpose: creating meaningful spaces for women, leaders, teams, and communities to reconnect with themselves, their values, and what matters most.
A life shaped by curiosity -
My path has never been particularly linear. I’ve taught English on Mafia Island, Tanzania, traveled and lived around the world, built businesses, reinvented myself, and continually said yes to experiences that stretched me beyond what was familiar. Those experiences have taught me that courage is the willingness to keep moving toward what feels true. They’ve also taught me to trust curiosity, follow the heart, and make room for the unexpected.
I believe we’re never finished becoming.
Every season invites us to return to ourselves, to listen, grow, reflect, and discover what wants to emerge next.
The life I’m living -
These ideas aren’t just the work I do—they’re the way I try to live.
I’m a fire-wife to a South African immigrant I met while traveling in Tanzania, a mom to our radiant daughter, and caretaker to a lively collection of animals. We call the mountains of Lake Arrowhead, California home, where we embrace the seasons, explore endlessly, gather around good food and conversation, and try to live the kind of full, imperfect, meaningful life I encourage others to create. I’m endlessly curious. I love meaningful conversations, new places, beautiful photographs, big questions, and the small moments that make an ordinary day feel extraordinary.
What I believeI believe a meaningful life begins with knowing yourself deeply and having the courage to live from that place.
Through coaching, workshops, retreats, photography, writing, and ceremonial cacao, I create spaces to slow down, listen inward, and reconnect with what matters most.
To remember who you are.
To trust your inner wisdom.
To choose with intention.
And to take the next courageous step.
Because when you live more fully as yourself, you give other people permission to do the same.
And I believe that’s how we create a world where everyone has a place to belong, including you!
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT :
2011 : After graduating college at CSULB with degrees in Business Marketing & Africana Studies, I worked for a local non-profit PBS.
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2013 : Fulfilled a life long dream of living and teaching in Africa. This is me on the remote island of Mafia Island, Tanzania.
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2013 : The first time in my life, I felt like I belonged! Teaching English to 132 Form I students at Kitomondo Secondary School on Mafia Island, Tanzania - Africa.
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2014 : My first time in South Africa (feeding elephants here) with my then boyfriend, now husband who I met while living on Mafia Island, Tanzania.
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2014 : Living and teaching English in San Jose, Costa Rica for six months while diving deeper into teaching yoga (as I had received my YTT certification earlier this year).
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2015 : Back on Mafia Island, Tanzania - these were the students I had taught just two years before and had the honor of volunteering back in the classroom.
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2015 : Living back on Mafia Island, Tanzania were together, we ran a whale shark conservation and internship camp while I did marketing for a tree house lodge.
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2015 : Our engagement photos in Cape Town, South Africa. We were in the K-1 Fiancé Visa process waiting for him to be able to come to the United States.
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2015 : After receiving my Yoga Teacher Certification in 2013 from Yoga Six, I had the honor of teaching around the world and at local studies in Southern California.
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2015 : In April, I launched my entrepreneurial journey as a photographer, under Ashley Strong Photography - which would eventually expand into Ashley Strong Smith!
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2017 : January 21st we got married in Oceanside, California after 3.5 years of immigrating him here from South Africa via the K-1 Fiance visa.
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2018 : We were pregnant with our daughter, Orion. This is from our announcement photo taken at our favorite beach in Laguna Beach, California.
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2019 : July 11th, our daughter was born after a healthy and expensive pregnancy and 24 hours of all natural labor.
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2021 : We bought our first home in Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains at 6,200 feet elevation.
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2021 : My husband graduated fire academy + passed probation and became a Fire Fighter!
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2021 : I followed a life long calling and expanded my business adding both Intentional Living Coaching + Living an Intentional Life Podcast!
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2022 : This is US in the mountains at one of our favorite hiking spots called the Exploration Trail in Running Springs, California.
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2023 : My husband became a Fire Fighter PARAMEDIC!
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2023 : We moved through the biggest blizzard of a century where it was declared a "State of Emergency" in the San Bernandino Mountains!
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2024 : We fulfilled a dream of getting a trailer to raise our girl traveling the world, just as we did as kids!
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2024 : We had a life changing opportunity to buy our dream house in Lake Arrowhead, California where we sold our house in Running Springs. This is our crew (minus the cats).
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