I was sitting in the shop getting my daughter’s hair done. Laptop open. Finishing touches on our sabbatical plan. Thirty days. Again. Nigeria. Ghana. The Philippines. Bali. Dubai. Bangkok. Thailand. Family fun. Rest. God. Dreaming. This is our third one. And I’m excited. But here’s what I told my husband recently. The weeks leading up to a sabbatical? I work like a mad woman. Not because the business needs it. Not because clients demand it. But because somewhere deep down… I don’t always feel like I deserve this much time off. Corporate taught me that rest has to be earned. That joy must be justified. That abundance should be balanced with exhaustion. So even as an entrepreneur with freedom, I found myself recreating the same trap. Overworking. Overproving. Overexplaining. Just in case God changed His mind about blessing me. And that’s when it hit me. Rest isn’t a reward. It’s a responsibility. If I say I believe in freedom, but only feel safe resting after punishment-level productivity… then I’m still operating from corporate conditioning. My daughter doesn’t need a mom who “earned” joy. She needs a mom who models it. My husband doesn’t need a wife who burns herself out first. He needs a partner who trusts what we’ve built. And my clients don’t need another exhausted expert. They need proof that alignment actually works. So this sabbatical isn’t just about travel. It’s about unlearning the lie that rest requires permission. Clarity doesn’t come from grind. It comes from trust. Justin-Welsh-style punchline: You don’t earn rest. You practice it. P.S. If you want help landing rich clients using your authentic voice, go to landbigclients.com. It’s just $97 until further notice.

You’ve just joined the #1 community for experts who want to land five- and six-figure corporate contracts and scale their businesses strategically. Here at SPEAK Your Way To Cash®, we’ve built a reputation for excellence: we’re the 14th fastest-growing privately held company in Georgia and ranked 370th in the U.S. We don’t just teach sales—we create transformations. I’m Ashley Kirkwood, founder and CEO of SPEAK Your Way To Cash®. I left a $300,000 partner-track attorney job to build my own law firm and SPEAK Your Way To Cash®! Since then, I’ve personally closed five- and six-figure contracts with corporations and helped countless others do the same. If you’re here, it’s because you’re ready to take action and build a thriving business by selling your expertise at the highest level. This community isn’t just a group—it’s a movement of experts ready to unlock their full potential. We’re here to share strategies, celebrate wins, and challenge each other to scale bigger and faster than ever before. 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘: To unlock the best this community has to offer, complete these three steps in the next 7 days (and within 30 days, you must reach Level 2 to stay active—this is a space for action-takers): 1️⃣ Introduce yourself: Drop your introduction below! Share who you are, what you do, and what your goals are. 2️⃣ Engage with 5 other members: Comment, ask questions, or show support. Building connections is key. 3️⃣ Make a post: Share a quick win, a challenge, or a question to spark conversation. 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: This isn’t a spectator sport. The most successful members are the ones who show up, connect, and contribute. This community thrives when YOU show up boldly. 🔥 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒: • 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Keep the focus on collaboration, not self-promotion. • 𝐁𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥: We’re here to build each other up. • 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲: This is a space for doers—not passive scrollers. When you’ve completed your first steps, keep the momentum going by:

There’s 235 days left in the year. What’s one thing you’re doing differently to end this year strong?

Look, the absolute worst thing you can do is be led 100% by your feelings. In a moment, you’ll ruin relationships. You’ll make bad decisions in business. And you’ll be inconsistent. People want to do everything except be positive and consistent. But there’s no magic wand—just consistency. Let me clarify: it’s not just about doing the same thing over and over. It’s about analyzing your results and making pivots based on data—not feelings. The hardest part of coaching? It’s knowing, deep down, that no matter how much strategy you give, some people can’t outwork themselves or their thinking. That said, you can change your thinking. When people ask me how I deal with hard thoughts or the desire to quit, the answer is simple: I work the plan. And on the days I can’t? I pause, then work the plan the next day. I analyze the data and make adjustments—but I don’t whine. Now, that said, you do have the right to vent. Maybe that helps you. But be careful. Because once your thinking spirals into “This won’t work” or “I can’t do this,” the work feels heavier and heavier. And eventually, you can’t even see your situation accurately.P

#longpost but there’s #GOLD in here!! ⬇️⬇️ Let’s say everything’s gone. No brand. No list. No followers. No team. Just me, my laptop, and my track record of building a multi–seven-figure business from the ground up. If I had to start all over today, here’s exactly how I’d rebuild—to hit $500K in 6 months and $1 million within 12 months. This isn’t theory. This is strategy with receipts. And whether you’re just starting or restarting, this will work for any service-based expert—especially if you’re selling to companies. Step 1: Build a Tiered Offer That’s Easy to Sell and Scale Before anything else, I’d build one core offer with three strategic tiers. No piecemeal pricing. No “custom” everything. Just clear packaging that solves a real problem. Here’s what it looks like: 1. Sales Strategy Audit→ Analyze the company’s current process, people, and pipeline 2. Sales Team Training→ Virtual or on-site sessions customized to the audit results 3. Licensing & Ongoing Curriculum→ Retainer or white-labeled curriculum with quarterly optimization The base investment? $25,000 minimum - $10K down, $15K post-delivery - Top tier could easily hit $40K–$60K, especially with licensing Want to know how to make $1M with this offer? Just sell 40 packages at $25K each. That’s it. That’s 3–4 clients a month and you’re there in a year. Step 2: Wrap That Offer in a Framework That Sells You can’t just have a service. You need a signature system that makes it easy for people to understand the how behind your wow. If my topic is sales, I’d brand a 3–5 step framework for building high-performance sales teams. This becomes the basis of: - My live events - My content - My pitches - My presentations Framework = confidence for the buyer. Framework = authority for the seller. Step 3: Build a Target List of 100 Companies (With Strategy) I’d go after 100 companies with at least 100 people on their sales team—because I know they: - Have the budget - Have the problem - Need the solution I sell