In this episode of The BraveHearted Woman Podcast, I am joined by Ashley Balza, a mother of seven and grandmother of two, who shares her transformative journey following a severe septic illness in 2018. Ashley recounts the drastic health challenges she faced post-childbirth, leading to her hospitalization and eventual diagnosis of a strep bacterial infection. This life-threatening experience underscored the importance of self-advocacy in medical settings.

Ashley explains how this ordeal propelled her into prioritizing self-care, which she emphasizes as critical for preventing burnout and chronic health issues. She describes how her faith and a shift in her expectations towards her husband played a crucial role in her recovery and personal growth. Ashley highlights the significance of recognizing personal value beyond familial roles and finding worth in spiritual faith.

Tune in to find out how Ashly ventures into direct sales of skincare, which boosted her confidence and led to a broader self-care routine. She now encourages others to embrace self-care, advocating for small, manageable steps over expensive or time-consuming activities. So it’s never too late to pursue your dreams and start a business in midlife!

Timestamps:

0:00 - Guest Intro

1:32 - Ashly’s braveheart story of overcoming life’s biggest challenges

9:20 - Practical tips to prevent burnout

10:18 - Signs and symptoms of burnout

15:33 - How to determine your self-worth?

21:00 - The importance of surrendering

23:24 - How proper skin care can transform your confidence and appearance

26:51 - Ashly’s #1 tip for midlife woman

28:55 - Find out Ashly’s FREE gift

Quotations:

"You have to advocate for yourself. You have to open up and share your voice and don't be afraid to keep pressing the issue." - Dawn Damon

"Advocating for your own self-care is so critically important because when you're burning the candle at both ends, not taking care of yourself, you end up severely dehydrated or with chronic issues." - Ashly Balza

"Disease comes from chronic inflammation. So if you're not getting to the root cause of that inflammation, you're inviting illness." - Ashly Balza

"Your value and your worth are not found in your husband or anyone else; they come from God, the one who created you." - Ashly Balza

"Self-care doesn’t have to be an extravagant, expensive thing. It can be simple, like starting with your skincare routine." - Ashly Balza

"The only way you will fail is if you quit. Keep pushing forward." - Ashly Balza

"If you feel called to do something, no more excuses. Just do it, because you never know where it will take you." - Ashly Balza

"For me, it was more so how to begin to love me and begin to find who I was. I'm not just a mom. I'm not just a wife. I'm not just a business owner. Like I am a daughter of the most high King." - Ashly Balza

"The only way you will fail is if you quit. So keep pushing forward. If it's something that is truly on your heart and you feel like it's something that God has for your purpose... no more excuses, just do it because you can come up with excuses all day, every day, and you can live miserably because you have those regrets." - Ashly Balza

"Don't let 'what if' turn into 'if only.' If only I would have taken that risk." - Dawn Damon

Resources:

🎁 FREE GIFT - 30-minute self-care consult with Ashly Balza: https://lbri.com/ashlybalza/skincareadvisor

🌐Connect with Ashly Balza: