Mom of the Month: Ashley Gilbert

I wanted to begin publishing a new spotlight each month on a deserving local mom and business owner. I could think of no better woman to interview than Ashley  Gilbert—a homeschooling mother of 3, and Life Coach/founder of I Can LLC. I met Ashley shortly after moving to Maryland 5 years ago and have truly enjoyed seeing her business grow as she empowers the women in our community and shares her own stories of triumphs and hardships throughout her personal and professional journey. I encourage all readers to register for an upcoming stress-relieving coloring session or dance class and experience the pure joy that Ashley brings to life. Be sure to read all the way through for a special discount code for her upcoming MJ Experience Dance Party Workout in June! You will not want to miss it!

So intrigued with her passion, we sat down with Ashley to chat a little…

MWT: Tell us a little about yourself and your family.
Ashley: I am a wife of almost 9 years to my best friend since high school, mother of 2 boys and one girl (ages 8, 5, and 2). We have homeschooled officially for 2 years and we love it!! We have lived in the Maryland area for about 4 years, moving from Colorado.

MWT: What inspired you to start your business and where do you continue to find your passion for your business?
Ashley: I actually have always had a passion to serve and connect with women and young girls. Dancing has always been a passion of mine. Dance helped me through many tough family situations growing up. I never really took many professional classes, but my passion for it drove me to teach myself. One year working with youth and being a TA in a special needs classroom birthed my vision for I Can. I started teaching a daily dance class to the students. Some of the students couldn’t walk or talk. Some were autistic or had brain injuries. Most if not all the students had low self esteem. After teaching them every day I saw how powerful a tool dance was. Every student began to flourish in the class and even academically. Their confidence skyrocketed. Their abilities were challenged in a way that no one had ever given them the opportunity. That’s when I Can came to life! When we believe we can, things change. So from then on my dream was to use dance as a tool to inspire people to be great, to move past their insecurities and labels to believe they Can and to see themselves succeed. My continued passion comes from my own daily struggle. I don’t have it all together and don’t always have the best self esteem, but I used tools to empower myself and so I want to continue to do the same for others.

MWT: What does your business offer/how do you connect with the Southern Maryland community?
Ashley:  I offer one on one life coaching sessions, various private and public dance “party” classes, workshops and/or workouts. I teach sexy/ sensual chair dance classes to married women. I also do monthly relaxing adult coloring sessions. My family and I also serve the community through being on the events committee of our community board–we plan National Night Out, and the Christmas and Easter parties to serve the children of our neighborhood.

MWT: What are some of your favorite local spots to visit with your family?
Ashley: We love to go to the movies as a family! Any Disney or Pixar movie! We also love water, so we drive to all the time until we find water. Point Lookout Park is one of our favorite places to visit water. We love Pisgah Park. For date nights we love to try new restaurants but take that opportunity to leave Southern Maryland and explore the city. We love Mexican food and it’s hard to find authentic Mexican in Southern MD. We also love ice cream, so Baskin Robbins is a nice family treat. We are excited about the new Sonic opening! We love their tater tots and happy hour slushies and limeades.

MWT: How do you balance your family life with your business responsibilities?
Ashley: I balance by first having quiet prayer and devotional time in the morning before the kids wake up. Then I roughly plan out my day, especially homeschooling. This grounds and centers me for the day. I also know that I can’t do everything so I set realistic intentions and goals for my family and business so that I cannot be overloaded. I want my business to grow but not at the sake of my family dynamic. My time with my husband and kids come first. If they lack then I am out of balance and I readjust. But I also know it is important for me to stay connected to my passions and loves as well. So I make sure to have consistent me time and daily focus on my business even if for only 15 minutes.

****Discount especially for Moms With Tots Readers! ****

Use code “mwts” through the end of March when you purchase tickets for the MJ Experience Dance Party Workout happening on June 25.

Find tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-mj-experience-tickets-21101124030

Find Ashley on social media at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icandancellc
Instagram: @icanllc
Twitter: @icanllc
Website: www.ashleygilbert.net

Do you know a someone worthy of being our Mom of the Month? A mom who balances life with multiple hats? We’re looking for local moms who do it all! Let us know by shooting an email to [email protected]. We’ll feature a new mom on the first Wednesday of every month. We can’t wait to hear from you.