Letting Go to Level Up: Ashley Cox on Pivoting with Purpose

What if your boldest move starts with walking away from who you used to be?

In this episode, Courtney sits down with Ashley Cox, a powerhouse leadership coach, author, and former corporate HR expert who left behind the title “HR Ashley” to rediscover what truly lights her up. From corporate burnout to founding Sprout HR and growing into a leadership mentor for women entrepreneurs, Ashley’s journey is raw, real, and deeply inspiring.

They talk about career pivots, identity crises, journaling breakthroughs, and the power of self-trust, even when the path ahead feels uncertain. For anyone feeling stuck in a version of themselves that no longer fits, this conversation offers a powerful reminder of what’s possible when you choose to rewrite the rules.

Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments

• Ashley’s early leadership lessons from retail to corporate boardrooms
• The culture shock of switching from Kroger to J.Crew, and what it taught her
• Why burnout pushed her to walk away from corporate life
• How starting a photography biz accidentally led her back to HR (with a twist!)
• The mindset shifts required to leave behind a known identity
• Why she shut down her consulting biz to go all in on leadership work
• Practical tips for journaling through transition and rediscovering your “why”
• The power of positioning coaches for untangling your inner chaos

Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode

• “What could you do every day that lights you up? That has you looking at your calendar saying hell yes?” - Courtney Turich
• “Because it's already scary enough being an entrepreneur. No one’s paying you except the business you build.” - Courtney Turich
• “So many of us think we need a five-year plan, but the beauty is in the chaos.” - Courtney Turich
• “If I wasn’t HR Ashley… who was I? That identity was so wrapped up in my work.” - Ashley Cox
• “Business years are like dog years, every year feels like seven in terms of growth.” - Ashley Cox
• “You can either pay a few hundred now or tens of thousands later when it blows up.” - Ashley Cox
• “You don’t have to have it all figured out. The mystery is part of the fun.” - Ashley Cox
• “It’s okay. It’s safe. It’s necessary… to trust yourself.” - Ashley Cox

About Ashley

With 20 years of experience leading high-performing teams across retail and corporate giants like J.Crew and Kroger, Ashley Cox brings deep expertise in talent development, team building, and leadership strategy. She’s led teams of 1 to 400 and contributed to enterprise-level training programs for a $100B company. Now a business owner of 8+ years, Ashley understands the unique challenges leaders face—especially women forging bold paths. Through her work, she empowers women to step into their leadership potential with confidence and clarity. Ashley is the author of Transform Your Stories and host of The Impact Ripple podcast, where she shares real, relatable leadership advice to help others lead with impact, purpose, and joy.

Follow Ashley Cox

• LinkedIn
• Website

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A Team Dklutr Production