Welcome back to Small Business School! In today’s episode, Staci sits down with mindset coach and founder of the Sparkle Entrepreneur Network, Ashley Dawn, to talk about authenticity, community, and the courage to pivot. Ashley shares the bold decision to leave her master’s program with only practicums remaining, how she rebuilt her confidence during a difficult season of life, and why real connection (not curated perfection) is what truly grows a business.

Key topics covered:

The brave decision to walk away from a nearly finished degree to pursue aligned entrepreneurship
Why community accelerates growth more than isolation ever could
How celebrating strengths prevents burnout and builds sustainable momentum
The difference between curated authenticity and truly showing up as yourself
Why repetition, exposure, and small brave steps rewire confidence over time
How meaningful connection (not pitching) creates long-term business success

Community isn’t just a nice-to-have in business, it’s often the catalyst for clarity, confidence, and real growth. And sometimes, the most powerful move you can make is choosing alignment over expectation.

Take Ashley Dawn’s free Sparkle Mindset quiz to determine how much you are dulling your sparkle and learn tips and tricks of how you can start sparkling being YOU.

https://tally.so/r/mV7r2l

Connect with Ashley:

Instagram: @therealashleydawn

Staci's Links:
Instagram. Website.