How I Let Go of “Perfect Timing” and Started Before I Was Ready

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This week we’re staying right in the heart of one big truth: it only takes 5 seconds to change everything.

And more specifically….the choice to start.

Not later. Not when life calms down. Not when everything magically aligns.

But now.

Or as I like to call it in real life terms: learning how to start before you’re ready.

And trust me, I didn’t always live by that.

The business I didn’t plan to rebuild

When I closed my first business, I didn’t plan to start another. I thought that was the end of my entrepreneurial journey. But God had other plans. 2 years later, I’d open another business, this time grounded with so much more purpose and clear direction.

The season where excuses would’ve been easier

As a single mom, working 9-5, dealing with SO much, I could have come up with every excuse in the book why I shouldn’t, or couldn’t, do it. But I made a choice. A choice to start before I was ready. I wasn’t going to let my circumstances stop me from building what I felt called to build—Boss Mama CEO.

I meet so many women who feel like their situation is a reason to wait. And I get it… I really do. But also,

if you keep waiting for the “right time,” you’ll be waiting forever.

The launch that almost waited…but didn’t

Which brings me to something I’m so excited about…I’m launching an apparel line this year!

The original plan was to wait until next year to launch so I could get through my first year in business, growing, networking, all the things. But as I continued to wear my apparel out in public, I kept receiving amazing feedback and so many women wanted to know where they could get their own! I couldn’t believe it. My boyfriend gave me the nudge and said, “why don’t you just launch it this year?!”. To which I said, “why not!”.

That moment reminded me again what it looks like to start before you’re ready. Not because everything is perfect, but because momentum is already knocking.

So I stopped waiting and I started. This launch has ignited more ideas for this apparel line that I CAN’T WAIT to announce in a few months.

That’s the power of learning to start before you’re ready. You never know what opportunities are waiting for you if you keep that door closed.

There are so many women who wait until they think they’re ready or until the time is “right”. TRUTH BOMB….you’ll never be ready and there’s never a “right” time to start.

You just do it. Which is why Nike coined that phrase.

So many people get stuck in planning mode instead of action mode. That’s where dreams go to die.

“The biggest graveyard is where dreams go to die.”

Pastor Andre Taylor – Move Church

You don’t wait to feel ready. You learn how to start before you’re ready. That’s called “taking risks”.

I haven’t met one entrepreneur who doesn’t take risks. The more you do it, the more comfortable it becomes. It doesn’t mean it gets easier. It just gets less difficult. And that’s how you grow.

This is what it actually looks like to start without being ready

I didn’t wait for the perfect time.

I didn’t wait until my business felt more “established.”

I didn’t wait until I knew what I was doing (because Lord knows I’m still learning…there’s SO much to learn about the apparel industry).

I didn’t wait until life slowed down. Because between court stuff with my ex, a little family chaos, the 9-5 grind, after-school activity chaos, late nights working mixed with quality time with my boyfriend, business meetings, outings with friends, and trying to squeeze in a little “me” time plus those sacred little pockets where I just need a minute to breathe and be human.… life isn’t slowing down anytime soon and nor do I expect it to.

So I just went for it. And decided I’d figure it out along the way.

That’s how dreams stay ALIVE.

At some point, it becomes a choice.

I’ve danced around this topic before when in conversation with others, trying to find the “perfect” way to say it… but this weekend reminded me that doesn’t actually help anyone.

So many of us quietly file our dreams under “maybe later” and call it life.

But if I’m being honest, I don’t want to get to the end of my story thinking, “I wish I had just gone for it.” And I’m guessing you don’t either.

Dreams don’t fail because they weren’t possible. They fail because they were postponed too long.

The last three years for me have been… a lot.

• Closing a business
• Divorce
• Moving states with a baby
• Navigating single motherhood
• Working full-time
• Starting something new on the side
• Relationships
• Family

Life has been life-ing.

And if you’re a mom (especially doing it on your own), you already know… your time, energy, and heart are pulled in a million directions.

The 5-second shift that can change everything

I love Mel Robbins’ “5 second rule.” Watch this video, it’s powerful!

If you haven’t heard it, the idea is simple: when you feel the urge to act, you have five seconds before your brain talks you out of it. That tiny window changes everything.

Because hesitation is where dreams get delayed.

And honestly, it’s the same with life decisions.

The difference between staying stuck and moving forward often comes down to a moment of courage.

A moment where you start before you’re ready.

Not because fear disappears.

But because action wins.

Nobody is ever truly ready. So don’t buy into the highlight reels you see online.

Your decision point

If you’re in that mental tug-of-war right now, debating whether to go for it or “maybe later”… I want you to borrow my favorite little trick for the next 5 seconds and make a choice.

Don’t overthink it. Don’t wait until you feel ready (because you won’t).

Just decide.

Start messy.

Start imperfect.

Start unclear.

Start before you’re ready.

Because clarity doesn’t come before action.

It comes because of action.

I didn’t wait for my business to feel established.
I didn’t wait until I felt qualified.
I didn’t wait until life slowed down.
I didn’t wait until I had it all figured out.

I just started.

And then kept going.

That’s how you start before you’re ready in real life. Not as a quote, but as a decision.

5…4…3…2…1…GO 💫

So here’s your moment.

If there’s something sitting in your mind right now… something you keep circling back to… something you keep postponing…

Try this:

5…4…3…2…1…

Go.

• Are you thinking of launching a book? Girl, write the dang book!
• Maybe you’ve been pondering the idea of launching a course? Now’s your time!
• Or maybe you’re the one who has spent the past couple of years detailing out ideas for a business you’d love to start but….”life”. Stop letting “life” get in your way and just go for it!

Not later. Not someday. Not when everything aligns.

This is your reminder to start before you’re ready.

Because your life doesn’t need perfect timing. It needs you to show up anyway.

Here’s to all the incredible Moms juggling a million things—keep shining bright, cheering each other on, and building the life you love!

Xoxo,
Ashley

Friendly Note: I’m simply sharing my journey, experiences, and lessons learned as a Mom in business. This isn’t legal, financial, or professional advice. Always check with a qualified pro for guidance tailored to you.