In this inspiring episode of The Voices of Business, host Joshua Maddux sits down with Ashley Carlson, founder and CEO of Elevate Business Solutions. Joshua explores Ashley’s entrepreneurial journey, from her roots in Santa Clarita to building a remote, women-led team that empowers business owners to reclaim their time. Ashley shares insights on the challenges of delegation, the power of process, and what it really means to grow a business that supports both clients and employees.

What You Will Learn:

• How Ashley’s career evolved from administrative support to business strategy.
• The importance of delegation and how it impacts business growth.
• How to manage and maintain a strong remote work culture.
• Tips for business owners on identifying tasks they should stop doing.
• Ashley’s approach to supporting overwhelmed CEOs and creating structure.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:01:00] Ashley’s early career in Santa Clarita and roles in event management and hospitality.
• [00:04:00] How her CliftonStrengths results revealed her natural leadership and problem-solving abilities.
• [00:07:00] Launching Elevate Business Solutions: from solo work to building a remote team.
• [00:12:00] Behind the scenes: how Ashley manages her remote team culture with pods, Slack channels, and annual retreats.
• [00:23:00] The mantra “You can do anything, but you don’t have to do everything”—and how it shapes her approach to delegation.
• [00:36:00] How Ashley helps clients identify what to delegate and create sustainable business structures.
• [00:47:00] Misconceptions about fractional executive assistants and how her team tailors solutions for each client.
• [00:53:00] A lesson Ashley would give her younger entrepreneurial self about staying true to core services.

Featured Quotes:

"You can do anything, but you don’t have to do everything." – Ashley Carlson "I am not one who's afraid of building the plane while flying it. Challenge accepted." – Ashley Carlson "Every visionary needs a Jiminy Cricket—a right-hand person to map it out and bring clarity." – Ashley Carlson

Resources Mentioned:

• Elevate Business Solutions: https://elevatevbsolutions.com
• Ashley Carlson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleymcarlson
• Elevate Business Solutions on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatevbsolutions

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