Feature Friday: Ashley Rowe, founder of NewLeafCo.

Hi there everyone! My name is Ashley Rowe and I am the proud Founder of NewLeafCo. We are a women owned and operated digital marketing collective helping small businesses and non for profits with accessible marketing, mentoring and social media management services. By turning a “new leaf” you are giving your company the tools it needs to truly succeed and grow. I founded the company almost two years ago and since then we have expanded across Canada and the United States helping businesses who are typically overlooked get the recognition they deserve. I work with Fast and Female to help create content to encourage more women to feel comfortable stepping into sports as a beginner. 

Something that has always stayed true during my first years of entrepreneurship is the better I am doing, the better the company can do. The basic idea is that the more I take care of myself and my well being the more I can give back to the company, my staff and my community. This is where running came in because for me it was so much more than movement. Last year I decided to take the leap and train for my very first half marathon. I was able to find a coach who prepared a plan for me and some running groups in my community to hold me accountable. I started with a walk run combo (30 second walk, 30 second run) until I could build up my distances. I truly think this half marathon was one of the best choices I could have ever made because it very quickly became so much more than just a race. 

Running became my community (via running groups and reconnecting with old friends), running became my wellness (fueling my body before and after), running became my stress relief (a pause from the business) running became my passion (signing up for and completing race goals). It was something I could dedicate my time, my mind and body to that had nothing to do with my business and everything to do with me. 

One of my favourite quotes is “do something today your future self will thank you for” and I think if you take anything away from this article, I hope you know that running can be an incredibly rewarding and an accessible sport that your future self will thank you for. Also sign up for your first race, I promise you won’t regret it!

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