Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Thomas.
Ashley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.
Without hope, life can feel overwhelming, life can feel bland, and life can feel as if it is not on your side. Heap of Hope came about in September of 2013. The acronym H.O.P.E. stands for Helping Others Promoting Encouragement.
In the beginning stages, the work was geared toward the 12-18 population and as time went by it expanded to a network that became all inclusive to individuals no matter the age, stage, gender because one thing remained valid; EVERYONE needs to feel encouraged, and everyone needs the presence of HOPE.
From 2013-2015, I did conferences for mothers and daughters that included; mental health sessions, physical health, beauty, spirituality, and much more. The name the Hope Dealer derived from my very passion and being intricately involved with who I dealt hope to and making sure that they understood that being hopeless is not beneficial to living their best lives because even in the midst of hardships and trials, being hopeful has a way of carrying you through.
I went through my own trials which in the midst, I persevered to continue hope dealing even when I didn’t find or feel like I had the strength to help myself. What kept me going was the idea that Hope Dealer was my name, Hope Dealing was my game, and I knew that I deal so others can heal; Nothing can get in the way of that. From this thought and my hard moments birthed a book called 31 Heaps of Hope which is on Amazon.com. This book is designed for self-reflection and has questions for you to fill in an answer so that you can go back to read and reflect on what you wrote.
My mission is to spark intrinsic change from the inside out and what better way to do it than to show the world that you started with yourself. Everything in 31 Heaps is something that I have experienced, not something told to me or something that was a scenario. Experience is your best teacher when you pick up the lessons it is trying to teach you.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Success is not a measure of how quickly you accelerate, but how diligent you are to complete the journey that has been assigned to you. When I say “HOPE Dealer” or dealing hope, most individuals don’t immediately take to it because, in this day and age, everything is about face value and operates off what an individual sees.
Sometimes what you see is not your ideal situation and that where what I do comes in. I let people know that God plan may not always be clear to our naked eye but it is designed specific for us, and it is to be completed by us. Being in pursuit of positive thinking and lifestyle choices will not and has not been an easy road especially for entrepreneurship.
What I do know is that the lessons that are portrayed in 31 Heaps of Hope will help someone on their life’s journey realize things that they may not have realized before.
Support is always a huge factor, and one has to understand that the individuals that you think will support your dream may be the least likely to show any type of interest in doing so, and you have to be okay with that as you grow and move forward.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Heap of Hope – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Heap of Hope is a business designed to help individuals through everyday issues, life and helping them to understand that they are not alone in the journey. I started doing statuses and video content on my social media which began my initial following.
I am known for being the “Hope Dealer,” the one that people comes to when they feel as if they are in a space where it is hope seems to be lost and I help them to regain a sense of perspective through encouragement. Through the organization, there are a plethora of services available such as speaking engagements, appearances, conferences, etc.
From gained exposure and frequent encouragement from my followers, came my inspiration to write my book first book, “31 Heaps of Hope”—this book is designed to walk an individual through real-life scenarios, through the offering of guidance and promotion of the art of self-reflection. This book is fit for any age and any stage of life.
What I am most proud of is when I may be out and about, and someone addresses me as the Hope Dealer, acknowledging and affirming that even if I may not think I have been effective of feeling discouraged, someone is always watching.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
For the future, I plan to take my book of the road for a book tour and also infiltrate different schools, churches and organizations to begin to plant and water the seed that with the birth fruit of Hopefulness.
I plan to also continue my work as the HOPE dealer and praying that the right people in the right places can help me push my purpose as strongly and as adamantly as I do.
Pricing:
- The price of 31 Heaps of Hope is $10 on amazon.com and if in the Houston area, I have hard copies I am available to deliver.
- I have a business shower event coming up with $5 entry and Vendor spots available for $35 per space.
Contact Info:
- Website: Heapsofhope.net
- Phone: 512-649-7462
- Email: Thahopedealer@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/heapofhope/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.p.joseph.3
- Twitter: Twitter UserName: @HopeDealer9
- Other: SnapChat: @heapofhope
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
