Work Smarter Not Harder: Ashley Pettit

 We mature with the damage, not with the years.

If you are new to Cedar & Rush, Work Smarter, Not Harder (WSNH) is a weekly column showcasing Chicago’s leading ladies – think CEO’s, entrepreneurs, and everyday women making a difference – and how they work smarter, not harder. I decided upon Monday so we can kick off the week asproductive and as motivated as possible. If you love a particular piece of advice or have any tips of your own, please share by tagging #WSNH2015 on Instagram and Twitter.

Hi everyone! So sorry for last week’s radio silence. Making some big life changes over here, which I cannot wait to fill you in later this week. All great stuff. Just being an adult is all.

The good news is we have an awesome feature today, Ashley Pettit from Ashley Pettit Living. Her work and attitude speaks a lot to me personally! If you struggle balancing fun and health, the below includes a chock full of great tips and resources. Ashley Pettit went from working before and after hours at her corporate job (woke up everyday at 4:30 AM) to make her dream job happen. Now a regular contributor to news segments on television, and running her own Healthy Living Concierge service, she is a new mom and shares how to work hard but not take life too seriously. Can we say Wonder Woman? Take it away Ashley!

Ashley, please explain your job and any other networks and projects you participate in on a regular basis. I am a healthy living expert with certifications and degrees in fitness, nutrition, and cooking healthy – which makes it sound like I have thirty jobs sometimes!  Alas, I combine all of my education and industry experience into a healthy living service that is all-encompassing when it comes to wellness. It leaves no room for client excuses. That is just one job, but a pretty demanding one at that with clients now nationwide signing up for the APL Healthy Living Concierge! These areas of expertise also have me regularly on-air giving nutrition and fitness advice to TV viewers and acting as a consultant for healthy food brands and businesses.  I also utilize my journalism degree by writing blogs for my website and other outlets. I am currently writing an eBook about how to live the APL lifestyle!

How did you get to your current position? After graduating from college and looking far and wide for a journalism job that at least paid for a week’s supply of Ramen, I decided to go the safe route. I looked for a sales training program to at least get me into the real working world and out of my parents’ house. In the meantime, I worked two jobs, day and night, to stay busy. I love to be on-the-move. After 6 months, I landed a job for a technology solutions company and worked there for a total of 13 months.  While I knew this job was not forever, I never thought my first job would be so short-lived! While working there, I felt so unhealthy and downright sick.  Turns out, my mid-twenties were all about digestive disorders and discovering new food allergies for me. It was a revolving door to my doctor and hospital. Unfortunately, the best advice to come from all of my health drama was that I needed to “chill out.” I had no idea how to do that.

Raised as an athlete and to pay attention to my plate, I always had an interest in being fit and nutritious. I spent a week soul-searching to determine what the heck my next step should be and I had this crazy “a-ha” moment. I literally quit my job that day and I decided to pursue my “hobby” of living healthy! I met with nutritionists throughout the city to learn why they loved their job and to look into their methodologies and principals, read hundreds of health books and signed up for gazillions of health emails and newsletters. You name the job, and I have had it in this industry.  It was important to me to learn the lifestyle from every angle possible so I could provide people with well-rounded guidance.

I paid my way through my nutrition education by becoming a personal trainer, working at 5 AM, going to school, and then going back to work at 5 PM for the night. I thought my days in corporate were long! I worked in commercial gyms, private fitness centers, diet companies, wellness centers and in corporate wellness over a course of six years. I decided that working for myself was ultimately the healthiest and best decision I could make. Thanks to an incredibly supportive husband, that dream came true in 2012 in the form of Ashley Pettit Living.  I never fancied myself an entrepreneur, but it is exciting, challenging, and I LOVE IT!

What time do you typically get up in the morning? The last 9 years I was a 4:30 AM, wake in the dark kind of girl. Now that I am a new mom, I have pretty much tossed the alarm and any idea of a schedule out the window! I am still a morning person though :).

How do you take your coffee and what do you typically eat for breakfast? Black and bold please, decaf or regular! Literally, I would drink sludge if you gave it to me.  The best coffee I have ever had was in Turkey and no one else could drink it!  Despite my love for it, I do try to make coffee something I enjoy in the morning, but not something I need.  I am one of those people who is in it for the flavor.

For breakfast, I always have a vegetable-based green juice to start and if I find myself still hungry after my morning workout, I will do an APL “toastie”. Kind of like bruschetta for breakfast; the toppings range from the now trendy avocado mash to a tahini-cucumber-sprout combo.  You name it; I put it on my millet toast! Check out my Instagram for what I am making in the APL kitchen!

Quickly walk us through your morning routine: Generally the morning begins with my little PAWS puppy Arthur (actually a 7 1/2-year-old Bichon mix that is oftentimes still on my 4:30AM call-time), waking me up for his breakfast. While I am prepping that, I also make myself some hot water with lemon to slowly sip as I peruse social media from the last 12 hours or so since I shut down now at nighttime. Once that is complete, I set my phone aside and get in my 5-minute meditation before the tornado sets in called baby Reese! Then, mommy duty is on and meditation time is over for sure!

What is the best way to get your foot in the door of your dream job? Never, ever give up.  You cannot just wait for something to happen to you. YOU have to make it happen. This is a combination of working jobs that are stepping stones to getting to your dream job and networking. This means meeting with people who can provide you with support, sound advice, an “in” to get you there, as well as being privy what your competitors are doing. No matter who you are or what you do/want to do, there are thousands of people out there who want that job too. So staying on top of who is on that list and making sure you stand out is key.

What resources do you use to stay organized and remember tasks? iCal, Stickies, and Apple notes are my jam! I am an Apple lady all the way and love to push all of my to-do lists and data from one device to the other…then to another!  My computer, phone, and iPad are legit my best friends.

What mistake do you see people constantly make that they should be aware of? Don’t overpromise. I see people and businesses over promise things and then under-deliver. This makes people lose respect for you and most likely not trust in you again.  This is so disappointing!

I can relate it to my industry easily by using fad diets as a prime example – overpromising on how they will change your life and body forever, but they wind up either not working or the results are short-lived because they are not sustainable.  In a similar way, I also see a lot of people stepping outside of their area of expertise and giving advice to others. For me, I know I am not a yoga instructor so I would never teach a yoga class.  I may take yoga and know a lot about it, but it is not my area of expertise so I refer clients to a certified yoga instructor when they show interest in learning more. So many people these days make claims to being “experts” in things that they are not. I am wary of that for sure and even more aware of it happening now that I am vetting businesses and professionals for my Concierge clients all over the nation.

How do you conquer your inbox? I used to be this crazy lady who would respond to emails in a nano-second. People actually would email me back and say, “Whoa!” Now, I prefer to check my email morning, mid-day, and evening. This way nothing gets too backed up but so I can also live in the moment and accomplish other things. A lot of times, I will ask someone when they need an answer by so that I can prioritize.

How do you format your emails? This 100 percent depends on when I am receiving the email! When I am busy with either mommy-hood or work meetings, I tend to be very matter-of-fact when people ask me direct questions or if it is someone I know really well.  If it is someone I have never spoken to or an email that demands more attention for work or personal reasons, I will wait and respond when I have the time to thoroughly read it and answer with some thought.  I don’t enjoy being short and would love to spend a ton of time crafting each email I send, but I would definitely never get anything done.

How do you make time for working out and staying healthy? I workout six days a week and go with my gut so-to-speak! I always approach my week with a plan, but sometimes you have to just do what you are in the mood to do in the moment because those are always the best workout results! In general, I try to do fat-burning intervals for 30-45 minutes 3 times per week and those are always different formats like: spin, plyometric workouts I create myself or do on the Nike Training Club app, or planned out jaunts on the treadmill. Then, I work in 2-3 long runs a week for my endurance and go to my 2 strength-training appointments per week at Hardpressed with Kyle Slaven  (which I cannot live without, yes, trainers have trainers!) Honestly, if I had the time, I would workout more! It is the ultimate stress-reliever for me and I enjoy it so much, but being a mom and running a business has limited my time and made more into time-efficient exercises that get me to my goals.  Long walks carrying little Reese are now adding to my daily routine of moving because we are starting to have such gorgeous weather!

When I eat out or attend events, I am absolutely aware of what is being served or available food-wise ahead of time. If needed, I even eat beforehand to stay healthy. But life should be enjoyed, so I do indulge in moderation and will let loose when I know it is for the right reasons. So many clients go off of the deep-end because of emotional needs that food and drink fulfill, which is never the right time to indulge. I have learned to always pay attention to my “fullness” level so I prevent any unnecessary eating.  I am not one to swear off anything permanently, so you might catch me knocking back a glass of red wine or champagne or stealing a few fries from a plate, but I am satiated with small amounts and always remind myself what too much of something can do to your body and your goals.

What are your favorite tips for keeping an organized workspace? The. Container. Store. Ha.  Everyone has their own way of doing things, especially when it comes to being and staying organized. I should own stock in every office supply store around because I am a bit neurotic when it comes to keeping things in their place and where and how I need them.  My best tip is to tell people to set a day aside once a week to ensure you are keeping things in line.  I use an hour on Fridays to clean up my computer docs, backup any files, clean out my top desk drawer that accumulates all of our mail and such, look through my email box and make sure I clear all of the flagged emails I have responded too, et al.  That way, come Monday I am starting fresh and have also ensured my previous week has been logged and completed successfully!

What other pieces of advice/tips can you share? Life is unpredictable, just go with it and learn to be someone who can regroup and bounce back.

Perfection doesn’t exist, but you should certainly work everyday to be thehealthiest, best version of yourself. Maximum effort is so much more important than perfection.

Favorites: 

• Favorite Apps: Nike Training Club has me sweating in my living room when I cannot get to the gym, Flywheel Sports to schedule my classes the moment I am motivated, ParkChicago has saved me lots of meter frustration, and Postmates delivers healthy food from Lyfe Kitchen and Blue Door Farmstand when I can’t find the time to cook. Next Issue has me up-to-date with all of my favorite magazines on my iPad for a small monthly fee.
• Favorite Resources: I love to check in daily with HuffPost Taste, the NY Times online, Mind, Body, Green, and I receive roughly 10 health newsletters and emails per day in my inbox from nutrition and medical institutions so I am up on the latest research and trends.
• Favorite Books: I minored in lit, so I love the classics: Great Expectations, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Little Women, The Secret Garden, etc.  More modern-day favorites include: The Book Thief, The Alchemist, and The Power of Now.
• Favorite Websites: www.ewg.org for the skin deep database on toxins in my cosmetics, huffingtonpost.com for my daily dose of headlines, and naturalnews.com for some holistic headlines.
• Favorite Gadget: my Nike FuelBand keeps me moving, especially on days when I am working on the computer!
• Anything else? I absolutely LOVE when people share their success stories when it comes to healthy living with me on Twitter @Ashley_APL – I live for being a cheerleader for their journey!

Ashley, I cannot thank you enough for sharing your journey and determination of never giving up! It is so hard and quite an inspiration to us all. I especially cannot wait to try your APL “toastie” for breakfast. Sounds delish!

Want more? You can find all Work Smarter Not Harder posts right here.