127. From Academia, to Diplomacy, to Bourbon: Ashley Donahey’s Journey to Entrepreneurship
Overview
We all have ambitions for both our personal and professional lives. The question is how do we pursue them sustainably and with resilience so we can get fulfillment and joy from both.
In this new post-pandemic environment, we need new ideas, narratives, and models to consider and to test for ourselves.
As part of a new periodic series, I’m speaking with people from a variety of disciplines about how they live and work. In the next two episodes, I’ll be speaking to entrepreneurs about their experiences with the ambition it takes to start a new business and the resilience required to make it sustainable.
In today’s conversation with Ashley Donahey, we’ll touch on how personal and professional dreams enrich our lives, how our ambitions evolve and take shape as we grow, and why it’s so important to find ways to enjoy ourselves along the journey.
Listen below or on your favorite podcast player.
More About Our Guest
After earning her MBA in Luxury Brand Management at INSEEC Business School in Paris and serving as the national brand ambassador in France for a super premium scotch brand with distributor La Maison du Whisky, Ashley Donahey launched Two Worlds Whiskey with the aim of sharing the best whiskies her home country has to offer with America’s oldest ally, France. Prior to her entry into the whiskey industry, Ashley served eight years as a foreign affairs officer in the U.S. Department of State. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Ashley is fluent in French and English, and is a proud Kentucky Colonel. She holds a B.A. in French from the University of Kentucky, an M.A. in French literature from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, an M.A. in European studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and an MBA in luxury brand management for food, wine & spirits from the INSEEC Business School in Paris.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
Ashley’s unconventional and non-linear career path
How Ashley’s connection to her home state of Kentucky led to new business opportunities
The importance of staying humble and willing to be a beginner when making career shifts
How Ashley built her business with long-term sustainability in mind
Shifting out of the hustle mindset and Ashley’s approach to approaching her to-do list
Why it’s so important to allow yourself to be available for and open to new things
Learn more about Ashley Donahey:
Thanks for Listening!
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