Today we’re celebrating 60 episodes of Ash to Dusk and officially closing out Season 1 of the podcast.

In this episode, I’m sharing why I made the decision to pause the podcast for the summer, what this journey has taught me so far, and what’s ahead for Season 2 launching September 6th.

We talk about:

• building a podcast while running a business and raising a family
• learning as you go instead of waiting to be perfect
• leadership, motherhood, entrepreneurship, and personal growth colliding together
• protecting your peace and your time
• burnout and intentional living
• why I believe trying imperfectly is better than never starting at all
• and how Ash to Dusk has evolved over these first 60 episodes

I also share:

• what’s happening behind the scenes this summer
• my upcoming speaking tour
• why I’m taking time to reflect on what’s resonating most with listeners
• and the vision I have for making Season 2 even stronger and more intentional

This episode is reflective, emotional, hopeful, and honestly just a real conversation about growth, reinvention, and learning to trust yourself enough to evolve publicly.

Because this isn’t the end of Ash to Dusk.

It’s just the end of Season 1.

✨ Season 2 launches September 6th

📬 Stay connected this summer by signing up for my weekly Sunday letter at:
ashleymorena.com

📬 PO Box information is listed in the show notes if you’d like to send a handwritten letter.

I just spent 7 days away from my husband and kids on a solo trip to Anna Maria Island… and honestly, I came home feeling refreshed, emotional, inspired, and completely recharged.

In this episode, I’m sharing what that week away taught me about:

• leadership
• motherhood
• creativity
• protecting your peace
• and why so many of us hold on too tightly to everything and everyone around us

We talk about:

• solo travel as a mom
• the importance of alone time and mental space
• emotional healing and grief
• learning to trust the people around you to step up
• why inspiration matters in leadership
• seasonal depression and burnout
• entrepreneurship, flexibility, and time freedom
• and why time has become more valuable to me than money

I also share the realization I had while being away:
sometimes we spend so much time worrying about everyone else that we forget to ask ourselves what we actually need.

And maybe the reason so many people feel stuck isn’t because they aren’t capable…
but because they’ve stopped believing they’re allowed to want something different for their life.

This episode is reflective, honest, a little emotional, and honestly just a real conversation about life, growth, leadership, motherhood, and figuring out what truly matters most.

Because sometimes the space we’re afraid to take…
is exactly what we need.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

Avoidance feels easier in the moment… until the thing you keep avoiding starts taking over your mental space, your energy, your leadership, and your peace.

In this episode, we’re talking about procrastination, avoidance, hard conversations, leadership, entrepreneurship, and why so many of us delay the exact things we know we need to face.

I share personal examples from my own life, including:

• avoiding difficult conversations
• procrastinating on taxes for years
• struggling with consistency on social media
• perfectionism and overthinking
• leadership decisions
• and the fear that often hides underneath procrastination

We also unpack:

• why avoidance creates more stress, not less
• how procrastination drains mental capacity
• why leaders avoiding conflict impacts entire teams
• the connection between ADHD, perfectionism, and procrastination
• and why the freedom you want is often on the other side of finally doing the thing you keep putting off

And for those of you dreaming about:

• starting a business
• creating more freedom
• leaving your 9–5
• monetizing your skills
• or simply making a change in your life…

this episode is your reminder that the time is now.

Because eventually, avoiding it becomes harder than facing it.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

I’m recording this episode right before leaving for a solo vacation without my husband and without my kids—and honestly, I know that alone can make some parents uncomfortable.

In this episode, I’m talking about the guilt so many moms and dads carry when it comes to choosing themselves, resting, taking space, or simply wanting time away from the constant responsibility of caring for everyone else.

We talk about:

• Why parents struggle to prioritize themselves
• The emotional weight of constantly being “needed”
• Mom guilt and the pressure to always put yourself last
• Solo vacations, independence, and trust in marriage
• Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and losing yourself in parenthood
• Why taking care of yourself is not selfish

I also share how my husband and I approach solo travel in our marriage, how our perspectives around money and experiences have evolved over time, and why I believe healthy relationships require space for individuality too.

Because somewhere along the way, many parents started believing that constantly sacrificing themselves was proof of love.

But burnout isn’t love.
Exhaustion isn’t proof you care more.
And you are still allowed to matter too.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

AI is changing the way we work, lead, communicate, and build businesses—and I think a lot of women are underestimating how important it is to start learning it now.

In this episode, I’m sharing my honest thoughts on AI, leadership, entrepreneurship, and why adaptability matters more than fear when it comes to navigating this shift. After coming across a statistic showing women are adopting AI tools significantly less than men, it really made me stop and think about what that could mean for the future of work and leadership.

I also share:

• How I use AI every single day in my business
• The AI “employees” I’ve built to help streamline operations
• Ways leaders, entrepreneurs, and even busy parents can use AI to simplify life
• Why I believe people won’t lose jobs to AI—but potentially to people using AI
• The importance of staying curious instead of resisting change
• And a caution about becoming too emotionally dependent on AI

This isn’t a technical deep dive. It’s a real conversation about growth, leadership, overwhelm, and learning how to evolve with the world instead of being afraid of it.

Because the truth is:
The people willing to adapt are usually the people who move forward fastest.

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who’s been hesitant to explore AI.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

Mother’s Day wasn’t always a holiday I could genuinely celebrate.

For much of my life, my relationship with my mom carried a lot of hurt, anger, and unresolved emotions. And for years, I viewed my story through that pain. But over the last decade of therapy, healing, and personal growth, I slowly began to realize something: healing didn’t mean rewriting my story—it meant learning how to stop living trapped inside of it.

In this episode, I’m sharing my honest journey with motherhood, forgiveness, healing, and what it has looked like to rebuild my relationship with my mom over time.

We talk about:

• Healing from childhood pain
• Letting go of anger while still honoring your truth
• The complicated emotions surrounding Mother’s Day
• Guilt, expectations, and wanting peace as a mom
• The women who become “mothers” to us even when they aren’t biologically ours
• Learning to lead with love instead of staying stuck in resentment

This episode is for:

• the daughters still healing
• the moms carrying guilt
• the women longing to become mothers
• and anyone learning how to move from hurt toward healing

Because sometimes the most powerful thing we can do… is choose to love anyway.

Happy Mother’s Day to every woman who nurtures, guides, supports, and shows up for others in ways the world may never fully see.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

I had a moment recently as a mom that I’m not proud of.

I lost my temper in a way I never have before—and the guilt that followed really made me stop and reflect.

In this episode, I’m sharing what happened, how I handled it, and what it revealed to me about managing emotions—not just in parenting, but in leadership and everyday life.

This is the final episode in our series inspired by Start With Yourself by Emma Grede, where we’ve been exploring how emotions like anger, fear, guilt, sadness, and joy show up in the way we lead.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• What guilt is actually telling you
• Why reacting in the moment can create long-term impact
• The difference between being a thermometer vs. a thermostat
• How to course-correct when you don’t show up the way you intended
• The connection between leadership at work and leadership at home

Because the truth is—
you can care deeply, be self-aware, and still have moments you wish you could take back.

What matters is what you do next.

If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs the reminder that they’re not alone in this.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

If you want next, I’d recommend your following episode shifts slightly into:
👉 “how to rebuild trust after you don’t show up well”

In this episode, we’re continuing our series on emotions in leadership, inspired by Start With Yourself by Emma Grede—and today, we’re talking about fear.

Fear is something every leader experiences, but most of us don’t fully understand how it’s showing up or how much it’s actually influencing the way we lead.

In this episode, I share a real story from my time as a food service director where fear impacted not just me—but my team as well. And looking back, I can clearly see how past experiences shaped my decisions and created hesitation moving forward.

We talk about:

• How fear shows up in leadership (even when you don’t realize it)
• Why past experiences can create hesitation in present decisions
• The difference between healthy fear and fear that holds you back
• How fear impacts your confidence, communication, and team dynamics
• A simple way to start working through fear instead of avoiding it

Fear isn’t something you eliminate—it’s something you learn to lead through.

If you’ve ever hesitated to make a decision, avoided a hard conversation, or second-guessed yourself as a leader, this episode will help you better understand why.

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If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who could use the reminder.

📬 PO Box: 457 Green, Ohio 44232

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Next in the series: Guilt in Leadership