When it comes to her work, Ashley Cleveland has found a happy medium.
Cleveland, now 41, stayed busy for much of his 20s. In between jobs at radio stations, record labels and tech companies, she worked mostly in promotions and marketing, and typically worked long hours while raising her two young children.
By 2020, it took a huge toll on her mental health. After being diagnosed with depression and generalized anxiety disorder by a therapist, Cleveland applied for long-term disability insurance and was able to take a sabbatical to Tanzania with investment income.
Cleveland said her quality of life has improved significantly, even though she now lives with fewer luxuries than when she was in the United States.
“Because I wasn’t working, I was able to spend a lot of time with my kids, a lot of time with myself, and it really healed my body physically, mentally and spiritually,” she told CNBC Make It.
Ashley Cleveland, 41, lives in Cape Town, South Africa. Her business brings in $122,000 a year.
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Cleveland fell in love with Africa and will be living in South Africa in 2023. She and her daughters moved to their current home in Cape Town earlier this year.
She also returned to work, this time for herself. Cleveland runs several companies aimed at people interested in traveling to Africa, living in Africa, or investing in African companies. She earns her income by selling digital travel guides and providing consulting to people and companies looking to invest in the continent. She also hosts in-person and online community events and earns money from her YouTube channel, which has 86,000 subscribers.
All told, she is on track to earn more than $122,000 in 2025 thanks to her adventures. This is enough for her and her daughters to live a comfortable and unburdened life.
“I’m very intentional about not hustling,” Cleveland says. “I used to work long hours. Working 60 hours a week was pretty normal. But I’ve definitely found a way to enjoy what I do, the time I spend working, and the time I spend with myself and my family.”
“Moving abroad changed my life for the better.”
On a typical day, Cleveland wakes up around 6:30 and spends an hour or two writing about her work and life experiences until her children wake up.
“These texts typically end up in emails to our community of about 1,200 people on our email subscriber list, captions for social media posts,” and scripts for YouTube videos, she says.
She starts her shift around 10 a.m., when her virtual assistants come online. “We form groups online and talk about what we’re working on that week,” Cleveland says.
Cleveland said she typically works until around noon, then takes a break for lunch, a trip to the gym, or to run errands. She returns to work for a few hours from 3pm to 6pm, when many of her clients are online. If you have a group coaching session or community event, extend your work hours a little.
“On average, I would say I work about five hours a day on a light day,” she says. “On a busy day…I work hard for about 10 hours.”
Cleveland plans to permanently reside in South Africa. She hopes to increase her revenue to more than $1 million next year.
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Cleveland pays a full-time housekeeper about $450 a month, and she says it relieves her of many time-consuming daily tasks. Private tutors will help the girls with their home schooling, which will be essential until they can enroll at local schools for the new term in January.
By paying for the support, Cleveland says, she has more time to enjoy a vibrant social life, including trips to local restaurants, wine tasting trips and frequent spa visits with friends, allowing her to be a more present mother to her children.
She says it’s a work-life balance unlike anything she’s experienced in the United States.
“Moving abroad changed my life for the better. It gave me more than I ever knew I needed,” she says. “My mental health is much better than I imagined.”
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