Further Forward

Ashley Mitchell
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Society & Culture

Honest conversations on the art of becoming.  Through solo reflections and conversations with soulful, sharp, and courageous guests, Ashley creates room for the stories that don’t always get told—the pivots, the struggles, the magic, and the mess. Part spiritual, part practical, always human—Further Forward is a space for women invested in their becoming, who know growth is both messy and worth embracing.

  1. Oct 15

    Stop Waiting to Be Picked: Belonging, Self-Trust, and Building Something of Your Own (solo episode)

    What happens when you stop trying to earn belonging in spaces that require you to abandon yourself? Six years after speaking publicly about being a Black woman in the fitness industry, Ashley reflects on what has changed, what hasn't, and how her relationship to success, anger, and belonging has evolved. In this solo episode of Further Forward, Ashley unpacks the hidden costs of code-switching, microaggressions, and constantly assessing whether it's safe to speak up. She explores why the stress of exclusion isn't just an equity issue, but a wellness issue, too. She also shares what helped her reclaim her agency: letting go of someone else's definition of success, building work that reflects her values, and refusing to wait for permission to create something meaningful. And for those who hold power, she has a challenge of their own: make access intentional, build real community relationships, and examine the systems that determine who gets to belong. Because creating change isn't the responsibility of the people being excluded alone. Everybody's got work to do. Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  2. Oct 1

    Striving Kindly: On Ambition, Motherhood, and Learning to Trust Yourself with Nadia Neophytou

    What if becoming a better version of yourself doesn't require constantly believing you could be doing better? Ashley sits down with journalist, runner, and creator of New Mom Run Club, Nadia Neophytou for a conversation about ambition, motherhood, self-doubt, and the stories we carry with us long after we think we've outgrown them. Nadia has built a life that once required enormous courage: leaving South Africa for New York with two bags and a dream, building a career in journalism and entertainment, becoming a marathon runner, becoming a mother, and now creating a new kind of community for mothers navigating their own return to movement and identity. But achievement hasn't eliminated the voice that says someone else would have done it better. We talk about why “better” can become an impossible finish line, how motherhood changes the relationship between ambition and time, why running can be both a source of freedom and a way of proving yourself, and what it means to be “new” at something forever. Find Nadia: New Mom Run Club on Substack · Instagram @newmomrunclub · Website  Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  3. Sep 24

    You Don't Need Balance. You Need Harmony.

    What if balance is the wrong thing to strive for? In this solo episode, I’m taking you on a walk—and thinking out loud about motherhood, ambition, success, and the pressure to make every part of our lives fit neatly together. A conversation with my husband, Mark, got me thinking about a question I come back to again and again: What does success look like? Not according to social media, your parents, your friends, or some imaginary version of who you’re supposed to be—but according to you. Because maybe the goal isn’t balance. Maybe it’s harmony. Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  4. Aug 27

    Let Them Talk! What the Pilates Police Taught Me About Self-Trust (solo episode)

    What happens when someone else's certainty becomes louder than your own?  In this episode, Ashley gets into the Pilates world—and the "Pilates police"—to talk about gatekeeping, expertise, nonlinear paths, and the danger of letting other people's opinions make you abandon something you're still becoming, because there is a difference between protecting what you value and policing how other people evolve. And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is let them talk—and keep going. Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  5. Aug 20

    You Don't Age Out of Becoming: Beth Niernberg on identity, grief, strength, and creating the next version of yourself at 60

    Please join me and my dear friend Beth as we explore one central question: What does it mean to become someone you couldn't have imagined being? In this very special, unedited episode, we discuss:  Grief: You don't “move on.” You carry love forward. Family: You don't get forever. Say the thing. Ask the question. Leave nothing on the table. Health: Beth didn't simply lose weight; she built an entirely new relationship with her body and became an athlete. Identity: Don't cling to identities that are naturally changing. Cultivate new ones. Intuition: Stop pretending you don't know what you know. Environment: Sometimes you literally need to borrow somebody else's belief in you until you can hold it yourself. Aging: Don't let conventional ideas about what women “should” be doing at your age dictate the next third of your life. Becoming: There is no final version of you.This episode is about provocation + hope + age + agency. We hope you enjoy!  Want to connect with Beth?  https://www.bethniernberg.com/ https://www.instagram.com/glow_mama_b/ Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  6. Aug 13

    How to Decide What Actually Matters

    I hit pause on the podcast for a few weeks, and in that space, something became incredibly clear. As I prepare to welcome my second child, I’ve been thinking a lot about time, priorities, and what actually deserves my attention. I started asking myself: If everything changed tomorrow, what would actually matter? In this episode, I share why I stepped back from the podcast, what pregnancy has taught me about priorities, and how identifying my constraints helped me stop trying to do everything at once. I talk about overwhelm, people-pleasing, motherhood, ambition, and why every season of life asks us to make different choices. I also share a framework for thinking about constraints and bottlenecks—and why trying to make everything a priority can actually keep us stuck. If you’ve been feeling stretched too thin, overwhelmed by competing demands, or wondering why you keep repeating the same patterns, this episode is an invitation to pause, listen inward, and decide what truly deserves your time. In this episode, I talk about: Why I unexpectedly took a break from the podcastHow pregnancy changed the way I think about time and prioritiesThe difference between priorities, constraints, and bottlenecksWhy trying to do everything can become its own bottleneckThe pressure to keep everything consistent, even when your life has changedHow overwhelm can be a signal that something needs your attentionWhy every season of life requires us to make different choicesThe question I keep coming back to: What do I want, and what is holding me back?Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  7. Jul 2

    Practicing What I Preach (A brief break)

    The podcast is taking a 2-week break as Ashley finishes up a final project for her memoir! We'll be back with fresh episodes on Thursday, July 16th.  Have a safe holiday! Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

  8. Jun 25

    Also, a Pregnancy Announcement

    In this solo episode of Further Forward, Ashley gives a season two check-in, remembering how nourishing and exciting the conversations with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah- Onukagha & Eliza Shirazi were. Get caught up if you haven't listened! Also, a pregnancy announcement!  From there: the questions we ask pregnant bodies that we'd never ask anyone else, the guilt of being okay when someone else isn't, and the pull to be agreeable instead of honest, which lands her on the real thing: four things that get disrupted every time we act from fear instead of truth. Don't forget to rate and review the show! Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.  📩 Subscribe to Ashley’s newsletter, Mind & Motion: https://blackgirlmagicmama.substack.com/  🎙️ Follow for new episodes + bts footage: https://www.instagram.com/furtherforwardpod?igsh=MWJuaDFiMjlzcjJ1dw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr   🌱 Support this work and share it with a friend who’s ready to move further forward.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Honest conversations on the art of becoming.  Through solo reflections and conversations with soulful, sharp, and courageous guests, Ashley creates room for the stories that don’t always get told—the pivots, the struggles, the magic, and the mess. Part spiritual, part practical, always human—Further Forward is a space for women invested in their becoming, who know growth is both messy and worth embracing.

Information

  • Creator
    Ashley Mitchell
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Further Forward
  • Show Website
    Further Forward