Ashley Everett, renowned for her career as a dance captain for Beyoncé, has shifted her focus to her own initiatives within entrepreneurship, wellness, travel, and acting. In an intimate conversation with the Sentinel, she opened up about her transition from the stage to the world of entrepreneurship and how she hopes to inspire others through her multifaceted career.
Prior to the start of the pandemic, Ashley devoted most of her life to dance, specifically by training, touring, and filming with Beyoncé.
“Ever since I started working in this industry in 2007, I have basically been on tour every other year, if not every year,” she recalled. “In 2020, a lot of things changed when we didn’t have to be physically on the road.”
From the most optimistic viewpoint, the pandemic provided everyone the chance to sit still, reflect, and reevaluate. Ashley was no exception. She began to water her own seeds and ideas, which is a stark contrast to her pre-pandemic lifestyle as a backup dancer and dance captain.
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During this time, she was able to explore entrepreneurship at new depths through partnerships and her own endeavors, including Catchet Brands CBD. Cachet Brands features self-care products like CBD-infused oils, whipped butters, and muscle sticks.
“I’ve been through my ups and downs [with entrepreneurship],” she shared, “but I’ve learned through trial and error. Now, I’m focusing on my personal brand, content creation, and even re-launching Cachet Brands, plus some other projects I can’t talk about yet,” Ashley foreshadowed. “I preach about having your eggs in many baskets.”
She preaches what she follows: another major highlight of Everett’s wellness journey has been her retreats, which she finds deeply fulfilling.
“I’ve hosted two retreats so far, one in Bali and one in Costa Rica,” she shared. With another retreat in Greece planned for 2025, Everett is excited to continue bringing people together in a way that fosters community and wellness.
“The retreats are so much fun. I kept telling everybody, ‘This actually reminds me a lot of tour.’ We were like a little family [traveling together].”
Since Ashley was Beyoncé’s dance captain for over a decade, she was able to exercise her leadership skills extensively, which greatly aided her in leading retreats.
“It’s a responsibility [to tag people on retreats]. You have to make sure they are safe and really having a great time,” Ashley admitted.
Ashley is also exploring her passion for acting, and her most recent commercials are with Pepsi. Nissan, Home Goods, and Smirnoff. Her commercial success has piqued her interest for more acting opportunities.
“I’ve always wanted to be in a feature film, and a recurring role in a TV series” she said.
With so many passions, and balance of self-discipline and self-care are key for Ashley.
“I thrive under pressure and with a lot on my plate,” she said. “I remember being so focused, even as a kid. I loved the challenge of wanting to get it right,” she recalled, with a smile.
As the former right-hand-woman for one of the most notorious hard workers in the music business, it’s no surprise that Ashley approaches her own career with the same tenacity.
Regardless of whether we’re engaging with Ashley onscreen or in-person at a wellness retreat, she is intentional on how she wants to make people feel.
“People look to me as a leader and I’m very aware of that. I want people to feel inspired,” she admitted.
“[I want them to know] they can come to me with questions or concerns, but also I’m going to put fire [under them] to accomplish their goals and dreams.”
Stay aligned with Ashley on all social media, @ashleycmeverett
