Ashley Woods is a 7-figure contract recruiter, Partner at TEEMA, and Founder of Time Rich Recruiter™ — a digital education platform helping agency recruiters build scalable, freedom-based businesses. After walking away from corporate burnout, she built a lean, high-performing recruitment operation that now generates over $10M annually. A 5X President’s Club winner, Top 5 Performer, and digital nomad who has traveled to 45+ countries, Ashley now teaches recruiters how to reclaim their time, scale their income, and build businesses that work — without burning out or selling their soul. Her mission is simple: to set recruiters free.
If your business could have a mascot, what would it be and why?
If my business could have a mascot, it would be an octopus. 🐙
Octopuses are incredibly intelligent, adaptable, and efficient — just like the recruiters I train to build scalable, freedom-focused businesses. With eight arms, they multitask like pros, manage complexity with ease, and stay calm under pressure. They know when to blend in, when to stand out, and when to move — a perfect reflection of what it means to build a lean, time-rich desk in today’s fast-paced world.
Plus, if they lose a limb, they regenerate. That’s the spirit of Time Rich Recruiter — we don’t just bounce back from burnout or broken models; we rebuild smarter, stronger, and more sustainably.
What strategies do you employ to maintain a healthy work-life balance while running your own business?
I live first.
Over the years, I’ve learned to slow down, dig deep, and get intimately familiar with what I truly need — what actually makes me happy, calm, and fulfilled. From there, I rearchitected everything — especially how I work — to support that vision.
Instead of chasing someone else’s version of success, I built a business that fuels my lifestyle, not the other way around. That means designing systems that don’t rely on me being glued to a screen, creating space for rest, and choosing alignment over hustle.
Balance, for me, isn’t a goal — it’s the foundation.
When faced with unexpected detours on your business path, how do you pivot with grace and resilience, showing fellow women entrepreneurs the way forward?
It all starts with a mindset shift.
I don’t wait for challenges — I expect them. I think ahead, mitigate risk, and build flexible systems that allow me to pivot without panic. But more than anything, I stay grounded in the belief that setbacks are part of the process — not signs to stop.
It’s a lot like surfing. You know you’re going to get hit by a bigger wave at some point. You’re going to get held under. But it’s how you choose to respond in that moment — how calmly you move through the chaos — that shapes the experience.
Business is no different. You can’t control every wave, but you can train your nervous system, your mindset, and your systems to respond with grace and resilience. And that’s what I aim to model for other women entrepreneurs: how to ride the waves, not fear them.
How do you measure the success of your business beyond financial metrics, such as customer satisfaction or community engagement?
For me, success is freedom — and the ripple effect that freedom creates.
Beyond revenue, I measure success by how many recruiters I help reclaim their time, rebuild their confidence, and reshape the way they work. When I see a student go from burnout to billing six figures on their terms — that’s success.
I also look at the strength of the community we’re building. Are people showing up? Are they supporting each other, celebrating wins, asking real questions? That kind of engagement — the human stuff — matters more to me than vanity metrics.
At the end of the day, if I’m living in alignment, creating real impact, and helping others do the same… I know I’m on the right track.
Can you share a memorable moment where you witnessed significant growth or transformation in your business, illustrating the impact of your services/products?
Yeah, it’s been trial and error since day one — and honestly, that’s part of the beauty of recruiting. You have to be willing to lean into the discomfort, trust the process, and stay open to the lessons that come with every twist and turn.
I’ll never forget being in Nicaragua, in a bit of a personal lull after restructuring part of my business. Things felt uncertain. But then — boom — I had the biggest day of my career. I doubled what I made my entire first year out of university in just a few hours.
That moment showed me what’s possible when you build the right systems, surround yourself with the right support, and let go of trying to do it all alone. It was a full-circle realization: I had built a life-first business — one that worked for me, not against me.
And it reminded me of something I now live by: collaboration is the new competition.
That success wasn’t just about me — it was the result of partnerships, mentorships, shared knowledge, and being part of a community that doesn’t gatekeep. When we stop competing and start collaborating, we all rise faster, stronger, and with way more joy.
Because the truth is, no one gets to the top alone — and no one should have to.
What role do you believe mentorship plays in the success of small businesses, and how have mentors influenced your own entrepreneurial journey?
Honestly? Mentorship has been everything.
Having someone who can show you the way — who’s already walked the path, made the mistakes, and is willing to share what they’ve learned — is absolutely invaluable. Early in my career, I had that. And I truly believe it’s one of the biggest reasons I was able to accelerate so quickly.
Mentorship shortens the learning curve. It gives you perspective when you’re in the weeds, helps you make smarter decisions faster, and reminds you that you’re not alone in the process.
It’s one of the reasons I created Time Rich Recruiter — to be that guide for others, the way others were for me. Because no one builds something great in isolation. We grow faster — and stronger — when we learn from each other.
What’s your work all about, and how does it make a difference in the world?
My work is about being the bridge — between people and meaningful work.
It’s about advocating for others when they’re not in the room to speak for themselves. It’s about giving people hope, showing them what’s possible, and guiding them toward opportunities they may not have even realized existed.
Whether I’m placing top talent in high-impact roles or helping recruiters build businesses that give them freedom, it all comes back to the same thing: creating pathways. Pathways to purpose, to possibility, and to a better way of working and living.
That’s the difference I’m here to make — one career, one recruiter, one ripple at a time.
Social Links:
LinkedIn – Ashley Woods
