Ashley Garrison is one of my absolute favorite people on this planet. We became pals when I lived in The Woodlands, TX for my junior year of high school through a love of punk and ska music. We would go to shows, drive around listening to our music way too loud like all bored high school kids do, and sit at our lunch table with her exchange student boyfriend and my exchange student swim team buddy. That makes us sound like total losers, but I assure you it was cooler than it sounds.

She is now Co-Owner of The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream, which has 4 locations and a production facility in Asheville, NC. Here’s a little bit about them from their website:

The Hop proudly serves Asheville, NC with an imaginative and locally-influenced array of handcrafted dairy ice cream & completely from-scratch vegan ice cream & sorbet. Enjoy by-the-scoop with your favorite toppings, in a milkshake, or take home a pint or quart. We also have sundaes, banana splits, floats and an array of tasty treats to satisfy your sweet tooth.

On this week’s show, Ashley and I talk about our friendship as she shares her journey from college athlete to Hop employee to manager to owner to overseer of 5 entities under her umbrella. For anyone thinking about making the leap into entrepreneurship (especially one with a retail component) this is a must-listen. There are incredible and insightful stories about financial peril, insane work hours, balancing having a family, learning to let go of certain things, leveling up, and, oh right… ICE CREAM.

The Hop is known for its craftsmanship, its inventiveness, and its conscientiousness. Be sure to check out their website, and their feeds on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

This episode is available on iTunes, on Spotify, on podcatchers everywhere or on the Jon of All Trades homepage.

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