Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley M. Stephenson.
Hi Ashley M., so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began my career in the legal field more than a decade ago, drawn to the power of law, strategy, and advocacy to create meaningful and lasting change. Over time, my work expanded beyond traditional litigation support into a broader role at the intersection of law, policy, and leadership, where precision, storytelling, and purpose meet.
Parallel to my legal career, I developed a deep commitment to writing, reflection, and personal development. I am the nationally recognized author of Rise Up: Be Resilient Like You’re Running Out of Time, and my work has been featured in outlets including Huffington Post, Attorney at Law Magazine, the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, the D.C. Bar Blog Duly Noted, Paralegals Connect Magazine, Google News, and multiple FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS affiliates. I’ve also shared my insights as a speaker at community colleges and organizations across the country, focusing on resilience, clarity, and purposeful growth.
Today, my work blends legal and policy strategy with storytelling and personal development. I am the Founder and Managing Member of Time to Rise Press, LLC, a publishing company dedicated to helping writers bring their stories into the world.
I am also preparing to release my upcoming poetry collection, Tapestry Threads: Life, Death, & Resilience, a deeply reflective work that explores the human experience through themes of loss, endurance, and transformation.
Together, my legal, literary, and advocacy work is grounded in a belief that resilience, empathy, and intentional strategy can shape both individual lives and collective change.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all—it’s been anything but a smooth road. Like many meaningful journeys, mine has been shaped by challenge, uncertainty, and reinvention. Building a career at the intersection of law, policy, and creative work required navigating high-pressure environments, complex systems, and moments of self-doubt, especially while carving out a path that didn’t fit a traditional mold.
There were seasons marked by burnout, personal loss, and professional setbacks that forced me to pause and reassess what success truly meant. Balancing demanding legal work with writing, advocacy, and personal growth was often overwhelming, and resilience at times felt less like a strength and more like a lifeline. Learning to set boundaries, trust my voice, and move forward with intention came through hard experience.
Tapestry Threads: Life, Death, & Resilience was born out of that struggle. After the worst year of my life, while moving through deep grief and the long process of healing, I turned to poetry as a way to survive. I wrote through loss, pain, endurance, and renewal, each poem becoming a thread in a larger tapestry of resilience. Those moments of heartbreak and reflection ultimately shaped not only my writing, but also my purpose, reinforcing my belief that even in our darkest seasons, something meaningful can be created and carried forward.
We’ve been impressed with Time to Rise Press, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Time to Rise Press, LLC is a purpose-driven publishing company founded on the belief that stories have the power to heal, challenge, and create lasting impact. We specialize in helping writers, particularly those with meaningful, message-driven work, bring their stories to life with intention, professionalism, and heart. Our goal is to empower readers with content that helps them conquer challenges and foster personal development. Specializing in self-help, motivational, and personal growth genres, our mission is to incite transformation through the written word.
What sets Time to Rise Press apart is our deeply human approach to publishing. We don’t treat books as products alone, we treat them as lived experiences. We guide authors through every stage of the process, from manuscript development and editorial refinement to publishing strategy and positioning, while honoring each writer’s voice and vision. With a foundation rooted in strategy, advocacy, and storytelling, we help authors create work that resonates long after the final page.
What I want readers to know is that Time to Rise Press exists for writers who know they have something important to say but want guidance in saying it well. We are here for stories that matter, voices that deserve to be heard, and authors who are ready to rise on their own terms.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is living in alignment with my values, my purpose, and the season I’m in. Creating meaningful work, whether through law, policy, writing, or publishing, brings me a deep sense of fulfillment because it allows me to turn lived experience into impact. Helping others find clarity in their own stories and watching them step into their power is incredibly grounding for me.
On a more personal level, happiness shows up in quieter moments: writing without urgency, traveling and experiencing new places, long walks, reflection, and spending time with my pug, Loubie and those who I love and whom make me smile.
After navigating loss and hard-earned growth, I’ve learned that happiness isn’t about constant momentum—it’s about peace, presence, and choosing a life that feels true. That sense of balance and intention is what sustains me, and it’s why joy feels both meaningful and earned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Timetorisepress.com
- Instagram: @time_to_rise_press
