Entrepreneur and business coach Ashley N. Kirkwood has declared that women can achieve financial success without sacrificing happiness in their personal relationships.
“You can make millions without misery and be a CEO who has a beautiful marriage,” Kirkwood said in a recent Instagram post promoting her business event for women entrepreneurs.
A message rooted in personal experience
Kirkwood, who says she has built a multi-seven-figure business and has been married for 14 years, framed her advice as coming from lived experience.
She pointed out that maintaining a strong emotional and personal connection in marriage has been key to her professional success.
“My life has always been best when I honor my husband,” she wrote, adding that a fulfilled relationship has made it easier to manage the pressures of entrepreneurship.
She noted that when her priorities became misaligned — particularly when business took precedence over her personal life — her overall effectiveness as a leader suffered.
‘Building the CEO’ beyond business
In a video accompanying the post, Kirkwood described entrepreneurship as a holistic process that goes beyond financial strategy.
“Building a business is more about building the CEO… your mental, physical, emotional, and relational health all need to be aligned,” she said.
Her comments highlighted the role of personal well-being and relationships in sustaining long-term business growth, particularly for women balancing multiple responsibilities.
Challenging common narratives
Kirkwood also pushed back against what she described as a cultural narrative that portrays marriage as inherently difficult or incompatible with ambition.
“We’ve been sold a lie that marriage is always supposed to feel hard and that you can’t go hard on your goals and be soft in your relationship,” she said.
Her remarks were aimed especially at Black women entrepreneurs seeking to scale their businesses, encouraging them to pursue both financial success and personal fulfillment.
Social media debate
The message has drawn mixed reactions online. Supporters say it reinforces the importance of strong support systems and balance, while critics argue that such advice may not reflect the realities of all relationships or professional paths.
Still, Kirkwood’s perspective has added to a broader conversation about how entrepreneurs define success — not just in terms of income, but also quality of life and personal relationships.
