Flip the Script with Vic is a sacred space for real conversations with real women 🩷 Hosted by Victoria Nielsen—intuitive healer, mama, and space-holder for the divine feminine—this podcast amplifies women’s voices through raw interviews, intimate solocasts, and unfiltered conversations on motherhood, mysticism, psychedelics, ancestral healing, spirituality, identity, and more.
What began as a personal exploration is now a communal prayer: a gathering place for cycle-breakers, mothers, mystics, creatives, witches, and wild ones redefining what it means to be a woman in today’s world.
Every episode is an invitation to remember that your voice matters. That your truth matters. Together, we walk in beauty, become the prayer, and flip the script.
right.Welcome back to Flip the Script with Vic.I'm so excited, guys.My guest today is one of the most grounded, positive, inspirational women, her name is Ashley Logan.We met years ago on a retreat and have stayed in touch, and it's been really beautiful to watch her transformative year, watch her use the alchemy of her pain, growth, transformation to really not only benefit herself, but to benefit her family and benefit everyone around her.And so I, I would love for you to intro yourself in your own words, Ashley.But you are multi-talented, multi-dimensional, and amazing.Aw.Well, thank you.I remember the retreat we met at.It was so fun.We were in outside of Texas on an 11:11 retreat and we were both stepping into our power in new and unique ways.And, um, I remember I was sleeping in this, like, wood cabin.Oh my God.Yeah, you were you were sober.Yeah, which I love.Like, I always, like, put me in the solo room or the solo tent that's, like, off the beaten path.That's, like, my retreat bliss.Um, this one had, like, a little wooden balcony and it was this old A-frame, but what I didn't expect was that the second night, it was gonna drop to, like, 30 degrees.So, like, the wind was coming up under the thing and it was, like, Iand I just stood there.Like, I shivered all night and I just felt like it was some, like, test of resilience.But in any event, um, thank you for having me.Thank you.Of course.I feel like itbut I'm laughing to myself because knowing what you were going through, the start of what you were going through then and what is closing now, like, wow, the winds of change were literally rattling, like, your life and you didn't even know it yet.Funny how spirit works like that.Like- Oh, I knew it.I knew- Oh, you knew it?I knew it.But it was just, like, you know, likeso I'll give you a little bit of background.So I'm a mother of 3.I'm an entrepreneur, um, for the lastI mean, really, I've been an entrepreneur my whole life, but for the last almost, uh, 13 years, I've run a content marketing agency based in Chicago.I had 3 little kids sort of in rapid fire and I've always been a multi-passionate person with lots of different interests, and, um, turns out I am a very textbook manifesting generator and, um, also with ADHD tendencies.Uh, Sagfor anyone who cares about this, I'm a Sag Sun, Capricorn rising, and Virgo moon.Yes.All right.This is so much.I know.Um, and so it was interesting because I had sort of built this business in, umfor freedom.And what I didn't realize at the time was that when I started down the path of entrepreneurship, and I was in all sorts of entrepreneur organizations that were really run by men, that I ended up building a business that was a patriarchal business of, like, about the grind and the 9to5 and this and the results and the programming and all of these things.And I was working with so many people who were also in that programming, um, and what happened for many, many, many different reasons, um, I, I was burning out.And, and by the time my third sonmy third child, a son, was born in 2020, I was hanging by a thread.I was running a business that had, um, over 30 employees through a pandemic and didn't feel like I had a lot of- Trying to survive being a mom- Yeah.and, like- A mom, all of the things.parenthood business.And I have a deep well, but I just realized, like, all of the things that I'd built, um, that I kind of sort of had this ephip- epiphany that, like, this wasn't it.I had checked all of the boxes, I had done all of the things, I had taken massive risks and, um, and it wasn't it.Um, and not it, like, in, like, "Oh, I'm not feeling fulfilled," like a deep-seated knowing that I couldn't shake that I was going to die if I didn't change my life, um, that I didn't let my heart, my light be known to the world.But that process of undoing is a motherfucker.Yes, it is.But- Well, and especially because you had built your so- yourself so deep into the, the masculine paradigm.And I think this is really important to talk about, because I still see it in the space of, like, spiritual coaches and healers.They're still selling the masculine hustle.They're still selling that masculine paradigm and they're not actually.They're saying it's feminine and they're wrapping it up in a bow, but it's the samethe same shit, essentially, and it's not actually building your business or your life from a place of flow that is sustainable.Because I bet nowwell, I know now, you would have built that business completely differently.You maybe wouldn't even have built it at all- Oh.or it would have had a different mission, right?Like, if your soul had really been leading the way.But here's the thing, Victoria, that, I did do a lot of things in my business- That way.Unlimited vacation time.A matern- 6month maternity leave for a small business.Mm-hmm.Like, crazy, crazy, crazy shit.But the people, this is gonna sound reallylike, the public, the people, our world is so entrenched in patriarchy- Yes.that it wasn'tit, it, itthere was this- It wasn't breakthrough enough.It wasn't even doing- It didn't matter.Yeah.It didn't matter.And so I realized that I needed to go deeper.But, like, there's layers to, to, umI feel like what's happening in my world, that is reflected in a couple of different ways.So my personal life feels to me like a reflection of what's happening in society and then that reflection also is what's happening to Mother Earth.And by going through thisso noos-For anyone listening who doesn't know my story, none of you do, um, I basically, I, I burned it all down.I stopped, I took inventory and I gradually started unwinding.I wasn't careless.I wasn't reckless.I gradually undid all of the threads of this massive tapestry of life that I had built and- That takes so much courage.Like, I just wanna likeI mean, you're a sag sign, so of course you have the courage to like do it and go for it.But I really wanna recognize that, Ash, because it, that takes a lot of courage and actually doing it intentionally and meticulously is so much harder.Mm-hmm.Because you're doing it with thought, you're doing it with intention, like you care so much- Mm-hmm.that it actually, uh, it's a double-edged sword, right?Because it would be easier probably just to have the temper tantrum, the Kali rage, like burn it all the fuck to the ground, um, but then picking up those pieces is gonna be a lot, a lot harder.Well, it's funny that you mentioned Kali because sheI have this gorgeous deck, um, by Alana Fairchild that is my- I love her decks.Kali deck and IKali was my source through, uh, through all of this, addressing grief that hadn't been tended to.Because the, the reality is, for anyone who's ready to make a big change in their lives, there's a lot of emotion that comes up and a lot ofLike, you have to face your own bullshit.You have to get radically accountable, uh, over the ways that you co-created the situation that you ended up in.And so, that was really hard.So, it's interesting about Kali.So yes, there's the destruction and the rage, but there's also the loving mother.Mm-hmm.And so every time I would be playing with her deck, it'd beI'd get Durga and b- the like, many, many heads and all chopped off and this, and then this loving mother.And so the dichotomy of this of like how 2 things in a transition can be true at the same time is so important.Like yes, you can know it's not for you and you can also be in integrity as you, as you change your course.And- Yeah.As you navigate.Well, you also feel like you need both energies.I think it's really interesting for Monarch Mystery School, we're gonna have like a freebie coming out soon that kind of talks about that dichotomy because to your point, we demonize the rage and we lean sometimes into this like overly nurturing mother and then sometimes it's the opposite, right?But you need both.And that actually we're both sides of those energy ourselves- Yeah.you know?I mean, like how many times are you like raging out and then the next emotion is laughter?Like it leads to the joy.Like it's, it's part of the clearing.And so what IWhat was interesting though is that all of the tools that I was leaning into to, um, to reconnect with myself, I found the mirror that I'd been seeking for my entire life.So as a child, I would be in church and I never wanted to bow my head.I always wanted to look up at the light coming through.Um, and I had gifts of intuition, I had gifts of healing with my hands and at sleepovers would be like working on my friends and I- That's awesome.Yeah.And like, but I didn't know what to do with it.And then it's like when I'm 40, almost 40 years old, I finally found the, like these little breadcrumbs of, "Oh, this is what you can do.Oh, sound healing.All of those decades of music?Yes, that can go into this.Uh, gateless writing.Oh, you're a creative writing major?All of the expression, the journals that you started filling when you were 7 years old?Oh my gosh, th- this is all alchemy for healing."And so as I was taking in all of those new practices that were new to me, um, primarily breath work, sound healing, gateless writing, I started to see myself as a healer, as an acom- alchemist, as someone who could bring love to other people.And that fairThat like, that I wasn't weak for all of those years in business when I showed up with a smile on my face instead of wanting to fuck people over.Like, no, that's my gift.So, I learned how to take love and make that be something that, uh, can, umI can reflect that in other people and alchemize it.And so, um, while I was, like, simultaneously burning all of these things, I was building up practices that would ultimately, um, lead me to where I am now.Yeah, would bring you back to love, essentially- Mm-hmm.'cause that really is-what it is all about.And there's so many distortions and projections and things in front of that love that either we've put there, other people have put there, but that's really, I, I have found any of the practices, um, 'cause I love a lot of the modalities that you do.Like, they all come back to love, and I think that's really key toSo, gateless writing, for those that have never heard it, was revolutionary to me, because I, like many of us, grew up with criticism first, right?How many times do we criticize something before we ever find the beauty in it?And so gateless writing, um, you know, uh, whatI can't remember her name.Susan Kingsbury?SuzanYeah, Suzan Kingsbury- Suzan Kingsbury.One quarter greatest people ever.Um, and she kind of flipped this idea on its head with gateless saying that, like, could we feed back what had truth and what had beauty and what had love to those that created, you know, these, these writings?And you can use it beyond writing, of course, right?Like, with your friends.WeI love give, to give gateless feedback to my friends.But I feel like that is such a beautiful perspective shift that you embody so beautifully of, like, coming with the love first and coming with the beauty first, rather than the criticism, because I feel like everyone else is the opposite.Well, I think that it's interesting because 0 the world doesn't necessarily embrace that softness.We, we are definedLike, strength is defined by the masculine version of strength, and power is, uh, defined by the masculine version of power.But what I was able to unlock in myself after, like, just, uh, like, decades of not thinking I was good enough or worthy enough was that, no, like, what I bring is feminine.And what I bring is feminine power and feminine strength and feminine resilience.Um, I know very few people who could have navigated all of the shit that I've been through, um, you know, even over the last 10 years and beyond.AndBut I don't look at it that way.I don't, I don't wanna be a v- victim.I don'tBut, uh, it's alchemizing.It's taking those lived experiences and understanding even more how much we are connected, how much we are one, that your pain is my pain.And, um, and we can reflect the love, light, and beauty in one another, that that is how we can really shift the, the frequency of this planet, of ourselves, of society, and of the planet in that order.But it starts with, with ourselves.Mm-hmm.It does.And I loveI mean, what a, I mean, beautiful ripple visual that you just gave everyone listening.But also, in a world that feels like things may be out of control, things are out of our power, things are out of our own hands, it's so nice to be reminded that it's not.You still can control the universe of one, the little universe of you, and that, actually, when you do heal, that is going to cascade out to everyone around you.The people around you cannot not benefit from your healing.And, you know, I think sometimes in the crumbling, we get so scared and we hang on because of the unknown, right?We don't know what's gonna happen.We think, "Could it be worse than what's happening now?"I have found, in the letting go, it is often better.In the softening, right?It is often better.What has been your experience as you've swung back, you know, into your feminine softness?Has it been a reminder that it's always been there, it seems like?Or is there a way that you approach things differently now that you kind of have a, a softer lens, if that makes sense?You know, I think that, like, the main piece of it is that I just don't hate myself for it anymore.Aw.You know?Like- I love that.I, I, I've always been, um, hadUh, and don't get me wrong.I was in my fucking masculine, like, th- with the grind.I mean, I wouldMy typical day, when I had very little children, was that I would wake up at 5:00, um, I'd be nursing a baby while hiking over said child.Then I would go to work, be pumping everywhere.Like, everywhere I went, I was pumping, and working, getting stuff done, catching the train, relieve the nanny, do the thing, and then I would put the kids to bed, and then I would work 'til midnight, and I would do it again and again.And I wasn't taking care of myself.So, this is the part that I think is the biggest flip, is that there was the parts of me, the feminine parts, the loving nature, the parts that made me strong, all of this, but I was l- living on a masculine cycle that was making me insane.Um, and then the other piece of it is that, um, is that nurture, that self-nurture.So, taking a moment and, likeand recognizingAnd it's all tied to that pace of the masculine, and so that pace of n- 24 hours a day, that consistency is a beautiful thing.It's a rise and fall of the sun.That consistency is that masculine energy.When we keep our word, that's masculine energy.When we follow through on these things that we say we're gonna do, that's masculine energy.It's something we can count on, and that's beautiful.And for women, thatThe moon energy, a 28-day cycle, and I say, likeI wrote a piece in Gate List once about, like, being a 28-day cycle of indecision, and that's fucking great.And I'm allowed to change my mind each day as I shape, as I flow, as I figure out who I am and what I wanna be and what impact I can create.And so, once I started to shift away from that need to produce, um, I could take a second and be like, "Wait, I don't need to do a hardcore workout.I can just walk.I don't need to do, um, to go do a sculpt class.I can just do yoga."And I shifted every, I slowed down in ways thatI'm a time-bender.Like, I am not meant to be still.I, n- like, not at all.But I stop time and realize that I can sit in a bathtub with Epsom salt, with a scent that I made from oils that I bought, and just sit.And just be.And, and just be.And just be.And those little micro-shifts in behavior was how I was able to gradually find myself and, and pull out of this world I had absolutely co-created, where I wasn't honoring myself, I wasn't honoring my identity, and I was in a grind of production and self-loathing.Yeah, I mean, we talk about this a lot for Monarch Mystery School, that women have been taught to be little men, essentially.And we need our unique essence.We need our feminine energy on this planet.And so, I love that you mentioned that, little by little, because people can feel really overwhelmed.And I've seen the pendulum swing, right?When you're over- overly masculine, then you go way overly feminine, and now you're a big, you're a big blob of mush.And it's like, coming back to that middle is what's the beautiful ground.But when you do it little by little, you're noticing your body.You're noticing your reactions.You're noticing what actually works for you.And I think that's what it means to be feminine, is figuring out intuitively, right?Like, what works for you?As my, like, left eye is crying right now- The feminine is crying, you all.Um, the, but truly, the- Your makeup looks fabulous, by the way.Oh, thank you.This is why my eyes are like, "You don't ever wear makeup.What are you doing?"Um, but, but that's what it is.It's, you have to figure out your version of feminine, because I think that's really important.We're fed a version of feminine in the news, right?We maybe see a different version of feminine from our mothers, our grandmothers, our friends.What is that to you?Maybe it's not like wearing a flowy skirt all the time, but maybe it means that you are a little bit more receptive in your energy.You're a little bit more laid back, right?Letting things come to you.Those subtle energetic shifts, I have found, make the biggest difference, truly.Like yes, of course, the big ah-has are sexy and they're great, and they are what move our lives forward and allow us to change.But then, we have to choose to continue to change.And all of those little small moments, we have to continue to walk the walk and say, "Oh, we wanted, we wanted this change," right?We said over here, "We wanted this change."But now, we have to actually follow through with it.And little by little is gonna make it sustainable, so that you actually do it, and you actually change, and you actually follow through, I found, anyway.Y- yeah.No, and I, I couldn't agree with you more on that.And so, it was a series of 1,000 micro-compromises that got me where I was.Things like not honoring my body, things like not, um, asking for support, things like not taking care of myself.And, and, and I don'tNot leaning into people, not making the most of time with my girlfriends, not expressing.I think that's the biggest piece.I lost art.I lost art and expression and music and, um, and writing.And man, did I come back with a vengeance with all of those things.But, um, but they were the best parts of me.They were the parts that made me unique, and I let them go because I, they weren't valued, um, in what I was doing professionally.They weren't valued in my home.And so, they fell by the wayside.And so, but it was more than that.Um, I was accepting things in my life that I shouldn't, from employees, fr- not all of them, um, but some, um, and in personal relationships too.And what happened basically was that I just started, it was the micro compromises that suddenly led to a big shift, and then it was gonna be the micro comprom- the micro shifts that got me out of that, and, and helped me to step more fully into my power, to reclaim myself, and to just get on the, the right path.And so I think that every single person on this planet, male or female, should have that balance of masculine and feminine within them.I think that the masculine is so deeply deprived from feminine energy and feminine spirit.So what that could look like is expressing emotion, what that could look like is, um, is creativity, being in flow, um, putting the load down.I think that men right now feel so much pressure to provide in a way that isn't in tune with, like, how, like, their cells are made to provide, like-being in nature and, and all sorta the things.I can't speak to this because I'm not a man, but this is what I imagine.I think this is a really interesting thing to note, because I, I think, right, the feminine needs that net of that safety to provide, so it's like we want our husbands to go out and be those providers, but I don't think I've ever thought about it that way.That they're providing in a different way than we were meant to, biologically.Mm-hmm.And so even though they're providing, quote unquote, that feels very different to their nervous systems, I would imagine, right?Yeah.T- I mean, everyone, like, all of our nervous systems- Yeah.are just, like, fucking shot, 'cause we're not tuning into our bodies, but like, that attunement to our bodies, that is a feminine frequency.That's the stop, the slow down, allowing, giving yourself space and time to say, "What is true to me right now?"And honoring that truth, and taking the time to honor that truth.And so for anyone who's, like, looking, taking inventory of their life right now and is like, "Fuck, I'm over my head," you couldn't have been more over your head thanNo one g- like, like, mountains of business debt that I was like, "How do I get 0 out from under these loans?How can I possibly change my business?"How3 little, little kids, um, a whole life that I had built, that if I was gonna change it, I was gonna have to start all over.And so it was those, like, little micro shifts, and, um, and I'm coming off of a very, very, very big week, so, um- It's possible.actually, like, big, big too- like, it's crazy.So I just hosted a, another women's retreat, um, out by Ca- With 17 beautiful women, right?Yes, and it was just- I love.incredible to be able to, like, share the tools that help nurture my spirit so that they don't have to burn do- down their lives.They can start to integrate these practices into the lives they've already built, um, meant so much.And then within like 2 weeks of coming back from that trip, my divorce was finalized, my, um, business merger was finalized, so I am finally taking off the hats that I have been- Yay.wearing for so long, and, um, and so, like, these are just major, major, major shifts.And soand then in the meantime, launching more programs for, um, for my healing and coaching practice so I can really step into my full authority, and also, guess what?I'm giving myself space to not have it all figured out in this wildly transformative time, to just allow whatever's gonna come in to come in.Exactly.Well, and I love, I love of course that this happened during eclipse season for you, because eclipse is, are those doors of fate, right?But I also think it's important for people to realize, like, all of the work that was done before the energy of eclipse season, right?Like, it's like you have to do all of these backend things, the shifting of the energy, so that when the timing is right, you can step through.And sure enough, right, 3 karmic cycles basically, like, ended, moving into new chapters, um, and you were ready.If you hadn't have been ready, if you hadn't done all of the work, if you hadn't have been clearing all that you had been alchemizing and clearing, I think this eclipse season could have been really different for you.And you're proof that when you have the tenacity, but also when you have the soul, when you know that what you're working for is higher than you are, I truly believe that that can help you get through absolutely anything, um, and, and it has in watching you.If there was anything you wanted to, to share with women listening that are in seasons of transition, that are alchemizing, what would it be?I love this question, yeah, and that answer for me is super straightforward.I had spentIt- it's, it's getting really clear with your body and what's a yes and what's a no.So what I mean by this is that as so many, particularly working mothers, um, we end up carrying a, a massive load, a mental load, physical load, thinking of everything, caring for the kids while still providing for our families and making a living and having dreams and being whole a- like, sensual, beautiful people.And that doesn't always get to be expressed, and instead, like, I found myself in a position where I was like, "D- do I like pizza?Like I, like, do, what do I want for dinner?"And I couldn't answer the question, 'cause I was thinking, "Well, what does he want for dinner?What, what do my kids want for dinner?What, what about this?"Like, I was not even clear with my needs.No, 'cause it was everything else, every, everything else came first.Every- soSo I took inventory of every single decision I was making in my life.Victoria, when I tell you it came down to shaving my legs, like even that, I was like, "Do I wanna shave my legs or am I doing this because someone told me I needed to?"I looked at everything- Wow.because I wanted to be fully in e- in integrity with what was mine and what wasn't.And so if I was doing, like I, I gave up drinking in this window and just kind of was like, "Is this serving me?No," and then stopped.And so, the taking inventory of all of the patterns of behaviors and the things that we're just doing, um, is so important.And then to understand do I like doing that?Do I want to?Or do I feel- Is there some rule that I'm following here that someone else- A made up rule.that's made-a made up rule that's not for me?So, that's, that's really where, where I started.And, um, I, I do shave my legs.But I did- I was gonna ask.I'm glad you said that.I did go through a period of time where I just, like, was waxing only, and that was, that was fine.And, but I, it was, it was everything.Like, do I wanna get my nails done?Do I not want to do this?Like, I no longer get pedicures.I don't wear polish on my toes because I found, yes, I love how it looks when it's on there, but then when it gets chipped, I end up just painting over it, like, 400 times.And, like, and that doesn't feel good to me.So, I'm like, "Okay, what's the"So, anyway, I know that this sounds silly, but it's a little thing.No, but it's really, like, uh- Do I want to, and then honor it.Do I wanna take a bath?Yes.Okay then do- And then honor it.then do it.That, that- Then go take a bath and watch how the universe starts to shift as you get clear on what you want.Um, even though the last couple of years have been, uh, so unimaginably hard, for not one moment, or I guess hard on paper, for not one moment did I not feel held.For not one moment did I not feel trust.And then here when I'm standing at the finish line and I feel this, like, I feel like my wings have just, are just coming out.And it's a really amazing thing, but it took a lot of intention to get here.Yeah.Well, and I think you have to allow yourself to, to feel the fear a little bit, 'cause the fear is gonna be there.That's natural.Your body wants to protect you, but if it's, I don't believe that you make any wrong choices in life.I think there are choices that lead you a straighter path perhaps, but any choice that you make is never gonna be the wrong one as long as, right, you're in integrity and intention with yourself.And so, I, anyone listening that is going through this, like, yes, the fear is gonna come up.Yes, the emotions are gonna come up.That's part of it.That is part of the reason, so you can actually feel what it feels like to be a human in your body at this point in time.And if you're feeling pain from any of your previous decisions, you're feeling tes- tension, stress, pressure, friction, that's just information for you to better understand that maybe that's not in alignment anymore, or maybe it needs to shift, right?Women are natural chameleons.We change, as Ashley so beautifully mentioned, over the 28 days of our cycle.Why do we not lean into that more?We're told it's bad when actually it's our literal fucking super power, and we should be able to change our minds, our energy, ourselves, every goddamn day.And, uh, I, I think more women should accept that we fluctuate.We absolutely fluctuate and lean into that because you can be a completely different person in a matter of days- Oh, right.hours-you know?It's funny, like, I had, like, now I kinda track things.Like, today I woke up and I was reviewing something for my new website and, um, and I went instantly into critic.And I was like, "Nah."And then I was like, "Wait, hang on.Oh, I just got, I just got into my lude old phase."So- Yeah.That's why.Like, I'm just more critical.And so knowing that allows me to give myself a little bit of grace.And so, um, understanding how we flow, how our energy works and leaning into that is, um, is really, really, really important and a beautiful and wonderful thing.Um, but we weren't taught it.We were not taught it.So as, umI feel this enormous responsibility in life to remember and teach so that my daughter can live life where she's not questioning herself, questioning what makes her feminine, questioning what makes her, um, immaculate.Hmm.Yeah.What a beautiful way to end.I love that, 'cause I want you to share now where folks can get to experience this with you, whether it's in person, online.What's coming up in the world of Ashley?You also have your own pod, uh, podcast that folks can listen to.Tell us all the things.Yes.Okay.So, I have a podcast called Unapologetically Yours where we go deep on everything from business, spirituality, belief systems.Um, but I'm kind of excited because I think this season 3 is gonna be coming later this fall, and, um, we'll be dropping a little bit more of the business stuff.So it's just, like, fully about being a whole person, um, this audience is primarily for, um, for women.And then you can find me at ashleylogan.com, just th- how it's spelled.And there I have all sorts of offerings from retreats to one-on-one work, coaching sessions, custom experiences, and you can see all of the different modalities that I work in.Um, everything that I do is really rooted in nature and connection to self, and I do wanna share that, um, that most recently I finished an equine therapy program, so I am able to support people working with, um, one-on-one with horses, who are the ultimate mirror.Um, so I think there's so much more to come, a cohort- cohort being launched later, um, later this fall as well.So, lots and lots comin' and I'm excited to create and allow and create and receive and see all the things that are, that are next.Mm-hmm.I love that so much.You guys visit Ashley at ashleylogan.com.Thanks so much for being here.If you guys have been enjoying the conversations, please share, like, subscribe, rate, review.It helps the podcast be seen by even more women across the globe.We thank you so much for being here with us.Be good to one another.I love you.