AI Summary
5 min readSimone Ashley was sitting in a friend’s apartment in January 2021, worried about when her next paycheck would come. She told herself she would take anything—even a toothpaste commercial. The next week, she got the call for Bridgerton. Within a year, her life had completely changed. But the self-belief that carried her through that moment, she explains, was not something she had to build from scratch. It was there long before the industry validated it.
In this conversation with Jay Shetty, Ashley traces the origins of that self-belief, the difference between professional rejection and personal heartbreak, and what she has learned about friendship, love, and timing in her late twenties.
The difference between professional and personal rejection
Ashley draws a sharp distinction between how she handles rejection at work versus in relationships. Professionally, she says, rejection barely touches her internal core. “It was written that all my dreams within my career were gonna have opportunity to come true,” she says. “That came from self-belief. I just wanted it so much and I knew that I was capable.” When an audition or project fell through, she never doubted herself—she simply decided the other party had missed something. That attitude allowed her to keep moving without internal damage.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (03:03) **The Five-Year Transformation** - Simone Ashley reflects on her personal and professional growth since 2021.
- 2 (05:28) **The "Bridgerton" Call and Innocence of Early Success** - Simone recounts getting the life-changing role without knowing how big it would become.
- 3 (07:03) **Growing Up Indian and Unshakable Self-Confidence** - Simone explains how she never saw her heritage as a limitation or a defining label.
- 4 (10:27) **The Weight of Representation and an Open Door** - Simone discusses what it feels like to be a role model for young women of color.
- 5 (12:35) **The Awkward Teenager and Finding Your People** - Simone opens up about being an awkward, quiet, and observant teenager at an all-girls school.
- 6 (16:08) **A Mother's Wisdom: On Materialism and Envy** - Simone shares a childhood memory that defined her core values: her mother's lesson on not being materialistic.
- 7 (18:13) **Defining True Friendship and Building Community in New York** - Simone defines a good friend as someone who is honest, shows up at your worst, and celebrates your wins.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Actress and musician Simone Ashley joins Jay for an intimate conversation about navigating sudden global fame, redefining self-worth beyond career expectations, and letting go of societal timelines. Simone details her breakthrough journey from lockdown uncertainties to leading Bridgerton, how her mother taught her to love her skin and embrace cultural identity, and why stepping into music with her debut EP 'Songs I Wrote In New York' allowed her to access a raw, instinctual form of creative expression.
Together, Jay and Simone dive into the crucial distinction between solitude and loneliness, how envy can slowly destroy friendships, and why finding a 'co-creator' in love means choosing someone who makes life simpler rather than more complex. If you're feeling behind in life or searching for the confidence to trust your own timing, this episode offers a heartwarming reminder that your path unfolds exactly when it is meant to.
With Love and Gratitude,Jay Shetty
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What We Discuss:
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:53 How Much Can Shift In Five Years
00:01:30 From Lockdown to Bridgerton: Career Breakthrough
00:05:16 Identity and Confidence as an Indian Actress
00:08:41 Impact of Representation and Personal Reflections
00:12:56 Assessing Past Strengths and Potential Regrets
00:13:37 Comparing School Experiences
00:14:23 Mother's Lesson on Non-Materialism
00:15:35 Defining True Friendship and Overcoming Envy
00:17:34 Women Supporting Each Other Beyond Competition
00:18:40 Loneliness vs Solitude
00:24:26 Desires, Dreams, and Simpler Life Aspirations
00:26:07 How to Manifest Love…
00:28:20 The Power of Honesty in Relationships
00:29:25 This is What Handling Rejection Looks Like
00:32:42 Your
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