The Imaginals with Ashley Wick
UNVARNISHED STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION FROM CREATIVE, WISE WOMEN
You are the co-creator of your life, but what happens when you find yourself on the precipice of change and unsure of what’s next?
The Imaginals podcast invites you to explore seminal moments of personal change. Together, we move forward, drawing wisdom and inspiration from creative and insightful women as we explore their journeys of transformation.
Imaginal cells are those responsible for a caterpillar's incredible transformation into a butterfly. In these conversations, we explore the moments of impact, the messy middles, and the most surprising elements of meaningful change.
Authentic, brave and warm, The Imaginals will inspire you to claim the center of your own story. Join host, Transformational Coach, Ashley Wick to witness how they put their whole being into action to light up the world.
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Ashley Wick has an intimate understanding of the pitfalls of perfection. Born and raised in San Francisco, she grew up in a family where high performance was the maxim. For years it served her to be the ultimate doer: a straight-A student; a Duke athlete; a Vogue Magazine executive; and founder of her own fashion PR agency. By all accounts, her efforts were propelling her toward her life’s desires. That all changed when she learned of her newborn daughter’s heart condition. She couldn’t “do” anything, she simply had to be. By processing moments of uncertainty with her own coach, she came to understand the power of working in communion with other women as a foundation for creating meaningful change. It is this framework that transformational coach Ashley Wick brings to her practice and her new podcast, The Imaginals.
The Imaginals with Ashley Wick
The Founders of Carve Designs on Surf, Partnership, and Bold Entrepreneurial Leaps
In this episode of The Imaginals, host Ashley Wick sits down with Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester, lifelong friends and co-founders of Carve Designs. Their journey began, as so many do, with a conversation—this one on a surf trip to San Pancho, Mexico, about the frustration of ill-fitting women’s board shorts. That conversation sparked an idea, and what started as a simple need soon grew into something much bigger: a brand that would empower women, challenge expectations, and take on a life of its own.
At the heart of their story is partnership—not just in business, but in the deep trust and shared vision that allowed them to build something purposeful together. Jennifer and Thayer take us behind the scenes of what it really means to start something from nothing. Neither had a background in fashion, and there was no guarantee it would work. But they took the leap anyway—one bold decision at a time. They share what it’s like to grow alongside the business, how stepping away from societal expectations led to personal transformation, and why success isn’t just about the outcome.
We also explore the interplay between entrepreneurship and motherhood—how learning to navigate risk, relinquish control, and trust the process has shaped not just their business, but the way they raise their children.
If you’ve ever felt misaligned in your career, wondered whether to trust that inner nudge, or needed a reminder that success doesn’t have to mean going it alone, this conversation is for you.
Chapters:
- 01:46 The Journey of Carve Designs
- 02:03 Personal Transformations and Challenges
- 02:35 Redefining Success and Empowering Women
- 03:02 Sponsor Message: Plant Gem
- 03:57 Interview with Jennifer Hinton and Thayer Sylvester
- 04:49 The Struggles Before Carve Designs
- 06:13 The Decision to Start Carve Designs
- 12:38 Defining Success and Overcoming Challenges
- 23:52 Balancing Motherhood and Leadership
- 34:45 Closing Thoughts and Resources
Guest Links:
Carve Designs website: https://www.carvedesigns.com
Carve Designs Instagram: @carvedesigns https://www.instagram.com/carvedesigns
‘On Children’ by Kahil Gilbran from The Prophet: https://poets.org/poem/children-1
Calvin Coolidge on Persistence: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2749-nothing-in-this-world-can-take-the-place-of-persistence
Ashley Links:
Finding The Current Within Retreat: https://peggymarkel.com/adventures/finding-the-current-within/
Ashley Wick Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleywick
The Ingenius Life Workshop: https://www.ingenius.life
Take The Leap Course: https://www.taketheleapwomen.com/
Sign up for Ashley’s newsletter for free coaching reflections, tools and news: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/643399411150f24bd562b5f5
Podcast artwork by George Bangs. Photography by Cary Jobe
This podcast is made possible thanks to our amazing partner Plantgem. Get 20% off your order when you use the code IMAGINE.