The This Wasn’t My Plan Podcast
This Wasn’t My Plan, is a podcast about clarity, career pivots, and the path you didn’t expect. Hosted by Ashlee Klevens Hayes, this is for high-achieving professionals navigating career transitions, leadership challenges, and the messy in-between moments of life.
Listen to Ashlee’s podcast for Real Talk on Careers, Leadership, and Life’s Pivots
Inside each episode, you’ll hear a mix of solo insights and candid conversations designed to help you think clearly and move forward with confidence. Ashlee shares the systems and strategies she’s used to help 8,500+ professionals land roles, grow businesses, and lead with intention.
Alongside that, she sits down with founders, leaders, and professionals to unpack what it actually looks like to build a meaningful career. Because your career didn’t go as planned… and neither did anyone else’s. Hear how high-performers handle pivots, pressure, and the moments that actually matter. Get clear on your next move — without overthinking it or spinning your wheels. Real stories. No fluff. Just how people actually figure it out.
Walk away thinking differently — and moving faster because of it.
FAVORITE EPISODES
FAVORITE EPISODES
Most Loved Episodes
Meet your podcast host
Ashlee Klevens Hayes is a leadership communication strategist, author, and advisor who has helped thousands of professionals communicate clearly and perform at a higher level in high-stakes moments.
But this work wasn’t part of her original plan.
She began her career as a clinical pharmacist in a Level I trauma center, where clarity, precision, and fast decision-making were critical. That experience shaped how she thinks about leadership and communication — and ultimately led her to the work she does today.
After working with thousands of professionals, Ashlee saw the same pattern again and again: success isn’t limited by talent, it’s limited by how clearly you can communicate it.