From SAHM to Sweat for Smiles: How Ashley Flanagan Slaughter Blends Fitness and Philanthropy
In this episode of Mom to MORE®, host Sharon Macey chats with Ashley Flanagan Slaughter, founder of Sweat for Smiles—a new and unique organization that brings together fitness, wellness, and philanthropy through energizing community events. A former NCAA Division I swimmer and certified nutrition coach, Ashley has raised over $31,000 for charitable causes while inspiring others to move with purpose.
Ashley’s story is one of intentional reinvention. Motivated by her own health journey and passion for giving back, she created Sweat for Smiles as a way to connect people through movement and meaningful action—building a community that thrives on service, strength, and joy.
Tune in as Sharon and Ashley discuss the power of listening, raising active kids in New York City, the hustle of getting people off screens and into shared spaces, and why Ashley believes movement is more than fitness—it’s a way to build confidence and make an impact.
[00:00] Introduction
[00:55] Meet Ashley - athlete, mom, and creator of Sweat for Smiles
[03:31] How a health scare sparked a fitness mission
[06:57] Memorable moments and meaningful impact
[08:58] Mom skills that transfer to entrepreneurship
[13:46] Overcoming the challenge of getting people in the room
[16:48] Raising active boys with balance and boundaries
[17:58] Sleep, self-care, and knowing what works for you
[18:23] The future of Sweat for Smiles
[20:50] Expanding impact through fitness and connection
Meet my guest Ashley Slaughter:
Instagram: @sweatforsmiles
Website: sweatforsmiles.com (everything’s here including a link to sign up for the newsletter)
YouTube Fit It In Video Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Tj-1_ew-kHI
Looking for More? Follow @momtomore on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. @Sharon Macey on LinkedIn.
Keep an eye out for episode #39 of the Mom to MORE® podcast where Sharon is joined by Ali Essig, Holistic Plant-Based Nutritionist and Founder of PlantWhys. Coming soon - you won’t want to miss it ♥
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Sharon (01:07)
Welcome back to the Mom To More podcast. So my guest today created a business I had never heard of before. One that combines giving back and well, sweating, which I love. And given my love of all things fitness and healthy living, you can see why her active acts of kindness caught my attention.
Ashley Flanagan Slaughter is the founder of Sweat for Smiles, an organization that hosts fitness themed events to support various charitable causes. She is a certified nutrition coach and a former NCAA D1 swimmer, which is super big time and has an MBA from the University of Southern California. Through Sweat for Smiles, Ashley has connected fitness enthusiasts over workout trends and giving back, raising over $30,000 and growing.
for various worthy charities. In addition to her work with Sweat for Smiles, Ashley has a background in marketing at Hearst magazines. She has been featured in publications such as Shout Out LA discussing the impact of Sweat for Smiles. I mean, talk about giving back to ourselves and paying it forward to others through exercise, healthy eating and wellness. And of course, Ashley was also a stay at home mom.
So welcome, Ashley. I am thrilled you are joining me today.
Ashley (02:28)
Thank you. Hi Sharon. Thank you so much for having me here today. I'm excited to talk with you.
Sharon (02:33)
And I also want to give a shout out to Hustle Like a Mom because that's where we met.
Ashley (02:37)
Yes, hi Pamela.
Sharon (02:39)
Hi
Pamela. Okay, so I start all of my interviews with what I call my essential mom question. And that is how many kids you have and where are you raising them?
Ashley (02:49)
have two boys and I'm raising them in New York City, which is easier said than done.
Sharon (02:58)
And a lot of testosterone. So we'll leave it at that for the time being. Yeah. Yeah. And how old are they?
Ashley (03:00)
Yes.
10 and 12. Very active voice.
Sharon (03:05)
Okay, so you're kind of in the thick of it, very, aren't they all? Yeah, aren't they all?
have a boy as well, so yeah, yeah. So why was leaning into family life important to you and what did it look like? Like, was it intentional? Like something you knew that you wanted to do when you had kids or did you sort of fall into it in a different way?
Ashley (03:25)
the way I grew up, my mom was home with us. So I sort of always anticipating being home with my kids. She was always with us a lot, picked us up from school, us to all our after school activities. And I just always wanted to be the same because I enjoyed spending time with her and so much quality time. So I envisioned, spoke with my husband about that and we chose to.
have me stay at home with them and be with them. I think it makes a big difference in their happiness and their confidence.
Sharon (04:02)
And also as we're gonna get into further, yes, you lean into family life, but you've got more time when they go into school, which is when you created Sweat for Smiles. So let's sort of dive into that, because it's such a cool thing. I love the idea of combining fitness and wellness and health with philanthropic endeavors, because philanthropy is something that is near and to my heart. And so what inspired you to create Sweat for Smiles?
guessing here that being a D1 athlete had a little something to do with this fresh new concept. So where does that come from?
Ashley (04:38)
Well, I'm a very athletic person, I'm very active. I appreciate health and fitness. It stems from my competitive swimming background. And it actually really started when I had kids and I had to go to a hip orthopedic surgeon. And he told me that in order to avoid surgery, I needed to strengthen my joints.
and just keep them stronger. I needed, he told me I needed to work out every day just to make it, make them stronger. So I started working out every day and I just thought everybody else could use some inspiration as well. And I wanted to inspire other people to work out. I hosted an event with my friend, Kristen McGee and we called it Sweat for Smiles. She taught the yoga.
I thought, let's give back to St. Jude. And everybody came and they loved it and they wanted more. I started talking with brands, they wanted to sponsor it. And the North Face sponsored my first event, my second event. And they gave everybody pink tank tops benefiting breast cancer, boarding for breast cancer. It was just, the energy in the room is just great. It's so positive and people wanted more. So.
I just went with the flow. just kept posting more events.
Sharon (06:06)
I think that's great. Now, do you still swim? Because I swimming is a whole different, it's non-impact, right? But you still are super strong if you're like a D1 swimmer.
Ashley (06:19)
I do periodically, I actually don't usually swim for my fitness. I just swim when I need to think, when I need to really be alone. like, part of what I love so much about swimming was it gives you the time to stare at the black line and you're thinking about whatever, you've got so much going on in your head and it really gives you, it's almost meditative, really.
Sharon (06:47)
Interesting,
interesting. I wish I were a better swimmer. I think I have to learn how to breathe properly when I swim, because I do 25 yards and I'm totally out of breath. So I know I'm not breathing properly when I do that. You you also just said something about the orthopedic said that you needed to work out every day and get stronger and keep your joints, you know, like build the muscles around the joints to protect the joints. And I love that you said that because I am super into fitness and I know that strength training.
as we age is the fountain of youth. And so I love that you started that earlier and that you are forwarding that message onto women all over the place. Cause it, you know, it really is the more core strength we have, the more muscle strength we have, the better longevity we have and higher quality of life.
Ashley (07:34)
Yeah,
the more mobility you have, more just everyday movement is easier for you.
Sharon (07:40)
Yeah, I think that that's a great lesson.
I did attend one of your events in New York. And that was the one where we got to hit the dummies. Kick it to Cali. That's right. To support the kick it for Cali to support the California fires. And it was like kickbox. It was like self-defense, right? Yeah.
Ashley (07:51)
Yes, kick it to Cali. Kick it for Cali.
Self-defense workout, yes.
Sharon (08:04)
And that was amazing. And I will tell you that hitting those male rubber dummies was so incredibly satisfying. Yeah,
Ashley (08:11)
It really was. And
I feel like I have something to work with. You know, I feel like I learned something, like some sort of self-defense move. I know how to do it. I have like a little plan. I thought that was a really fun, inspiring event.
Sharon (08:17)
Absolutely.
It was wonderful. And interestingly, I was in another city and I was walking down what ended up to be like this alleyway. And believe it or not, you popped into my mind and I'm like, if someone tries to like jump me, I know what to do. So, there you go.
Ashley (08:34)
Thank
You're ready. I think my
go-to is going to be my sharp elbow.
Sharon (08:41)
That was great. Yeah, I really enjoyed that. So, hey, we're gonna take a quick break and when we come back, we are going to be diving into all of Ashley's mom skills.
so Ashley, let's talk about the many mom skills and superpowers that you have honed while raising your two kids that have helped you create this business.
Ashley (10:05)
Listening, it comes top of mind
it really helps to learn to listen to my kids, to our kids. They have a lot to say and just being quiet and hearing what they have to say, hearing their emotions. I use that listening to the guests that come to my event, listening to sponsors, listening to corporations that I'm hosting the event for.
Listening really is a huge communication skill that delivers to success. I keep my kids busy. They are very active boys and they need to, and we're battling screen time addiction and it's just, we've found that keeping them busy physically, taking them outside, keeping them busy, trying new things, just staying active is really important for their health and.
keep them away from anything that would be bad for them. And for Swap for Smiles, we're being active, we're teaching new sports, new fitness workouts, we're encouraging being active and staying busy, that kind of lifestyle. Lastly, I try new things with my kids. I'm always trying, encouraging them to try new foods, new...
museums, new fun activities to do, new athletics for them to try. And that's what we do at Sweat 4 Smiles. Every event is different. I really don't think we've repeated a workout or a charity yet. I tried to pick a new charity. I tried to pick a new workout. We just did a heels dance class, as you know, last night. I mean, no, we had a lot of fun. We always have a lot of fun. So I believe in just
Sharon (11:48)
I'm so sorry, I had to miss that. A torn meniscus does not allow that to happen. So yeah.
Ashley (11:57)
Trying new things, exposing people to new activities is important for growth.
Sharon (12:03)
And then how do you choose like what the next athletic endeavor is going to be? And then how do you vet and choose the nonprofits that you give back to?
Ashley (12:13)
I'm really into the fitness community online and I have a lot of fitness instructor friends. I make an effort to go to a lot of fitness events, fitness workouts, and I just, when I attend a workout that I really like, I just ask the instructor, hey, let's do a Sweat for Smiles event, and they usually want to do it. But it has to be fun, it has to be...
like a really good workout or for the self-defense class. We had had crime in the area. So I was actually researching self-defense classes because I thought the community would really want to do that. And I met a dance choreographer and she wanted to do a dance class. And I thought, wow, that's fun. I I wait until it to be inspired. I think about the Sweat for Spiles community and what they might want to do.
and I go for it and make it a big event. And it's just fun. We just have a lot of fun with the workouts and it has to be movement. The sweat is movement of any kind. It could be fitness, it could be dance, just getting your body going. And the charity, I try to keep the charities small to medium size charities.
and four star on Charity Navigator. And I try to tie them in with the time period, for example, in January with the LA fires.
Sharon (13:47)
do you take ideas from the people that show up at your events, you know, for future nonprofits?
Ashley (13:53)
I take a lot of ideas.
I mean, I'm open to any different kind of cause. I just do the research to make sure it's a respectable charity
I take a lot of suggestions and I just go through the charity to see if it works with the workout we're doing. I want the event to be
to make sense,
Like last night, the Heals Dance Class was supporting domestic violence. It just sort of goes together. I just packaged the event together. We might be doing a Mother's Day workout and I might be donating to a child cancer charity, for example. You know, I try to tie the whole event together.
Sharon (14:36)
I just love what you're doing. And also it's not just about the workouts. know, like I know that when we did the self-defense, we had lunch, we had some giveaways and it was just a whole cohesive universe. And it was absolutely fabulous.
Ashley (14:51)
Thank you.
Sharon (14:53)
so let's talk with every new venture. There's always challenges, right? Wouldn't be life without them. And So what have been the most challenging parts of your journey creating this and how have you dealt with that?
Ashley (15:05)
Most recently it can be difficult to get people in person to the events But I've gotten better at that.
Everything just requires a lot of hard work. and I found that it's like and I feel like
Sharon (15:15)
Well, that's life, right? Yeah.
Ashley (15:18)
with hard work you can do anything
So there really isn't a good time to host an event where a lot of people are going to come.
the hardest part of my job is getting people to come to the event, the right people to come to the event. But It's a struggle, but I've been able to do it and I'm gonna keep doing it. I'm learning, I'm
Sharon (15:32)
and appreciate.
Ashley (15:39)
asking other people what they suggest and just reaching out in person to people, developing the community.
Sharon (15:48)
Right, right. And I love the community and the universe that you are developing. So talk to me about what have you learned about yourself creating this, pushing through those difficult periods? How has that inspired Ashley? How has Ashley grown throughout all this?
Ashley (16:09)
What comes to mind is speaking in public. Before Sweat for Smiles, I was terrified of standing up in a room full of people. And I have to do that every event now. And more. I have to speak in front of people all the time. And I've gotten a lot better, a lot more confident speaking to everybody in front of me.
Sharon (16:31)
what do you think has been the most rewarding part of life beyond little ones? Because your kids are, you know, in the teenage years, good luck with that. And, been there, done that.
Ashley (16:42)
I'll need the left.
Sharon (16:46)
they can be fun. But you know what's interesting? When you talked about all the activity you're doing with your boys,
I think that's brilliant. And it's important because boys learn so differently from girls. Like boys need to be active. They can't really sit at a desk. Our son was at a school where the boys would have like beanbag chairs that they could do their work on. And the girls were like, no, we want to sit in the desk. And the boys were on the floor, you know, like spread out all over the place. And they're very different learners. So, you know, boys learn through activity.
Ashley (17:13)
Thank
Right, agree and mine do too.
they do best when they're busy. Although I wanted to point out that we've recognized that they do need rest too. And if it's a balance, trying to make time recognize when they need like prioritizing sleep, obviously sleep is very important and making sure they have time downtime, just downtime at home.
that's not on an iPad, not on a TV, just downtime, quiet time where they can be 100 % themselves.
Sharon (17:55)
Good advice, good advice. And also the sleep for us, for the moms. The older we get, the more we need it. And it's so regenerative and restorative that, yeah, I find the older I get, the more I just want to make sure I have at least like seven hours of sleep a night, at least.
Ashley (18:00)
Yes.
That's been one of my focuses lately, sleep. It's hard to do, it's hard to master, but I have a routine that works for me. well, it may not work for everybody. I found that I have to watch a show at night right before I go to sleep because, and I know that a lot of experts tell you that you're not supposed to watch TV before you go to bed.
Sharon (18:23)
Do you want to share that?
Ashley (18:40)
But for me, I sleep better when I watch a show, because it takes my mind off of everything I have going on, anything that might be stressing me out, and I'm in this other world, and then I'm out by 11. I'm out, and I have to wake up at six. So it's 11 to six is my regular sleep routine, and that works for me. You have to find out what works for you.
Sharon (19:06)
Interesting. Yeah, I find for me I need to, I need to read a little, but not on my phone, like a real book, right? It'll be like a page or two and then out. Yeah, so interesting.
Ashley (19:13)
Right.
Yeah, a lot of my friends do that. I try
to read. I've been reading a book by Megan Murphy recently.
Sharon (19:28)
Megan, who we met at the Hustle Like a Mom event. Yes. Yes. Okay. terrific. I think that's great. So where do you see Sweat for Smiles in like five to 10 years?
Ashley (19:30)
Yes, exactly.
I want to expand Sweat for Smiles to LA, to the LA market even more. We are in LA, but I'd like to have another me over there to do Sweat for Smiles events and expand over there and then even further into other markets. I'd like to partner with more corporations and just keep spreading the Sweat for Smiles energy.
everywhere.
Sharon (20:09)
Yeah, and there's so much beautiful energy just around it. So I look forward to doing more and I just, think it's great what you're doing.
So our time is drawing to a close and Ashley, I have a question that I ask all of my amazing moms who join me. And that is, since this is the Mom2More podcast, Ashley Flanagan Slaughter, what is your more?
Ashley (21:57)
Well, I would say it is the expanding Sweat for Smiles and making Sweat for Smiles just a much bigger entity, just expanding as far as I can. I have high expectations of Sweat for Smiles and I know that there's so much everybody gets out of these events. the giving back.
to the charity is just one part of it. Another huge part of it is just being together in person with everybody. And
People don't have time to do that, but you get so much out of just person to person engaging with somebody else, meeting new people, meeting
like-minded people, like meeting new fitness-minded charitable people.
Sharon (22:45)
Yeah, that'll be our new umbrella for all of this like fitness minded charity. We'll feel a lot of multi-hyphenated things going on there. Yeah, and they're terrific.
Ashley (22:46)
I'd like to spread that.
Exactly.
Sharon (24:01)
was so glad that we met at the Hustle Like a Mom event. I took to you immediately. I love what you're doing because it marries two things that I am passionate about, which is fitness and philanthropy. And it's a really unique outside of the box combo. And so I admire you for like...
Ashley (24:13)
Thank you.
Sharon (24:23)
putting those things together and making it happen and doing the work that it takes. And I know there's a lot of work behind the scenes, you know, for each of these events that you do. And I just, wish you the best of luck. Just keep going and plugging along. And I see great things in your future because
Ashley (24:37)
Thank you.
Sharon (24:38)
such a cool concept.
Ashley (24:38)
It was wonderful meeting you too.