why beyond the break?
When you first step into the ocean, you’re in the breakwater. Waves crash around you, unpredictable and relentless. It’s beautiful—exhilarating, even—but it’s hard to find stillness. Your body stays tense, bracing for the next wave. Don’t fall. Don’t choke on seawater. Time your jump just right to stay upright.
But beyond the break, everything changes. The waves are still there, but they roll in gently, lifting and lowering you with a quiet rhythm. You can breathe. You can focus. You can choose how you want to move through the water. The breakwater hasn’t disappeared—you can swim back in any time—but from this calmer place, you can see clearly and choose your course with intention.
That’s what Beyond the Break offers women: a space to step out of the chaos of traditional work, to find clarity and calm, and to reconnect with a vision of work that’s defined on your own terms—not the ones handed to you.
So come on in. The water’s fine.
Your voice matters here, and together, we are stronger.
Welcome to Beyond the Break.
about Ashley
Founder | Mentor | Career Strategist | Community Builder
Ashley Regan Burke is a career disruptor and community builder committed to helping women reimagine their relationship with work. After nearly two decades of leading strategic programs at large tech companies and small startups, Ashley launched Beyond the Break—a community and coaching platform for women in corporate careers who are ready to step out of the churn of traditional work and chart a new path on their own terms.
Throughout her career, Ashley has built high-impact teams, led large-scale organizational change, and championed diversity and equity in hiring and education. She’s designed systems that empower individuals, restructured support teams to better serve people—not just processes—and mentored other professionals through career transitions, promotions, and pivots.
Beyond her work helping women redefine their relationship with work, she’s living a non-traditional adventure of her own. Ashley lives full-time on a sailboat with her husband and children, exploring the United States and the Caribbean one harbor at a time. Living on the water has taught Ashley to embrace change, value simplicity, and focus on what truly matters. Whether it’s navigating a tricky waterway or watching the sunset from her floating home, this lifestyle reminds Ashley every day that life—and work—can be anything you want to make it.
Ashley holds a Bachelor’s degree from Elon University, is certified in Change Management and Cloud Technologies, and continues to advocate for educational equity in her communities. She’s held roles at traditional publishing houses, including Penguin and Macmillan, worked over a decade at Amazon, and most recently spent three years in start up environments. Today she focuses on Beyond the Break and mentorship and coaching.
We’d love to help you find your better relationship with work. Want to chat? Let’s grab some time!
