ashleyspencer

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to animals

The ONLY thing I miss about Twitter is the all the dozens of cute animal videos the algorithm showed me. That’s pretty much all my feed was.

Do we have accounts or bots that post things like this here on Mastodon? Pics of cute animals at least?

#animals #cuteanimals #cute

All I know are autistic hashtags, so not sure what to tag for this question.

ashleyspencer, 7 months ago to actuallyautistic

Can I get your opinion?

I’m hesitant to offer discounts for reviews with Autistic Bookshop because authors would lose 10% profit. I could do 5% for a review, but that results in a different author losing 5% profit for a review on someone else’s book.

Giving 10% off just my stuff doesn’t seem enough. Could give nothing, but I don’t think honesty and good will are motivating enough. Reviews help the autistic authors make more money.

What would you think as the customer?

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 28 days ago to actuallyautistic

I googled “autism and traumatic brain injury” hoping to find something about living with both at the same time.

ALL the results were studies done to see if TBIs cause autism. 😒

Not one article, reddit post, quora post, was about living with both. Ugh.

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 9 months ago to random

I’m so mad I’m shaking. Someone added a community note to the ad that’s made me a crap ton of money saying that the red panda is dropshipped and you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Ughhhhh. That’s the ultimate way to ruin my ad and get it taken down. Well it got up to 3.2M views. I’ll rerun it with my own photos.

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago to actuallyautistic

Autistic Bookshop is live!
I'm sharing with all of you first. 🙂

Autistic Bookshop is the first self-publishing bookshop made for #ActuallyAutistic authors.

Authors keep their publishing rights and get 70% of the profit on every book they sell.

Autistic authors can self-publish:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Comic Book
• Cookbook
• Photo Book
• Coloring Book
• Magazine
• Calendar
• Planner
• Journal
• eBook
• Audiobook
• Children's Book

https://autisticbookshop.com

@actuallyautistic @bookstodon

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago (edited 10 months ago) to random

I deleted Twitter off my phone. Logged out on my desktop PC too.

The ad is working really well. It’s closing in on 600k views, and the more it gets seen the more I’m getting trolled by people who want my store to go out of business. I’ll just leave the ad running and ditch Twitter. Don’t need to look at it.

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to writing

Can I get some advice from the #WritingCommunity?

I’ve been putting off writing more of my book for a while now, but have recently become more motivated to write it. I got on Atticus and wrote a few sentences today, but then my cat distracted me and I stopped.

How often do you work on your writing? Sentences a day, paragraph a day, section/chapters? Or a few times per week? What keeps you writing?

It’s a non-fiction book. If that makes a difference.

@writing

ashleyspencer, 9 months ago to photography

Question for the photographers of mastodon:

I need a real camera that can take product photos with accurate colors. My iPhone is taking a lot of pics with a blue tint, especially if the item is white or lightly colored. It’s getting frustrating. I don’t want to spend too much, but it is an investment since I will be taking photos of 57+ products here in the next couple of weeks.

Any recommendations?

#Photography don’t know what other hashtag to use.

ashleyspencer, 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

I did a very autistic thing and bought summer clothes in 2 to 4 packs.

I am now the proud owner of:

• 9 capri leggings in 4 colors.

• 10 of the same tank top all in different colors.

• 4 bike shorts in different colors.

• 17 autistic t-shirts from my store in 5 different colors (they come in more colors, I just buy the same colors lol)

I will officially wear the same outfits every day in various colors when both sleeping and being outside in the heat lol

@actuallyautistic

ashleyspencer, 11 months ago to random

I've spent the entire day looking for accessible apartments. Even though the charity one didn't have anything available, I did find another one.

It's farther away but in a nice safe downtown area. There's a zoo, botanical gardens, and a small downtown. I checked and there's a small business wheelchair taxi service that can take me to those places. It's close to hospitals too. Rent is affordable. New build with accessible apartments.

Just depends on availability. I'll call them tomorrow.

ashleyspencer, 8 months ago to random

I’ve spent the last week learning more about asexuality. I learned there’s a term for what/how I am. I’ve spent the last 23 years thinking something was wrong with me. My orientation labels have gone all over the place. First straight, then bi, then gay, then pan, but still confused. After all that said I just don’t have a sexual orientation. Having the same problem in relationships the last 17 years over and over again, it finally clicked that something is up with me, so I’m learning more.

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to random

I had a blast this morning working on my new store. Worked from 12:30am to 7:30am until I stopped and laid on the couch with my phone. It’s nice to be excited about something again and have a big project to work on.

My partner gave me the talk again about having hobbies. I’ve tried to find hobbies outside of my business. I just don’t like anything. I liked Tavern Master until I made my tavern run so efficiently it didn’t need me anymore. It’s hard to get myself to sit down and read a book too.

ashleyspencer, 8 days ago (edited 8 days ago) to random

Google said Strattera goes up to 100mg but it was wrong. Psych said it goes up to 200mg.

Apparently I can also take a low dose stimulant together with Strattera.

I've been diagnosed 2x with ADHD, but he has to do an assessment and legally can't take my word for it, so totally understandable.

Raising Strattera to 100mg a day from 80mg and in 1.5 months if it isn't helping, we will do an ADHD assessment and he will prescribe me low dose stimulants + strattera.

Solutions! Yay!

ashleyspencer, 7 days ago to random

My new ADHD med dose went into prior authorization with my health insurance.

I was told this can take anywhere from 24 hours to 2 weeks and still be denied.

I think they are fighting it because the copay covers 2 pills a day, but he prescribed 4 pills a day to get me to 100mg a day.

If I use GoodRx, I can get a month's supply for less than my insurance copay, and get it tomorrow.

UGH at US health insurance.

ashleyspencer, 3 months ago to random

One of my autistic traits is that I can’t lie. When asked direct questions, all that exists is the truth. My mind will draw a blank if there’s no truthful answer to the question, and my brain doesn’t even think of lies in the moment

I keep thinking about that interview. All interviews will go exactly like that one. I can’t lie and say my consulting gig was a real job, nor lie that my business is passive income when it’s not

I’d have to lie to get hired, and I can’t do that

#ActuallyAutistic

ashleyspencer, 1 month ago to random

Student loans are so predatory. The old loan company with my gov loans didn’t accrue interest on the subsidized loans and they let me direct my payments towards specific loans. I paid off 2 of the loans by individually paying them off one by one.

This new loan company Gov transferred to is charging me interest and applying payments only to the interest. I have to call them to request they ungroup the loans so I can actually pay them off. Will never pay it off making one overall payment.

ashleyspencer, 9 months ago to random

We finally made it here! Nicest apartment I’ve ever lived in. It’s big too! So surreal that I live here now. Feels like I’ve accomplished a major thing. I’ve never worked and hustled so hard to be anywhere in my entire life! ❤️

Nikita came out and started exploring first and Dinah came out after she saw Nikita being brave.

Black and white cat Dinah standing on the floor next to a box looking up at me with her tail in a friendly position.

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to random

I made a little folder in my shop email for all the nice emails from customers. I read them all and had a good cry.

There were SO many people trashing my store (and me) for selling and marketing to autistic people.

My first year, I felt guilty making a fair profit and charged so little as a result that my store profited $200 in 2022. But realized this year I deserve to be paid for the thousands of hours, and thousands of dollars, I’ve dedicated to my business.

Guess it just hit a soft spot.

ashleyspencer, 11 months ago to random

My red panda plush ad is doing very well, and the amount of people quote tweeting it and complaining that my store is specifically for autistic adults is funny.

It’s like… we’re the neglected majority shut the f- up lol

ashleyspencer, 8 months ago to random

I made my first TikTok video. It’s an introduction video with a strategically placed red panda in the background lol.

I made a list this morning of 7 topics I can make videos with to get me started.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8F77A7N/

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to random

I am in full on freaking out mode. Now that everything I own is packed into boxes, I was informed by the new apartment the current resident will not be moving out because their new home flooded. Arghhhh! Everything I own is packed into boxes!

I called an apartment locator and she found a great place with a 2 bedroom available now. It costs more than the other one, but thankfully I've done really well this month and last month so should qualify no problem.

ashleyspencer, 20 days ago to random

I got the manufactured plushie.

It’s AWFUL. I hate it.

They ensured me the fabric would be very soft and it feels rough. Super unpleasant to touch.

It’s supposed to be a cat holding an infinity symbol but it doesn’t look like a cat in person.

What the f did they do 😭

ashleyspencer, 6 months ago to random

My conversion rate and number of sales has dropped significantly since I raised prices a couple of days ago. People got used to me only charging $1.50 to $3.60 more than I was spending to fulfill the order on stim toys and stim jewelry. I made more money from the $4 shipping than the item sold on almost every order.

On the other side, I’d have to sell 12 Ultimate Gear Fidget Spinners to equal the profit I made off one sale of that item with the raised prices.

ashleyspencer, 10 months ago to random

I got a notice today that the company I’ve been working with as a contractor for 2 years now is on its way out. I have 1.5 months to find a job.

I’m sticking with professional e-commerce positions. It’s all I know how to do.

My cover letter starts with “As a physically disabled and housebound autistic entrepreneur, “ And the resume says “Ashley Lauren Spencer | Autistic Entrepreneur” Might as well own it lol.

I’m really glad I polished all my social media. Companies ask for those links.

ashleyspencer, 1 month ago to random

I’m asking myself do I want to become a public entrepreneur, and if I want to deal with all that comes with that.

On another social media site I said I’ve never been formally diagnosed, and self-diagnosis is valid. It’s resulted in over 24 hours of trolling. I’m just 🙄 at the trolls.

I feel like if I go towards public figure route, this is just the beginning it will get worse, and do I really want to deal with this. It’s a bit of a tiring annoyance. Some attack, some defend. How it goes.