https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/redefining-caregiver-support-with-ashley-blackington/id1846605283?i=1000740409920

Dr. Ashley Blackington, OTD, OTR/L, is a board-certified Occupational Therapist, founder, and storyteller at the intersection of caregiving, technology, and culture. She is the creator of Dovetail®, a CareTech platform that launched in July 2025 to help family caregivers organize care, streamline communication, and build sustainable support networks. She also hosts AND/BOTH, a podcast that brings the emotional realities of caregiving and motherhood into the open through raw, thoughtful conversations.

With more than 15 years of clinical experience and her own lived perspective as a caregiver and mom of four, Ashley knows that caregiving is not just a personal role but a systemic challenge that demands better tools, deeper conversations, and more compassion. Her dual mission through Dovetail and AND/BOTH is to create both infrastructure and space: practical tools to ease the daily load and honest dialogue that validates the emotional weight.

Ashley is also the founder of Home Field Advantage, PLLC, extending her work in community health and occupational therapy practice. Whether she’s mentoring therapists, building technology, or sharing stories on the mic, her work is rooted in one core belief: those who care for others deserve to feel supported, equipped, and never alone.

During this episode, we discuss:

• How she’s an OT by training and wanted to integrate her clinical, caregiving, and practice experience together

• Her mission to smooth out as much friction as possible with the things that bog down caregiving

• Why Dovetail is crucial right now for the sandwich generation

• How society’s introduction to caregiving is not gradual; it’s like teaching someone to swim by throwing them in the pool

• What Dovetail is and how it will integrate with healthcare portals

• How Dovetail relieves the mental load

• Balancing her practice with Dovetail

• The lack of care infrastructure in this country

• Why she bootstrapped Dovetail in the beginning

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things caregiving!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7H7aJDZR520S6VPkYGtxXB?si=IB8zrcpPQCOV1wLNCurQyA

What happens when caregiving meets the heart of advocacy, balance, and resilience?

Ashley Blackington, founder of Dovetail and board-certified occupational therapist, shares her insights on caregiving, managing cancer journeys, and supporting families through complex health experiences. With over 15 years in the healthcare industry, Ashley opens up about the emotional and practical challenges of caregiving, the importance of self-care, and the ways caregivers can build a supportive network without losing themselves in the process.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The emotional weight of caregiving: Ashley discusses the toll caregiving can take on families, and how to manage the physical and emotional exhaustion while still providing the best care.

• Creating a caregiving network: Learn how Dovetail's platform empowers caregivers & families to manage tasks, communicate, and collaborate with others in real-time, making caregiving a shared responsibility.

• Why self-care is non-negotiable for caregivers: Ashley highlights the importance of caregivers prioritizing their own well-being in order to better support their loved ones.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7HEKb3jJLAnFlkbakJqKeX?si=Ntxhm03HTg-ZBQ9s3VdR2Q

We all say we want support. But are we really ready to receive it?

In this episode, Heather sits down with Dr. Ashley Blackington to talk about the invisible load modern women carry, especially those who are caregiving, leading, and over-functioning in every area of life. From burnout to decision fatigue, this conversation unpacks what it actually looks like to take your power back in emotionally uncomfortable ways.

Here's what you'll hear:

🩶Why emotionally intelligent communication is a required life skill
🩶How martyrdom culture keeps women stuck in burnout cycles
🩶The mindset shift that helped Ashley reclaim her time, energy, and identity

If you're tired of carrying the mental load and ready to lead your life differently, this conversation is for you.

Dr. Ashley Blackington is a mom of four, lab lover, and occupational therapist. In all of her free time, she owns and runs Dovetail designs, hosts her podcast AND/BOTH, and is set to launch her Dovetail app in April 2025. 

We discuss all of this and more, including what occupational therapy is and why you need to involve OT much sooner than you'd think. 

Learn more about Ashley and her businesses here: https://dovetaildesigns.co

#caregiving #caregivers #caregiversupport #occupationaltherapy #podcasts #elderlycare #eldercare #longtermcare #aginginplace #healthtech #podcast #sandwichgeneration

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5KJAzFESGrTjPmILvhei1u?si=aXPIJbxbRnS6cSnPK3J66g

“I don’t ever want to feel like this again—and I don’t want to feel like this so badly that I am willing to be incredibly uncomfortable figuring it out.”

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Dr. Ashley Blackington, occupational therapist, founder, mother of four, and lifelong cycle breaker, for a conversation that weaves motherhood, identity, healthcare systems, entrepreneurship, and intuitive leadership into one beautifully honest tapestry. Ashley shares the pivotal moment she decided to walk away from a system that no longer aligned, the uncomfortable clarity that followed, and the deeply human process of building something new.

Whether you’re in a season of transition or standing at your own crossroads, this episode is a reminder that discomfort can be a portal to freedom—and choosing yourself isn’t selfish, it’s sacred.

Today on Limitless:

- The Breaking Point: How a piece of hospital policy became the catalyst for a life-altering decision

- Choosing Intuition over Obligation: The quiet power of knowing when something is no longer working

- Redefining Success as a Working Parent: Building a business and a life that fits your real family—not the one social media portrays

- The Truth About Caregiving: Why Ashley created a digital platform to support the overwhelmed “sandwich generation” caregivers

- Cycle Breaking as a Way of Life: From being a fifth grader petitioning CBC about Power Rangers to creating inclusive spaces and systems that actually support people

- Masculine vs. Feminine Leadership: Learning to lead with intuition, collaboration, and clarity (not grind and control)

- Failure and the Long Game: How Ashley reframed “mistakes” as pivots—and kept going

If you're standing on the edge of a decision or wondering whether you're “doing it wrong,” this conversation is for you. Ashley's story is a deeply grounded reminder that you already know—and sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is follow the nudge.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/62P1xdZp7K86I4Tomn28xc?si=mxth03_3QM6CQlNSYbnVkg

Ever wondered if you could build a tech company without sacrificing family time? This week's episode will change how you think about the "having it all" narrative.

Meet Dr. Ashley Blackington - OT turned tech founder, mother of four, and champion of the "AND/BOTH" philosophy. She's not here to tell you another glossy success story. Instead, she shares the raw truth about how bootstrapping her caregiving platform Dovetail® actually enabled her to grow a business at a pace that worked for her family.

Why this episode is a must-listen:

Discover how Ashley turned her healthcare expertise into a tech solution while raising four kids

Learn practical strategies for growing a business on your own terms (not Silicon Valley's)

Get real talk about why sometimes slower growth is smarter growth

Understand how her clinical background as an OT gave her unique insights into building better tech solutions

Hear honest conversations about maintaining your identity while being both founder and mother

Whether you're contemplating a career pivot, building a business while raising kids, or simply seeking inspiration from a mom who's rewriting the rules, Ashley's journey from clinician to CEO offers a refreshingly honest roadmap for ambitious mothers.

This isn't just another "how I built this" story - it's a masterclass in building something meaningful without sacrificing what matters most.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RSY2SUTrOIOkkQ1ez4lvs?si=c8oPO_rPRKCZ-Q2cTs7IgQ

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Ashley Blackington, the founder and CEO of Dovetail®, a B2B care tech company. Ashley shares her compelling journey from being an Occupational Therapist to becoming an entrepreneur. We chat about the unique challenges of founding a startup, especially as a mother of four during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashley talks about the importance of staying true to one's vision, the value of contracts in business relationships, and the necessity of balancing personal life with the demands of entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear her insightful perspectives on leadership, efficiency, and the reality of building a business from the ground up.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VHVp6Mr5E9LIuEF1SF9i2?si=-FJDVySGQceg1WXzJywKgA

This episode covers the crucial topic of supporting working caregivers with guest Ashley Blackington, the CEO and founder of Dovetail. In this conversation, she sheds light on the unique challenges caregivers face, whether they're juggling childcare, eldercare, or both. We explore how caregiving impacts employees in the workplace, the importance of employer support, and innovative solutions like Ashley's care tech platform, Dovetail, that streamlines care logistics. Join us as we uncover how businesses can create more inclusive and supportive environments for their caregiving employees. You won't want to miss this conversation that bridges the gap between work and personal life in today's ever-evolving work culture.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MEvrAj0K20vAsPUan7IaJ?si=HcSTvnRNTf6AtXGsfR3DBA

Struggling to keep up with the chaos of work and family life? Do you desire a more harmonious balance? It is possible to unravel the clutter and create a more functional system, and today's guest, Ashley Blackington, the innovative mind behind Dovetail Designs, has created just the solution for busy moms who are also entrepreneurs. Her home management system is the key to achieving a more efficient, organized and streamlined approach to juggling all the responsibilities, ultimately leading to improved work-life harmony. With her insights, you can optimize your own home management and feel more on top of your day-to-day. Just what you might need as we start out 2024!

Joining me today is Ashley Blackington. With a background in occupational therapy, and running a household that includes 4 children, Ashley crafted a unique home and family management system out of necessity, that addresses the challenges faced by busy moms in juggling business and family responsibilities. Ashley is also the host of the And/Both podcast.

In this episode, you will be able to:

Simplify and streamline your home and family management system for a stress-free lifestyle.

Empower your family with effective goal-setting strategies for a harmonious and fulfilling life.

Master the systems approach to organization and time management for increased productivity and balance.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JH1aKzVv97kHpBI3DhgFh?si=9q0SVQZ8TBuFrmN3kU3FiQ

Ever feel like motherhood is an unforgiving juggling act? You're not alone. That's why I've invited Ashley Blackington, an occupational therapist turned CEO of Dovetail Designs, to share her game-changing strategies for transforming the chaos of family life into a harmonious symphony. She created the Dovetail® framework by combining her 12+ years of clinical experience, research, and the lived experience of trying to, collaboratively, run a busy home with her husband. Our discussion uncovers the magic of making the 'invisible' workload visible, redistributing tasks, and establishing a thriving environment of shared parenting responsibilities.

As we peel back the layers of home management, we uncover the essential role of visual systems and effective communication in achieving balance. Ashley's planner isn't just a schedule—it's a revolution, integrating self-care and reflection into the fabric of family organization. We delve into how these tailored tools can liberate mental space and promote individual and collective well-being.

If you've ever found yourself longing for a moment of peace amidst the whirlwind of parenting, this episode is your blueprint for crafting a space where personal growth and family planning coexist.

Wrap up the episode by stepping into a future where gender roles in parenting are relics of the past. We share candid reflections on the power of trust in your partner's parenting prowess and how to inspire children of any gender to contribute to household tasks. This conversation goes beyond planners and systems; it's a call to action for incremental change, patience, and the joyous rewards of shared control. Join us on this transformative journey—your ticket to a more organized, collaborative, and joyful path in the wild adventure of raising a family.