We’re looking forward to introducing you to Ashley DeGrush MSN, APRN, FNP-BC. Check out our conversation below.
Ashley, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
Definitely integrity. I remember my grandma explaining the meaning of integrity to me when i was about 11 or 12 years old. She said, ‘Make sure you marry a man with integrity. Don’t ever settle for less.’. I never forgot that!.. and I did end up marrying a man with integrity. I also try to surround myself with friends, mentors and employers who also have integrity. It is such a powerful trait.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and founder of Face Forward Wellness, a boutique functional wellness practice in the Denver Tech Center that specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement, medical weight loss/metabolic health, and longevity… We help men and women in midlife who feel frustrated, unseen, and stuck in bodies that no longer feel like their own—addressing the fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, and hormonal chaos that traditional medicine often does not have the time to treat.
After practicing family medicine for 10+ years in sterile exam rooms, I decided to open my own clinic. I set out on a mission to reimagine ‘a visit to the doctor’s office’ and create an experience. I want my patients to come in, kick their shoes off, get comfortable, and leave feeling hopeful and empowered to make positive changes in their health.
At Face Forward, we bridge science with self-care—combining advanced hormone and metabolic optimization, longevity medicine, and lifestyle coaching to help clients look and feel their absolute best from the inside out. My goal is to shift the way we think about healthcare: to make it more personal, proactive, and empowering. Every session is designed around the individual, not a one-size-fits-all protocol.
Right now, I’m building a space that feels like home—where patients are seen, heard, and guided toward vitality, confidence, and longevity. It’s medicine reimagined, and I can’t wait to share it with our community. This is just the beginning and I’m so excited to be on this journey.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I really believe that pride breaks bonds between people, and humility and vulnerability restore them. We live in a very prideful society right now, which is sad—too many people can’t take a step back, look in the mirror, and admit when they’re wrong, or even put their opinions aside long enough to truly hear someone else’s.
To me, humility is a beautiful thing—almost peaceful. There’s real strength in being able to say, “I was wrong,” or “I need a break,” or “I’m struggling.” Vulnerability is healthy, but I see so many people who are afraid to show it.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized it’s harder to nurture and maintain relationships simply because life gets busy—families, careers, responsibilities. But when I do meet new women, I’m always drawn to those who are humble, open, and real. Pride feels cold; humility feels warm and safe. And I think we could all use a little more of that.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
To be completely honest, there have been several. My mom passed away at age 34 after waiting to receive a lung transplant. She had complications that arose from a rare genetic disease that has been passed down in our family. I was 11 at the time and my brother was 7. She was, and still is, filled with so much love and I feel her presence every day.
Of course when one parent dies at a young age, you don’t think your other parent will also inherently pass away but that happened to me. My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer at age 44 on Halloween. He passed away just a couple months later on January 2nd of my senior year of college. He was my best friend, my protector, my person.
I was very fortunate to have grandparents and aunts, uncles, friends of the family who held me accountable. Checked in. Kept an eye on my siblings and I. My grandma passed away in 2014, just one week after my now husband proposed. He asked her and my Papa if he could marry me and they said ‘of course’. That loss hit me really hard. I became depressed and missed her so much. It was like all the loss from my past snowballed into one big ball of shitty grief. It was overwhelming. My soul felt empty because I didn’t feel like I really truly belonged to anyone.
Fast-forward to the wedding and my Papa walked me down the aisle in Steamboat at age 94-years old. There wasn’t a drive eye in that aspen grove. It was magical and I know all my angels were there.
But ultimately, I still felt like I didn’t belong to anyone anymore, especially after his passing in 2017….
On October 26, 2018, I healed those wounds. I became a mother for the first time to a beautiful little baby girl.. and again to a little boy in January 2023. The amount of immense joy and healing that came from having my own children was just what I needed. There was a higher plan and I am reminded of that every day.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, absolutely!! I do have to censor myself sometimes in regards to saying some curse words, but I am authentic and proud of it. I want my potential patents to feel like they know me before they step into my office. I’m not trying to hide anything or be someone I am not. My friends would say I’m always the one with the dirty jokes, best holiday gag gifts, and 15-year old humor. I think laughter is the BEST medicine and so I try to keep it 100% real both in public and in private. Most people appreciate that, especially when they come in and we talk about some pretty bold topics–hormones, sex lives, reality TV, nothing is off limits.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope they say what a good mother I was. Just writing this brings tears to my eyes because it is such an honor to be able to raise my babies and be healthy and present with them. My mom didn’t have many years with us, but they were powerful, stable, loving years.
I also hope people tell stories about how I made them laugh. I love laughing. I love making people laugh. I love saying things a bit random just to see how people will respond. My motto is ‘I might grow old, but I’ll never grow up!’ 😉
Contact Info:
- Website: www.faceforwardwellness.com (professional site being built now)
- Instagram: @faceforwardwellness
- Facebook: Face Forward Wellness
Image Credits
TruBlu Images, Rebecca Todd
