First I have to tell you how much I love my new job. It’s
been a while since I’ve posted a story on my “I See Car People” blog because I
started a new job as market manager for Volvo Car Financial Services last
September. And I Love it! Although I no longer interact directly with Volvo
customers who are terrific people, I have the opportunity to meet finance,
sales and general managers at 18 different Volvo retailers throughout
California, Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Over the last seven months, I have come
across some interesting folks who help support Volvo customers including Aysha
Webb.
Aysha is a full-time Finance Manager for Rusnak/Westlake
Volvo in Thousand Oaks, CA. She is also a singer, songwriter, firearms
instructor, personal trainer and graphic designer. Wait. Really? It seems
unusual to have such diverse, hidden talents packed into one person until you
realize the common thread is “helping people.”
Helping people
appreciate music. Aysha has a sultry voice that is warm and captivating.
Since her first debut CD “Love Is A Rock” was released in 2006, she has been on
a steady climb. In 2009 and 2010, Aysha was nominated Jazz Artist of the Year
and won the Jazz Album of the year for the 2010 Los Angeles Music Awards. She
performed at the 2013 Dubai Jazz Festival in February and immediately began
working on her new album and hot new single “Release Me.” Co-written by Aysha
and Monty Seward, legendary producer, songwriter, keyboardist and arranger best
known for his work with Vanessa Williams and Howard Hewett, “Release Me” has
received rave reviews with a rating of 10 out of 10 posted on the examiner.com
website and #7 in the UK Top 30 Soul Charts.“I always wanted to be a singer
ever since I can remember. In elementary school my best friend, Julie, told me
I couldn’t sing; and I was crushed!” They still remained friends throughout high school, and Julie invited Aysha to join her at the Catholic Youth Group meetings where each
youth was asked to choose a different ministry area in which to serve. “I wanted to do
music, so they let me sing at all the Youth Group retreats and then I started
singing for all the weddings at that church. Julie even asked me to sing at her
wedding and doesn’t ever remember telling me I couldn’t sing.”
Helping people get
healthy. Aysha worked for a bank since she was 18, sang in a band and
shared an apartment with her girlfriend who was a personal trainer. “My friends
used to tease me that I was a banker by day and a rock star by night,” she
said. She started working out with her roommate and found that she really
enjoyed it, so she went to school to get certified as a personal
trainer. “I liked banking when it was more about customer service, but then it
became more sell, sell, sell. I wanted to get back to helping people, so I got
into personal training.”
By the time Aysha was 21, she was dating a drummer in a band
and hung out at his rehearsals and would sing along. Her boyfriend suggested
she try out for a band and she ended up in a Top 40s group called Destination,
which led to several other bands. At the same time, she joined the Santa
Barbara Oratorio Chorale. “I didn’t read music, but I still sang in the
Chorale,” she laughed. The last band Aysha performed with called “Girls In the
Mix” kicked off her career as a solo artist. They won the Battle of the Bands
in Santa Barbara and a talent scout asked to sign her as a solo artist.
Aysha married when she was 32 and opened up a gym with her
husband, which became quite successful. Then when she got divorced, she gave
the gym to her ex-husband and went back to school for graphic design. To this
day, Aysha designs all of her own album covers. You may wonder if there is any
occupation she hasn’t tried? Her answer, “Nope. I even sold vacuum cleaners for
Electrolux!”
Helping people learn
how to protective themselves. By this time, Aysha had switched careers
again and worked as an Internet manager at a Land Rover dealership. After a
while, she wanted to try something new, so she quit her job and gave herself 30
days to take the three required courses and then take the Real Estate exam. She
passed with a 100% score on all the tests and was certified as a loan processor
and loan officer. Before she even received her certificate, she had a job
offer. This was in 2007, and just as she was building her pipeline with
brokers, the market crashed. “So I got a job working at a beauty supply store making
$9 an hour,” she said. After a particularly busy week, her boyfriend at the
time said they should do something really fun and different on her day off and
suggested they go to a shooting range after a tennis lesson. “That sounded like
a lot of fun! I hadn’t shot in a long time,” she said. He drove her to a remote
area in Azusa, and when she got out of the car she noticed a bunch of guys all
dressed in black. She was horrified. “They looked like Swat!” Her boyfriend had
signed them up for a Combat Handgun class. “Oh, I was so nervous! First, they
teach you how to hold an empty gun and go through how to draw it safely and pull
the trigger. Then after that they teach you how to load the magazine, and you
load it yourself. I remember holding the gun with my two fingers and very
carefully putting it in the holster. At one point, the owner walked over to me
and asked why I was shaking so much. Even though I was nervous, I still hit the
target.” After that first lesson, the owner approached Aysha and told her he had
been watching her and saw her determination and something in her eyes;
something that told him she would make a really great instructor. He gave her
his card and told her to call if she was interested in training to be a
firearms instructor. “I said yes and started training five days a week. For my
birthday that year, my boyfriend gave me a Glock. I do pick up things fast and
was shooting faster and more accurately than the other guys.” That led to
working at the shooting range as a range master while in training, which gave
her even more time to practice. She received her pistol instructor
certification through the NRA for teaching at the range and became a tactical
firearms instructor in handgun, rifle and shotgun as well as concealed carry. One
of the other trainees actually shot Aysha. “She drew too quickly and pulled the
trigger too soon and at a range of three feet away from me, she shot me. I
still have the bullet in my arm. My friends used to tease me about being ‘shot
in the hood.’”
“A woman from ‘Girls Guide to Guns’ saw me teaching
at the range and told me she was working on a pilot and wanted to get some
quick footage of me to show to some producers and directors.” She filmed Aysha
and asked her how it was being a woman in the gun industry. Was she treated differently
as a woman, etc.? “She also included information about my music. Several people
in the gun industry saw that video and asked me to be in Top Shot. But before I
could be on the show, I had to pass a written psych test, an oral psych
evaluation, and a physical exam. I passed and was invited to go to Range Day
where they had four stations set up: AR-15 Rifle, M1A Rifle and two different
types of handguns at ranges of 200 yards, 100 yards and 50 yards. The tests
were all timed. Out of 50 people 16 would be selected for the show, and only two
of the 16 chosen were women. I came in 10th best out of 50 people,
but my personality was too easy going, so I didn’t make the show; but made
alternate. It’s a reality show and they were looking for more drama I guess.”
Then Blackhawk called her to be the spokesperson for Blackhawk and do a video
and photo shoot for all of their new Women’s gear and appear with Todd Jarrett,
World Class shooter, doing demonstrations at the Shot Show at the Venetian in
Las Vegas.
Helping cancer
victims. In the early ‘90s Aysha was looking for new look and decided to go
extremely short. “I had really long hair and I decided to go short and the lady
said, ‘Are you really sure you want to go short?’ Usually they cut off a
little at a time so it isn’t a drastic change. I told her I was sure. I wanted
really short hair.” So she asked if she would agree to donate her long
hair to Locks of Love. “This time around my hair was nearly down to my waist
when I decided to go short again. I asked the salon if they would donate my
hair to Locks of Love and they agreed as they deal with that charity.”
Helping Volvo
customers. Aysha joined Rusnak/Westlake Volvo in April 2013 and has already
made achievements above and beyond anyone’s expectations. She assists Volvo
customers with the paperwork involved in purchasing or leasing their vehicles
and provides information and recommendations on products that are available for
added protection. Aysha’s life experiences and hidden talents make up who she
is and helping people is just part of her character.
To learn more about Aysha, download her latest CD or view
her performance schedule, visit https://ayshamusic.com/
