My passion in life has always been to make a difference in the world, specifically with women. I am grateful for the challenges I've faced over the years. They have made me who I am today, but there were years of pain and struggle when I didn't think I'd survive it all.

A single mom who needed financial help for childcare so I could work.

Relationships with abusive partners. My first boyfriend (who I went on to marry at 20 was abusive)

Feeling helpless as my adult children struggled with addiction. Not bailing a child out of jail is difficult, but it's the only way they can learn.

Two divorces from the same guy. I don't recommend marrying your ex. There was a reason it didn't work out the first time.

I have always been strong willed, but there are too many times in my life I gave my power away and allowed myself to be treated poorly. Those days are over.

The years after my divorce were particularly tough. I was making less than pennies per hour and I was working incredibly hard. Luckily my stubborn nature kicked in. I refused to give up on my dream. I worked three jobs to make ends meet.

Substitute teaching at my children’s high school. Teaching up to 15 fitness classes a week. And doing EVERYTHING at the retreat. I cooked and taught yoga and hosted guests. Then I did the cleaning when they left. Making up all 15 beds was probably the hardest part. I was overwhelmed by the size of the 30 acre property and all that needed to be done.

I didn’t have the money in my budget to pay for help with the property upkeep and maintenance. Whatever lucky guy I was dating at the time was my go to handyman for a weekend of work and other things. Not ideal, but it worked!

In 2014, I realized what I was doing was not sustainable. First I hired someone to clean. Then I hired someone to cook. My first hire was Kaycee. She started out cleaning for me, then jumped into cooking and property management. Kaycee is doing her own thing these days, selling her baked goods at Canton. But she still bakes all of our homemade bread.

The rest is history. Now I'm grateful to have a phenomenal team of women to help with everything. Meet our team.

The day I realized I COULDN’T do it all is when things changed. When I released my grip on perfection and control, the business began to grow. Bringing in talented women who complemented what I do freed me up to do the things I love - teach yoga, lead workshops and (my favorite!) visit with guests. I love to create new retreats and interact with our community of inspirational women.

I'm grateful for the challenges in my life and my persistence (some may say stubbornness) in not giving up.

Looking to the future, we have several amazing retreats to choose from and an amazing team of talented retreat leaders and chefs. I hope you'll join us for one.

The stories of strong women overcoming difficult situations kept my going. I was tremendously relieved when I realized I was not alone in my struggles.

Cheryl, who traveled from Ohio for a Detox and Yoga Retreat e-mailed me shortly after her visit, “I think of the retreat daily. This could be a very long email if I wrote you everything that has changed for me since the retreat! It amazes me, and all I can reason is I was ready and open to implementing some real changes.”

Stories like Cheryl’s reaffirm I’m on the right path. Especially helpful when things are challenging.