Hello, new (and old) friends! Thank you for taking a moment to learn a little bit about my personal story of transformation.

Forget about The Best, I just wanted to be good (enough). I was constantly seeking belonging, attention, and love/approval from family, friends and whoever I thought might throw me some nods. I had to show up differently depending on who I was trying to please at any given moment. No matter what I did though, of course, it was never enough.

Once I became a mother, I knew this had to change because I didn’t want to pass my pain onto them. I gobbled up all sorts of content in hopes of helping me feel, be, and do better: webinars, courses, conferences, books, apps, podcasts, techniques, masterminds, retreats, therapy… I took little bites out of everything.

I knew there were other moms out there like me, trying to understand themselves so they could be better moms. So I created the opportunity for us to find each other.

In 2005, at the age of 32, I started my first business to support others in living a life they loved. I was in my element, I loved creating community and content to support moms (and myself!) to live an authentic life, full of grace, passion, and purpose.

After a while, however, I became so focused on growing the business that I stopped growing myself. I returned to abandoning myself more and more. I just kept on keeping on along the superficial surface until I couldn’t swim anymore. I started to sink while living an unlived life.

Early in 2017, I realized I had completely lost track of where I was headed on this journey. My marriage of 16 years, although kind and functional, was often disconnected and diametrical. My business had lost sight of its original vision. I packed on 30+ pounds while sitting on my ass with wine and Netflix. I thought for sure something was seriously wrong with me health-wise because I felt like shit all the freaking time.

Something had to shift. True change needed to happen. This life I had always imagined was not going to wait for me to catch up. Not only did I need this for me, but I also didn’t want this to be how I modeled life and love for my kids.

My light switch moment came from reading, “Finding Your Way to Change”: I needed to trust that change was possible for me, that I could actually feel vibrant and aligned.

I never trusted myself with anything. I had no idea what I wanted, thought, or felt. I just knew it was not this as Elizabeth Gilbert writes in her essay.

I spent two years deep in analytical therapy to guide me into clarity and wholeness. I discovered my voice and how to trust it. I became wild (natural) in the wild (nature). I wandered along the beautiful Okanagan trails and the wild held and healed me as I hiked and hiked and hiked some more.

Slowly, I found my footing and became more rooted in my self and my soul. I started to recover and restore pieces of myself that I buried so long time ago that I didn’t even know existed or were possible. It felt like I went to hell and heaven and back again. And again. And repeat.

My fragmented self became whole again. I started to feel things again. I started to know things again. I started to laugh again. I found pleasure and passion and desire and devotion. I felt vibrant and full of vitality. I felt absolutely alive, terrified, and full of sheer bliss. I knew and trusted myself for the first time.

I saw tangible transformation occur during this time:

• Lost 25 pounds through healthy and active choices
• Completed a marriage with unconditional love and respect
• Sold my first business to an amazing company
• Found #LotteryLove with my longtime friend and now forever lover, Steve.
• Started a new business with a crystal clear vision
• Enjoying truer, deeper relationships with friends and family

I now know that everything is always evolving, nothing is ever perfect and I still show up fully for all of it – even and especially the hard stuff. I try not to hide when shit hits the fan, and there will always be shit hitting the fan somewhere along the road.

Life is a messy mystery full of ups and downs. I’m here to meet all the moments with tenderness, grace, and curiosity. I trust myself to have the capacity to handle whatever comes my way and the courage to go where I am called. (*That might mean medication. When a recent trauma occurred in my life, I knew the level of anxiety I was experiencing would be better managed with medication. You and your doctor can decide what’s best for you.)

For me, The Best Ever, simply means staying true to myself – even if the truth in that moment looks bloody awful. I will no longer leave or compromise myself in an effort to avoid the hard and heavy parts of life.

Now, I’m ready. I am so excited to share ideas and practices that can help all of us live our true, full, and aligned lives. The Best Ever Guide to Life will gather stories of people just like you and me discovering their truer way of living alongside experts offering their Best Ever ideas and resources that worked for them.

My hope is that you find ideas in this space that work best for you.

Are you ready to live your Best Ever Life? I can’t wait to share your story, too!