For as far back as I can remember, I’ve lived my life fearlessly. My mom often reminds me that I jumped out of my crib before I could walk and was climbing trees when I was three. I thrive on the excitement and thrill of taking risks and thoroughly enjoy blazing new trails. I gravitate towards high-vibe, positive energy and am barefoot as much as possible. I crave plugging into the earth and am deeply connected to Mother Nature. My soul needs peace, love and sunlight to thrive. And delicious, organic dark chocolate!
I grew up in a small town called Rhinelander (GO HODAGS!) in Northern Wisconsin and was blessed to live in a country neighborhood full of kids, a baseball field and a trail that led us to a local lake. We rode bikes, made forts in the woods, swam all day and played kick the can at night. On moonlit nights, we used flashlights to pick nightcrawlers and collected them in a Folgers coffee can for fishing the next day. We also lived next door to our grandparents who had a pool. Overall, my childhood was about as fun as they come. I feel very fortunate and blessed.
From the moment I got my first set of colored pencils and drawing pad, I’ve been creating. I won a lot of local art awards and contests for random drawings. Not shocking, my mom saved most of them and they now live in my lower nightstand drawer. Throughout my childhood, I loved any class where I could create and transform – ceramics, painting, woods, photography, architectural design/drafting. I particularly loved designing big, beautiful homes and imagined what it would feel like to live in one someday.
I spent most of my senior year in study hall, shop classes and at Jody’s house watching 90210. I graduated early with honors, but had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I took a job as an Administrative Assistant at a nursing home because I enjoyed helping people and thought it was a good fit. That career was short-lived and within a year, an opportunity came along and I found my footing in a position at Coca-Cola.
Over the course of 14 years, I wore many hats in an Administrative/HR role. I didn’t have The Office experience many others do in corporate though…I loved the people I worked with. We had a blast most days plus I learned a TON about human behavior and operating a business. I also had a front row seat to sales and how to communicate with customers. I felt like I had the best of both worlds. But as the years went on, something in my soul was missing…I felt like I was on a hamster wheel.
My gut was nudging me to move on, but I didn’t know where to go. So instead of leaving my job, I bought a house to flip as a creative, side hustle. That was a fun project, but still, something was missing. I wanted to serve and transform in a bigger, more meaningful way.
The reality and bottom line was my job felt mundane, I was significantly overweight and I needed to figure out why I was so tired and lethargic. Honestly, my life/health felt pretty toxic and not in a good place. I needed to make a change. I needed to totally pivot. I decided to make an appointment to get blood work done, but that ended in a notable thyroid issue and a script for a lifelong drug. I thought, “I’m in my 20’s and don’t want to sign up for this. There has to be another way”. So I said no thank you and carried on.
Shortly after, I was hanging out with a girlfriend and she told me about a local practitioner who tests the body in a more holistic way using NRT (Nutrition Response Testing). She gave me a card for a free consultation, so I had nothing to lose.
The initial consultation/experience literally saved.my.life. No joke! I was loaded with heavy metals (lead and mercury) and they’d crossed the blood brain barrier. My metal levels were some of the highest she’d ever seen and because of it, my thyroid was trashed. She detailed her detoxification recommendation and how I needed to support the healing process. I agreed and immediately felt a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. I knew I was in the right place and on the right path. I could feel it. She had the key to unlock the door, I just needed to walk through.
She also introduced me to the power and many benefits of infrared heat…and I’ve never looked back.
I knew what I needed to do – hit the reset and GO button. I spent the next couple years obsessed with educating myself about nutrition and detoxification. I enrolled at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, bought a sauna, made changes to my food, nurtured and moved my body daily, channeled positive energy, lost 125 pounds, quit my job at Coke and let go of relationships no longer positively serving me.
It wasn’t long after, a fire started simmering deep within me. I felt compelled to share what I learned with as many people as possible. I crafted a business plan, moved to Madison and opened Jenerate Wellness – a holistic wellness center and sauna studio focused on health coaching and infrared saunas.
There were SO many lessons learned along the way, but one I think all can agree with…entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it. The journey is a long, windy road that requires a special level of commitment. The highs are high and lows are low. One thing I know for sure – it doesn’t require a lot of money, fancy degrees or ads on social media. It takes a massive amount of grit, authenticity and a burning flame of determination.
Within the first year, I unfortunately experienced a mild stroke that paralyzed my left hand and foot. I didn’t fully grasp or understand what happened at the time, I think I was just in a massive state of denial. I kept it to myself and downplayed it as no big deal when others asked what happened. At the time, I was honestly in the best physical shape of my life, had a growing health/wellness business and met a guy that I fell head over heels in love with. I had no idea why this happened and felt completely embarrassed, ashamed and isolated.
In retrospect, it really wasn’t that big of a surprise. I took on a boat load of stress and overloaded my nervous system – it was just too much. My adrenals were running on fumes and my body was screaming “mayday, mayday!” I didn’t pay attention to the early warning signs. I was so committed to helping others that I lost sight of my own well-being. I didn’t slow down or take the time to look inward, I just scrambled to try and “fix” it. To say this is the biggest lesson of my life is a massive understatement.
I spent a few years working with medical doctors/specialists in numerous facilities to get to the bottom of not only what happened, but WHY. I honestly couldn’t put a number on the amount of tests, vials of blood, CT scans, MRI’s, EMG’s, X-rays, etc. that I went through during this period, but it was significant. It was also extremely taxing on every level and usually ended in a doctor telling me they couldn’t help me.
One particular doctor I recall vividly looked me straight in the eye and told me I should just get “comfortable” with not using the left side of my body and be grateful I didn’t die. As tears quietly streamed down my face, I looked right at her and said, “No thank you, I disagree and have no idea what you’re doing in this profession. You have no hope”. I walked out of that appointment and told her assistant I’d be back on her schedule when I healed myself. I was frustrated and deflated, but knew I had to keep digging.
Full transparency, along the way, I often felt hopeless, scared for my life and more exhausted than ever. One of my biggest fears is that it would happen again and this time be more damaging or fatal. But every time I left a doctor appointment with no answers, I sat in my car, felt the emotion, then told myself we just keep going.
The bottom line is, I was extremely grateful that I didn’t die, but that’s not the first time I escaped a near death experience and I knew in my gut there was a bigger reason why my body fired me a warning shot. It was the ultimate check engine light and it was blinking for a reason. There were areas of my life not in alignment and it was high time I paid attention. It was time to get back to some basics and focus on my own well-being instead of taking care of everybody else first.
The lessons: I believe true healing isn’t about doing, it’s about BEING. Just be the person you want to be in your mind and the body will follow. I’m grateful to Mark and the healers who didn’t give up on me. They supported me physically, mentally and emotionally so I could bring my body back into alignment.
I believe life happens for you, not to you. I also believe the body has an innate ability to heal itself…I know this because I’m living proof of it.
The recommendations and connections on this site have all played a major role in my healing journey and the reason I’m sharing them with you. As I write this, my left hand still has some room for improvement, but it’s damn close to wholeness and I use it every day.
Jenerate Wellness was mandated to close in the Spring of 2020 like millions of other businesses. A few months into the closure with no end in sight and money hemorrhaging, the writing was on the wall. I knew what I had to do…I had to give gratitude for the years of service and let it go. I will never forget the evening I made the decision or the day I walked out the door for the last time. My heart had a hole and pain I’d never felt before. I was broken and utterly devastated. But it was time to move on.
Over the years, Jenerate Wellness became a pillar in the community. It was foundational for numerous healing stories and inspired thousands to restore their lives. I’m proud and extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve in such a life-changing way.
If you’re reading this and we met through Jenerate, thank you for your loyalty and joining alongside me on this ride, it’s been a wild one and I appreciate you!
After the dust settled from the closure, we simplified our life, sold our house and bought our dream home in a small town outside of the city. Heller Haven is a big, beautiful palace peacefully nestled in the woods. We feed the birds, the owls hoot at night and the deer and turkeys walk through daily. It’s wall to wall windows, feels like a massive tree house and is loaded with all our favorite wellness tools – it truly is our sanctuary space.
In closing, I spent the last decade refining a wellness routine and built an arsenal of resources and connections to support physical, mental and emotional well-being. I created this site to serve as a resource guide for my favorite tools and inner circle. It truly gives me so much joy to share this – my hope is you find the information useful to live your best life.
I’m a leader in the health and wellness space with an unmatched expertise in infrared heat – I’ve helped thousands bring saunas into their home or business and can help you too! I’ve taken the guesswork out of which brand to buy plus created a step-by-step guide for integrating a sauna into your business. If you’re interested in coming along on a vibrant journey of health and happiness with me, let’s go!
Want to see my story in timeline format with more photos? Check out my about page!
