The Power of True Community: How My Connections Have Transformed as I Have

Sixteen years ago, I stood at the threshold of a new life, though I didn’t fully realize it at the time. I had just taken a job as the wellness supervisor at Valley Natural Foods, stepping into the natural products industry—a space that would shape not only my career but also my sense of belonging, my identity, and ultimately, my community.

A Place for Me Lacking in Space for Me

Before that, my primary community had been my family of origin. Like most of us, I was born into a set of relationships that defined me—who I was, how I was seen, and how I was expected to exist in the world. But for me, that identity had been rigidly cast in stone: bipolar, irrational, erratic, unhealthy, crazy...but still one of them. No matter how much I fought to change, to heal, to become someone different, my place in that family dynamic remained frozen in time.

At some point in my journey, I realized that I could no longer function within that framework. I had begun to heal—truly, deeply heal. And as I did, the gap between who I was becoming and who they believed me to be widened until it was impossible to bridge. To continue to exist within that old community would have meant shrinking myself down, forcing myself back into a shape that no longer fit. So I left. Not in a dramatic, burning-bridges way, but in the quiet knowing that if I wanted to be fully, authentically me, I had to build a new community.

A Welcome from My People

I found it in my work. The natural products industry introduced me to people who saw me as I was, not as I had been. They reflected back the version of me that I was growing into, one that was stable, empowered, and clear. And because of that, I was able to fully step into my own transformation.

Over the years, my community has shifted again, evolving as I have. I am no longer just healed—I am fully embodied. Grounded. In my truth. And now, in a world that feels more chaotic and divided than ever, I am doubling down on community.

Let's Refuse to Let Fear Win

It would be easy to collapse into the anxiety of what’s happening on the world stage—to feel disempowered by our leadership, by the forces that seek to divide us. But instead, I am choosing to build, to connect, to expand.

The relationships in my life are richer than ever. Every coffee meeting is intentional. Every collaboration is meaningful. I am creating spaces where real connection happens—where we don’t just support each other but actively elevate each other’s work, amplify each other’s voices, and stand together in solidarity.

Linking Arms When Division is the Easier Path

Jeanne and I are co-creating Dying to Live, a retreat designed to bring people fully online—to shake them out of the autopilot of life and into deep, embodied connection, both with themselves and with the world around them.

My dear friend Anna has launched Firefly, a company that exists to bring people together in unexpected ways—saunas, cold plunges, spaces outside the usual rhythms of routine—so that connection isn’t just something we fall into, but something we consciously cultivate.

Recently, I gathered with Katie, Sue--two very good friends--and a group of women for a hike in the woods, followed by a sauna and a shared meal. Not all of those women will become part of my inner circle, and that’s not the point. The point is the moments. The laughter. The warmth. The deep exhale of being seen and being known.

This is What I Know

My life keeps getting bigger. More expansive. More connected. Because I keep choosing it.

So many communities right now feel disempowered. That’s by design. There are forces at work that want us to feel small, isolated, divided. But we are not playing that game.

We are coming together.

We are building something stronger.

And in the process, we are reclaiming the power of true community.

With thoughtful intention,

Kate