Creating Connections: The Journey Behind Our Retreat Inspiration

Hi there! We are delighted to have you visit our site and explore our blog. In case you haven't had the chance to peruse our bio yet, here's a brief glimpse into who we are, our purpose, and how Wholeness Within came to be.

We are Andrea and Amanda, the co-founders of Wholeness Within Retreats. Beyond being business partners and retreat hosts, we share a deep and cherished friendship. Our paths first crossed when our daughters became friends in high school, yet our own friendship blossomed later while working together at a local bank. Through shared experiences and genuine connection, our bond evolved into a warm and lasting friendship.

The concept of hosting retreats dawned on me, Andrea, co-founder and co-host, one morning while I was in the shower. Surprisingly, I often find my creativity flowing in the early hours. I vividly remember feeling uplifted, positive, and inspired at that particular moment when the idea struck me - to create a nurturing space where women can come together and be inspired to embrace those same feelings. I value connection and enjoy bringing groups of people together, and when I envisioned embarking on this journey, Amanda was the first person who came to mind.

We all have friends who bring unique qualities into our lives, fostering connections in various ways. Within my friend group, each of the women complements my life uniquely. One special aspect of my connection with Amanda is how I feel energized and joyful in her presence. Our conversations often revolve around life and personal growth, and it's remarkable how our paths aligned synchronously when this venture began. On top of this, Amanda and I had already started a Supper Club. We both also happen to love food and cooking and this combination allowed us to bring all of our friends together to celebrate food and friendship. Without hesitation, Amanda agreed, and our planning journey started. But before we get into the details, I'll hand it over to Amanda.

When Andrea approached me with the idea of hosting retreats, I was immediately interested. She and I had both been on a journey of self-discovery and growth over the year prior and we already knew we worked well together since we were coworkers at the bank as well as with our Supper Club. 

When I started to think about the concept of a retreat, I envisioned us being a safe space for women to come together and discuss all of the challenges we face. This was something I found so helpful when working at the bank with Andrea and raising teen girls together. Having a group of women who are also in different stages of life and can offer their own perspectives and wisdom would be beneficial to all! 

We began to do some research about retreats and wellness and found there were so many out there, with many of them focusing on relaxation and yoga and meditation. We knew those were aspects that we would incorporate into our retreats, but we also felt there was so much more to offer. We had both experienced such enormous growth and changes in our lives that we wanted to share that with others. We wanted to offer more along the lines of becoming your most authentic selves and discovering a feeling of wholeness and balance in your life since that was a goal we had both recently accomplished. We wanted to bring that to other women! 

Since we were both bankers and had no official training in how to lead others on a path of personal growth, we knew our life experiences would be helpful, but we realized in order to have some extra credibility we felt it would be best if we pursued life coaching certifications. And so, our professional journey began, and we both grew even more during our training! The awakening we both experienced was exhilarating! 

As our vision took shape our ideas began to take form. Our shared goal was clear ~ to inspire and guide women to discover their most authentic self, refresh their journey of personal growth and leave with a renewed strength to achieve their truest form of wholeness. This vision led us to conceive the concept of the seven elements of wholeness, encompassing practices that we ourselves embraced and cultivated during our personal awakenings. 

After attaining our life coaching certifications, Wholeness Within Retreats was born! Whether you are actively seeking or currently experiencing your own awakening, remember that you are here for a reason. Stay with us for further insights on how you can embark on your journey towards finding true wholeness.

We're excited to come alongside you on your journey to Finding Wholeness!

Andrea & Amanda