Meet Jennifer Gulbrand of SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio in Walpole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Gulbrand.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I invite you to walk into my dream — SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio. I’ve been manifesting this concept for over ten years. I have owned and operated a sales training business in the life sciences industry for the past 18 years which is a great lifestyle business that supports my family.  However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve become more in tune to this passion of mine.  I never found the “right time” to bring my dream of opening a women’s empowerment center to reality. Like most of us, I was too “busy” directing all my energy toward the responsibility I felt for others, often putting other’s needs before my own, and subsequently ignoring my true calling. Everything changed June of 2016.

I had always loved the funky loft-like space that was occupied by a Paint Studio in the building next door. When I discovered they were closing, I knew it was the right time for me to answer the voice inside my heart and head urging me to take the leap of faith and get it started.  With the help of many friends and family, we transformed the space in a matter of 5 weeks into the serene sanctuary we call SheBreathes, which was officially born in early August of 2016. We got our marketing plan together and opened our doors to the public on September 6th.

What gave you the courage to take this leap?
A very dear friend had been diagnosed with Stage IV Non-smoker lung cancer 10 months earlier which devastated all of us who loved her. In the months that followed, we had conversations about living life to the fullest and in the moment and those discussions were the real inspiration to follow my passion and stop making excuses. I opened the studio in tribute to my beautiful friend to honor the manner in which she lived her life here on earth. We lost her this past March but I know she is here guiding me to continue on this path to embrace positive change in the world.

When was the business started?
We opened our doors on Sept. 6, 2016 but the idea has been percolating in my brain and heart for ten years.

How did you come up with the name?
I discovered yoga, mindful meditation, and a variety of other alternative health therapies in my late 40s and came to understand that I could use my breath to center myself, find an inner calm, and tackle just about any curve ball that came my way. And like most women today, I’ve navigated through my share of curve balls.

I believe every woman has the strength within her to create, nurture and transform her own life, to evolve to a place of power. It begins with that first deep breath, a commitment to self-care, and a desire to find balance. So there it is – SheBreathes – and with our breath, we can find our balance and our way back to improved health and wellness.

The other influential factor in determining the name was the very painful fact that my friend was struggling to breathe freely as her result of the lung cancer that invaded her body – breathing is something we all take for granted until it is taken away from us.  SheBreathes is a tribute to Jo and her courage to fight as long as she could with grace and dignity.

I should also mention that the “she” in our name doesn’t mean we exclude men from our studio offerings.  Men play an important role in helping the women they love be more balanced. In less than one year, we have 120 members and a small percentage of them are men who believe in our mission.

Why was the business started?
SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio is my way of supporting a modern evolution of the women’s movement. We offer the venue and opportunity for sisterhood and support.

Women today are programmed to nurture and care for others, which is a wonderful thing! But at times, we deplete our energy by  sending all of it outward, often neglecting our own needs. So at SheBreathes, we tap into our feminine energy to encourage women to “learn to receive” – put themselves back on the list – and grant themselves permission to practice self-care, find their center, and accept goodness and possibility into their lives.

It’s no secret that women need strong connections with other women to feel whole. Studies suggest that powerful female friendships can have a measurable impact on overall health. When women bond together, they can make a meaningful difference in their own lives and in the lives of others.

Who are you, Jennifer?
I’m a Mom on a mission to create a better world for our daughters – a world in which young women are taught the importance of their own self-worth, treated equally, and recognized for their individual gifts and contributions without judgement. I want to support other women-in-business and encourage them to follow their passions. I’m a late blooming Yogi on a life-long spiritual journey to find my Zen and balance. I’m a self-proclaimed Warrior Goddess following my dream to give back to all the women who have inspired me to stand up for what I believe in. All women are beautiful and deserve to be lifted up by the world and given the opportunity to shine bright like a diamond.

Tell us about the physical space.
With a great deal of vision and love, we’ve created a serene setting where people can come to gather, learn, receive educational offerings, practice yoga and meditation, express themselves creatively, learn small business and marketing skills, receive coaching support, and connect with others who truly have their best interest at heart.

We have a ZenBar where we greet our guests and serve tea, coffee, spa water, and smoothies.

Our SheGallery showcases a different artist or photographer every month which changes the look and feel of the space in a positive way.

The lending library offers up a variety of books for guests to read while enjoying the quiet space or to check out and take home with them. The main studio is flexible in that the modular chairs can be moved and re-arranged for yoga, SheSpace, a small group workshop or a theatre style seating for 60. We have a also have a full kitchen that seats 30 which comes in handy for full day retreats where we’re serving farm-to-table meals or for our craft type workshops.

The physical space is wonderful but it’s the positive energy in the studio that makes it most unique. Our members and guests are making meaningful connections with like-minded people in a warm and inviting sanctuary When guests walk in, they breathe in the essential oils, listen to relaxing music, and almost immediately their shoulders drop and they feel at home.  The vibe we’ve created is positively influencing the way people feel about themselves.  That still gives me goosebumps!

What does SheBreathes do?
SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio is a women’s empowerment, education and advocacy initiative dedicated to the complete renewal of women in body, mind and soul.

Our mission is three-fold:

1. Promote the practice of self-care and teach women to love and honor themselves and others.
2. Offer a warm, inviting SheSpace where women can gather together to find sisterhood and support – as well as their own individual balance, inspiration, and strength.
3. Establish a collaborative of professionals in the fields of health and wellness, mindfulness, education, and the arts, and connect them with the community of women who can benefit from their gifts.

We offer a line-up of really amazing offerings each season consisting of classes and workshops to provide members and their guests with the opportunity to breathe in:

Balance: Though Yoga, meditation, stress management, mindfulness practice, spiritual guidance

Inspiration: Writing workshops, drawing classes, women author book club, women artist gallery showcases, singer songwriter/poetry nights, belly dancing and more.

Strength: Soul Sister Circle, Divorce Support Group, Being Girls/Teen Talk Circle, small business consulting, nutrition and health coaching, life balance coaching, career development workshop and much more.

What makes you different from the competition?
SheBreathes is not here to compete with anyone. At first it’s difficult for people to wrap their heads around what it is we do here.  We are not a yoga studio, we are not a wellness center or a spa. We are a fast growing community of empowered, like-minded people looking to lift one another up in support of overall health and wellness in body, mind and spirit. We are here to promote the value of activities like yoga, meditation, and support circles to help our members and guests find balance.

Our collaborative model enables us to connect professionals in the fields of health & wellness, life balance, education, the arts and business with other members in our community, both personally and professionally and that is the magic happening in our studio and virtually each and every day.

What does SheBreathes charge?
SheBreathes Balance & Wellness Studio has a membership model with two types of annual memberships.

The Collaborative Membership for $300//year is designed for professionals in the field of health and wellness, life balance, education, and the arts to make meaningful connections with other women, as well as to gain access to a beautiful venue in which they can promote/share their gifts and strengthen their connection with the community.

As a Collaborative Member, your benefits include:

• Monthly Meetings w/educational presentations from fellow members and opportunity for meaningful connections.
• Access to the Studio/Kitchen to promote your gifts via workshops (schedule dependent)
• Invitation to offer free “office hours” during SheSpace to connect with potential new clients (schedule dependent)
• Inclusion in our Collaborative Directory on the website with links to your sites.
• Networking opportunities via our Private SheBreathes Member Only Page on Facebook
• Opportunity to display your business cards in the studio lounge.
• Opportunity to sell books, cards, jewelry at the studio for 20% commission to studio.
• Member discount pricing off all studio events & offerings.
• Free access to the SheSpace/ZenBar, Mon & Fri 10am -2pm, and Wed 1pm- 5pm. Relax with a friend, read a book from lending library, write/journal, be inspired by the SheGallery art or just be still.

The Individual Membership for $120/year is designed for women looking to make a commitment to practice self-care, reconnect with their authentic selves, renew personal power, inspire and be inspired by others, experience growth through education and the arts, and find balance in mind, body and soul. Benefits include:

A gift to yourself to practice self-care, reconnect with your personal power, and find balance– body, mind and soul

• Opportunity to surround yourself with other like-minded people looking to embrace powerful change;
• Meaningful connections with a community of professionals in the fields of health & wellness, life balance, business, education and the arts who are bringing their gifts to our membership through program offerings;
• Member discount off all studio events and offerings;
• Free access to the SheSpace/ZenBar, Mon & Fri 10am -2pm, and Wed 1pm- 5pm. where you can chill, relax with a friend, curl up with a book from our lending library, write/journal, be inspired by the art and photography showcased in our SheGallery or just be still.

It’s important to note that you do NOT have to be a member to enjoy our benefits. While membership has its perks, anyone is welcome to come and access all we have to offer the community.

Will you franchise SheBreathes?
You never know. We’ve had many women ask to open a center in their communities. We have filed trademark with USPTO and would welcome the opportunity to replicate our center in other locations, when the time is right, to spread more of this good energy into the world.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’m having the time of my life! The only real challenge I face is finding balance to do it all as a Solopreneur while managing my responsibility for my other business/employees and family.  But it’s a challenge I embrace fully.

I have no employees at SheBreathes but fortunately several members of my Inner Circle have volunteered their time to help with different aspects of the project for which I am very grateful. It really does take a village to embark on an initiative of this magnitude  which is taking root so deeply.

I’ve learned so much about social media/digital marketing and how to use tools like Canva, Buffer, Constant Contact, and MindBody Online. I love learning new things – if only I had a few more hours in the day to get it all done!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I don’t look at SheBreathes in the same way I do my other business. This is a true labor of love – a heartfelt project designed to give back to the community. What makes me most proud is to witness the magic happening every day as our members and guests make true meaningful connections with one another and lift each other up in an authentic way. That to me is the best form of success that could come out of this initiative. Women supporting other women in an organic, loving way, because they want to help one another rise – higher, higher, higher. It’s truly the most rewarding thing I have ever done (next to being a Mom to my daughter).

Contact Info:

• Address: 85 West Street, 2nd Floor
  Walpole, MA 02081
• Website: www.shebreathesbalance.com
• Phone: 508-343-7211
• Email: shebreathesbalance@gmail.com
• Instagram: shebreathes85
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheBreathesBalance/
• Twitter: SheBreathesBalance@SheBreathes85

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