This Was Not On Her Bingo Card (But She Wouldn't Trade It for Anything)

In partnership with

Hey friends,

This one’s a little weird… because it’s about me.

I turned the mic around for an episode of Entrepreneurs Gone Wild and interviewed myself.

I wanted to share the story behind Wild Woods Retreat… how it started with a push mower and a weird idea, and turned into something that’s changing the way I live, think, and work. I talk about the moments that cracked things open, the surprising turns, and what clarity actually feels like (hint: it’s not hustle).

If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in noise or losing touch with your own brilliance, I think you’ll find something here.

She Built a Retreat. But It Started Behind a Mower.

I didn’t plan to build a retreat center in the Smokies. I just wanted a bike.

A blue Schwinn 10-speed, to be exact. The kind that made you lean forward like you were about to take off into your own future. So I babysat. Cleaned. Mowed lawns for a dollar a pop. And without realizing it, I started building the work ethic and idea engine that would fuel me for decades.

The mowing part turned out to be more important than I knew.

Because even now, decades, kids, businesses, and one heck of a pivot later, I still get my best ideas behind a mower.

From Screen Traps to Creekside Vision

For 17 years, I ran my first business from behind a screen. I followed the “hustle hard” doctrine. You know the one. If you’re not grinding, you’re falling behind. No breaks. No sunshine. Certainly no woods.

It worked. Until it didn’t.

Eventually, it felt like I was trading my own clarity and creativity for a never-ending to-do list. And like most purpose-driven entrepreneurs, I knew there had to be another way. A better way. One that didn’t feel like betrayal to her body, brain, and actual life.

So I made a small change after reading Trevor Blake’s 3 Simple Steps. 

Five minutes of coffee on the porch. No phone. No screens. No noise. Just a bug or two, some Alabama humidity, and one curious brain slowly waking up again.

That’s where the shift began.

Enter the Woods

That experiment in stillness turned into rose-deadheading, plant-foraging, and long walks with the dogs. Then came the Frank Kern’s "perfect average day" exercise, and a flash of clarity on a long drive: “Go build a retreat center for entrepreneurs. In the Smokies.”

The idea struck like lightning. Or maybe like a Schwinn hitting a speed bump at full speed.

And I didn’t ignore it.

I brought the idea home, pitched it to my husband, and, God love him, that man said yes.

We sold everything. Bought 30 acres of raw land with the help of two angel investors. And with help from our son, we started building Wild Woods Retreat.

Not metaphorically. Literally.

Zac has carved stairs into a mountain. Built a deck. Created a rainwater outdoor shower. My hubby? He’s part MacGyver, part Robinson Crusoe. We’ve all been hands-on. Boots in the dirt. Thinking. Building. Creating.

A Place for Entrepreneurs to Breathe Again

Wild Woods isn’t about luxury, though it’s designed to be comfortable. It’s not a social media influencer’s dream, though it’s stunningly gorgeous. It’s not even fully built (yet).

But it is real. And it’s magical.

There’s a creek called Otter Beach (named for the real otter who lives nearby). There are geodesic domes (the first one’s nearly built). There are trails, hammocks, campfires, and a whole lot of room to think.

No back-to-back Zooms. No hustle-porn speeches. Just space. Actual space. For entrepreneurs who need to get back to their ideas. Their instincts. Their breath.

This is the pause you didn’t know you needed.

And Then There’s the Writing

While the land gets built, I’m also helping others build their clarity through Wildly Known, my done-for-you writing offer. In just 45 minutes, I pull stories, frameworks, and messaging out of your brain and turn it into strategic proof that sounds exactly like you… but better.

Because most entrepreneurs are too close to their own brilliance to see it clearly, too deep in the jar to read the label. That’s what I fix. 

I’m the label reader. You’re the one in the jar.

What’s Next

At 57, I’m not slowing down. I’m still building domes, mowing pastures, and writing my face off. But now it’s with purpose, and with the creek nearby.

The next chapter? Finishing that first dome. Hosting private retreats. Teaching others how to reconnect with nature, ideas, and truth. Maybe even showing them where the otter lives.

I’m still that kid on the 10-speed. Just with better brakes.

Keep more of what you earn

Collective is the first all-in-one financial solution exclusively for solopreneurs. Members save an average of $10,000 a year by optimizing their taxes via an S Corp.*

Membership includes:

• LLC and S Corp formation

• Payroll

• Monthly bookkeeping

• Quarterly tax estimates

• Annual business tax filing

• Access to a team of experts

Enjoy peace of mind while maximizing your profits, and enjoy extra time to focus on growing your business.

Use code SPRINGFREE at checkout and get your first month free!

Get started

_{*Based on the average 2022 tax savings of active Collective users with an S Corp tax election for the 2022 tax year}