Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwen Taylor.
Gwen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a proud founder of Wind and Soul, an eco-lodge and yoga retreat center in North Georgia.
To understand how I got where I am today, cut to 10 or so years back.
I’m working a 9-to-5 that is slowly scratching away at what’s left of my soul. I’m chronically exhausted. I get up, I go to work, I come home and then, I do it all again. I’m spinning fast but going no place in particular.
I know that I want more, that there’s got to be more. I know that to get there, I need to slow everything down. All of it. The noise and clutter and pace have become oppressive. I’m no longer able to quiet my wild cravings for stillness. And I’m done suppressing that unsettling feeling that something’s not right with the way I’m currently living.
I start thinking in an entirely new way.
I’m ready to choose differently, to take responsibility for cultivating my own happiness. I begin developing an insatiable hunger to bulldoze over obstacles that are holding me back. I prioritize the pursuit of my joy, my truth above anything else. I commit to live a more fully expressed life. One where I make decisions from the heart.
I’ve always wanted to become an entrepreneur. There’s something about generating creative ideas and then simply DOING them — without reservation or operating in accordance with someone else’s imposed rules or timeline or because someone tells you that you can’t — but simply because it feels right deep in your soul’s bones — that has an irresistible appeal to me.
But rather than hurl myself headfirst into unknown territory, I need to move slow, like a ship at port.
Because the idea of stepping away from comfort and into uncertainty really scares me. A lot. The “What Ifs?” are endless. I don’t know how I will make any of it work. I have exactly zero experience owning a successful business (and by successful, I mean any). But what I have is an idea that lights me up from the inside out. And I want to offer it up to the world.
So, in 2018, I swallowed hard, tackled my fears head-on and went about the business of letting things go – things that were no longer serving me. I dropped out of my Ph.D. program. I left the corporate grind to follow hot-hearted, passion-driven goals in my own fiercely self-made style.
Focusing more on the process than the outcome, I let compassion inform my wisdom and my way. I founded Wind and Soul to build community through yoga, to slow down, live mindfully, and to savor all the soul-cleansing, body-nourishing sweetness in life. A place of peace and calm.
It is my art, my heart, my offering.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? Pffftt.
If smooth is what you want, put your feet up, press play and listen to the Notorious B.I.G.
My journey has in many ways been the very opposite of smooth. Now, granted – being an entrepreneur certainly has its perks. I mean who wouldn’t want to be their own boss?
But if it was easy, everyone would do it. It’s not for the faint of heart. You have to be okay with a high degree of uncertainty. You have to be willing to take risks. You are going to be uncomfortable or scared or both. Every single day.
This has been the biggest struggle for me – being scared but going for it anyway. Continuing to make a daily choice to live wholeheartedly and from a place of love.
Never has anything made me feel more alive or given me greater purpose and meaning. There’s always something new to learn, something to be gained, something to let go of. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Detach from the idea that smooth is what you need. Allow yourself to be a little uncomfortable. Instead, focus on finding something that brings you lasting joy. Let that be the beauty inside the journey.
What should we know about Wind and Soul? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Wind and Soul is a sustainably-minded eco-resort specializing in world class yoga retreats and healing arts. The inspiration for my business is spurred from the richness of the yoga practice. Yoga has quite simply cracked my heart wide open, and I build business principles around sharing this love in the fullest expression with the rest of the world.
We are a fully sustainable operation that believes in giving back to the local community. Our rotating seasonal menu features healthy, organic chef-prepared local foods largely sourced from our permaculture teaching garden. We employ staff from our local community. We care deeply for the environment and the preservation of the local landscape. As such, our physical space was constructed utilizing only locally sourced, reclaimed and environmentally-friendly materials.
We believe sustainable tourism is better for the planet, better for everyone. We are set apart from other hotels, B&Bs or retreat centers through our commitment to eco-friendly practices and excellence in yoga retreats. Our overarching aim is for Wind and Soul to lead the charge as the Southeast’s first ever eco-retreat expressly dedicated for yoga, wellness, and healing arts.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I think the biggest barrier to female leadership is defying the script you’ve heard your whole life: that you can’t do it, you shouldn’t do it, you’re not good enough to do it, you should try something more suitable. You’re a girl, after all.
These subtle messages that have been hurled at you since a very young and impressionable age can have a powerful influence on your identity and self-worth. And these are very limiting beliefs. They hold women back from offering some good in the world. From making a profound and positive impact in their lives and in their businesses.
I say take that script and throw it out the damn window.
The research and the numbers don’t lie – the deck has been stacked against women since the start of their careers. The only way to reverse that trend is for all us – both men AND women – to raise our standards for what it means to be a female leader. The world will meet us there.
Defy the script, ladies. And be extremely loud about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.windandsoul.com
- Phone: 404-579-1080
- Email: hello@windandsoul.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/windandsoulresort
- Facebook: facebook.com/windandsoulresort
Image Credit:
Bonnie J Heath Photography
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