Connection over perfection.

I’m not a therapist. I’m not a licensed counselor. I’m just a regular person who has been dealt a few difficult hands in life and had to learn how to keep moving through them.

Grief entered my life earlier than I ever expected. I lost my dad when I was 17, the day before Father’s Day. Less than a year later, I lost my aunt and uncle. Over the years, I also lost my grandmother, my brother, and my brother’s son.

I didn’t plan for that much grief. I didn’t plan for life without so many of the people I loved.

But life kept moving, and somehow I had to learn how to move with it.

I’m not a mom, although I once worked as a live-in nanny. I’m a huge animal lover, and rescue dogs have become a very special part of my life. I pushed my way through college and eventually into corporate America by staying focused, continuing to move forward, and surrounding myself with great friendships.

One of those friendships has been especially important to me. My best friend happens to be a therapist, and I honestly don’t know how I would have gotten through some parts of my life without having someone who was willing to simply listen.

Sometimes I didn’t need someone to fix anything.

I just needed someone to hear me.

That is a big part of what inspired TOESDOWN.

I wanted to create a judgment-free community where people can come as they are.

You don’t have to have your life figured out. You don’t have to be the most positive person in the room. You don’t have to be athletic. You don’t have to move like anyone else.

You just have to be willing to take a step.

And at TOESDOWN, movement can mean whatever movement looks like for you.

It can be walking.

It can be going to the gym.

It can be yoga, stretching, dancing, hiking, cycling, working in the yard, or moving around your living room while your favorite song plays.

There is no perfect number of steps.

There is no perfect pace.

We simply believe that getting your body moving supports circulation, gets you going, and can be one small step in a positive direction.

Maybe today you take 10,000 steps.

Maybe you take 1,000.

Maybe you stretch for five minutes.

It all counts.

TOESDOWN is also about music because music has a way of changing the atmosphere around us. A song can remind you of where you’ve been, change your mood, get you out of your chair, make you laugh, or make you move when you didn’t feel like moving at all.

And then there is community.

Sometimes the hardest seasons of life become a little more manageable simply because we don’t have to go through them completely alone.

That’s why TOESDOWN brings together movement, music, conversation, encouragement, friendship, and community.

Our Wellness Chats are part of that community. They are not therapy sessions, and I am not here to pretend to be anyone’s therapist. They are simply a place where members can come together, talk about everyday life, listen, encourage one another, laugh, reflect, and sometimes just realize:

“Maybe I’m not the only one.”

I also wanted TOESDOWN to give back.

Animals have given me an incredible amount of love and companionship throughout my life, so a percentage of TOESDOWN monthly membership revenue will support dog and cat rescue efforts, shelters, and organizations helping animals in need.

When our community moves forward, I want us to help something else move forward too.

So this is TOESDOWN.

A place to move.

A place to turn up the music.

A place to meet people.

A place to encourage someone.

A place to be encouraged.

A place where you don’t have to be perfect.

And hopefully, a place where some of us make a few new friends along the way.

I’m looking forward to meeting you, moving with you, laughing with you, helping some animals together, and moving to the beat of wellness.

Welcome to TOESDOWN.

Your body. Your pace. Your movement.

It’s not about how many steps you take. It’s about taking a step in the right direction.

MOVEMENT + MUSIC + COMMUNITY = THERAPY