“A world that is good for women is good for everyone.”

MEET JENNIFER GULBRAND: CREATOR OF SHEBREATHES BALANCE Women’s Collaborative

“A world that is good for women is good for everyone.”

Meet Jennifer Gulbrand: Creator of SheBreathes Balance WOmen’s Collaborative

I invite you to walk into my dream…

SheBreathes Balance Women’s Collaborative is an empowerment,
education and advocacy initiative dedicated to the support of women on the rise.

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. I’ve been manifesting this concept years. I have owned and operated a sales training business in the life sciences industry for the past 19 years. As I’ve matured and become more enlightened over the years, I discovered my true passion of launching SheBreathes but struggled to find the right time. Like most of us, I was too “busy” directing all my energy toward my responsibilities often putting other’s needs before my own, and subsequently ignoring my calling. Everything changed in June of 2016.

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 her diagnosis, she and I had many conversations about living life to the fullest and those discussions were a wake up call to follow my passion and stop making excuses. I opened the studio in August of 2016 as a tribute to my beautiful friend and 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 inspire women to come together to create positive change in the world.

What inspired you?

SheBreathes is my way of supporting a modern evolution of the women’s movement. We hold space for women and to practice self-care and experience 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.

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 150 members and a small percentage of them are men who believe in our mission.

Tell us about the studio space?

With a great deal of vision and love, we’ve created a serene setting at the newly expanded WeBreathe Wellness center 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 Café and ZenBar where we greet our guests and serve tea, coffee, spa water, and smoothies. Our Collaborative CoWorking space promotes creativity and productivity. 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. We have plenty of nooks and crannies for people to curl up with a blanket, a book and a cup of tea and modular seating that can easily be re-arranged for groups.  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 doing craft type workshops.

The physical space at the WeBreathe Wellness center 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!