Mariah Weddle is integrating spirituality into mental health services at Holistic Love & Wellness in Milwaukee.
She currently subcontracts with Wisconsin Community Services (WCS) as a Certified Spiritual Life Coach. She serves clients individually in their home setting to address alcohol and drug abuse and mental health issues by helping clients to prioritize and center themselves to help transform their trauma and to optimize their recovery.
THE BEGINNING
Mariah also serves as a volunteer for Wisconsin Servant Leadership (WISL), where she helped to coordinate the 2021 International Servant Leadership Summit and currently assists with Servant Leadership in Wisconsin and internationally. Her involvement with WISL led to the first big contract for Holistic Love & Wellness.
This contract with Alverno College happened in November 2022, when Mariah designed a course titled Servant Leadership Badge Certificate Program. Another big contract was with St. Joan Antida High School and Tenor High School where she also serves as a High School Assistant Basketball Coach for the Varsity and Junior Varsity girl’s cooperative program. Mariah said, “My own life coach, Amy Krymkowski, pushed me to go for it and open my business. She truly helped me bring it to fruition.”
Accomplishments with UW-Milwaukee SBDC
- Financial projections
- Grant resources
- Building a client base
THE OBSTACLES
Mariah encountered obstacles familiar to many entrepreneurs, including marketing and details of bookkeeping and taxes. “Firstly, this industry isn’t well known or publicized like other industries. Secondly, I knew my industry very well, but I didn’t know how to be a business owner,” Mariah said. She began networking to meet people and promote her name and her business.
More assistance came from Melanie Manuel, a consultant at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at UW-Milwaukee. “I learned so much from Melanie. Her own experience as a business owner was very helpful. It was a privilege to work with her. Melanie encouraged me not to be complacent, and she provided me with resources and lots of encouragement,” Mariah said.
The SBDC helped with financial projections, grant resources and building a client base. “Melanie said to me, ‘What you are doing is important,’ and that made all the difference to me,” Mariah shared.
Another obstacle she faces is keeping her business personal and private for clients while simultaneously promoting the business. “I am often told that I help people break through their trauma, which is wonderful. But that is private information, and of course I don’t want to share client details; I want to keep the trust of the people who choose to let me guide them,” Mariah stated. “The thing I enjoy most about my business is being of service to others, helping them to transform their lives. It is amazing to meet the people who are willing and ready to grow and transform.”
THE FUTURE
Mariah is excited to grow Holistic Love & Wellness by increasing her number of speaking engagements. She also is moving toward offering some group facilitation engagements. “I simply want to help more people,” Mariah said. Thanks, Mariah, for all the important work you are doing!