French Kissing Life

Ep 25: 'Soothe' Sailing into the Power of Meditation with Holly Hillman

• Shawnna Stiver • Episode 25

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Ever felt the weight of the world lift off your shoulders as you drift on the water? Holly Hillman, join us today to share her story of transformation and passion, reflecting a life lived with purpose and a deep connection to the sea. Learn how her experiences—from working as an emergency veterinary technician to volunteering at a wildlife refuge in Thailand—led her to the creation of this unique retreat that blends guided breathwork and meditation with the soothing rhythms of the ocean.

Holly is a dynamic person who has worn many hats - serving in the Navy, working as a veterinary technician, getting degrees in animal science and an MBA, and doing environmental conservation work in oyster reef restoration. Her biggest passion has always been connecting with nature and animals. This led her to start her business Soothe Sailing in Charleston, which offers meditative sailing experiences that combine breathwork, guided meditation, and encouraging presence with the calming effects of being on the water.

Topics covered:

  • Holly's background and diverse career path.
  • The concept behind her business Soothe Sailing.
  • Connecting with nature, and having a positive impact.
  • Understanding different perspectives, making a difference in the world.
  • The therapeutic and calming effects of being on/near water.
  • Holly's experience and perspectives on meditation, mindfulness, yoga.


Here are some actions you can take whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

  • If you have 5 minutes, read this article from the Yoga Journal that talks about why meditating in nature is easier. 
  • If you have 50 minutes, read another article this time from Calm (a really fantastic app) called Outdoor Meditation: How (and Why) to Meditate in Nature. 
  • One very small thing you can start doing is when you are outside, just simply start noticing what’s around you. It doesn’t have to be for a long period of time, you’ll start to feel the effects even if you do this for just a couple of minutes consistently every week. 

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Connect with Holly
Website: https://www.soothesailing.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/soothesailing
http://www.facebook.com/soothesailing
https://www.linkedin.com/company/s

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Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

I want to hear from you! Share your favorite takeaways, an aha moment you had or a fun emoji that represents this week’s show, along with your Instagram handle or email address and you’ll be entered to win this month’s giveaway!

Until next time, muah!

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to French Kissing Life. I'm your host, shauna Stiver, and I am thrilled to help you discover what makes your heart race, your soul dance and your spirit soar. Every week, you'll get a fun dose of inspiration, laughter and a sprinkle of magic as we explore stories, insights and conversations that empower you to ignite the spark within, in a world that demands you be anything but yourself. This is your permission slip to be a little more you. Together, let's shed the shoulds, embrace our unique brilliance and welcome more joy. Are you ready to French Kiss Life? Welcome back to another episode of French Kissing Life. I am your host, shauna Stiver, and before we get into today's guest, I have a question for you. Do you struggle with stillness? Could you sit still for five minutes and not feel the urge to grab your phone or do something? Do you feel the need to multitask instead of focusing on just one thing at a time? And finally, do you have a hard time sitting through an entire movie? First of all, I answered yes to every single one of those questions. Second, if this caused an immediate mm-hmm for you too, then today's topic is right up your alley.

Speaker 1:

Holly Hillman is a dynamic individual with a rich tapestry of experiences spanning various fields. Having served in the US Navy for six years and driven by her love for all creatures, she transitioned into roles as an emergency veterinary technician and later as a biologist, specializing in oyster and salt marsh restoration with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Holly now holds an MBA from the Citadel and is a certified yoga teacher. She served as a wellness coach and event planner for the Warrior Surf Foundation, which is a surf therapy nonprofit for veterans and their families, and, after spending years as a volunteer scuba diver and educator at the South Carolina Aquarium, holly now serves on the Aquarium's Ocean Alliance Board. Guided by her passion for the sea and holistic wellness, holly recently founded Soothe Sailing, the first and only wellness sailing retreat.

Speaker 1:

Located in the heart of Charleston, south Carolina. The retreat includes guided breath, work and meditation, all while listening to the wind in the sails and the waves lapping against the hole. Ugh sounds dreamy. Attendees walk away feeling more connected to the natural world, each other and, above all, to themselves. Passion, presence, purpose All three words describe Holly to a T Plus. As an added bonus, she has the driest and best sense of humor of anyone Prepare. To be mesmerized and inspired by my calm and peaceful chat with Holly Hillman. Hi, holly, thanks so much for being on French Kissing Life with me today. This is your first podcast interview, right?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it is. I'm excited, I'm nervous. You know I didn't realize I was moving into my celebrity part of life. Like, how many followers do you have? We shall see.

Speaker 1:

Yeah Well, it's normal to be nervous and excited, but it's my job to sort of keep us on track and rolling right along. So I'm excited to chat with you because you have such an interesting story. I would love it if you could just sort of start out with like who you are, your story and how you got into doing what you're doing now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah. So I feel I always tell people at this point I feel like I've lived like five different lives, you know, and I'm only 38, which feels weird and, you know, very privileged, right. But I, yeah, I kind of grew up for the most part in upstate New York in a small town and a family that you know was kind of in that financial bracket of like not being able to afford to pay for college, but also financial aid wasn't there and so I was like you know, I got to get out of here. I had kind of hopes and aspirations of winding up in San Diego and so I decided to join the Navy and you know, of course the recruiters all tell you, yeah, you can go to San Diego, that's totally cool, that's what you're going to do. And I did not.

Speaker 2:

I wound up in Virginia, norfolk, virginia. For five of the six years that I was active duty I worked on aircraft electronics while I was in the military. But my passion all along and and even you know, kind of that original dream of, oh, I want to get to San Diego was was a few different things. First of all, just on a surface level, I wanted to be warm and I hated New York. I was like this is not for me. My younger years. I grew up in Corpus Christi, texas, and I was a beach baby, so we moved to New York when I was 10. And I'm like this is awful. What are we doing here? So?

Speaker 2:

I wanted to be warm, but mostly I wanted to work with animals and wildlife. My main passion initially has always been that I wanted to work in like rehab, rescue, rehab or even zoo, you know kind of like that territory. And so before I joined the military, I actually had gone to Thailand. I volunteered at a wildlife refuge in Thailand for six weeks when I was 20, just a couple of weeks before I went to boot camp and that completely changed my life. And so the whole time I was in the military, my goal really was to get an education, and while I was active, I got an associate's degree, kind of taking like night classes and, you know, some online stuff, although that wasn't a huge thing then. And then I, once I got out of the military, I wound up in Philadelphia and I became a dog walker and that was probably one of my favorite jobs I've ever had, and I but I went back to school there and got another degree in veterinary technology. So I was like, ok, kind of shifting my, my sphere of things that I, you know, considered influential, always kind of shifted. It was always animals, right, and I was always like, okay, I want to love every animal in the world, and then what does that look like. And so then it was like okay, I'm going to be a dog walker, okay, I'm going to take these animals on walks. And then it was okay, I'm going to be a vet tech, I'm going to work in a hospital where I can help take care of these animals. And then I, you know, went on to Ohio state to get my bachelor's degree in animal science and wildlife management, again kind of aiming to work in a zoo and rescue rehab, you know, in that kind of world. So, again, kind of increasing that sphere of influence, okay, I want to like help animals that are in need, you know, not just like pets necessarily. And so, you know, during that time I was working as an emergency vet tech in a couple of different hospitals and, and you know, I was in Ohio.

Speaker 2:

Ohio was not for me. Again, generally speaking, I want to be warm and I want to be by the water. So winding up in Ohio is a little bit of a I don't know what happened there Detour, yeah, a little detour, but it was good, it was a good education. And so as soon as I could get out of there I was like all right, I'm coming to Charleston, it's warm, all the water in the world down there and there were so many environmental nonprofits here in Charleston that you can actively get involved with.

Speaker 2:

So again, kind of shifting that influence a little bit, going from specific animals to now, maybe more the environment that they're in. So I, you know, when I first moved here I worked actually there's a primate refuge up in Somerville that I worked at for a few months and then I was offered a job at the Department of Natural Resources working in oyster restoration. So I was building oyster reefs with recycled oyster shell out on the shores of the South Carolina coast and the marshes. And that was really a very eye-opening experience for me because what I ended up learning. So again, I was kind of shifting from just like animals to now I'm building the environment that the animals live in, I'm restoring their habitat, so kind of bigger sphere of influence.

Speaker 2:

But I learned, you know very quickly that in order to make changes in the environment you have to care about people. And I was like all my whole life. I'm like, oh, people are the worst Like I, only like. I like animals, I don't like people, they're the ones like destroying the environment and, you know, making all these problems. And what do we? Why would I care about them? Why would I care about them? But you have to right, you have to realize that we're all connected and and so I learned there, you know, because I was working with volunteers, taking them out in the marsh and showing them how to, you know, restore these habitats. I learned how to do public speaking, I learned how to educate, I learned how to drive a boat. I learned all these skills that, like, became really transferable into the big picture, and so that was something I did for a few years. It's incredibly meaningful work. It's incredibly backbreaking work as well.

Speaker 2:

And so, like during COVID, you know, I kind of I think everyone at that point was reevaluating what are we doing and how are we doing it in our lives? A little bit right. And at that point I was, you know, working for DNR. They have notoriously low salaries, so I had also had all these side jobs to kind of just supplement my income. You know, charleston is a pretty expensive city, as you might know, and and so in COVID all those side jobs went away and you know, I was like, well, this is I'm you know 35 about. At that point I'm like this is kind of ridiculous. I can barely pay my bills right now. And I'm an incredibly educated person, you know, and I am an incredibly passionate person and I, you know this, this isn't right. So I ended up going back to school again for my fourth degree, maybe my MBA. I got my MBA thinking okay, well, maybe now I can shift into like sustainability consulting Again, kind of like making that sphere of influence a little bit bigger. How am I going to shift? You know the way companies and people are interacting with the environment and what are, what are they doing to kind of like support some of these causes.

Speaker 2:

And I worked as a consultant for a little less than a year and last March I ended up losing that job and it was kind of a little bit bittersweet. It was. I really did enjoy a lot of the work I was doing, but it was really difficult to be behind a computer every day, you know, in an office every day. I was a biologist, I was out in the mud, I was out sweating, you know, with people on the water, and now I'm just like in an office and I'd see a squirrel go by my window and I'd be like, oh my God, there's life out there. What am I? That's so cool, you know. And so I realized, okay, when I lost my job last year, I uh, I'm like, okay, what am I doing here? Again, another like re, you know, refocus of like what do I really want to do here?

Speaker 2:

And one of the kind of side jobs I'd had was I worked on a few different sailing charters as a mate and I learned to sail kind of by doing that. And so last year, when I lost the job, I'm like you know what? I'm just going to sail all summer. I think, you know the charter season was kind of picking up right around that time. And so I just decided I'm going to get on as many boats as I can, work with as many captains as I can, get as much experience as I can. And at that point I was already kind of in the process of obtaining my captain's license, but that kind of just accelerated it a little bit. And so, yeah, I just spent my summer on the water with you know, all these charter companies and what I kept seeing time and time again.

Speaker 2:

And me being on the water is an incredibly therapeutic experience. I can't stress that enough, and I think we all kind of know to an extent. You go to the beach and you feel better. You go on a boat ride, you feel better. I surf I've worked with this surf therapy nonprofit whose entire basis is around the fact that being on the water is important.

Speaker 2:

And so when I was going out on these charters, I kept seeing time and time again, you know, a lot of the people are out there kind of, you know, being boozy, right, they it's all BYO, they're bringing coolers full of beer, bottles of wine and and they're kind of partying it up and having a great time, which I love. I think that's great, but one of the things I kept kind of noticing was like, as soon as you know, we would kind of motor out of the marina. So you know, the sail's not up yet we're under motor, we're kind of just chugging along to get to the point where we can raise the sail. As soon as we raise the sail and cut the engine off, it's like you almost just kind of felt the whole energy just go like like a sigh, like a ah, you know, and it was like maybe in some cases it might be prolonged and in some cases it might've just been a little half a second where everyone goes, ah, that's cool, you know, and I thought, huh, yeah, that's something I'd like to tap into a little bit more, that like ah moment, you know, that like pause that everyone kind of has when they realize, oh, this is kind of special, you know.

Speaker 2:

And the other thing I kept finding so much of and it's such a testament to humanity is, um, people are like making small talk, you know, with with me a lot and with the captain a lot, and they're, you know, we're sitting in the cockpit and they're so focused on talking to us and connecting with us and like where are you from? Where would you do Like, how'd you get here? You know, which is very sweet and I did enjoy. I do enjoy those conversations quite often, you know, our two hour charter would go by like that and not once did they really pause and look, you know, kind of look up around them and go like, oh, this is really special that I'm out here on the water, and so I thought, gosh, it's such a shame they're getting so caught up in just like being polite almost, you know, then then really being present in this like really cool experience. And so, you know, one of the kind of curveballs that was thrown at me last year was I received a scholarship to become a yoga teacher, and so, you know, I got my captain's license and then I went to Bali and I, you know, became a yoga teacher.

Speaker 2:

I guess, I don't know, it's always weird to say, like I am now a yoga teacher. I think it's just like one of those things, you know, we're all striving to become better at everything. I would never say I feel confident to teach anybody anything, because I'm still learning constantly, but you know, I got the certification anyways and I decided to kind of marry these things together and create, you know, an experience which you know is taking people out. You know I've started my company, soothe sailing, and it's meditative sailing. So we're going out.

Speaker 2:

You know I'm having everybody, you know, kind of sit in a comfortable seat up, you know, typically at the bow of the boat, and I'm doing some guided breath work, very simple stuff, you know guided meditation, and then you know some silent reflection which that was kind of born out of. You know, I had a friend last year that went on a silent retreat and she came back and kind of was talking about it and I thought, you know, I personally have not yet been on a silent retreat, although I feel like every day of my life is either a silent retreat or just me talking to my cat. It's, you know, crapshoot. So I was like, yeah, I totally get the importance of that. And so I have, you know, kind of built into this experience about a solid, you know, 45 minutes or an hour period of time where I'm encouraging people to not only kind of just sit in silent reflection observing the world around them, but also to just not communicate with each other.

Speaker 2:

Try to avoid that eye contact or that that little you know observation.

Speaker 2:

You want to like tell the person next to you or did you see that thing or whatever you know.

Speaker 2:

Observation you want to, like tell the person next to you or did you see that thing or whatever you know? And because there is so much to be, I think learned from just looking at your own thoughts, right, and what comes up for you, and not allowing that person sitting next to you that you know even someone's eyes just going right over there, like now my eyes are going over there looking at what are they looking at and what are they thinking about and why are they laughing right now. Is that there's something funny that I missed. So it's like kind of trying to get people to really dial into like being on the water, being in this meditative state and and allowing themselves to kind of have a more personal experience. Um, you know, and the kind of culmination, you know, on these sales is we do kind of come together and talk about that and and open it up. If people are willing and interested to have discussion, to say like, hey, how did that feel? Like was it weird?

Speaker 2:

You know cause people struggle with stillness and silence a lot more than I realized. Um, and so some people are like I hated that at first. You know that was hard, I really didn't like it, but then, you know, five minutes in I realized I really need this. You know we're we're taking phones away, we're shutting down technology, and that's been kind of one of the biggest feedback points I've gotten from people that I have taken out on this. You know kind of sailing experiences.

Speaker 2:

You kind of forced me to check out in a way that I really needed but I wouldn't have done for myself. You know it's rare that we're putting our phones down. It's rare that we're we're saying I'm not going to like, look at that for two hours, or I'm just going to go. Even you go for a walk, your phone's in your pocket, you know, or you're around other people, you're talking to somebody. So I kind of just wanted to create that experience, um, to kind of force people into it, a little bit of saying like, hey, just sit and just be and like that'll be probably pretty good for you. And so far it's been, it's been received really well. I was surprised, honestly, that nobody's already been doing it.

Speaker 2:

Um when I kind of started doing some research, I'm like what, like no one in Charleston anyways. I mean, I found some other companies um nationally and internationally that are doing similar things um or offering similar things, but not exclusively, and so in a lot of ways, apparently I'm a pioneer, I don't know yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, weird, which gosh. There's so much there that like I could ask so many questions about just your various stops along the way, but I'd love to go back to who were you as a kid? So what was it that you were drawn to? Animals or the water Was there? Were you always that kid around those two things, I think so, yeah.

Speaker 2:

I mean my young years, from like two to 10, we lived in Corpus Christi, texas, and so we were, you know, and I was born in 85, you know. So that was early 90s, right, and that's when your parents said go outside and don't come back. And that's when, you know, we didn't have video games and we didn't have cell phones. Obviously we didn't have any of that. So I grew up in my backyard or, you know, in the field behind our house or on the beach, you know, trying to get into stuff and find little critters. And you know, my sister is a few years older than I, and so it was, you know, her and I kind of out there getting into whatever we could get into.

Speaker 2:

But you know, we're also very different, and so I felt a lot of times, I think, a little bit lonely in that regard, and so animals to me were always just something I don't know. You know, I've always connected with, I've always been interested in, you know, like little lizard on the ground I'm like, oh, what's that little dude doing? You know, like, what is up with him? Like I wonder what that thing's thinking. You know, I wonder what his day is like. So I was just always very curious, I think, about stuff like that and just kind of had a genuine excitement around the environment and animals in particular. But the beach you know is definitely, I would say, where I, yeah, got a lot of the passion behind the water stuff. Mm, hmm.

Speaker 1:

Was there a specific moment where you really like felt that therapeutic feeling from the water, Like can you think back to that happening for you even early on?

Speaker 2:

I don't know that I would identify it as much early on as like saying like, oh, that was therapeutic. I mean, I think I was always drawn to it for sure, but I think again, that's kind of human nature. There's like a lot of science behind that. But I definitely will say, you know, the times that I started really noticing oh, this is therapeutic was actually when I was on deployment in the Navy.

Speaker 2:

I went on a seven month deployment on an aircraft carrier and I that was hard, that was a really, really hard time and anytime I was like really struggling, you know, really upset, needed to have a little bit of a breakdown, I always went to the fantail, the back of the ship, where you could literally like kind of stand out on this platform looking at the water, like that's kind of like turning about, and I would just like stare at the water and just be like, oh my God, you know, and I kind of cried out a little bit and you know but just kind of like having that blue, you know that, that blue mind, you know that mindset, and having that vastness to kind of look out on.

Speaker 2:

And even then, you know, I would see, you know, the bioluminescence in the water, you know under the ship turning about, and I'd be like, oh, that's cool, there's like life there. You know, it's not just this like empty desert that we're on, it's actually pretty cool. So I I would say that was probably the first time I really noticed seeking it out as a means of therapy, so to speak.

Speaker 1:

It strikes me that, like when I think about a through line for people, you know you've had all these stops along the way and all of that has sort of combined to put you where you're at now. But it seems to me that one of the things for you is that you were always not only drawn to animals or the water, but really this idea of presence, like being present, noticing the animals and wondering about them. You know, like that to me says that you were like very interested in being present. Would you say that that's accurate?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think so. You know, I think I've always been a little bit of like curiosity is definitely a big thing for me. I am like I have so much curiosity about like every little thing in life I'm like, but why? You know, like I need to understand why. And a lot of my childhood, I think you know my family, you know my parents are divorced and we, you know kind of went through some tough times and I think in a lot of ways I kind of was in I wouldn't say I was like in the middle of it all, but as a kid, you know, preteen, you know, kind of going through that experience, you know I wanted explanations and I wanted to understand, like, why people were feeling, how they were feeling and why they were acting, especially why they were acting the way they were acting. And and I think that that kind of like had me in a space where I I do have a very open mind in a lot of ways of just like I just genuinely want to understand. You know, like, where you're coming from so that I can relate to you.

Speaker 2:

I might not understand. I know, like, where you're coming from so that I can relate to you. I might not understand. I might not get what you're talking about, or but at least I can like maybe try to piece it together and make sense of it in my brain a little bit. You know, I think that was kind of a coping thing as a child to just try to like get through some tough stuff. And then I think that's just kind of like translated through life. And so now I mean, when I'm talking to people, again kind of on like these regular charters, and you know the things they're talking about and sharing, I'm like why, why, like, just this is silly. Like let's talk about something deeper. I want to talk deep. I don't want to talk small talk typically with people. I mean I will, of course no-transcript and and connection, I think seeking that connection and understanding.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, I hear that so much. I'm the same way. I'm like I know that a small talk is sort of like etiquette, but can we just go deep?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and sometimes you have to do the small talk to get to finding what the deep thing is that you connect on. But I'm I'd rather just be like tell me about your childhood, Tell me about what the worst day of your life was, let's just get into it. And they're like what? I don't even know you. I'm like it's fine, I promise it's fine. But yeah not everybody is as open to that as I am.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. You mentioned several times this idea of sphere of influence. I'd love for you to tell me more about that and like why that's important to you no-transcript.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yeah, I want to. I want to be the change. I want to like help, what I can help and how I can help it. You know, and my, my mom has definitely been an influence on that. You know she's kind of brought me into like volunteering for things. You know, when 9-11 happened, we were, you know, down at the Javits Center making sandwiches for people. You know we were I was 16, 15 year old kid and you know we had originally been planning a trip to New York City just like for fun that weekend and then that happened and she's like, all right, well, we're going to go like help and that's what we did.

Speaker 2:

And so, like, we've always kind of had this spirit of like helping others and like, you know, figuring out what that looks like now for me. You know, as I was kind of starting out this path in life, I thought that that helping for me looked like animals, because I cared so much more about animals than people. Again, but it's like I think, as I've kind of like grown and evolved, I've realized in order to like help that little snail that's desperately trying to cross the road, how can I help him if I, if no one cares, and how can. So it's like I've continuously kind of looked at like, okay, what can I do and how can I do it. And sometimes it is just like picking up that little inchworm that needs a ride across the pavement to the tree that's on the other side. Sometimes that's what you can do, but sometimes it's about like, okay, well, you know, the fishing regulations are what they are and we need to like change what's happening with the laws and say the catch limits need to be this and the size of them needs to be that, so that not all these fish are getting decimated or whatever it is right.

Speaker 2:

And so it's like it's kind of changed as my um knowledge has changed, you know, as, as I've kind of like grown in my career and looked at, okay, like how can we really enact change? And, and it's kind of funny because, like I've even recently been like I am not I wouldn't say I'm not political. I am, especially in the last several years, in a sense that I have strong values and what I believe, but I've never like jumped into that arena and I still would never say I felt qualified to do that and I probably never will be. But like, more and more lately, I'm like I don't know, maybe late in life I could see myself like getting into politics or something that is like going to make a difference, because ultimately that's kind of what I want to do is make a difference in the world. And more you know, as that's kind of grown and shifted and gotten bigger and gotten smaller, you know, right now you could say, well, it's kind of smaller. Now I'm just running a company where I take a few people at a time out on a boat, kind of smaller Now I'm just running a company where I take a few people at a time out on a boat.

Speaker 2:

But if those people can walk away after a meditative experience where they felt a strong connection to like being involved in nature because that's a lot of the meditation aspect that I lead is talking, it's funny.

Speaker 2:

I've like taken my biology and my naturalist knowledge and now I'm, you know, giving a meditation script. That's all about look at that bird over there, look at that wave right there, and I'm kind of marrying all these things together and hoping that you know people that I am I do have a little bit of influence over in that couple of hour charter might walk away feeling a stronger connection to understanding that, hey, we're not separate from earth, we are of earth. Like we are not different than nature, we are nature and like I think the more that people can start realizing and connecting to that, then hopefully they'll walk away going oh, I care a little bit more now, or I am willing to make some changes that I didn't even realize I should make before, and so it's kind of like it's been this continuously shifting thing for me. But I will say that's always been a passion of mine is to, you know, contribute to some kind of positive change in the world.

Speaker 2:

Again, whether it's one animal that needs a hug, right now or if it's a person that needs a hug I'm a huge hugger or or if it's just like telling people hey, your dress is beautiful, and then they walk away going oh my God, my day just brightened. Whatever it is, you know, just finding a way that you can, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Well, and I think that's the, that's the underestimated thing about compassion and kindness is that you know you don't know what that ripple effect is going to be. Know what that ripple effect is going to be. So it's like you mentioned that your company now is just taking a few people out at a time. Well, if those five people then have a transformation and they start approaching life differently, every interaction that they have from that point on could make the world better.

Speaker 2:

You know Right exactly, and that's kind of what the hope is now is that that ripple will kind of like go beyond just this one experience for sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, what's your perspective, like, why do you think it's important for us all to feel more connected to nature, to each other, to ourselves, et cetera?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, well, I feel like, um, I feel like the world's in a little bit of a crisis right now, not only environmentally but socially. You know there's so much unrest, there's so much injustice, there's so much pain in in people and and in the environment that that is happening right now, at this point in life, and and so I just feel like, the more that you know we can find the commonalities with each other and with the world around us, you know, the less alone, the less afraid, the less angry you know we might feel if we realize right, we're not working against each other. It's not me against the world, it's we're all in this together and we only have one planet. So you know, I don't know. Let's figure it out Right Cause, like, where else are we going to go? Mars? I don't want to go to Mars. Anybody like what are we talking about? Guys Like, why would we colonize a whole other planet when we've got this beautiful place right here that we could fix? You know, and and yet we're all just fighting about it.

Speaker 2:

So silly to me when, at the end of the day, you know when I I travel, you know when I can and whenever I do travel, you know the conversations you have with people, especially in these kind of like underdeveloped countries. Ultimately, we all care about the same thing. We care about our families, we care about our wellbeing, we care about, like, having food on the table and living a good life and finding the little moments of joy that we can while we're doing it. And if literally every person in the world is thinking that and yet we're all like opposing each other because of these like other beliefs or other disconnections we have with each other and again, with the environment, then it just seems like such an injustice. You know that why are we doing all that?

Speaker 2:

So, the more that I can try to foster a place where I can, you know, kind of show people like, yeah, like we are all the same, you know, even though you might have different beliefs since me, you might be different religion or different politics or whatever, at the end of the day, we're all the same person, we're all the same elements. You know, we're stardust. That's like sent from a freaking meteor for crying out loud and like we somehow turned into us. Like it's crazy. Science is real, in my opinion, and so I just think it's wild to not tap into that a little bit more, and the more that we can connect to the natural world, I think, the more that we can connect to ourselves. So yeah, yeah absolutely so.

Speaker 1:

what happens on one of these retreats, like what makes this unique, aside from the fact that there's not very many of them out there?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean, I think what makes this unique is that it truly is focused on it being like a total wellness experience. I haven't actually found one that is truly just that. I have found several that are offering kind of like meditation, but then they do like a champagne toast afterwards and I'm like, well, we're bringing alcohol into this, like that's like let's be, you know, a little more healthy than that, and so I'm looking at this more of like it being kind of like mental health care and a wellness opportunity for people, and that is kind of part of my long-term goal is that this could be considered, you know, recreational therapy for people that are seeking mental health care. I want to collaborate with therapists, I want to collaborate with shelters. You know I want to collaborate with finding a way to bring this to people that can't afford to do it.

Speaker 2:

You know water should not be a privilege and you know wellness should not be a privilege, and so I think that kind of mindset is a little bit different than than other things I've seen out there, rather than it just kind of being like, hey, come out for sunset and you know we'll breathe, and then, you know, kind of send you on your way. I mean, it is a little bit of that, but there's a lot. I think there's a lot more substance to what I'm trying to do here, and what is the big vision?

Speaker 1:

You kind of touched on it there, but what? What is your ultimate goal with this?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I mean it's. It's hard to say since I'm just like in the beginning stages, but when I think about the growth of it, I think a lot about it's going to have giveback, it's going to have free experiences for underserved communities, it's going to have collaboration with wellness providers, with healthcare providers. Ultimately, franchising would be, you know, something that's crossed my mind, you know again, because I'm not really seeing anything quite like this in other cities. I mean some similar stuff, but I don't know. That's like hard to even think about at this moment, but that's you know. Or like corporate, you know again, kind of corporate retreat, kind of ideas of like getting people out of corporate retreat, kind of ideas of like getting people out of, out of the grind of life and into just a moment.

Speaker 1:

So, yeah, getting getting your head out of your apps and into like actual presence, actual life happening right in front of us, absolutely yeah, I mean even the name. I love the name soothe sailing but then again, I'm a words person.

Speaker 2:

Well then, I'm glad you like it. Yeah, that was a whole like event in itself, was just picking a name.

Speaker 2:

It was like two months of me like oh, and then finally I just sent out a poll to everybody I knew and I was like just which was funny too, because I had like narrowed it down to like 10 or 15, you know possibilities, and I didn't even. And then I was like, all right, everybody I know just like vote and tell me what you think. And of course, like I didn't even go with what they voted, cause it's like it's a fun exercise when people tell you what they think. And then you know now, like you have more clarity of like, oh, actually I don't agree with you. I, this is the one, I want to go, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, Absolutely. Well, I love the idea. I think that it's, it's amazing and, you know, anything that we can do that brings in that therapeutic element, I think, is you know, you said it like it's it's what we all need and a way to kind of just bring our bring us home to ourselves and why we're all here in the first place.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely I'd love to get you out. Yes, yes, next time I come to Charleston.

Speaker 1:

I'll come out on a boat. I'll just have to take some Dramamine before I go, that's fine, it's going to be very calm, I promise. Well, before I let you go, we got to do a round of rapid fire questions, okay, okay. So the first one is it's the most perfect day where you have nowhere to be and nothing to do. How are you spending it? My guess is somewhere on the water.

Speaker 2:

Probably somewhere on the water. Yeah, probably somewhere in the water if I can, but otherwise I would say at this point I miss just having a quiet day to read like a novel. You know I haven't had time to just like sit and chill. It's always been about like what's happening with the business.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, yeah, I recently, like, created a reading nook and I am ashamed to say that I literally have not spent one time in it yet. It's okay. It's there when you're ready and that's what matters, okay. So what did you want to be when you grew up? Oh, a marine biologist.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, free willies, Like that's since it for me. I was like I got to save Willie. Like, come on, I am going to hug a killer whale one day and he's going to be my best friend.

Speaker 1:

Like obviously have you hugged a killer whale. Has this happened yet?

Speaker 2:

It hasn't happened and I am afraid it will not probably happen, not only because of the logistics but ethics. You know, I couldn't do it yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah. What's a book that you would recommend to everyone?

Speaker 2:

Oh good, okay, Well, I would say, in line with my business, and what we're talking about today would be Blue Mind. That is definitely a good one, but I also just finished reading a novel, which is rare for me these days, and it was this Tender Land, and that was an exceptional read. I would say that that was a good one. There was some nice little tidbits in there for people to parlay into life. So what is Blue Mind about? In there for people to parlay into life. So what is blue mind about?

Speaker 2:

Blue mind is, um, it's, it's nonfiction, and it's all about the science and psychology behind, basically, why water is therapeutic, uh, why humans seek it out, how we seek it out, how it actually does affect not only our mental and physical wellbeing but also bottom lines when you look at property values, and there's all kinds of research that's been done around, like even just that people are drawn generally, like advertising people. A lot of companies use shades of blue because people are drawn to blue largely, and so there's a lot of research and science behind that on the natural world side, but also in the socioeconomic side. So it's really a very interesting.

Speaker 1:

That's fascinating. I'm an inherently curious person too, and so yeah, I would love to read that. And just like you know, learn more about it. That's so cool.

Speaker 2:

It's cool and actually the aquarium here and I think some of the other aquariums in the country are now incorporating like blue mind exhibit space which, like for our aquarium, that blue mind space is actually just two like deck chairs outside where you're overlooking the Charleston Harbor and they're encouraging you to just like sit and be present in the moment and look at the water and it's just like really cool because it's so simple but it's so important water.

Speaker 1:

And it's just like really cool Cause it's so simple, Um, but it's so important. Yeah, I know I had a another guest on and we were talking about how it's our nature to to want to like complicate some of these things, and it's like it's actually really simple, just sit in a chair and look out at the water.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and that was like me with this business. And I was like, oh my gosh, how am I going to lead a meditation? I've never led meditations before. Like what do you even say? And I kind of like even got this like little script I figured out and I'm like, okay, I'm just going to like use my script. And then I got out there. I'm like, holly, like you know, like you know the water, you know this whole environment, just talk about it. And everyone that was stop overcomplicating it, just talk about what you always talk about. Anyways, and we love it. We don't know, we don't know any of this stuff. And I'm like, oh right, oh cool.

Speaker 1:

Okay, that's so good, yeah, yeah, yeah. And like you have such an interesting story and like that to me again, like this sort of the goal of this podcast is like connecting through our individual stories because there are those relatable things there and when you find that those commonalities, like again you said it like that's when you really connect with another human being.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely yeah, and I do think that we can all find something like one way or another. Might take a few rounds of small talk to get there, but there's something that we can all connect on.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, once you're, we're allowed to go deep then we get into it. Yeah, okay. So if you could teleport to anywhere in the world right now, where would you go? That's a good one.

Speaker 2:

I would say I probably would want to go back to Thailand, maybe. It was a very beautiful country with really sweet and wonderful people and, uh, that was kind of my first foray into international travel, um, and I think I kind of would like to kind of go back and see it like as an adult, so to speak. I mean, I was 20 at the time. I don't feel like that's even grown up. So I kind of want to go back there and check it out and kind of like where it all began.

Speaker 2:

I learned I I got my scuba certification in Thailand, so that was actually my first real dive into like connecting with the ocean and and that actually was my first like real meditative experience I would say with with water was while I was scuba diving.

Speaker 2:

Cause you're forced it's kind of like thing I was talking about. Like you're, you're checking out from connection with other people and what are they looking at and how are they seeing things, because you can't talk or hear anything or see where their eyes are going and you're forced to focus on your breath. So it's like the most meditative experience in the world to me, because all you're doing is just breathing and being present in the moment, because you have no other choice and you're looking at the most beautiful things. So I would love to kind of go back to where some of that all began for me.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I would love to kind of go back to where some of that all began for me.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, see it through, see it through the lens that you view life through now.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, oh yeah, totally yeah. What is the song that, when it comes on, you immediately want to get up and dance, preferably on a table?

Speaker 2:

Oh gosh, okay. Well, the idea of me dancing on a table is absolutely insane and probably never going to happen, but I am embarrassed to say it's got. It's probably. The first thing that just came to mind was, like Whitney Houston, I want to dance with somebody. I cannot like. I have heard that song about 5 billion times, like on these bachelorette charters and like weddings I've catered, and every single time I'm like, yeah, all right, like let's, let's dance with somebody. Like what, what are we?

Speaker 1:

talking about Whitney, so it's probably that. There's also a really good remix to that song we danced. I don't know who sings it, I'll have to look it up, but yeah, we had that one come on in our Greece trip last fall and it was like ah, this is the song.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it was great yeah so fun.

Speaker 1:

The song? Yes, it was great. Yeah, so fun. Um well, you have mastered a lot of different skills, but if you could instantly master any skill that you haven't yet, what would it be?

Speaker 2:

Oh man, I don't know if I'd say I'm a master of any, like it's like the jack of all trades master of none, like that's kind of my thing. I would say, but uh, if I could master something I would say being like multilingual, uh, I would really love to be fluent in well like every language, but at least one other language. I mean, I have like some broken Spanish, you know that I can get by on, but like, I just think that would be pretty great when traveling to be able to really connect with the people that you're around.

Speaker 1:

Um so yeah, language is a tough one to pick up late in life, but it's possible so yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that answer um name, a mantra, quote, affirmation or words that you personally live by okay, well, we've already covered gandhi.

Speaker 2:

Be the change. Um, I would say, the mantra that I you know when I'm meditating, and I you know the most to kind of like keep my mind focused, is, uh, I say this breath. Um, so, meaning for me that means, like this breath, this is the only breath I know I'm going to have. Uh, you know, the last breath I had is already gone. I don't know if I'm going to take another breath. Who knows, I could have an aneurysm Like this might be my last breath. This, like this, might be my last breath. This breath is the only one that I truly have right now, in this moment. So I'm going to be thankful for that. I'm going to feel that I'm going to be present with that, and then I'm going to hope for the next one.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, so simple and yet so profound. Yeah, french kiss or French fry.

Speaker 2:

I saw that in your list of questions and I got to tell you I have been debating. I'm like these are two of the most fun and wonderful things in life, Right, but a French fry never let me down, you know what I mean. So like I got to go French fry, I think you got to go.

Speaker 1:

French fry. I feel like you are the first person who's ever been really torn. This is a very polarizing question Turns out, people are either one way or the other. The ones that are French kiss are like. I can't even believe this is a question. That's so funny.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, french fries are life. I like that's like half of my meals are just French fries.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, yeah, I love that. Who's your celebrity crush?

Speaker 2:

Oh, oh man, I mean Paul Newman, but you know RIP, uh, current, I would say Tom Hardy, like just, he's like doing this whole thing where he's like reading children's books to kids, to like go to sleep and he's like petting his dog while he's doing it and it is Ooh, girl, I got to look this up. Yeah, I'll send you the link. It's pretty special.

Speaker 1:

If you could do anything right in this moment that would make you feel free, what would you do?

Speaker 2:

Oh, I mean, get on a sailboat and head out to sea. For sure, yeah, go offshore.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, keep it simple, no agenda.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, yeah, no, just like once you get away from land and you're like I've kind of sailed up and down Well, I've sailed pretty much the entire length of the East coast offshore and uh, once you lose sight of land and literally you're just in it and you're literally living by the wind and the waves and the sun up and the sun down. I mean I don't even care where we're going, it's just a really very freeing, very special experience.

Speaker 2:

So, yeah, I don't care, I don't need to go anywhere. Just like a couple of miles out, I'll be happy. Yeah, I love that Okay.

Speaker 1:

So the last question that I ask everybody who comes on the show what does French kissing life mean to you?

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah. So I mean, for me it means like rolling with the punches, understanding that we don't know, I don't know, I don't know if we can swear on here, we don't know anything.

Speaker 2:

I was like we don't know shit about. Fuck is what I always say. It's like we're over here just like trying to like act like we do and control everything. And I think French kissing life to me is just going. You know what? I don't know. I'm just going to roll with it. I'm going to French kiss everything that comes my way. I'm going to dive into it deeply and with love and excitement and hope and wonder. And you know, if that's not the thing, then it won't be the thing, but if it is, then that's great. So, yeah, that's what it means to me.

Speaker 1:

Oh, that's such a good answer, gosh. There's so much in there that I love, okay. So if anybody wants to check out what you have going on with Soothe Sailing where, can they find you?

Speaker 2:

To check out what you have going on with Soothe Sailing. Where can they find you? Yep, so I have got my website, just soothesailingcom. Also Instagram at Soothe Sailing. You know, look me up there, follow along, reach out if you want to learn more, if you want to come sailing, if you want to experience it for yourself. I would love to share it, so please.

Speaker 1:

Amazing. I can't wait. I'm due for a Charleston trip. I know several girls there that I need to come and visit, so I'm going to come and come out on a trip. Perfect, I'll save you a spot then. Yay, thank you so much for being on the show, holly. I hope that the nerves calm down. This was a good experience for you. I always enjoy these conversations.

Speaker 2:

It was thank you so much, Shauna, for inviting me and allowing me to break the cherry of my podcast.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2:

Maybe this will be my next career, and I don't know yet, guys, the limit baby. Yeah, you never do know.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. All right, we'll see you guys next time. So one of the themes that came up for me in my conversation with Holly was this idea that nature connects us to our senses and offers us a path back to ourselves if we choose to take it. Nothing supports the opening of the heart and mind quite like the beauty, tranquility and silence of the natural world, which is why a business idea like hers is such a great way to connect with ourselves, each other, the world, et cetera. If you wanna know more about the meditative nature of well nature, today's kindness in action segment is going to point you in the right direction. So here are some steps you can take to explore this concept, whether you have five minutes to spare or 50. If you have five minutes, I'm suggesting you read an article from the yoga journal that talks about why meditation in nature is easier, and then, if you have 50 minutes, I have another article, this time from Calm, which, by the way, is a really fantastic app called Outdoor Meditation how and why to Meditate in Nature. As an aside, one really small thing you can start doing is, when you are outside, just simply start noticing what's around you. It doesn't have to be for a long period of time. You can do it for a couple of minutes each day, but if you do it consistently every week, you're going to start to feel the effects, which is sort of the whole point of meditation. And then, if you want to connect with Holly, I will share her information in the show notes, as always.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for being here. I am so pumped about the guests that I have coming on. I simply cannot wait for you guys to hear them. So thanks so much for tuning in. I am Shauna Stiver. This is French Kissing Life and I will see you next time. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of the French Kissing Life podcast. I hope you enjoyed this episode as much as I did. If you're enjoying the show, shower us with a five-star rating and hit that subscribe button to make sure you never miss a future episode. And if you would be so kind and give the show a review, I'll sweeten the deal for you. Since you know I live for good conversation. I want to hear from you, share your favorite takeaways and aha moment you had, or a fun emoji that represents this week's show, along with your Instagram handle or email address, and you'll be entered to win this month's giveaway. The French kissing life movement is gaining momentum, and your ratings and reviews play a pivotal role in propelling the show to new heights until next week.