10/22/2025
A Love Letter to We Thrive
Many years ago I was buzzing with excitement over what I thought would be the perfect idea for a new business in downtown Belleville. I could see it so clearly, the space, the energy, the people it would draw in. Then, almost serendipitously, I discovered She Thrives Wellness Centre and was completely captivated.
First, I thought it was incredible that a collective existed where women could come together to support, uplift and nurture one another. It was something I had dreamed of. And second, I desperately wanted to be a part of it.
I followed their every post on social media, inspired by their mission and the energy that radiated from everything they shared. But deep down, I didn’t believe I was enough to belong there. I didn’t feel smart enough, educated enough, accomplished or polished enough to stand among such amazing women. So instead, I poured myself into my own business idea for downtown Belleville. But She Thrives never left my mind. It was like something invisible tethered me to that space.
There was something about She Thrives and about Sarah that drew me in. I didn’t know her, but I felt like I did. I could feel her heart through her words online. There was something about her that called to me. At the time, I was standing at a crossroads, about to make a huge decision to open a business in downtown Belleville, and I knew I needed her thoughts, her guidance, and her perspective.
One day, I couldn’t ignore the pull any longer. I got in my car, drove downtown Belleville, and parked outside She Thrives. I took a deep breath and walked through the door where Dawn greeted me at the front desk.
“Hi,” I said, voice shaking a little. “I was wondering if I could speak with Sarah?”
She looked surprised. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No,” I admitted, “but I’d really love to talk to her.”
Dawn disappeared for a moment, and when she returned, she smiled and said, “Sarah will be with you shortly.”
And then, there she was.
A few minutes later, Sarah walked toward me with a bright, beautiful and genuine smile, the kind that lights up a room and calms your entire nervous system at once. My heart was pounding, but the moment our eyes met, I felt something shift. She listened. She encouraged. She shared so openly and warmly that it felt like sitting with an old friend. I had followed her from afar, admiring her light and now here she was, just as kind and real as I had imagined.
When I left that day, my heart was full. I didn’t know exactly what had just happened, but I knew something had begun.
Months later, I returned to She Thrives for a rock painting night with a friend. I couldn’t wait to show her this magical place that had captured my heart. There’s something indescribable about walking through the doors of what was then She Thrives (now We Thrive). There’s something you can’t quite put into words about walking through those doors. It’s warm. It’s peaceful. It feels like being wrapped in love as if the walls themselves are whispering, You’re safe here. You belong.
That night, Sarah was there hosting the rock painting event. She offered to give us a tour, and as she led us upstairs, she showed us a cozy treatment room that a reflexologist had used. I remember her saying something so casually, so matter-of-factly about me possibly joining the team someday.
Her words made my heart stop. I smiled politely, but inside, I was flooded with disbelief. Me? Here? Among these incredible women? No way. I brushed it off, but that tiny seed had been planted.
That brilliant business idea I once dreamed of, the one I thought would change everything didn’t quite unfold the way I had imagined. I poured my heart into it, but sometimes even our best ideas have other plans. When it didn’t work out, I was left standing in the quiet aftermath, wondering what would come next.
Time passed, and just before Christmas 2018, I left my job. The ground beneath me felt unsteady. I was scared, uncertain, and completely untethered, as if the identity I had clung to no longer fit. I remember waking up some mornings feeling like I was drifting, searching for a sense of purpose, for the next right step.
But even in that darkness, I knew I couldn’t give up. I had a family who needed me, a husband who believed in me even when I couldn’t, and children whose little faces reminded me every day why I had to keep going. So, I took a deep breath, gathered what courage I could, and kept moving forward. Not with a clear map, but with faith that somehow, I would find my way again.
In the quiet moments of that difficult time, something told me to reach out to Sarah.
So one day, trembling, I sent her a message. I asked if there might be any opportunity for me to work at She Thrives. I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous as I was pressing “send.”
But in true Sarah fashion, she replied with warmth, grace and kindness that immediately put me at ease. She invited me to come in for an interview.
When I arrived, I was greeted by both Sarah and Cristol, the co-owners and Cristol’s little boy, Will, who was toddling around with the kind of joy only a two-year-old can radiate. That “interview” wasn’t really an interview at all. It felt like tea with old friends. I left that day again with a full heart.
Soon after, I signed the contract. It was official, I would be opening The Spa @ She Thrives and I could hardly believe it.
It was just after Christmas, and I decided my opening day would be February 1, 2019. My husband worked nights, and on his nights off, he stayed up helping me transform that little room into something beautiful. We painted, built, decorated, and dreamed.
There were nights when I crumbled, tears falling onto the dusty floor beneath me. The walls were unfinished, just like me, and the silence seemed to amplify every doubt in my head. Who do you think you are? It whispered. You don’t belong here. No one will come. I sat there, caught between the dream I could almost touch and the fear that it would all slip away.
But underneath the fear was something stronger: a quiet knowing that I was exactly where I needed to be.
When February 1 arrived, I stood in my finished space, surrounded by such beauty and hope. I cried again, but this time out of gratitude.
What came after has been nothing short of life-changing.
I’ve learned more about myself, about love, relationships, friendships, and business than I could have ever imagined. I built an incredible practice filled with the most extraordinary clients. I was able to finally write and publish a book. My words found their way onto the shelves of Canada’s largest bookstore.
I learned that the woman who once felt “not enough” was more than capable. I learned that fear is often just faith waiting for an invitation. I learned that when you walk through a door meant for you, the universe rushes in to meet you there.
I am endlessly grateful to Sarah and Cristol for everything they have built, and for everything they have poured into me. Thank you for seeing potential in me before I could see it in myself, for nurturing me like a tiny seed and allowing me to bloom into something beautiful.
And then there were my colleagues.
The collective. The brilliant, passionate, soulful practitioners I was so lucky to stand beside at We Thrive.
Each of them brought something different and sacred to the space. Each holding a blend of strength and softness, wisdom and laughter, intuition and heart. They saw me, encouraged me, challenged me, and held space for me through every season of growth.
Working alongside them was like standing in a circle of light each woman shining in her own way, yet together creating something luminous and powerful. Thank you for your light, your courage, and your authenticity. Thank you for the pep talks, the quiet encouragement, the shared tears, and the belly laughs that carried me through some of my hardest and most beautiful years.
Thank you for helping me grow not just as a practitioner, but as a woman, a mother, a friend, and a soul finding her way home.
To Sarah,
How do I even begin to express what you mean to me?
You have been my mentor, my compass, my dearest friend, and the spark beside me in every wild and beautiful idea. You are the one who always seemed to understand the unspoken parts of my journey. You have led with grace and heart, teaching me by example what it means to live in alignment, to lead from love, and to hold space with presence and purpose.
Your belief in me changed my life. Your kindness built my confidence. Your light reminded me that I had one, too.
I have been so deeply lucky to share this journey with you. To learn beside you, laugh so hard with you that my body ached, and to witness your magic up close. You are, and will always be, one of the most phenomenal influences in my life.
Thank you for everything. For opening the door, for seeing me, for guiding me home to myself. I love you my dearest sweet Sarah.
To my incredible clients. From the very first day I opened my doors, you have been the heartbeat of everything I have built.
You walked in, trusted me with your care, your stories, your energy, your joy and your pain. That trust has meant more than words could ever express. Your loyalty, your compassion, and your belief in me became the steady ground that allowed me to grow, create, and dream.
There were days when self-doubt crept in when I questioned whether I was doing enough, being enough, or creating enough and then your words would find me. A message, a smile, a heartfelt thank you after a session. And just like that, your encouragement would lift me right back up.
Your curiosity and excitement for what I was creating whether it was a new treatment, a new chapter, or a new dream reminded me why I do this work. You celebrated my milestones as if they were your own. You were there when I nervously shared my first words as an author, cheering me on as if you had known all along that I could do it. You may never truly know how deeply your support shaped me. How you helped me find my voice, step into my calling, and grow into the woman, the practitioner, and the author I am today.
Every story you have shared, every laugh we have had, every tear, every quiet moment of connection they have all shaped me. You have been part of my evolution, and for that, I will forever be grateful.
As I turn the page and step into this next chapter, please know this isn’t goodbye, it is a continuation. A deepening. An unfolding of something new and beautiful we get to experience together.
Thank you for walking beside me, for believing in me, and for allowing me to be a small part of your journey too.
When I first walked through the doors of She Thrives, I was searching for direction, for belonging, for myself. What I found was so much more than a place to work. I found a home. A sanctuary of heart and hope, where women lifted one another with kindness and courage.
Within those walls, I grew. I found my voice. I learned how to hold space for others and for myself. I learned how to trust the timing of things, how to lean into uncertainty, and how to rise, again and again, with an open heart.
Every conversation, every shared laugh, every tear shed in quiet moments of truth became part of me. The people, the energy, and the love all shaped the woman I am today.
And so, as I prepare to step forward from We Thrive, I do so with immense gratitude. I walk away not as the woman who once doubted her place here, but as someone who knows her worth, her strength, and her purpose. I walk away braver. I walk away stronger. I walk away more grounded, more whole, and profoundly grateful for every soul who has been part of this journey.
Because We Thrive wasn’t just a chapter, it was a becoming.
Now looking forward to what is next, I carry its light with me. Every lesson, every connection, every bit of love knowing that the story continues, beautifully, right where it’s meant to.
From the depths of my heart thank you for believing in me. Thank you for the space, the laughter, the light, the mentorship and the love. And thank you, Universe, for knowing exactly what I needed long before I did.
Here’s to what’s next with all my love and gratitude,
Efthimia 🤍
