From Mark's Perspective
After publishing The Human Experience, I felt unstoppable. I had done it—I'd finally brought my 18-year dream to life. We celebrated with friends and family, and I rode the high of possibility.
I had taken the leap, left my corporate sales job, and started helping holistic practitioners grow their businesses. It felt good like I was finally doing work that aligned with my soul.
But the truth? It was harder than I expected.
Working from home with two-year-old twins wasn't just a logistical challenge but an emotional and spiritual one. I was finally "free," but I felt constantly torn. When I was with Xen and Eden, I felt I should be building the business. While working, I felt I was missing moments I could never return.
I had traded security for sovereignty, but it came with its complexity.
I was passionate about coaching, but I didn't yet have the systems, the community, or the confidence to grow it into something sustainable. That's when I found EPIC Coaching Academy with Rich German. It was my second coaching program, and it was a total game-changer. Rich taught that the two most powerful strategies to grow your coaching business were:
- Attend live, in-person events
- Leverage joint venture partnerships.
That made sense to me. I'd always thrived in live gatherings, and collaboration was already in my nature. But more importantly, Rich believed in the power of service-driven leadership. He wasn't just teaching how to get clients—he was a living example of his book, Monetize Your Passion.
I knew I had found my tribe.
EPIC gave me more than strategy. It gave me community. It gave me vision. It gave me a glimpse of the bigger game I was here to play.
Still, I wrestled with a quiet guilt. I had created a comfortable life, but deep down, I knew it lacked the deeper meaning I longed for.
Not long after launching The Human Experience, I was driving through Downtown Orlando, feeling reflective. Renee was home with the twins, and I found myself drawn back to where the dream first began: The Spiral Circle. It was in that little metaphysical bookstore that I first saw the quote that changed everything for me:
"We are not human beings having spiritual experiences. We are spiritual beings having human experiences."
More than 18 years later, I was returning—not as a curious 22-year-old, but as a published author. I walked in, eager to tell Beverly Ford, the wise woman who had lovingly held space there for decades. She was 80 by then.
With pride and excitement, I told her I had finally finished the book… and that I was preparing to leave my corporate job to help visionaries and healers change the world.
She looked me gently in the eyes and said, "Dear, you're not ready. You still need that job… and it needs you." I held back tears. I was devastated. Was she doubting me? Was she just afraid for me?
At first, it felt like scarcity. Like fear dressed up as wisdom. But over time, I came to see it differently.
Beverly wasn't telling me to give up on my dream. She reminded me of something profound: The fastest way to get where you want to go is to fully understand why you're exactly where you need to be.
I wasn't stuck. I was being shaped. I needed to experience the tension of building something new while raising two little humans. I needed to feel the pull of purpose and the ache of divided attention.
It showed me what so many other visionaries feel, too: We're not just building businesses—we're building legacies. And sometimes, that means learning to walk in two worlds simultaneously.
Looking back now, I realize that the discomfort I felt wasn't a sign that I was off track—it was proof that I was right where I needed to be.
That season taught me humility.
It taught me to ask for help.
It taught me the value of community and why joint ventures would later become the cornerstone of my business and message.
It taught me to trust that it's not either/or.
It's both/and.
I can be a devoted father and a conscious leader.
I can serve my purpose and be present with my family.
Not perfectly—but powerfully.
The seeds planted at EPIC Coaching Academy and in that conversation with Beverly—would eventually blossom into retreats, masterminds, a thriving affiliate network, and a movement of soulful entrepreneurs who believe, like I do, that we're here to rise together. And it all began in the space between.
The space between purpose and patience.
Between babies and boldness.
Between not-yet and now.
This is the path.
Messy. Magical. Meaningful.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Renee's Perspective: Behind the Dream
When Mark published The Human Experience and left his corporate job, I was genuinely excited for him. Watching someone you love step into their purpose is powerful but comes with a new layer of responsibility.
We had two-year-old twins. While Mark was figuring out what would happen next, I was focused on keeping the ship afloat.
I remember when he mentioned joining the EPIC Coaching Academy. I was hesitant. Not because I didn't believe in him, I did. But I'm practical by nature, and I wanted to make sure that our next investment would be worth it. I even talked to Rich German myself. I needed to feel that this would move the needle, not just sound inspiring. Thankfully, it was a game-changer.
I also remember when Mark came home from the bookstore and shared what Beverly had said. I had met her years before and always felt comforted by her calm wisdom. But I could see how deeply her words hit Mark. He was finally out there, doing the work, and now someone he admired was telling him he wasn't ready. That moment planted something deep in both of us.
While Mark was building the dream, I was building the scaffolding to support it. Nap time became my sacred work window. I'd put the twins down, open the laptop, and dive into whatever needed doing: learning systems, teaching myself how to build a website, figuring out how to make this whole thing work.
We still laugh about that first website. It was basic, clunky, and full of heart.
Life as an entrepreneur with twins is unpredictable. You never know how the day will unfold, whether you'll get two hours of quiet or fifteen minutes. But I did my best to be super wife, super mom, and super business partner all at once. And for the most part, I stayed behind the scenes, making it all run.
There were moments I questioned it. Is this going to work? Was this the right move? Is this just a beautiful idea, or will it actually grow?
That season was hard. It was humbling. But it was the seedbed for everything we've built since. The systems, the events, the mastermind, it all started there. Quietly. In between feedings and nap schedules. In the space between courage and doubt.
That was the beginning of our business. And even though I wasn't in the spotlight, I was laying the groundwork every step of the way.