Wise Women:
We are excited (and honored) to introduce you to our team of incredible Wise Women!
Leslie Allen
Chef
Leslie Allen is the owner of I Dream of Weenie, East Nashville's iconic hot dog stand, but her cooking repertoire extends beyond the humble hot dog. She regularly caters art openings at Art & Invention Gallery, has catered weddings and other special occasions for friends and family, and provided a vegan and gluten-free menu for the first annual Wise Women's Retreat. From her maternal grandmother and great-grandmother she learned traditional southern cooking, and from her mother and paternal grandmother, the art of entertaining and exploration of exotic flavors. It was instilled that food, from the preparation to the serving and consumption, was meant to be a shared experience. It is in the kitchen or over the table where conversation happens and bonds are created, and the more delicious the food, the longer you linger and the more advice, ideas, and stories are shared. This has become the basis of Leslie's philosophy of food and cooking.
Leslie began her career as a chemist in cardiovascular research labs, then spent over a decade working in non-profit management before finding a way to turn her love of cooking for others into a career when she bought I Dream of Weenie in 2011. In a way, cooking really is just chemistry that you and your friends get to eat. Under her ownership, the business has been recognized as Best Hot Dog in the Nashville Scene Readers' Poll, named best hot dog in Nashville by The Tennessean, been featured on The Cooking Channel and Travel Channel in several shows, written up in countless print and online publications, including The New York Times.
"I've found that you can't take life too seriously when you are serving (or eating) hot dogs out of a VW bus, and hot dogs are pretty universal because of the nostalgia factor. But when the toppings are actually really good, not just basic stuff, it kind of blows people's mind that we can accomplish that out of such a tiny space. Plus, who doesn't love weenie jokes? It's just an easy way to bring lots of smiles."
Evan Barbee
The Enneagram in the Narrative Tradition
Evan is an educator and devoted student of the Enneagram, having studied under of some of the foremost teachers in the world including Russ Hudson, co-founder of the Enneagram Institute in Stone Ridge, NY. Currently she is pursuing a 500-hr yoga certification with Asheville Yoga Center with a focus on yoga and trauma. Evan finds that this practice and other physical training modalities offer a doorway into a kinesthetic understanding of the same principles described in the system of the Enneagram. She hopes to take these skills into low-income areas, to resource poor populations and to individuals who may not otherwise have access to these tools. Evan holds teaching and training certifications through Yoga Alliance, Issa, and Radiant Coaching.
Loreal is a poet, artist, writer, and teacher. Living in the beautiful “city” of Thompson’s Station, TN about 45 minutes outside of the city of Nashville. She has taught classes and workshops on diverse topics throughout the Nashville area, and is currently an herbalist in training with a heavy emphasis on food and intention as medicine.
You can learn more about her past, current and future workshops by visiting her website thestarsimpler.com, a work in progress & currently under construction.
Kim is a storyteller and yogini with 25 years experience as a professional actress and over 15 years experience practicing yoga and meditation.
"Let's come together to glorify and honour the goddess within us all in a stretchy, meditative, celebration of our power and ability to love and be loved." -- Kim Bretton
Kim Bretton
Kim Collins, “Own Your Ohm”
In 2012, when Kim Collins healed her aggressive breast cancer diagnosis through natural and holistic means, her life was changed forever.
Because of her own personal experience, she felt compelled to help others that seemed drawn to her commitment and natural ability to understand the many different holistic protocols that are used in treating all sorts of health deficiencies. Kim chose the path as a natural health consultant and juice coach to spread the word of natural healing, speaking out against the over use of traditional toxic pharmaceutical therapies. Kim has studied natural health and nutrition for over 23 years and specializes in the use of herbs, vitamins, lifestyle, and natural substances and techniques for supporting good health. She also believes in the mind-body connection, where one’s emotional and mental state is just as important as physical health.
Kim is a public speaker, health and wellness coach, independent researcher, creative raw/vegan cook, juicing expert, and a highly accomplished musician, by trade. She believes that her Native American roots gave the foundation to her belief in the body’s innate God-given ability to maintain itself in good health when given an appropriate healthy environment, provided by our Mother Earth.
Jennifer Harvard
Founder of Wise Women Full Moon Retreat,
Gaia Workshop Instructor,
Jewelry Designer,
& Crafter Extraordinaire
Jennifer has been interested in spirituality and healing for over twenty five years and has been interested in art since childhood. During her mid to late 20's Jennifer worked at the local health food store while supporting her young daughter. During this time she became interested in health and wellness and soaked up all the knowledge that the store had to offer. She began her spiritual quest at around the same time after taking yoga and joining a local Buddhist group. Shortly after moving back from Boulder Colorado to her hometown of Nashville Jennifer began taking classes at The Cumberland Institute of massage and Wellness. She practiced massage therapy for several years. It was an important step in her growth process and it helped to support her growing family, but during her years as an LMT her own body began to suffer. After deep consideration Jennifer retired from Massage therapy at the ripe old age of 38. She was 8 months pregnant at the time.
For the past decade Jennifer has devoted a large portion of her life to creating jewelry. She uses semi-precious stones, leather, brass, feathers, etc..to express different aspects of the goddess in each woman. In 2014 she expanded her love of creating to hosting craft parties and workshops for children and adults, all out of a 24 ft. airstream travel trailer that she and her husband renovated together. Today, Jennifer's spiritual practices are nature based although she gains insight and has a deep respect for all religions. Her art and jewelry reflect her spiritual journey and love of our mama earth.
After years of being in women's circle and experiencing the healing that came from it Jennifer began to visualize a way for more women to experience this deep connection with others in our growing healing community. Nashville is a town full of healers, musicians and artists. This realization lead her to create the 1st Wise Woman Retreat. She believes that now is the time to widen our circle and become the creative, powerful and healing women we are meant to be!
Jessi Goodwin is an artist and teacher living and working in the East Nashville community. For as long as she can remember she has enjoyed creating, eventually earning her BFA in Visual Art from Huntingdon College. She specializes in graphic arts and website design, acrylic and watercolor painting, mixed textile collage, photography, and ceramics. In her spare time she enjoys teaching art and has had the pleasure of working with students ranging in age from preschoolers to retirees and utilizing a wide variety of mediums. In recent years she has taught fine art at the WEB Middle School Tutorial, SmART, One Tree Montessori, Montessori East, El Jardin de Los Niños, FiftyForward, in her own home, and also as a guest artist at Lockeland Design Center.
Jessi truly believes that art can sooth the soul and absolutely everyone can create beauty if they only take the time to experiment and practice.
Jessi Goodwin
Gaia Sisterhood Website Design
Holism has been hijacked! In a world of hashtags and buzzwords, this term seems to have become connected with ego/identity and often doesn’t imply the full spectrum of Holism. Through my own self healing and courses of study, I have come to understand this philosophy in depth and believe that sickness and shortcomings are our greatest spiritual gifts. What we perceive to be blockages, fears, challenges, stale patterns, and bad habits are actually our doorways into our own spiritual evolution.
In one-on-one and group sessions, I use a variety of disciplines including astrology, nutrition and detox counseling, reiki, affirmative prayer, and meditation to bring awareness to your daily experience and promote healing.
Lindsay Hazelwood
Holistic Health Astrology:
Cost: $50 / 30 minutes
(includes personal natal chart review before meeting)
Please pre-schedule your Holistic Astrology Session by contacting
Lindsay Hazelwood: lindsay@lindsayhazelwood.com or 615-478-4288
Born and raised in the hills of Kentucky, Fairlight Hubbard grew up in a culture rich with the art and traditions of Matriarchal mountain women passed down generationally. Living off the grid and self sufficient, days were spent learning the arts not simply for function, but also for tradition and transmission of the culture. It is in this time period that Fairlight learned to create with her hands. Learning to spin, weave, felt, sew, make jewelry, woodwork, and sculpt, it was this season that planted the seeds of service to the arts.
Finding a deep and healing connection between the arts and our divine nature, Fairlight is currently developing artistic practices that encourage us to know ourselves and heal.
Fairlight Hubbard
Rachel Leigh
For over 20 years, Rachel Leigh has used tarot divination and her gift of clairsentience to council those who seek clarity and guidance. As owner of Holy Rose Intuative Arts, she offers warmth and understanding to all of her clients and hopes to bring peace through their readings.
Private Tarot Reading:
With Rachel Leigh
Cost: $45 / 30-45 minute session
Contact Rachel Leigh at www.holyrosenashville.com to sign up for a private Tarot Reading
at the 2018 Wise Women Fall Retreat
You can follow holyrosenashville on Instagram
or visit www.holyrosenashville.com to make an appointment.
Photo credit: Kevin Schlatt Photography
Karen Renée Robb
“I believe that we each have healing power within our very own voices. Singing, toning, chanting is not just for the masters of music, the people deemed by society to be the official entertainers…it is for everyone. It is accessible wherever we are, wherever we go. The key is to help people realize that their own authentic voice matters, first and foremost and then show them how they can use it to be well and stay healthy.” – Karen Renée Robb
Karen Renée Robb is the founder of Frame Drum Wisdom. Karen Renée utilizes the frame drum to help people connect with their voice and innate rhythm. Through personal exploration of sound, music-making and sound vibration massage, people are uplifted, enlivened and renewed in a beautiful way. Facilitating in group settings or private one-on-one sessions,
Karen Renée brings a level of compassion and caring that creates ease and comfort to those she encounters. It is her dedication to bringing out the best in the people she meets that makes the experiences she creates meaningful and memorable.
Private Reiki & Sound vibration massage session:
With Karen Renée • Reiki Master & Sound Healing Clinician
A deep Reiki and sound immersion experience. Through the subtle energies of Reiki, drum vibrations, vocalization, and soothing soundscapes, your body, mind, emotions and spirit will be transported to a place of deep relaxation and comfort. Release blocked energies and feel renewed and rejuvenated in a vibrant, energetic way.
To sign up for a session contact Karen Renée at FrameDrumWisdom@gmail.com or call 615-812-1741
Cost: $75 / 45 minutes • Sign up quickly as sessions fill up fast
Gabrielle Saliba
Gabrielle Saliba, founder of A.M. Nashville, is an embodied fitness practitioner based in Nashville, TN. Formally a professional dancer and educator, she has worked with countless different kinds of movers nationally and abroad for over twenty years. Her work is a culmination of her training in master dance techniques, autobiographical theater and her personal journey in healing complex trauma. At A.M. Nashville, she offers awakened movement practices that encourage coordination, strength and wisdom through subtle body awareness.
Caroline Sledge is a chocolatier and holistic musician as well as mother of three. Caroline has been working with cacao medicine and making bean to bar chocolates with her husband Rich since they first discovered cocoa on a journey to Costa Rica with their family. Caroline imports organic cacao from Costa Rica, teaching about cacao at chocolate making workshops and hosts monthly chocolate parties and sacred musical kirtan events locally and internationally.
Caroline Sledge
You can learn more about her at www.CamillaSpadafinoArt.com.
Camilla Spadafino is an artist and an art teacher.
Camilla’s work as an artist began in earnest after the loss of her mother when Camilla’s son was only a tiny baby. After her mother’s death in 1999 Camilla began to transform her grief through colors and the process of painting by connecting with communities through art. Shared art experiences became a vehicle for transforming self-pity into self-healing through painting. Through these community connections she discovered art as a means of healing and enhanced creativity.
Camilla Spadafino
Jessica VanRegenmorter, BS, LMT
Jessica has been studying botanical medicine since 2008. With a 12 year background in medical education at Meharry Medical College and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, her herbal practice incorporates the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine and western herbalism. She specializes in helping people use medicinal herbs and lifestyle changes to bring health back into alignment. She lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, NC and primarily works with clients long-distance by phone or Skype to help them improve their health and sense of wellbeing.