Different seats. Same destination.

Different seats. Same destination.

There is something both exciting and quietly unsettling about building something you deeply believe in… but that isn't entirely yours.

Let me explain what I mean.

The three of us, Marnie, Debbi, and I, came together to create The Breath Connection because we share an unwavering belief that people have an extraordinary, largely untapped, capacity to heal themselves. That conviction is real and it is mine. But the course we built, Functional Healing, was born most fully from Marnie's mind and body and years of lived expertise in breathwork and rehabilitation. She is the one who knows, with precision and depth, why it works.

I am not the subject matter expert. And for a while, I wasn't sure what that meant for my place in all of this. Like seriously… I have spent real time just sitting with the question of how I meaningfully contribute to a course whose core content is not my specialty.

Probably… ok rather likely… it comes from previous work-life experiences where I was often ‘the subject matter expert’, a leader and an organizer! Plus, a whole lot of A-type personality to round out that feeling of being in control of all aspects of every project! But I also know…. I am no longer that person and nor do I wannabe again!

So yes, sitting in the passenger seat of someone else's expertise? Let's just say it has been a growth experience.😜

And honestly? Watching my partners show up so fully in their own lanes has been one of the things that is helping me find mine.

So, what does it look like when three women show up differently to the same mission? For me, it looks something like this:

Marnie is the heartbeat and spark of Functional Healing. She brought years of breathwork and rehabilitation knowledge to every module, every movement, every carefully chosen word in our scripts. When she explains why conscious breath, aligned with physical action, can address the root cause of pain… she isn't reciting a theory. She is sharing what she knows in her bones.

Debbi takes everything we dream up and makes it real. Working remotely, she is the one who translates our vision into an actual course… the lessons, the cheat sheets, the platform, the incredible workbook! Plus, so many other technical and admin things mixed in with a strong intuition and flair for magic! Without her, Functional Healing would be a bunch of awesome videos with no perfectly organized container to hold them all together.

And then there is me. My expertise lives in essential oils, herbs, a ‘let food be thy medicine’ mentality and in something I find endlessly fascinating… the way the subconscious brain works, and how deeply our thoughts and emotions are woven into our physical health. I am captivated by the connection between what we think, what we feel, and what our bodies then carry or release. These are not small things to me… they are the lens through which I understand healing.

I have also come to the conclusion that believing in something fully, even when you didn't build every part of it, is its own kind of contribution.

I think we sometimes confuse expertise with ownership. We assume that to stand behind something, you must have created all of it. But the truth is that teams work precisely because different people bring different things. Marnie brings the knowing. Debbi builds the vessel. And I bring my understanding of the mind-body connection as a tool for healing. But also… my belief in the message, and my willingness to keep showing up and figuring out where I fit.

What I have come to recently understand is that my role is not to replicate Marnie's expertise. It is to carry the mission in the ways that are distinctly mine. To advocate for this course with genuine conviction. To bring my knowledge of plant medicine and the mind-body connection into how we support our clients and community. To model, honestly, that you don't have to have all the answers to believe wholeheartedly in something.

We are three women, building something we believe could help a million people heal themselves… one sweet breath at a time. Each of us arrived at this differently. Each of us belongs here fully.

If you have ever felt like you weren't quite the right fit for something you loved, I just want you to know… that feeling is not a sign to leave. Sometimes it is an invitation to get more creative about how you show up.

Different seats. Same destination.

With love and a deep breath,
Liesl
Co-founder, The Breath Connection