Story
Hey there – lovely to meet you.
It’s an honor to share (digital) space and my journey with you.
Something Katie is a fusion of everything that I am most passionate about in life: writing, teaching, creating, and helping others. My website, blog, and newsletter are the result of an intense desire and need to love, support, and connect with others who may have gone through similar experiences. It is my mission to let you know—and help you feel—that you are never alone.
My story begins when I was working 60-80 hours a week; obsessing over a 4.0 grade point average while completing an M.S. in special education in grad school; training for various half marathons; and trying to maintain loving relationships with my partner, family members, and friends. It felt like I was constantly racing on a treadmill—always running but never getting anywhere. From a young age through adulthood, I had experienced significant trauma, which I repressed by keeping myself busy and distracted with various life goals. I kept moving, never once stopping to check in with myself. I never allowed myself time to sit down. I was afraid of hearing myself think and listening to my inner guidance system. It would have told me that I needed to rest; to stop and process the feelings that I had hidden deep inside me. I was locked up inside myself. Eventually, I graduated on the Dean’s List with a perfect grade point average. I walked down the aisle in a vintage Vera Wang wedding gown at my fairy tale wedding. I traveled around the world (and did it all in the chicest designer outfits). I seemingly had the perfect life. Then it fell apart. In 2015, amidst a career change, divorce, and purchasing my first home, I had a crisis. I was sick all the time. I questioned everything in my life. And I suddenly felt untethered and lost. Despite my rich experiences and commodities, I was spiritually bankrupt and in complete misalignment with myself. My life had finally caught up with me. It was time to reconnect to myself.
I needed change, and I needed it immediately.
Self-love became my religion. I began making appointments with various holistic healers, reading books, and registering for as many yoga classes as my work schedule would allow. Any and all free time in between those commitments was spent writing, organizing my home, and meditating. Slowly my life began to shift. I started to experience a calmness within that I never knew existed.
At the time, I was working as a jewelry designer and VP of sales for a wholesale jewelry company in New York City. Within several months of committing to my new priorities and lifestyle, my childhood best friend inquired whether I could make him a custom engagement ring. I happily obliged and from this birthed a side business I had never dreamed of creating. Solely through word of mouth, my company grew steadily, and eventually gave birth to P2U Jewelry. P2U, Propose to Yourself jewelry, reflects my ardent belief in self-care. It proposes the notion of intentionally and unconditionally committing to a deeper sense of self-love and self-betterment.
It brings me such fulfillment to help others design and commemorate the happiest moment(s) in the lives.
I noticed that as I shifted my attention away from trying to control situations and outcomes—and, instead, focused solely on things that brought me joy—that my quality of life, health, and bank accounts drastically increased. As I began to open up about my life on social media, my personal message resonated with my followers and people approached me to coach them. They saw the way I had turned my life around to support my deepest self and they wanted to see similar changes in their own lives.
In 2017, as my client lists continued to increase, I found myself falling back into old habits. I was working around the clock and my health suffered. Similar to my pre-crisis life, I had zero time for myself, I was getting sick constantly and losing sleep (as well as hair). My job at the wholesale jewelry company had also morphed into a toxic work environment that was triggering old traumas and significantly affecting my happiness.
In January 2018, I quit my job in a leap of faith. I trusted that the universe had my back. Within days of leaving, my ailments went away, and I felt a profound sense of happiness and energy that I’d never experienced before.
The “dream days” that I would journal about on the way home from my unhappy job became my real life.
Once I quit my job, I started leaning into anything that felt good. I woke up when my body felt rested. I cooked healthy, nourishing meals. I journaled daily and started to explore my love of creative writing. Simultaneously, both my jewelry and coaching businesses took off in ways that I had never predicted or expected. This provided me with the financial freedom to delve into yoga. I signed up for any and all yoga classes that I could, discovering that when I did yoga, my anxiety decreased exponentially. Seeing the benefit of yoga in my life made me realize how applicable those lessons are to children. I became passionate about teaching kids the tools that I so wish I’d had as a child: self-care, self-love, and self-understanding. I had an epiphany to complete yoga teacher training and create a space for children to learn yoga and meditation. In 2018, I launched Peace in Piermont from my home.
As word of mouth spread, I eventually ran out of space. In 2019, I opened the doors to Peace in Piermont in downtown Piermont, NY. From the beginning, Peace in Piermont became a popular place for children and families to learn and practice yoga and meditation. But I also wanted to share my message about the power of the present moment in daily life outside of the studio, in a way that families could apply to their daily lives. I began writing children’s books for just this purpose.
Let’s Sit Down and Meditate is my first children’s book; I wrote this book to teach readers how and why it’s important to meditate. How Yoga Saved Christmas is a story that humanizes Santa and teaches readers the importance of self-care—specifically how and why it is beneficial to practice yoga! Let’s Have an Attitude of Gratitude teaches readers how and why it’s imperative to practice gratitude. My fourth book, Let’s Find Relief from Grief will be published early 2022. My Give Your Brain a Bath series aims to teach humans of all sizes how to practice better self-care. My biggest dream is to turn these books into a t.v. series for kids to make the teachings more accessible.
I am currently deepening my personal and professional practices as student at the Mindfulness Center at Brown. I am working to become a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) by December 2022, MBSR is an 8-week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to assist people with stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. I am excited to also begin my 300-hour yoga teacher training this January!
As my personal and professional practices deepen, I know that my journey as a writer, artist, and entrepreneur will continue to grow as well. I look forward to continuing to share my journey with you.
My purpose in life is to help others realize, cultivate and live their dream lives from the inside, out.
With a plan, persistence, and passion – anything is possible.
