Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Keb.
Hi Jill , thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Kathy and I have been friends for over 30 years. She likes to say that I hired her at the family business my father started in 1972. I like to say she has the brilliant brains that helped to keep that company in business for 49 years.
For years, we shared our healthy lunches together at the office and dreamed about starting a Whole Foods Plant Based retreat business together. I had been running annual big weekend retreats with speakers and great food by the beach in my home town, South Haven for over 13 years as a passionate side gig.
I come from a food addiction background and was able to turn all that misery around with a plant based lifestyle as a key component. I became a certified food educator, Food For Life Instructor, and yoga teacher.
Kathy made an ‘overnight’ dietary decision that took her over five years to act on and then, she too, had also experienced amazing weight loss and health benefits as I had years earlier.
We took the leap in 2020 and were blessed with guest bookings even during those early covid years.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We entertained having a wonderful third partner in the early days yet kathy and I had shared a vision that was more aligned. Plus even getting two people to agree and make decisions is challenging enough at times.
I knew from my Dad’s experience with having partners in business things could go sideways and like a marriage, a business partnership is a huge and major life commitment for those involved. Luckily, Kathy had already proven her patience with me (ha).
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Kathy and I found and applied a fiber-focused lifestyle that has had a profound and significant impact on our lives.
We hold a deep passion for wanting to see other people experience and enjoy themselves the benefits of stable weight, increased energy and reduced or no medications.
We believe that we are becoming known for our experiential approach. Our guests don’t just arrive and eat beautifully plated healing foods, they are part of the process in our two daily, hands-on cooking classes.
Guests help create and sample 55 different recipes in our 6 day program. We’ve put a lot of love and combined kitchen experience into our menu and program, which we have had to redesign for the recurring guests we are blessed with.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
We strive to exceed expectations and make sure guests feel taken care of. It’s not just about the nutrition education, food and recipes, fun cooking classes and yoga.
Everyone’s personal food journey is complex and varied and we respect that. We care that people explore the personal, unique reasons they may not have been making the best food choices for themselves.
We believe in providing a safe and welcoming space to get into some of those deeper conversations.
What matters most to us is giving and sharing all we have learned to help educate, motivate and empower guests to lead healthier lives. 💗
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.plantlifejourney.com/retreats/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plant.life.journey/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantlifejourney/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plant-life-journey
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTEtuffFck
