Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurie Matheny.
Hi Laurie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story really started back in college when I attended the University of Michigan Flint. At the time, I was working in a pharmacy and thought I might eventually go to pharmacy school. I learned a lot in that environment, but I also became disillusioned with Western medicine and started to feel pulled toward a more holistic understanding of health and healing. That curiosity eventually led me into learning more about herbs, yoga, Reiki, energy work, and wellness practices that supported the whole person.
Around that same time, I started taking business classes, and a different part of me came alive. In my mid-twenties, I became the Executive Director of the Holly Area Chamber of Commerce, and that role really opened my eyes to the heart, grit, and passion behind small business. I loved being connected to local business owners, hearing their stories, supporting their growth, and helping bring people together. Looking back, I can see that both threads were always there for me: wellness and small business.
Life made a few turns in between. Over the years, I held several different jobs, from bartending to teaching pharmacy technician classes to assisting business owners behind the scenes. At the same time, I continued to follow the wellness path. I taught yoga, practiced Reiki, hosted wellness events, created networking opportunities, and found myself naturally connecting people, ideas, and resources.
Then in 2024, the business I worked for suddenly closed, and it became a huge turning point in my life. I was in my forties asking myself, “What now?” It was scary and uncertain, but it also forced me to look at everything I had been building, learning, and living.
That season became the beginning of Connected Wellness in a more intentional way. I realized it was my opportunity to finally build something that meant a lot to me, while also truly supporting others in the same space I had been walking in for years.
Today, I see my work as a bridge between wellness, business, creativity, and connection. I’ve lived many versions of this path, and each one has shaped how I show up now. Through my own life experiences, including the hard and unexpected chapters, I’ve learned how important it is to feel supported, to stay connected to your purpose, and to keep trusting the next right step, even when the path changes.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it has not always been a smooth road. Life in general has not always been easy for me, but I do feel like the challenges I’ve walked through have taught me resilience, steadfastness, and gratitude in a very real way.
In 2009, while I was still in school, my son passed away. That loss changed the entire trajectory of my life. It changed where I was going, how I saw the world, and who I was becoming. In many ways, I had to rebuild my life from that point forward.
Then in 2016, my mom passed away. She was my biggest supporter, and losing her was another moment that made me stop and really look at my life. It made me question who I was, how I was showing up, what kind of mother I wanted to be, and what kind of life I wanted to create. My mom passed away from COPD, and at the time, I was also a smoker. Her passing became part of what led me to take my own health more seriously, and I am now eight years smoke-free.
In 2018, my children’s father passed away from addiction. We were no longer together, but it still had a deep impact on our family. That was another season that required strength, growth, and a lot of reflection.
And then in 2024, the business I worked for suddenly closed, which became another major turning point. It pushed me into a season of uncertainty, but also into a season of choosing myself and finally building something that felt deeply aligned.
Beyond those bigger life moments, there have also been the quieter struggles: being a woman in business, building confidence, working through imposter syndrome, learning to trust my voice, and learning to ask for more. It’s interesting because so much of what I now support other women with is work I’ve had to do within myself too.
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?
My work lives in the space between wellness, business, creativity, and community. Through Connected Wellness, I support wellness entrepreneurs, practitioners, teachers, healers, and small business owners with the behind-the-scenes pieces of their business so they can feel more confident showing up in their work.
A lot of what I do includes marketing support, content creation, social media strategy, newsletters, websites, business organization, event support, and helping people find the words and structure around what they offer. I often describe myself as a business bestie because I’m not just coming in with a formula. I’m helping people sort through their ideas, clarify their message, organize the pieces, and feel less alone in the process.
I think what I’m known for is being able to see the bigger picture while also understanding the small details that make a business feel overwhelming. I can sit with someone’s vision, hear what they’re trying to say, and help bring it into something more grounded, clear, and usable. I’m also a natural connector, so a big part of my work has always been bringing people, resources, and opportunities together.
What I’m most proud of is the trust people place in me. Many of the women I work with are doing deeply personal, meaningful work, and it matters to me that they feel supported, seen, and understood. I’m proud that I’ve created a business that allows me to use my lived experience, my wellness background, my creativity, and my love for small business in a way that supports other people’s growth.
What sets me apart is that I’ve been on both sides of it. I’ve been the wellness practitioner trying to build something from the heart, and I’ve also worked behind the scenes helping businesses grow, communicate, and connect. I understand the emotional side of putting yourself out there, but I also understand the practical side of needing systems, strategy, consistency, and clear messaging. I think that combination allows me to support people in a way that feels both grounded and personal.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I would definitely say resilience has been one of the most important qualities in my life and in my work. I’ve had to rebuild, redirect, and begin again more than once, and resilience is what has allowed me to keep moving forward, even when life looked completely different than I thought it would.
But honestly, gratitude is what keeps me going. Gratitude reminds me why I’m here. It helps me see the beauty, the lessons, the people, and the purpose, even in seasons that have been really hard. I don’t think gratitude means everything is easy or that you ignore the painful parts of life. For me, it means choosing to stay connected to what still matters.
That combination of resilience and gratitude has shaped so much of who I am. Resilience helps me keep standing, and gratitude helps me keep my heart open while I do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriematheny/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.matheny/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriematheny
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/connected_wellness_mi
