Inspiring Conversations with Megan Smit of The Remedy House

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Smit. 

Hi Megan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
A REFLECTOR OF LIGHT I am in the business of Light. Reflecting the light within others. Channeling the inner and energetic light through my body and practices. Capturing the light with the lens of my camera. Showing people, the light that I see reflected within them. I have had many callings in my life already, though I am only 30 years alive on this Earth. Sometimes the many different projects and directions make me feel that I am scattered and unfocused. But after a few potent experiences and realizations, I see the thread in it all, and that thread is light. 

PHOTOGRAPHY: DRAWING WITH LIGHT 

Photography in its etymology breaks down to the concept of drawing with light. I began my career in Photography while I was studying at Grand Valley State University. My time at GVSU was the end of an era, where the department of Photography was located in the School of Communications instead of the School of Art (where most photography programs live). This placement was critical for my development as I love communication, and I found that with photography, I could communicate across all languages with a universal visual language. 

GODDESS UNVEILED: HOLDING THE MIRROR 

I began my photography career traditionally, photographing weddings and corporate events under the name Megan Lendman Photography. A huge shift in my photography business came when one of my mother’s colleagues, Dr. Cassandra Wilder, was putting together women’s retreats in Central America. Photographing at a retreat is one of the most raw and revealing places to photograph because people are opening themselves up wide. At my first retreat, I photographed 3 women all in their mid-20s (like me) and all reasonably comfortable with their image. Now after 10 retreats, I have photographed over 60 women with an age range of 16-60 of all shapes and colors of life. 

I learned how to hold the mirror for my clients. As their inner light would shine, I would hold the mirror with love and care so that they may see that light emanating from themselves. I was never trained in talk therapy but I am quite an empathetic person that learns a lot about life through talking. So, I began to use my intuition and caring demeanor to make my clients feel comfortable as they began to remove the layers on all levels. As each client braved crossing the chasm of negative self-talk and societal restrictions, I witnessed as they came alive. For some, simply the act of being seen was enough to open their hearts. For others who are not used to being a witness of their own soul, it was much more difficult to enjoy the process. It is important that these sessions be in Nature because Nature is not shy, and she shows us the way. 

LINEAGE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP 

My mother, Dr. Jodi Jenks ND, has been an entrepreneur my whole life and I have learned a lot watching and assisting her. Her passion is healing others and, on that path, she became a Naturopathic Doctor. In 2015, we opened The Remedy House, a holistic health center in Grand Rapids. At first, I used my photography and communication skills to create her brand and her website. I began to really thrive in the holistic health center environment and took on more roles until I took over the manager position in 2018. My photography clients transitioned from weddings to exclusively small businesses in the wellness industry and photo-therapy sessions for women. 

For a while, I questioned how my life had taken this turn. The path is clear for a pre-existing career, such as a wedding photographer. But as I turned my sights toward different clients, I had to recalculate and use different approaches. Yet through the discomfort of change, my internal thread was shining bright. Early in my career, I would use photography as a way to communicate with the world. Now, I was finding fulfillment with helping people better communicate with themselves. 

HEALING HANDS OF LIGHT: REIKI 

I first became attuned to Reiki when I was 8 years old. My mother has been a Reiki Master since the late 1990s. A deep understanding of the energy of light was planted within me at a young age. When I turned away from spirituality as I pursued the way of reason in college, I shut off almost all my pathways of spiritual light, but my intuition did not give up on me. There were a few defining moments of recognition of my intuition and some moments where I did not listen. But when I look back, my intuition and the healing light was always there. I became re-attuned to Reiki I&II in 2019. 

My mother moved to Arkansas in June 2019 and to keep the tradition of Reiki alive at The Remedy House, I began to co-lead the Reiki Shares (a group to practice Reiki) with another Reiki Master. I saw these classes as a support role, but in truth, they have become an apprenticeship. My confidence and understanding of this light that flows through me has grown dramatically. Through the years, I have continued my training, and in January of 2022, I became a Reiki Master myself, leading my own practice through The Remedy House. 

SOUND CEREMONY & SOUND HEALING 

Here enters my final (as of today) modality of channeled expression and business. I had a defining life moment when I was in Guatemala in March of 2020 that opened me up to true unconditional love. As I came home to a world that was sick and scared, I felt drawn to the path of sound as healing. I already sang in my community and played the heartbeat of my drum, but now I felt ready to really dive in. The owners of the retreat center in Guatemala had created a program called Sound Ceremony. I enrolled in their program and devoted myself to the practice of deep listening, mantra, and expressions of love through song. I see sound as a powerful healing tool in this time. 

At The Remedy House, I offer private sound healing journeys that relax the nervous system and bring people from their brains down into their bodies. Also, with a partnership with a yoga studio Live Unprocessed, I offer weekly guided meditations that include relaxing sounds to bring people to a space of peace within their minds and bodies. 

WAVETONE STUDIO 

Throughout the course of my 30 years, I have been able to travel, make friends, devote time to family, keep a relationship with my soon-to-be husband for 10 years, and explore business in very non-conventional ways. To be an entrepreneur, one must commit to a path of self-knowledge and how one fits into this world. To be successful, one must adapt and come from a heart-centered place when working with people and a place of logic when building structure and foundation. 

As I prepare to marry the love of my life, I am ready to let go of my business Megan Lendman Photography for a new chapter. This new adaptation of my business includes photography & website design, as well as creative audio services. The name of my audiovisual company is inspired by the fact that both sound and light have waves and tones. WaveTone Studio is the new era for my entrepreneurship and along the golden thread of my life. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the biggest challenges distill down to a lack of confidence and scarcity mindset. Oftentimes, my most challenging times are when I feel that I am not enough or that there is something lacking in my life or my business. As an entrepreneur, I am the leader of my businesses, and therefore it is my task to take risks and to make decisions. But it is a fault to believe that I am alone in this. When an entrepreneur comes from a heart-centered place, we build community. Instead of competing with other photographers or wellness centers, I would rather learn and grow with each other. My business suffers when I lack confidence to lead or to ask the right questions of my staff and community. My business thrives when I am able to sit through the discomfort to find the real need or question that needs attention in any conflict. 

We’ve been impressed with The Remedy House, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Remedy House is a family-run & women-powered holistic health center in Grand Rapids, MI. Our goal and mission is to provide the highest quality services, education, and products to aid each individual find their own unique pathway to wellness. The Remedy House hosts several natural health practitioners with a wide variety of skill sets. Ranging from licensed Massage Therapists, Reiki Practitioners, CranioSacral Therapists, Naturopathic Doctors, and more. 

Founded by Jodi Jenks ND & her daughter Megan Smit. Jodi is a Reiki Master, Naturopathic Doctor and has been practicing essential oil therapies for over 20 years. She is a certified Naturopathic Doctor through the Naturopathic Institute of Therapies and Education (NITE). Megan Lendman, eldest daughter of Jodi, is the active manager of The Remedy House. Growing up in a holistic health household with a bold mother has led Megan to a lifestyle of healthy living and entrepreneurship. 

What sets us apart from other holistic health practices in the area is that we are committed to self-sustaining health & wellness across all layers of life – physical, emotional, mental, and energetic. When customers come to us, we listen to their unique story and aid them to find wellness in a way that they can sustain in their lives. Wellness is a mindset and a lifestyle, not a single cure. “Health is not a flower that you pick; it is a path you must follow” ~Dr. Besseen Baker. 

www.theremedyhouse.org 

@theremedyhousegr (Facebook & Instagram) 

What was you like growing up?
My mom always jokes about how I came out of the womb so fast that the doctor had to drop his tools to catch me. My arms were tilted with one above my head and the other down by my side, just like superwoman. I have always been naturally curious, active, and enjoy being in nature. I’m a talker and can find common ground with just about any human I come across. I’ve loved the philosophy of life across cultures, and I have an openness in my heart that lets me see possibilities. A strength that can also be seen in some instances as a weakness is that I can be a “jack of all trades.” My interests are vast, and when I do something, I do it big. I’ve created many businesses in my lifetime, some more successful than others. I am learning to focus and to really dive in deep to one thing instead of five at once. You will often find me hosting a coffee party at my house with friends baking a pie, or going on a Sunday drive with my husband. People are important to me, and I try to allow my work to bring me closer to the people I love. 

Pricing:

• Business Photography Sessions starting at $400
• Goddess Unveiled Photography Sessions starting at $222
• Sound Healing Sessions $90
• Reiki Sessions $90
• Weekly Nada Yoga Meditation $15
• Website Creation – starting at $1200

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theremedyhouse.org
• Instagram: @theremedyhousegr
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRemedyHouseorg
• Other: @wavetone.studio (WaveTone Studio Instagram)

Image Credits
Megan Lendman
Kaitlyn Giancarlo