It wasn’t with the blink of an eye that this all happened, but rather with a wink of an eye —a divine nudge that everything was unfolding exactly as it should.
2001
After tossing my graduation cap in 2001 (yes, I’m dating myself!), my body betrayed me. What began as a mysterious illness became my unwelcome companion—persistent, unyielding, and life-altering.
Seven years of medical limbo followed until 2008 brought a name to my suffering: Colitis. But naming my enemy didn’t defeat it. The parade of prescriptions and conventional treatments didn’t heal me—they simply introduced new symptoms, new struggles, new disappointments.
Something shifted in 2012. Desperation breeds determination, and mine manifested as a humble blog called “A Gutsy Girl.”
What began as digital journaling became the first chapter of my life’s true calling.
Health Before it Was “Cool”
While others were still debating whether gluten was actually problematic, I was already knee-deep in research about gut microbiomes and inflammation pathways.
Gut health wasn’t trendy then—it was a lonely frontier with just a handful of us warriors wielding kombucha and bone broth instead of pharmaceuticals.
I wasn’t just applying everything I learned for myself and for my own healing journey, but I became immersed in all – through every single piece of my life.
- In 2012, I became a certified Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for the Integrative Nutrition
- And I began writing and releasing materials under the A Gutsy Girl brand for the world to consume
- In 2014, I started a career in the natural foods space
- I began attending every single health and nutrition conference I quite possibly could (most of them on the West coast)
- …..and I worked, whole-heartedly, in this industry until 2021 when Kayla and I started the Thyme on Main concept
Finding My Tribe
By 2014, I had fully immersed myself in the natural foods industry.
Every conference, every workshop, every connection became a stepping stone.
The West Coast became my second home as I sought out the gatherings of those who spoke my language—the language of whole-body wellness and food as medicine.
For years, this was my world. I belonged. I contributed. I thrived.
And somehow I still took a detour.
The Detour: 2021-2024
By late 2024, the feeling had become a gnawing emptiness.
I missed my roots. I missed the fire that once burned so brightly within me.
I felt disconnected from my purpose—like wearing someone else’s perfectly tailored clothes that somehow still didn’t fit.
I wasn’t just professionally adrift. I was spiritually incomplete.
While I still had A Gutsy Girl, it was the day-to-day, in collaboration with other people who truly “got” me, that I desperately missed.
It had nothing to do with Thyme on Main; simply that I was completely out of alignment with who I am at a foundational level.
I was sidetracked from my purpose. And that left me all but (nearly) empty.
So I knew I had to get realigned; to find the spark and passion once again.
January 2025: The Intentional Return
I began researching my next steps.
This included reconnecting with current and old friends in the health and wellness space. It meant updating my resume. And, most importantly, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I truly wanted for myself.
In a notebook, I listed out exactly what I desired – the kind of meaningful work I wanted to do, the type of people I wanted to work with, the impact I wanted to make, and the environment that would surround it all.
It was during this month when I began talking to various people and companies.
And it was also this month that I listed out one of my 2025 professional goals was to:
Work with a team to positively impact culture and profitability.
February, 2025
February was a critical month, though I didn’t know it at the time.
I created my 50 Before 50 List, with these items added:
- Set clear career goals and break them down into steps
- Learn an advanced skill which pertains to the new company
It was also the month when I first (again) connected with Vani, aka Food Babe. And it was completely random, and by chance.
I have no idea why, but despite her 2.3+ Million followers on Instagram, she follows my personal Instagram.
One day in mid-February, I sent Vani the most random DM.
Since she founded Truvani, and I have a ton of experience with both food and supplements, I simply asked if Truvani was hiring.
Her nearly immediate response: “What kind of job are you looking for?”
After my candid reply, she asked: “I’m looking for a brand manager. Would you want to work with Food Babe?”
The universe doesn’t always whisper. Sometimes it speaks plainly.
The Sacrifice of March
On March 3, 2025, via What Matters in the End, I wrote:
I was supposed to be in California today, too, for the first time in years. I had been looking forward to the trip for months—invited by none other than Vani Hari, aka The Food Babe, to attend “The New Era of True Health” event with Calley Means. A perfect opportunity, one I had dreamed of for so long.
In early March, I chose family over all the passion, purpose, momentum, and excitement.
Those closest to me knew how much I wanted to go; how long I had been looking forward to re-entering the space.
But my gut told me, “Do not go. Because what’s meant to be is going to be.”
That’s one of life’s greatest lessons I’ve learned:
If it’s meant for us, it will always find us. If we have to force it then, even if ultimately comes, it was never ours to begin with and will be out of alignment.
So I stayed in Minnesota, and that was (by far) the best decision.
Little did I know how quickly those words would prove true.
The Call during Grief
We were preparing for Bob’s wake when my phone lit up with Vani’s name.
Time seemed to stop. In the midst of loss and grief, this unexpected thread of hope appeared.
But presence matters—I let the call go to voicemail, committing fully to the farewell at hand.
Still, I couldn’t help wondering: “Did that really just happen?”
April, 2025: When Everything Aligned
After weeks of phone tag between Vani and me, we finally connected in early April. The conversation felt like coming home—that unmistakable feeling when everything clicks into place.
On Friday, April 14, she offered me the position as her Director of Partnerships.
My “yes” wasn’t just quick—it was inevitable.
By Monday, I had stepped into my new role.
Not just a new job, but a return to purpose.
Wink of an Eye
Some might call this whirlwind a blink of an eye—the rapid unfolding of opportunity after months of waiting. But I see it differently.
A blink is unconscious, passive. This was a wink—intentional, meaningful, a cosmic acknowledgment that patience has its reward.
When we put Thyme on Main up for sale, perhaps Bob (and God) understood what I couldn’t articulate: that I needed to return to my foundation.
While I silently wished for quick resolution, the waiting period itself was the gift—teaching me to embrace patience, to honor family commitments during difficult times, and to (yes, again and again and again….) trust divine timing.
I’ve learned that you can’t rush what’s truly meant for you.
And sometimes, the most beautiful journeys unfold not in the dramatic blink of change, but in the knowing wink of perfect timing.
p.s This is pretty crazy, but here is a picture of me and Vani from waaaaayyyyyy back in 2014 at a conference. I’m so excited to get an updated picture!
Xox,
SKH
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