The Roanoker - March/April 2021 - 45

hat happens when a former kindergarten teacherturned-retail store manager starts chatting up her UPS
driver with visions of a utopian paradise for holistic
care providers and a community motivated to improve their
wellness and find common ground?

" When we learn to embrace the
natural capability of our body to do
its job, we empower ourselves to take
charge of our mind, body and spirit,
and welcome healing. "
~Valarie Angle

We're finding out! When Valarie Angle closed the book on her
20-year career in education and administration, it wasn't because
she didn't love her community or didn't want to contribute. It
was because her intuition was telling her it was time to move on.
While it was a risk and a leap of faith, it was something she trusted.
So, she started exploring her options and soon found her calling.
Valarie and Jonathan, co-owners of The WellNest Roanoke, met
while Valarie was managing Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe on
Market Street downtown.
Their friendship grew around quick conversations about making
vanilla out of orchids, hand-carved wooden spoons, cooking over
open fires and delicious local organic goods. Before long, they
were discussing how much downtown could benefit from the many
regional wellness experts, like local RN-turned-Intuitive Healer
Jen Cliff and NP/Yoga Therapist Nancy Harvey. They put pen to
paper and started dreaming up a way to make it affordable for
holistic wellness providers to do business in downtown Roanoke.

A few of The WellNest Roanoke's early collaborators

The WellN
lNest Roanoke
Downtow
own Roanoke's Holistic
Hub
ch Ave SW, Roanoke
16
Church
ewellnestroanoke.com
www.thew
Thus, The WellNest Roanoke was born. They entered The
Advancement Foundation's Gauntlet Business Competition
and began the journey of collaborating with what is now over 70
holistic providers and over 1,000 interested community members.
Holistic providers from all types of modalities came forward,
excited that action was being taken on this long-shared dream
of a collaborative healing community. And not only practitioners,
but also other local networking and marketing professionals
who understand the unique possibilities behind such a concept.
Nothing is " business as usual " at The WellNest. Pivoting from
opening their all-in-one holistic hub during COVID-19, the team
decided to phase into the full vision by starting with only a retail
space at 16 Church Avenue. There, some service providers offer
individual sessions, classes, workshops and events. Members
have access to a drop-in Zen Zone for a quick mindfulness or
meditation session or just to be alone and relax for a few brief
moments.

Jen Cliff, Owner JMC Healing & Wellness Academy
and the Motherhood & Holistic Wellness Podcast

Beth Boyd Bell, President of FemCity, Macaroni Kid Roanoke, and
Director of the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce
Alicia Ice, A+ Custom Cleaning & Realtor-Carter and Associates
Mary & Marc Pritchard, M & M Holistic Health Consultants

From the multiple benefits membership plans to the profitsharing investment membership and the cross-networking and
marketing that Valarie offers, everything about this endeavor
screams " community. " Why this focus on community over isolation,
collaboration over competition, membership fee sharing over
business debt? Because Valarie and Jonathan believe that finding
common areas where we can unify, identify our similarities
and heal together is what will make the greatest impact on a
sustainable community.

Nancy Harvey, Guiding Star Yoga Therapy
Lesley Butterfield, Open Doors Advocacy
Linda Bailey, Total You Health

Caleb Mann, Farmer's Insurance

Alexis Hodnett, Mountain Cane Media
Victoria Johns, Star City Marketing

Kathy Best, Light Weight Living Intuitive Living & Certified Nutrition Coach
Maurie Sutton, Owner, Zen My Brain & President,
Roanoke Holistic Chamber of Commerce

Want to support this wellness growing movement? The best way
to do that is to get involved with a membership and become part
of this dynamic community!

thewellnestroanoke.com | 16 church ave sw, roanoke
TheRoanoker.com

The Roanoker - March/April 2021

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