Stevie Duren
Your Enchanted Life Coach
Fun Fact #1: Animal Lover
Before my focus on being a transformational life coach I spent a large amount of my life doing animal rescue. I had my first experience in rescue when I was in 6th grade and volunteered for a wildlife rehabilitation center in Miami, FL (fun sub fact: I lived in Miami). I almost got kicked out of my dorm freshman year of college for harbouring a litter of young kittens that my friend and I had saved in my room while we tried to find homes for them. That didn’t stop me from rescuing a rottie/ doberman mix a week later. The real adventure began when I volunteered at the Animal Adoption Center in Jackson, WY. I worked with them for over 12 years and for many it was my 2nd full time (volunteer) job. My career in rescue ended after I became a foster failure (twice). I was working with 2 dogs at the time and each had some issues. One had health problems that made him virtually unadoptable. I decided that, after so many years and hundreds of dogs, I would finally reap the fruits of my labour. I adopted Buddha and dedicated myself to getting him healthy. When I figured out he was depressed without his “brother”adopted Rusty, too. That meant I had 2 cats and 2 dogs, and a full house and plate!
Fun Fact #2: Massage Therapist
I wasn’t interested in going to massage school. Once I graduated college I really wanted to go to massage school; I even got into a program, but I declined as it didn’t feel like it was right. Fast forward 5 years, my friend told me about a new massage program that I should check out. I was working in downtown in Chicago and wasn’t interested at that point. She kept asking me if I’d checked it out, and I eventually called them just to get her off my back! 🙂 The person I spoke with somehow coerced me into coming in the next day to take a tour of the facility despite my resistance. I left that tour signed up for 3 student loans, enrolled in the program, and starting school in 2 days. I walked out of the building thinking, “what just happened?” The rest, as they say, is history. This is one of many what I call “Universal kicks up the ass” that I have experienced in my life. I consider it the Universe intervening and knocking me back on track. Thank goodness!
Fun Fact #3: Baker
I spent about a year and a half opening an organic, gluten free, mostly
vegan bake shop. I had everything pretty much dialed and ready to go. I only
needed a commercial kitchen under which I could be certified. I had 3 different
kitchens that were interested in working with me, but the health dept said no to all. I
eventually shelved the project as I was also growing my massage practice, Bliss Bodywork, and working 24/7 was really starting to wear on me. (sub fun fact: I have a pretty damn decent gluten free pizza crust which might put this endeavor back on the table!).
Fun Fact #4: Silversmith
I’m a silversmith. I’ve always loved silver and since I was yea high to a hedge I’ve been obsessed with rocks, crystals, and gemstones. I took a silversmithing class a number of years ago and I was hooked. I’ve been creating silver jewelry ever since. It was an easy, synergistic move from doing energy work and crystal energy healing on people to creating energy jewelry that supports people. I even teach silver classes now! (sub fun fact: Enchanted Silverworks is the name of the jewelry aspect.)
Fun Fact #5: Athlete
Softball has always been one of my lifelong passions. I love softball. I have often said I live to play softball. I have played all my life. I have almost always played first base, but can manage most infield positions. (sub fun fact: in recent years I have also been pitching. Ironic as, for decades, the joke was: you don’t want me pitching to you in batting practice because I’m terrible! I discovered in a game during a desperate situation that I could actually pitch! Who knew?!)
Fun Fact #6: Manifestor
I’m a master manifestor. In 2013 I was weeks away from being homeless and losing my office space. I was stressed, to say the least. I was working with my own spiritual/transformational life coach a LOT to help me through these challenges and to maintain my sanity.
(sub fun fact: I started working with my spiritual/transformational life coach in 2012. I have been working with her at least once a week ever since! How do you think I discovered that being a spiritual/transformational life coach was even a thing?!)
I wound up manifesting my perfect office space that I had seen in a vision during meditation, even though it had already been rented by someone else! A few weeks later, I was days from being homeless and unable to find any place to live when I not only manifested a condo to buy, I also manifested the perfect rental situation until I could move into the condo! I mean, each one of these things was against all odds! It was crazy. You should have me tell you the whole story, it’s a good (and long) one!
Fun Fact #7: Gardener
I am way into organic gardening. I tried my hand at gardening in 2011 when I lived in a basement apt on W Kelly in Jackson. It fed my soul. I was hooked. I’ve been trying my hand at it ever since. My ultimate goal to date is to get more than 1 tomato in a season. My second ultimate goal is to produce a cucumber. My extravagant goal is to produce a peck of pickling cukes and pickle them.
(sub fun fact: I’m pretty sure I have grown the most expensive tomato in the world. It took several years trying many, many different plants, many summers, and building a raised bed in my driveway, but I finally got 1! Incidentally, it was a container tomato plant on my deck that produced it.)
I had my partner build a greenhouse on top of my raised bed about a year and a half ago. Last summer we put in an irrigation system. I WILL have that tomato!!
Fun Fact #8: Car Talk Fanatic
I have church at 9:00 am every Saturday morning. Most people ask me, “YOU go to church? What church is on Saturday?” Car Talk. I listen to Car Talk every Saturday morning. Car Talk is my church. <3
Fun Fact #9: Belly Dancer
I was a belly dancer. I started by taking a class at the rec center with a friend and wound up being a regular in classes at the dance studio and a member of a local troupe for years. I have even performed on the big stage at the Center for the Arts!
Read about my path to becoming a transformational life coach.