R.E.A.L Connections
R e t r e a t
Friday & Saturday, April 25 - 26
Salt Lake City, Utah at
The University of Utah Fort Douglas
You’ll experience a journey of
Reflection, Experience, Adaptability & Learning
• Inspiring guest speakers
• Hands-on activities
• Meaningful conversations
• Delicious meals
• Comfortable surroundings
This retreat is designed to leave you feeling reconnected, balanced and renewed.
We can’t wait to welcome you!
ABOUT THE RETREAT
The R.E.A.L Connections Retreat is a transformative two-day event dedicated to fostering resilience, self-awareness, meaningful connections and practical tools to enhance your well-being. Whether you're seeking inspiration, personal growth, or a supportive space to share your experiences, this retreat is here to uplift and empower you.
Fueled by our deep gratitude for the loyal listeners of the Relentlessly Resilient podcast, and inspired by the stories and wisdom of our incredible guests and community’s real-life experiences, we've curated this retreat with inspiring speakers, interactive sessions, self-care moments, and insightful workshops. It’s a space to recharge, connect with like-minded individuals, and gain the tools to thrive. We invite you to invest in yourself, grow, and create lasting memories in a community that celebrates authenticity and connection.
INFORMATION
FACILITATORS
Michelle Scharf's journey is a testament to resilience, a quality that has shaped her life and work. As a small business owner, devoted wife, and mother, Michelle's holistic approach to healing and energy work has touched the lives of many. Her extensive experience as a certified massage therapist, doula, childbirth educator, and lay midwife speaks volumes about her dedication to supporting mothers and families during significant life events.
Transitioning into the role of Vice President of Government Relations at Unspam Technologies, Michelle advocated for protections against adult marketing companies, focusing on children's well-being. Despite personal challenges, including losing her husband to cancer, she found strength in her community and launched the podcast Relentlessly Resilient with Jennie Taylor to share stories of triumph over adversity. Now, as a Holistic Transformation Coach with Relentless, LLC, Michelle specializes in grief processing, self-awareness, and resilience, creating a safe, transformative environment for personal growth and healing.
Michelle's commitment to community service is unwavering. In addition to her professional pursuits, she dedicates her time to volunteering as the Board President for the Friends of Davis County Children's Justice Center and as a Community Board Member—policy for the Alzheimer's Association Utah Chapter. Her journey is a testament to the power of resilience, compassion, and unwavering dedication to empowering individuals to overcome life's challenges and thrive.
Jennie Taylor is a proud native of North Ogden, Utah. She has a bachelor's degree from BYU and a Master of Education from Utah State University. She met her husband Brent on a blind date and they were married 9 months later. Jennie and Brent are deeply devoted to serving God, family, and country. This commitment included 15 years of military service for Brent, with four Middle East deployments, four years on the North Ogden City Council, and five years as Mayor. They are proud parents of seven children, ages 6 to 18.
In January of 2018, Brent left his position as Mayor and went to Afghanistan with the US Army for what would have been a year-long deployment. On November 3, 2018, Major Taylor was killed in action and life for the Taylor family seemed to have flipped upside down. In the years since Brent's shocking death, Jennie has unexpectedly and frequently found herself in a position to speak out about the price of freedom, the value of community support, and the healing that can be found when moving forward with a conviction to find hope and happiness in spite of life's heartache and pain. She founded The Major Brent Taylor Foundation as a way to carry forward the legacy he left behind.
Jennie Taylor is a highly sought-after motivational speaker for topics such as resilience, grief, patriotism, military service, family dynamics, and living a purposeful life. She has spoken across Utah, in California, Arizona, Georgia, Manhattan, and Washington, DC. Jennie has been interviewed by Time Magazine, Fox News, CNN, NBC’s Today Show, and more.
Meet Heather Higgins, the organizing force behind this weekend's retreat. Heather's entrepreneurial journey began at age 5, peddling pollywogs to neighborhood kids until she taught them how to catch their own. If it’s worth knowing, it’s worth sharing! As the founder of Novel Expressions, Heather is a seasoned personal growth coach and business consultant devoted to empowering entrepreneurs and professional women to reach their full potential. Her exceptional communication skills and ability to build strong, supportive environments reflect her deep commitment to fostering resilience and individual growth.
Through Novel Expressions, Heather's dream of creating nurturing spaces where people can build supportive relationships, celebrate their unique gifts, build resilience and live authentically is made manifest. Guided by her generous, collaborative nature, she embraces openness and vulnerability as superpowers.
With a joyful sense of humor and an appreciation for not taking herself too seriously, Heather finds immense fulfillment in the transformative journey of personal growth – both hers and those she serves. She lives in Riverton with her husband Shane, daughter Eleisa, sister Liz, and a rowdy pack of dogs. Heather loves creating, reading, storytelling, and spending time in the great outdoors. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mountain West Chamber of Commerce where she gets to support creating connections between business and the community.
SPECIAL GUESTS
VENDORS
RELENTLESSLY RESILIENT PODCAST
Catch up on the latest Relentlessly Resilient episodes
Relentlessly Resilient with Mary Crafts
From catering business to multi-million dollar empire and living inspiration, Mary Crafts has invested blood, sweat, and countless tears into building up her dreams and now is helping others do the same through her public speaking, hosting her podcast “Crafting a meaningful life”, and more. Today she joins Relentlessly Resilient host Michelle Scharf to discuss her philosophy on love-based living, hard work, and climbing through adversity. (Co-host Jennie Taylor was unable to participate in the recording of this episode.)
Relentlessly Resilient with Heather Higgins
Heather Higgins took a setback and made it an opportunity that worked for her! Now, she empowers others to take on similar transformations with her personal and business consulting programs and retreats. Using her decades of successful business experience in sales and manufacturing, she started Novel Expressions with a mission to empower business leaders to unlock their full potential through core value alignment and comprehensive training. She joins this episode of Relentlessly Resilient to share her story, wisdom, and LifeSynce program for holistic personal development.
Relentlessly Resilient with Jake Trembath
In our Host Michelle Scharf's continual journey of self-improvement, she has discovered a surprisingly fun and poignant therapy; dance! In this episode of Relentlessly Resilient, we are joined by her Dance instructor Jake Trembath, who shares how dance helped him heal after a broken relationship. While trust is an important aspect of any partnered dance, Jake dives deeper into how trust, vulnerability, play, and the framework of boundaries not only help us to become better dancers, but to become better at our relationships. Join Jake’s classes along the Wasatch Front, or follow him on TickTock @funkycowboy to learn more about his “Duality of Dance” techniques.