Photo Credit: Chris Bennett

40 Stories for 40 Years – Profilee 33

Sara is the owner of Healing Hands Holistic Wellness in Hallowell, ME. Through her business, Sara provides therapeutic massage, meditation, holistic healing, and yoga. In addition to her wellness work, she is a certified Recreational Maine Guide. In this role,  she leads hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing retreats. All of Sara’s work is grounded in a mission of “engaging people in movement with purpose.”

Sara first came to New Ventures Maine through a class at the Family Violence Project. At that time, she was seeking a more balanced home. She describes her work with NVME as “profound.”  Even though her path has not been easy, she has pushed forward with strength and courage.

Although Sara had been a business owner since 1999, she was looking for guidance in making it a success. She decided to enroll in NVME’s Venturing Forth business class. The class helped her feel confident in moving forward. “The clarity I gained through the class had many layers of benefits,” Sara shares.  She believes that New Ventures Maine brought her “in a direction toward success.”

To continue building her skills, Sara participated in NVME’s Financing Your Future class. The class helped her identify how to work toward her financial goals. She also enrolled in the Family Development matched savings program with a goal of expanding her business. Sara is happy to share that she successfully completed the program. In addition, after writing a successful grant application, she received a NVME Marketing Mini-Grant to help customers connect with her business.  

As a result of working with NVME over the years, Sara is now a NVME Ambassador. In this role, Sara helps to connect people to NVME’s programs, build her leadership skills, and share her story. Sara wants others to know, “You can rise above your current circumstances.”