Hi Friend! We’ve been sitting on some news we’d love to share with you.

We are elated to share with you…

Feedback Loop Coaching has officially rebranded!

A Fresh Chapter

Steph, infinite gratitude to you, sis. You and your team at Awen & Co have miraculously synthesized our vibe into something tangible. We’ve fallen in love with our new logo. Thank you for walking us through the process of designing our shield, a true emblem mirroring our values, intentions, and devotion.

Entrepreneurs experience so many barriers to entry. Logos, brand designs, and business cards can feel like distant dreams, especially when we imagine the confidence we’d like to feel when introducing the outside world to our businesses. The logo and colors are often experienced before someone gets to know us.

Round of applause for Steph 👏 👏 👏

From my own journey, a logo can make or break imposter syndrome. When I’m not proud of my aesthetics, I contract. I dim. When I feel confident, I shine. Ready to shout it from the rooftops, “Feedback Loop Coaching is here! And we are ready to serve.”

The roots of this rebrand run deeper than image. They’re nourished by community, courage, and trust in the unfolding. What began as a visual refresh has become an initiation into a larger conversation, a shared dialogue of collaboration, a devotion to service, and an expansion of purpose.

Thank you for accepting us as a client and embracing our language, Steph. Your design is empowering us to anchor the mystical nature of our work into the physical reality of our day-to-day.

What do you think of the upgrade?

And on this topic of

a larger conversation
a shared dialogue of collaboration
a devotion to service
an expansion of purpose

We tune into the muse.

Specifically the muse who directs the Worcester Small Business Stronghold. What began as a space for small business owners is ready to grow beyond its original frame. The tools we’re sharing within this container are revealing their wider resonance. The muse is whispering for broader appeal, for unity among business owners and stakeholders, for a tapestry of cohesion that keeps the dollar in the family.

What does this mean for this group?

Going forward, we’ll simply refer to this container as The Worcester Stronghold.

The Worcester Stronghold is a grassroots movement devoted to social wellness and community resilience. We exist to strengthen the energetic and financial health of small business owners, stakeholders, and neighbors.

Our values are simple yet foundational: community, collaboration, connection, and service.

Our mission is to cultivate a regenerative economy. One that keeps local doors open, integrates coaching tools with financial literacy, and celebrates the exchange of energy as much as currency, allowing prosperity to circulate within our communities.

Through shared learning, resource exchange, and honest conversation, we cultivate rooted growth, not just for our individual businesses, but for the ecosystem to which we all belong. The Stronghold is where social wellness and economic vitality meet, reminding us that when we care for our local network, we care for ourselves. Because true wealth grows through connection.

Join us every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00pm EST, at Root Awakening Kava Bar in the heart of Worcester’s Canal District.

Next week, we’ll be gathering to explore one of the most taboo subjects in our society: money. As my coach Aliya says, “Scary fun!”

Money tends to carry layers of complexity, shame, and secrecy in our culture because for so long it has been associated with survival, self-worth, and power. Many of us were taught that talking about money is impolite, or that it belongs behind closed doors. A silence that breeds confusion, ignorance, and disconnect. Over time, money becomes tangled with identity: how much I make can start to feel like how much I’m worth. Scarcity narratives deepen this tension, keeping us in comparison or competition instead of collaboration.

Even those of us devoted to heart-centered work can feel an inner conflict between material success and spiritual integrity, as though the two can’t coexist. With the additional imprint of generational mystery, we inherit money wounds that quietly shape how we give, receive, and relate to abundance.

The Stronghold exists to change that story. By bringing money into our conversations about energy, wellness, and regeneration, we begin to dissolve the taboo. We remember that money is simply flow. A current of reciprocity, stewardship, and shared value.

At our next gathering, we’ll look at money through the 7 Levels of Energy, exploring how it shapes our beliefs, behaviors, and opportunities for conscious creation. Here’s a sneak peek of what I shared recently on LinkedIn:

~ and if you haven’t already, be sure to follow our LinkedIn Page! Help us reach 100 followers, and we’ll celebrate by giving away a free ELI Assessment and Debrief to a randomly selected follower.~

*Thanks for the re-design on this one too, Steph!*

These gatherings are FREE! Come enjoy a Kava or tea and some growth-oriented discussion, which is sure to nourish roots of abundance.

We’d also like to pause for a moment of gratitude for Greg, owner of & visionary behind Root Awakening Kava Bar.

*You can see Greg behind the bar guiding the community through an introduction to ceremonial Kava.*

Some of the reasons we choose Root Awakening Kava Bar as our gathering space when we’re not at Mati Yoga Studio are obvious: we love plant medicine, & we love accompanying each other on co-working dates.

Though others may not be as apparent.

What we witness in wellness spaces is miraculous: interdimensional healing, soul retrieval, holistic reconciliation, timeline hopping. The value of this alchemy is immeasurable, and its ripple effects will influence humanity for generations to come.

Yet, these temples of connection are still businesses. And businesses depend on stakeholders to keep their doors open. We consider ourselves both stewards of plant medicine and devoted stakeholders of our favorite spaces for social healing.

Our devotion inspires us to frequent the places we cherish, and to invite kindred spirits to flow through as well. It’s that flow of stakeholders, life force energy in motion, that regenerates the proverbial Main Street.

Many of you already know the original spark behind the Worcester Stronghold:

And the article about Queen’s Cups that inspired Chris’ creative flow:
I Wasn’t Supposed to Write This. Then I Saw the Line at the Closing Bakery.

For me, Maker to Main’s closing felt like intense heartbreak. Even now, as I write with tears in my eyes, I realize I haven’t fully mourned the loss. It was so much more than a market. It was a symbol of the Golden Future.

Farm-to-shelf groceries, local land stewardship, regenerative soil practices, clean ingredient labels on every product. A gathering space where we’d run into friends perched on the kitchen stools, enjoying naan smash burgers and beef tallow fries. And the owner, Lynn always greeted us with genuine warmth, along with her staff, Jess & Travis, and chef Gabe.

When Maker to Main was open, we no longer traveled to the Whole Foods in Shrewsbury for certain items. To cut the cord from a megacorp and recirculate our funds within the family felt like freedom. For a moment there, we had transcended the matrix designed to funnel all energy to the top of the corporate hierarchy.

To feel that idyllic timeline ripped out from under us was disorienting, humbling, and traumatic for our whole community. Especially when we’d read comments on social media like, “I’d been meaning to stop by.” The intention was lovely, but without action, no business can survive. So Maker to Main closed its doors, and the loss shook us to our cores. Yet it didn’t break us; it recalibrated us. It illuminated where we are needed.

Chris and I sometimes speak about “Main Street Permaculture.” One of the reasons we feel purpose here in Worcester, rather than retreating somewhere quiet and pristine in Nature, is because we see what’s possible when humans collaborate consciously within a city. We believe in the people of Worcester: creative, resilient, and resourceful. It’s time to come together.

Now, back to our Spotlight on Greg…

This dude is one of the kindest, most genuine, inclusive, grounding, brotherly, and growth-oriented leaders we’ve met since the inception of our business. We haven’t trusted a business owner this much with plant medicine since meeting Luana Makenzie of Fly KAKAO.

One of the reasons we have felt so aligned in the Mati Yoga Studio × Root Awakening Kava Bar cross-pollination is attributed to the way Greg speaks about the plant and its ceremonial origins. We’re moved every time. Post-yoga flow is the perfect moment to receive that kind of wisdom. A spacious pause when body, breath, and heart are open to connection with a plant ally.

Greg invites us in with open arms to host our meetings here, affirming that he has faith in our shared mission. What a homie.

Maybe you’d like to come out this weekend and join us Friday night and/or Saturday morning? Experience the vibe.

Friday night is FREE! Come hang and enjoy a nonalcoholic beverage.
Saturday morning’s investment is $30, which includes the Yoga facilitation and a Kava drink with bonus guidance from Greg.

We’d also like to announce our 3rd Annual Food Drive!

For the past 2 years, our community has collected food items that Chris and I then drop off at the Woo Fridges. We are delighted by the opportunity to once again extend the generosity of spirit so rich within our community.

Every time we stop at a fridge, we see it could use a bit more love. We usually notice that as we are placing items on the shelves, neighbors begin to walk toward us, grateful for something to eat that day.

We’re continually reassured by the simplicity of the Woo Fridge model. No red tape. Just direct care. Straight food-to-people, before our eyes.

How it’ll work:
We’ll bring a donation basket to Root Awakening Kava Bar on Saturday, November 15th.
Our first drop-off will be on Wednesday, November 26th, to help ensure there’s food in the pantries for Thanksgiving.

We’ll bring the basket back when Chris teaches yoga on Saturday, November 29th, and plan to repeat this rhythm throughout the winter months.

It’s not a perfect system, but it’s what we’ve got, and it works. Even if only to relieve some of the overwhelm so many caring hearts are feeling right now. When humanity’s challenges compound, it’s easy to feel paralyzed by helplessness. At such points, any action helps to stir movement.

This is our offering of action. An opportunity to interrupt the overwhelm Feedback Loop. I can’t guarantee that bringing a can of soup to the local kava bar will cure anyone’s anxiety, but it will absolutely offer a boost of Level 4 Energy, and the hits of oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins that accompany connection, generosity, caregiving, and aligned service-oriented action. As the Anabolic hormones increase, cortisol decreases, and vision expands, bandwidth widens, and new possibilities and collaborations emerge.

Collaborate with us!

You’ll see a flyer attached to the basket so you’ll know it’s the one.

Maybe we’ll see you Saturday?

Also, on the theme of Level 4 Service…

What are your plans Thanksgiving morning?

How does sipping Cacao, recalibrating with Sound Bowls, practicing Yoga, and helping kids access music lessons sound?

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
~ Margaret Mead

My heart makes some slight resonance tweaks: “Never doubt that a small group of caring, devoted citizens can change the world…” though the message is essentially the same.

I know in my soul that our little pockets of community are changing the world.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Circling back to the topic of overwhelm and anxiety…

Men’s Mental Health has been coming up a lot lately as we navigate our daily interactions. The brotherhood group (we may have referred to it as the Worcester Stonecutters once or twice) has been in the works. We thank you for your patience.

While I can’t speak for Chris, I can share what we’ve been processing between us as we envision how such a space will develop.

Something that comes up a lot is Testosterone.

Both men and women need testosterone. It’s not just a “male hormone.” It’s a life-force hormone. In both bodies, it fuels vitality, confidence, creativity, and resilience. When levels drop, so does our sense of motivation and momentum.

For men especially, testosterone is vital medicine for this cultural moment. The symptoms of modern life such as chronic stress, isolation, screen fatigue, dopamine dysregulation, desensitization, and constant mental load have quietly drained the very chemistry that helps men feel alive, purposeful, and steady.

When men’s testosterone levels dip, overwhelm and anxiety take root more easily, and men can find themselves disconnected from their own direction and drive.

Cue the feedback loop: Lethargy and disengagement follow, not from lack of care, but from a physiological loss of inspired action and purpose.

Here’s what the research shows: A 2019 meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials involving 1,890 men found that testosterone treatment was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms. Another large epidemiological study found that men in the lowest 10th percentile of testosterone had higher scores for anxiety symptoms.

These findings validate what many of us feel intuitively: optimizing testosterone is an essential piece of the mental health puzzle, not just for men. For all of us.

Because without optimal testosterone levels in men, intuitive women sense the vacuum and instinctively step in. We adopt masculine overdrive, taking the lead, controlling details, and doing whatever is needed to keep things moving, keep systems operating, while also tending to the emotional needs of the organization, group, or family. Setting ourselves up for burnout and resentment.

That instinct to protect and stabilize, while well-intentioned, can pull us all out of balance. The more we women take control, the less space men feel to re-engage. Our efforts to help can feel disempowering to men who are already on the edge of disengagement.

Control energy, even when born of love or from a need to feel safe, communicates to those around us: “You’re incompetent and incapable.” Especially when delivered through the lens of criticism. This subconscious conditioning results in emasculation, which in turn reinforces the lowering of a man’s testosterone and motivation. The result is a self-perpetuating cycle. A masculine-feminine polarity turned inside out.

Awareness of this loop is the first step toward interrupting it. When we understand the energetic mechanics, physiology, and intuition woven together, we can recalibrate through communication, embodiment, and mutual trust. Men rebuild testosterone through purpose, movement, and autonomy. Women restore our feminine flow through safety, surrender, and trust.

We flip the polarity switch from Catabolic to Anabolic. Testosterone is anabolic. It builds. It fortifies the nervous system, stabilizes mood, and restores the inner architecture of confidence.

Cultivating healthy testosterone is an act of willpower - physical, emotional, and spiritual. It is about reclaiming vitality, presence, and grounded leadership. When men feel rooted in their life force, communities flourish.

Chris will be exploring this balance through both theory and practice: discussion, storytelling, and dharma talks at Root Awakening, paired with strength & mobility training at Mati Yoga Studio. Together, these spaces will bridge inner and outer resilience, helping men return to their natural state of clarity, confidence, and power.

The Brotherhood exists to restore that balance and bring men back into their bodies, their purpose, and their rightful sense of contribution. The modern expression of provider energy through financial means alone is relatively new to our species. For most of human history, men provided by building, protecting, hunting. Picking things up and putting them down.

Ready to lift some kettlebells and enjoy some healthy banter? Chris will be at Monday’s 5:45 p.m. Strength & Mobility with Cote. When you see him just sing the Stonecutter’s song. He’ll know to add you to the Brotherhood mailing list.

Chris is also teaching The Art of the Spine workshop at Mati Yoga Studio on Sunday, November 23rd at 3:00 pm. Come learn about your own body through the lens of someone who has had his deconstructed and reconstructed.

Chris’ connection to this work is deeply personal. In 2015 he broke his back and underwent spinal fusion surgery. That experience transformed the way he approaches movement and taught him the importance of patience, resilience, and mindful care for the body. Nearly ten years later, Chris feels grateful to share the practices that helped him reconnect with his spine and rebuild trust in his movement.

This workshop is accessible to all levels and welcomes anyone looking to improve mobility, release tension, or care for their back in a supportive way.

Let’s honor the 10-year anniversary of that fateful November day with a community deep dive into the Art of the Spine!

Then stay for Restorative & Sound at 6:00 PM. If you join us for morning Yoga at 9:30 AM, it’ll feel like a full-day retreat!

The Sound Bowls are tuned to 432 Hz, a frequency often called the heartbeat of the Earth. Many find it especially grounding and harmonizing to the nervous system. 432 Hz is said to align with the natural vibration of life itself, promoting relaxation, emotional balance, and a sense of connectedness that brings the body, mind, and spirit into coherence. The perfect way to wind down at the end of a day.

Okay, time to cut myself out from making this Newsletter any longer, so I’m just going to include my recent blogpost here. It’s about the true cost of lack of clarity.

We hope you had a magical 11/11 yesterday!

Oh, and Golden Future Book Club is meeting Tuesday, December 9th at 8:00pm via Zoom. Email rachel@feedbackloopcoaching.com if you’d like to join.

Okay, bye!

With love,
Rachel & Chris