We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tami Herbst. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tami below.

Tami, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I have taken several significant financial risks in business over the years, but it wasn’t until 2015 that I faced a major personal risk when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead of opting for conventional medicine, I decided to focus on natural healing methods. My diagnosis was confirmed through mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies. After consulting with three surgeons who recommended surgery, radiation, and tamoxifen, I chose to undergo genetic testing, particularly because my sister was also diagnosed with breast cancer around the same time and opted for a double mastectomy. The results showed that neither of us carried the BRCA gene, which was a crucial revelation for me. The genetic counselors explained that only a small percentage of my cancer risk was genetic, while the majority was due to unknown factors and environmental influences. This realization prompted me to delve into the reasons behind my illness, explore potential solutions, and embrace cancer as a teacher in my life.

I developed my own healing protocols, delved into unfamiliar territory, and committed to trusting the process. After spending countless hours researching on my computer, I reached a point where I sought guidance from a higher source and vowed to do whatever it took to regain my health. This journey marked a significant awakening for me, transforming me into a different person who now cherishes life’s beauty. My ongoing quest for holistic well-being, spiritual awareness, and internal peace has shaped my current lifestyle and even influenced my business endeavors. I sought ways to share my newfound knowledge without assuming the role of a traditional teacher, and I realized that simply “being” myself was the most authentic form of instruction.

Today, I am filled with gratitude, love, light, peace, happiness, health, and abundance, constantly in awe of the world around me. I have gained a fresh perspective and a deep sense of hope, having transformed a life-threatening risk into a richer and more meaningful existence. I now live fearlessly, understanding that we are infinite beings, embodying the most genuine version of myself. Embracing optimal well-being has given me a profound sense of purpose, a deeper appreciation for the human experience, and a heightened compassion for humanity, the Earth, and the universe. By turning adversity into an opportunity to learn and grow, I have embarked on a continuous journey of self-discovery and exploration.

Tami, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am, first and foremost, a creative person. I have been a performer all my life, but I also have equal parts business sense and a pristine way of presenting myself and my projects to the world. I had always worked “for another person” and prided myself on being the best support system I could be. It came naturally, and I was happy to be the best team player. I was a people pleaser and a dreamer. However, I mainly operated out of dysfunction from unresolved emotions and trauma and old ways of being that no longer served my higher self. I was doing the best I knew how, but I did not know how to be different. My parents taught me beautiful skills to live a good life externally, but I knew nothing about operating from within, and I came from a family of emotional squashers. My freedom was on stage, but I was bound in every other way. I lived by rules, regulations, boundaries, stereotypes, inequalities, and outdated belief systems. My dysfunction afforded me lots of life experience and a lot of life lessons the hard way. I was a beautiful mess living how I thought “I should” with good jobs, family, a boyfriend, and a cool side gig as a band musician. I had big dreams, but I didn’t know how to “get there.” I woke up every morning as a stressed-out person who ended up with cancer. I made a radical choice to heal myself naturally and parlayed this experience into what is my business today, SolFlo Life, an urban retreat center in the city of Chicago that provides a safe space for people to explore their own awakening and adapt to a holistic lifestyle.

When people come to SolFlo Life, they are immersed in a variety of holistic experiences for optimal well-being. No matter who steps in here, they are able to step out of their hectic lives and illuminate the light in them. When you inspire change within, it ignites the world. As we lead with love, we create a beautiful butterfly effect. SolFlo’s rituals and routines help you relax, find balance, and improve your overall well-being. It’s important to set aside time each day or week to focus on yourself and reduce stress. Taking care of yourself is essential for maintaining a healthy mind and renewing your spirit. At SolFlo Life, we offer experiences that utilize energy, sound, light, color, aromatherapy, herbs, plants, and nature to promote well-being. Our signature experience is the Energy Room, designed to provide a rejuvenating power nap using frequency to maximize cellular energy output and facilitate the body’s self-healing process. The energy room houses a very robust form of energy medicine in the form of computers via the Energy Enhancement system. It is a Sacred Space to Let Go and Just Be, to breathe, and to Nourish. We support people in going within and connecting deeply to the true essence of who we are.

SolFlo Life is the key to a harmonious life: finding peace within yourself and caring for your whole being. When we care for our mind, emotions, physical body, energetic body, and spirit, we can harmonize and easily create a wonderful human experience within the universal flow. This allows us to cultivate optimal well-being by surrendering, accepting, and expressing ourselves uniquely. Living within freedom, love, happiness, purpose, fulfillment, and a deep sense of connection leads to our happiness and good health. Self-love, self-understanding, embracing ourselves as creators, and pursuing our dreams are key to our potential for happiness and well-being. Focusing on the presence of love supports a joyful journey where we embrace our true selves and accept our unique identities. Finding our personal flow leads to a wonderful experience, just as life was meant to be.

As the curator and owner, I am dedicated to inspiring positive change. I believe in leading with love and supporting people’s well-being by teaching them how to heal from within. This belief was shaped through my personal experience with cancer. The diagnosis served as a significant turning point in my life, leading me on a beautiful journey of self-discovery and adventure. I took it upon myself to advocate for my well-being and discovered a newfound personal power and a world of possibilities. My goal is to encourage others to recognize the light within themselves, be courageous, and lead from the heart. Our human metamorphosis is a wondrous journey that allows us to learn about ourselves and how to cultivate a joyful life and well-being at any stage of life. The concept of Holism can guide us toward achieving overall well-being by comprehending our existence and mastering ourselves. Embracing our complete selves can lead us to a better life.

SolFlo’s mission is to help individuals on their personal journey by offering a variety of choices and opportunities that can bring new freedoms and experiences into their lives. Through joining the private membership association, SolFlo Life, you can gain access to inspiration for proactive self-care and personal growth. The ultimate goal is to make a lasting positive impact on humanity by promoting unity, freedom, love, compassion, and joy. The aim is to empower individuals to live life on their own terms with unconditional self-love and to turn their dreams into reality by overcoming fear. Think of SolFlo as a guide that demonstrates the abundance and wonder of the world, showing that we can live in harmony with one another.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

In the age of social media and the internet, for the first nine months, I dedicated each day to creating videos and creative content to generate likes, funnel marketing, drive sales and retention, raise awareness, educate, and stay relevant. However, it became evident that the people who were converting into customers were those with whom I had physically interacted by talking to them on the phone, texting them, responding to their email queries, and being available to listen. I personally greet everyone at the door, engage in conversation, allow them to settle in for their appointments, check in with them, and let them savor their experience until they are ready to leave. Many of them even express a desire to stay longer, saying “I wish I could live here.” Everyone leaves feeling peaceful and loved. I am witnessing the beautiful connections we can build as humans and recognizing the significance of these profound connections. I am understanding the power behind genuine mindfulness and conscious living, being truly present for one another. Everyone senses this holistic community growing within SolFlo, and it is also supported by facilitators and light workers who use it for their own rejuvenation and participate in our ambassador program, which offers substantial discounts for utilizing services, opportunities to host their own workshops, and encourages them to bring in new clients. I deeply value these light workers and always treat them as VIPs. I am filled with gratitude to call this my new tribe. We are like-minded individuals now supporting one another on our respective journeys. We come together to collaborate and create wonderful magic that helps humanity evolve into a freedom that sparks a beautiful human experience.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

You have to appreciate a good pivot into the unknown. I have pivoted in both personal and professional endeavors, which felt scary but thrilling at the same time. I always came out on top and as a better version of myself. In business, the pivots led to changes in my profession and had side effects that required me to become extra frugal with my spending, and adjust my lifestyle to accommodate less income. It usually involved a significant purge of many physical belongings, which I then reimagined and used as gifts to give back to the universe.

However, my biggest pivot was personal, as I transformed into a new version of myself following my cancer diagnosis. It felt as though I pivoted from bondage to death to life. This time, the purge was of my internal and external world. I let go of everything, or at least I think I have. I am working on purging my ego 100%, perhaps that’s the last thing? I guess anything is possible. Imagine what that entails, what it feels like, and what it can possibly result in.

I have let go of physical possessions, toxic behaviors, human connections, jobs, relationships, thoughts, beliefs, rules, regulations, dreams, goals, addictions, people, the need to be right, controlling tendencies, stress, perspectives, and even money. It feels like continuously releasing, accepting, surrendering, trusting, turning inward, and flowing into higher consciousness, letting everything pass through me creatively. I believe this is what it means to be “woke” – it’s not just about mindfulness and consciousness, but truly living in oneness with everything, turning life into a playground instead of a competitive game.

I welcome pivots because I know that we are here to be creators, and I trust that the universe has my back every moment. I understand that if I let my higher self lead, everything will fall into place. In this way, everything is okay, and life can be experienced with ease in the world, and it is absolutely beautiful. So let’s keep pivoting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.solflolife.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solflolife
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tami.c.herbst
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/solflo-life-chicago

Image Credits

these were all photos taken by me