Sarah Waylett, Dreamgarten Founder, is Empowering People to Navigate a New Way of Working

This blog post is part of our “Shop Talk” founder series, which celebrates Word of Web clients as we dive into what drives them and how they embrace the entrepreneurial spirit.

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Tell us about Dreamgarten. What’s your elevator pitch?

Dreamgarten gives people the tools and techniques needed to learn a completely new way of working. My approach is based on mindfulness and design thinking, which allows people to connect with themselves and others in a deeper, more meaningful way. It empowers people to take the mask off and show up authentically from the heart and body. I help people unpack issues and navigate decisions in new, creative ways by putting people at the epicenter of problem solving.

What sparked the idea behind your company? How did it come to fruition?

I’m a recovering perfectionist with severe anxiety and was seeking a way to deal with how that showed up in my own body and brain. I spent a lot of my career leading design-thinking sessions for high-level executives at a Fortune 100 company. At the same time, I was trying to find ways to be more present in my own life. I began to study Qoya Dance, which is a movement system that allows you to connect with yourself and free your mind and body through dance.

I started experimenting and discovered that I could use Qoya and design thinking in my own life to unpack personal challenges one sticky note at a time. From there, everything began to take shape. I asked a trusted group of women to experiment with me and join me on this journey. It was not only life changing for me to facilitate our sessions, but it also significantly changed their lives, too. They used the tools and methods they learned to make meaningful changes in the ways they were working and living. That’s when I knew I had something real to share.

What unique gap does your work fill?

A lot of people in my space talk about burnout and mental health, which can be really powerful on its own. But, my work gives people and teams real tools, not just talk. I offer tips, tricks, and techniques rooted in cognitive science to empower people to make positive change in their lives. I’m offering a real methodology to help people manage, recover from, or prevent burnout, which I define as the unconscious act of ruining one’s health through consistent overwork. We learn how to get back into balance with mindfulness and use design thinking techniques to navigate decisions in a healthier way.

What are the most challenging and most rewarding parts of what you do?

I’m not a sales personby nature, so one of my biggest challenges as an entrepreneur is running the day-to-day business. The work is amazing because I know how to do it, but the challenge comes with trying out new tools, getting leads, knowing how to close those leads, and investing a lot of time in learning new things.

The most rewarding part is the work itself! Even if I’m having a bad day, as soon as I meet with a client and we start moving our bodies and using these tools, I instantly feel better. The actual work is very sacred to me.

Where would you like to see your business in 5 years?

I’m in the conscious act of dreaming that up right now! I’m actually living the dream I had 2.5 years ago and it’s so beautiful. I’d really love to create a workbook that my clients can engage and interact with. I’d love to do more workshops as well!

What’s the best advice and worst advice you’ve ever gotten?

The worst advice is something I see everyday — it’s this idea of hustling. Consistently overworking tothe point of burnout? Wedon’t have to do that. Sometimes when we hustle and chase something we think we need or want, we end up compromising our values and not feeling great about it in the end. We’ve bought into this idea that we have to overwork in pursuit of a goal and that’s just not healthy or productive.

The best advice I’ve gotten was from my mentor, Jennifer. About 7 years ago, I was working with a career coach and really enjoyed it. I felt like I would be good at it and thought maybe I needed some kind of certification or lots of expensive training. She told me that I was a natural and already had what I needed in me. I didn’t need to spend a lot of time or money to get what I already had. That was really the seed that allowed me to imagine what this life could look like. I think it’s about tuning into yourself and deciding to take action.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned since starting your own business?

Things are never going to go the way you think! Businesses are creative entities — and sometimes they can have a mind of their own. It may go left when you want to go right. Just follow along, experiment, learn, and redirect where you can.

What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs just starting out?

Test, test, test! It’s so important to be really clear before you fully dive in — you need to know what it is you offer and what gap you’re filling in the market. When I started, I had the methods and a core set of techniques — and testing gave me the confidence to make the jump. It also gave me valuable feedback and evidence that what I was doing really worked. So, be sure to make space for testing and experimenting!

What about your work are you most proud of?

The moments! Giving my clients the tools they need to move out of the shadow and into the light! Helping people actually feel the difference in their minds and bodies as they release the things that have been weighing them down is so powerful.

Ready to discover a new way to navigate your career through mindfulness and proven design-thinking techniques? Schedule your call with Sarah here, explore her unique service offerings, follow her journey on LinkedIn, and reset your mind and body with her Qoya dance breaks on TikTok.

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