Today we’d like to introduce you to Tania Welch.
Tania, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am a mama, wellness teacher, writer and founder of Intent Space.
My life, as I know it now, began after a great tragedy. On September 29th, 2003, I learned that my husband had been killed in a car accident. Life as I once knew and recognized suddenly became unrecognizable and unbearable. I was 32 years old, mama to an 18-month old little boy and I was now a widow. Not at all, how I had envisioned my life! As l limped through my days, it became quite clear to me that I had a decision to make… either be defeated or live the life I desired with courage, intention, and great joy!
I CHOSE THE LATTER.
How it began…
A virtual space which I named indobay became an expression of my journey… my journey from grief and uncertainty to resilience, and deep, soul happiness derived from living a creative, intentional life aligned with what mattered most. Living within the spirit of indobay helped me to re-connect with myself, pay exquisite attention to my life and my choices and navigate towards the best life for myself and my family.
Over time, I rekindled a love affair with my soul’s purpose. I felt deeply called to EXPAND in all directions.
In December 2017, Intent Space, a conscious space to gather, was born. Intent Space exists to support folks in cultivating a deeper sense of Wellness. We believe that wellness does not have to look or feel one certain way. Come as you are and feel free to just be you.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh, I could say so much about this!
I can’t say that the road has always been smooth but in retrospect, I’m grateful for it all.
I’m certain that my journey required for me to have multiple experiences-the good, the bad and all the in-betweens. That can be difficult to understand when you are younger and going through it. However, I see every challenge or perceived obstacle as truly an opportunity to get super creative, and super clear.
I think my biggest struggles were the fears, doubts, and lack of trust in myself especially around launching Intent Space. I had a vision but I didn’t necessarily have a clear plan. We are bombarded with so many “shoulds” or messaging about the “right” way to create something. It can be incredibly scary moving forward in a way that feels right for you even when it doesn’t always make sense to others. Luckily, I have acquired many tools along the way that helped me to gain clarity, courage and shift the beliefs that didn’t serve my vision and mission. AND, it helps that I also have an amazing husband who supports me constantly on so many levels!
If I could give one piece of advice to women it would be to, “Be BOLDLY you!” As women, we are innately intuitive, nurturing, receptive. In our society, these qualities have not always been celebrated and encouraged, ESPECIALLY in the business scene. Although, I do think that is shifting.
These innate qualities are our SUPERPOWERS! Yes, take action on things that are correct for you and aligned with your vision and beliefs and at the same time, honor your intrinsic, feminine gifts. You will receive all types of advice from well-meaning people about how to run or structure your life, business, etc. In the end, only you know what’s right for you and your vision. Take time daily to discover who you are, fiercely believe in yourself and practice being YOU!
We’d love to hear more about Intent Space.
I am a wellness teacher and advocate, writer and the founder of Intent Space. At Intent Space, we offer a small selection of on-going classes and various monthly events and experiences that are meant to cultivate clarity, creativity and a deep sense of community.
I am honored to provide a platform to share offerings by wellness professionals and creatives whose work embodies a spirit of groundedness, and authenticity.
My hope and intention is to support people in living simply, and consciously in all areas of their lives, collaborating with people that inspire me, and sharing that with the world.
Besides creating and taking care of all that is required with Intent Space some of my most fulfilling work has been nurturing the visions and dreams of other women. Currently, I facilitate a private leadership group which I will eventually offer in some capacity virtually.
We have conversations where we explore ways to create new structures and ideas around abundance and what it means to be a leader, in particular in the Wellness Space. I love having conversations that, hopefully, shift and evolve our concepts around success. I’m also constantly inspired to find out of the box ways of exchanging value and doing business in a way that requires us to move away from competition and instead work together to create new economics around the community and shared purpose.
In addition, I’m currently working on a writing project. I don’t know exactly what it will look like just yet but I’m ready to take my words out of my many, many notebooks and into the world!
I’m proud of so much that we’ve been able to accomplish in only a year and a half. However, one thing that sticks out to me is the deeply meaningful relationships being built here. It is very common to have a class end and for folks to linger for quite some time afterwards. There are real human connections taking place! We’ve even had one romantic relationship sparked at Intent! I”m incredibly grateful to have a small part in fostering community in this way.
I think that folks first come to Intent Space because aesthetically it’s a little different from other Wellness Spaces here in St. Petersburg. I intentionally designed the space to provide a warm and modern approach to the wellness aesthetic. But what I believe keeps folks coming back is the deep experiences and the integrity of what we are creating here. It’s palpable and it’s that energy that folks can feel!
Which women have inspired you in your life?
Women as a collective inspire me constantly! Our capacity to show up for ourselves, our families, our work and so much more is truly awe-inspiring. It’s really the “everyday” woman that fuels the motivation to do the work I do, in particular, reminding women that when they take care of themselves it’s really a way to take care of everyone they hold dear.
Somewhat of a cliche but Oprah Winfrey has always been a huge inspiration for me. She is an example of someone who has had a profound, positive impact on the lives of so many. What I love is that she accomplished this by being true to herself and her vision.
One other woman who in more recent years has been a been a big influence on me is a yoga teacher and author, Elena Brower. I remember coming across her work around 2015 and devouring all her online yoga classes, and anything that she shared online. The way she taught was so beautiful with very clear intentions for each class. I knew that was the way I wanted to share yoga and wellness. She became an inspiring reflection of what was possible!
Being a lover of words, Cleo Wade is a young woman who I’ve very recently discovered. I so admire how she is creating art with words that uplift and shifts the consciousness of humanity on many levels. She’s a great example of a young woman who is creating a positive ripple in the world, doing work she loves and at the same time is profitable. You really can do deep, meaningful work and earn great money for it!
Contact Info:
- Address: 327 11th Avenue N, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
- Website: www.intentspace.com
- Phone: 407-301-1800
- Email: connect@intentspace.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intent_space/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intentspacestpete/
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
