The Shift in Jaime
When I started Harmony Garden Music Therapy Services nearly 20 years ago, I never imagined where the journey would lead.
By 2019, our team was thriving - five music therapists strong, contracts growing, and my dream of building a sustainable practice with schedule flexibility and a supportive team of amazing women was finally becoming reality. I was loving it.
And then the world shut down.
COVID forced me to pivot in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Overnight, I had to lay off nearly my entire staff, keeping only one employee who depended on the company to make ends meet. Together, we moved everything online - from early childhood music classes with 80+ kids on Google Meet, to telehealth sessions, to YouTube videos and constantly shifting COVID policies. I worked in an eerily quiet downtown office, speaking into screens while the streets outside sat empty. PPP funds allowed me to bring the team back for a time, but the constant uncertainty was exhausting.
As we slowly returned to in-person services - PPE, face shields, daily COVID tests, temperature checks, endless policies - I kept pushing forward. Outwardly, I looked like I had it together. But inside, I was unraveling. My nervous system was fried. I was living in fight, flight, and/or freeze. My voice was faltering, my hair was falling out, my body was buzzing with stress. I didn’t feel like myself anymore.
So, I turned back to music.
This time for me. I sought out music therapy for myself (GIM with a MT-BC in Ann Arbor), sound healing, meditation, and anything that might bring me back into balance. A Google search led me to Kimberly Joy Iolana Rieli and her Singing for Your Wild Soul course - what I thought would be a sound healing course turned into a nine-month journey of self-discovery with a circle of women from across the country. Through breath-work, mindfulness, yoga, and vocal exploration, I began reconnecting with my own inner voice, my energy, and the woman I had been too busy to see.
It didn’t happen overnight. I have been working actively on this for three years now. But slowly, I found my way back to me. With the support of that women’s community and the LOCAL Fellows program at Lean Rocket Lab, I began to rebuild my life and my business - this time with intention. I’ve slowly trained my team to work without me at the center. I learned to advocate for myself. I stopped hiding my voice. I started choosing what I wanted, not just what I thought was required of me.
Now, I see my story more clearly: I am more than Harmony Garden, and Harmony Garden is more than me.
I can celebrate 20 years of building a thriving practice while also stepping into new roles - coach, consultant, sound healer, performer, and guide. I’m here to follow the nudges, honor my curiosity, and continue building not just businesses, but a life that feels sustainable, aligned, and true.
Most of all, I know I’m not alone. So many women in their 40s wake up one day and realize they’ve been living as “mom,” “wife,” “business owner,” “therapist” - but have forgotten themselves in the process. I’ve been there. And I’m finding my way through. Today, I’m committed to telling my story, using my voice, and reminding other women, parents, and creatives that it’s never too late to reclaim yourself and create the life you want.
