In this exclusive interview, we delve into the inspiring journey of Amie Mignatti, a visionary entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to connecting women with themselves, nature, and each other. Amie’s path began with a broken heart that led her to find solace and healing in the beauty of nature. Through her experiences and training in wilderness education, she discovered a profound connection between personal growth and the natural world, which ultimately shaped her mission to create transformative experiences for others. Join us as Amie shares her insights on overcoming challenges, the importance of authenticity in business, and the profound impact of nature on personal well-being and growth.
Can you share with us your personal journey that led you to create Amie Mignatti? What inspired you to embark on this path of connecting women to themselves, nature, and each other?
Almost 15 years ago I suffered from a broken heart. I had recently moved to Germany (I’m originally from Texas) after traveling the world for several years and fell in love with a man who showed me the beauty of southern Europe- the Alps, mountain lakes, and forests. We spent a lot of time hiking and camping and the immense beauty of the landscape took hold of my heart. After several years our relationship fell apart, leaving me listless and without purpose.
In order to heal myself, I continued to spend every free minute in nature and I realized, after some time, that it not only healed my heart but opened me up to a world much greater than myself. As nature breathed life back into me, I also understood that I didn’t have to continue to live life the way that I had been living for so long. I was working in a 40+ hour week job, was not at all happy in it, and began to dream about creating a life that was on my terms, doing what I loved and what made me truly happy.
During this time, I enrolled in a three-year Wilderness Education training where I developed a deeper connection to nature, learned about leading groups outdoors, spent countless hours around the campfire listening and speaking from my heart, and soon realized that this is how I’d like to live my own life.
I then began, slowly, leading women’s circles in nature, hosting 4-day personal development retreats outdoors, leading week-long yoga and hiking trips in the French Alps, and founded my own business offering nature experiences.
I have found that there is a great need for people to connect in a different sort of space. A space that is connected to the heart, to nature and our inner nature. My courses, workshops, and retreats offer people a space that forges this connection, enables them to tap into their hearts and to open up to their potential.
What were some of the significant struggles or challenges you faced while establishing and growing your business/creative project? How did you overcome them?
Being an American in the German system was the first challenge I encountered. When I began my business, my German was really bad and I didn’t understand how things worked. I enlisted the help of countless friends, took business courses, and began to understand the tax system, the healthcare system, and how Germans work.
I also realized, quite quickly, that self-employment required a ton of discipline. It did not mean that my days were free for lunches, hanging out with friends, or traveling. It meant that I had to put time in daily in order to grow my business.
I learned how to use social media, which I wasn’t such a fan of, and I had to put myself out into the world. This was a scary step. As much as I think I wanted to be seen, really doing this meant that I was vulnerable and subject to criticism. This required me to allow myself to open up to not just positive feedback, but also to negative criticism.
In the beginning, I often wondered if my business would work. Would people really want to join me? Would they sign up for retreats? There were retreats and courses that I had to cancel because of not enough sign-ups and I had to be okay with this. I had two choices- either give up or keep going. I reflected on why I had to cancel things- what could I do differently? Was my message communicated clearly? Did people know about my offers? I still reflect on these questions when I put up an offer and make sure that I am consistent in my offers, that I show the value that they hold, and that they reach as many people as possible.
Pricing is also an area that has been a struggle. As my business has grown, so have my prices. This also means that the people whom I am offering my courses/retreats to has changed. In the beginning, I allowed people to pay whatever they wished. Sometimes this worked out, sometimes it didn’t. I realized that if I want to make a living doing this work, then my prices have to reflect the value of what I offer and who I am. Having higher prices means I reach a different market, and I need to market myself in this bracket. This has been an area that I have grown into because again the questions of “will it work/will they come” come up for me.
Can you share a specific moment or experience that taught you a valuable lesson about yourself or your work? How did that shape your approach moving forward?
Last year I held a 4 day outdoor retreat with a girlfriend of mine. We allowed the participants to pay what they wished for the value it held for them. The organization of a retreat like this was enormous, it required a lot of preparation and the days during the retreat were very long. At the end of the retreat, we made about 5 EUR per hour for all of our work. I was quite sad and felt that I was not seen, my work was not valued, and that what I was doing wasn’t worth it.
It was then that I decided that this price module wasn’t working for me. I was allowing others to have amazing experiences while sacrificing my own self. To be able to give from my heart, with all that I have and all of my own experience and training, I needed to price my retreats at a much higher value. I was scared to do this because…again- “what if it doesn’t work/what if people don’t come”….but I was no longer willing to offer myself and my services for less.
This put me into a new client market, which then reflected the value I placed on myself and my work. And…it’s worked. I now have higher-priced offerings and people are coming to them. It was a lesson in self-worth, self-belief, and self-value.
What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs or creators who are passionate about making a positive impact but may be facing doubts or obstacles along the way?
I would say that you need to be clear about what you want to offer and why. What is the purpose behind your offerings? What value do you have to offer? Do you want to do this full time and if so, your prices must be able to support and sustain your lifestyle so that you can give everything you have.
Do not compare yourself to others. Do understand the market but remember that you are unique, what you are offering is unique and create from your own heart space- not with what you think others want. When we compare ourselves to others, we arel not tapping into the value of our own work. We often think that others are better/more experienced than ourselves, which leads us down a negative spiral of self-doubt. This is not the place that you want to create from.
How do you incorporate your own personal values and beliefs into your business/creative project? How important is authenticity in your work?
Everything that I offer comes from my own heart and what I believe in. There is no other way for me to be than to be exactly who I am and to offer what is important to me. I believe in connection, in nature’s healing powers, and in creating and holding a space for others to be free to explore their own selves. I teach only what I know and what I have experienced.
What role do you believe nature plays in fostering personal growth and well-being, especially for women?
Nature is a mirror for all of our personal experiences. Once we allow ourselves to be in nature, without electronics or having to accomplish something, when we can really sit in stillness, there is a connection that we establish that goes beyond the physical experience. Nature is living and when we tap into the life force, we can source the answers to our questions through this connection. We realize that we are not alone, that there is a bigger force at play and we can surrender parts of ourselves to this.
Women have a lot of roles that they take on in life- caregivers, nurturers, wives, mothers, sisters, daughters and most of us also work outside of our homes. By taking time away from all of these responsibilities and tapping into our heart space, in nature, we can source strength, compassion, and a deeper sense of being held and carried by our own mother, the Earth. This helps us to put things in perspective, to be able to understand what our boundaries are- what we want more of and less of, and how to find the balance and the personal freedom that we desire and need in our own lives.
Can you share a story of a particularly inspiring or transformative experience that one of your clients or followers had through your work?
I was leading a hiking trip through the mountains of France with a group of women. We came upon a particularly tricky snow patch that we had to navigate to get up to the other side of the mountain. One woman was very afraid of falling and of not being able to make it. The group helped her, held her arms, spoke to her with encouraging words and we all ascended the peak together.
At the end of the retreat, she shared how she realized that her fear of getting to the top was a reflection of herself in her job. She was unhappy in it, she didn’t feel she could do it and she didn’t like the role she was in. By summiting the mountain, she realized that all of the power she had was within her and that she didn’t need to be doing this job because it (and her own fear) was holding her back.
She went home, spoke with her boss, and quit her job. He asked her what her ideal job would be and created a position in the company for her where she had more freedom and was able to do the work she loved. She attributed it to the snow field on the mountain and the nature coaching.
How do you balance the demands of running a business/creative project with taking care of your own well-being and staying connected to your own heart?
I am very disciplined in how I work. I set a daily schedule for myself and do not work past when my daughter comes home from school. Since much of my work is on the weekends and taking full weeks away, I make sure that I don’t overbook myself and I schedule my vacations/free time each month. I make a yearly plan for when I will work and what I will offer, I check in with my husband and my daughter’s school schedule and make sure that I am present for her and our family.
This gives me a clear structure to work within. I make my family my priority and then my work. This makes things much easier for me because I build in the time with them, for myself, and for my work.
What are your future goals and visions for Amie Mignatti? How do you see your work evolving in the coming years?
I would like to grow my business offering more than just personal weekend/week-long retreats. My vision is to work with companies, offering men and women nature-based experiences so that companies can find a way to connect with each other in nature and use nature as a space for growth and development. I believe that companies need to find new ways of working with each other- involving more listening, taking care of the planet, addressing burnout, and the role of the person within the context of the company.
I would also like to write more and inspire young people to be the guardians and caretakers of the Earth by making personal development and interpersonal connection more accessible.
Lastly, what does success mean to you personally, and how do you measure it in your journey with Amie Mignatti?
Success to me is knowing that I have inspired, helped, and given people the ability to tap into their potential. I measure my success by being able to give people a beautiful connection to nature that inspires them to take more care of the planet and themselves. These connections ripple much further than we can see and are a way that we can have a more harmonious, peaceful, and connected planet.
My wish is that by creating spaces in nature for people to understand themselves on a deeper and better level will bring about an awareness for the next generation that will foster loving relationships and bring about more compassion.
