We recently had the chance to connect with Lizzie Easton Montes and have shared our conversation below.
Lizzie , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
integrity above all always.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Im Lizzie Easton Montes born & raised in Miami but in 2020 moved to Marshall NC with my husband & 2 sons.We bought 60 acres( 5 min from downtown Marshall,35 min from Asheville) and we built a totally off grid(its a big deal!) mini retreat campus with airbnbs. We have 4 cabins(for sleeping) 2 yurts(one is for yoga, gathering other is a library) a community kitchen & fire pits.
Our mini retreat center is called Sweet Janes Mad Co. it took me 5 years to build this from ground up.In the middle of the process I got a rare cancer called sarcoma & I had to take a 6 month sabbatical to fight & heal(I am 2 years cancer free!) We opened for business one week before hurricane Helene hit us and our beautiful town went completely under water.So needless to say business was slow, we pivoted & housed volunteers & locals that lost their homes.SO we officially opened for business again 2 months ago.It has been quite the journey as you can only imagine but we did it!!!
We dream of people coming up, disconnecting from the world & connecting to the nature.
We are also launching a YouTube channel next week(!!) called Sundays at Sweet Janes which will feature intimate music performances at Sweet Janes by local artists & bands traveling through town. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
That I could FLY!I used to dream I was flying a lot, so much that I would jump off the top of our garage thinking I could fly.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
After journeying through cancer I feel so strongly that you can’t transform/heal or change without true challenge or suffering.You can’t fully appreciate joy unless you have experienced sadness.The most challenging things I have been through in this lifetime have carved me into a better me.i wouldn’t go back & not go through it all knowing where it landed me.(I don’t want to go through it again!)
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
spending time with my family, my friends & in nature. Prayer, music , laughter & good food!
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
That every single second we GET to be alive is a GIFT.
Contact Info:
- Website: www,sweetjanesmadco.com
- Instagram: sweetjanesmadco
- Youtube: Sundays at sweet Janes
