We want to highlight the unique and impactful truth that our Windhorse Elder Care business is a woman-owned, women-led organization. We want to take this opportunity to celebrate our warrior-hearted leader, owner and director, our “Mama Mare” Jyoti Sharp.
Emily: Jyoti, can you please share with me about your inspiration to start Windhorse Elder Care back in 2000?
Jyoti: It was more of a process of discovering than a singular moment, but I can trace it back to a significant loss of my fiancé and great love when he was 39 and I was 35. It was a very sudden loss. It broke my heart wide-open. As painful as it was, I wanted to keep my heart that open. I gained the clarity that I needed my career to be dedicated to “soul work” after that experience, work that fed me, was nourishing to me, and where I could be of benefit. (Jyoti thoughtfully wanted to add that she has found her next life/soul partner now, after years of doing this good work… someone in her life that is nourishing her soul in the ways her fiancé did and surprising new ways too. His name is Mark.)
Emily: How does having a leadership circle comprised of mostly women influence the outcomes of this business?
Jyoti: The world needs more sacred feminine energy. This is what we do best to embody in our circles at WEC… it’s not necessarily gender-specific, but the sacred feminine energies of nourishing and compassion that are so healing. I believe the world will be in a better place when the sacred feminine is much stronger and is in balance with the sacred masculine.
Having female leadership has been a natural outcome of choosing this healing work. Others from the outside-in point to this as a unique quality about WEC… I hear it a lot… that our organization feels kind. Again, not necessarily gender-specific… but we do hold an intention as a community to tap into deep feminine strength.
Emily: What are some of your favorite things about this company’s culture that you’ve been so integral in creating over the years?
Jyoti: The kindness that we show to one another, our clients and family members. We try to lead with that. I love that Windhorse really feels like a community too. Of course our clients are our primary focus and our teachers, but we also support, guide, learn from and live/work with each other intimately… like an intentional community.
Emily: What would you like to say to our staff during this, Women’s History Month?
Jyoti: Just try to keep opening your heart more and more.