The Florrest - A Living Map of Self Leadership

A few months ago, a group of MBA students studied my business as a case.

During their presentation, they said something simple: I was operating in a saturated market.

That comment created a bolt of awareness inside me.

From the outside, The Florrest might look like another retreat venue. But what has unfolded here is not a venue.

It is a living system for self leadership.

This is the story of how the property and the map revealed themselves.

How The Florrest Was Born

The Florrest did not emerge from a traditional business plan.

Even though I was trained as an economist, completed my MBA at Booth, co founded an internet startup, worked with investment bankers, and later in business recovery with PwC, what guided this was something else.

It grew step by step. One season at a time. One breath at a time.

By asking a simple question: What's next?

Around 2012, several years after I began my personal journey, I saw a vision of creating a retreat center when my children went off to college. That would have placed it after 2027. My heart committed to it.

In 2019, through a hurricane and the need to diversify my investments, The Florrest came into form much sooner than expected.

Through friends, private guests, and retreat groups who came and experienced the land.

Through expansions. Importing the event dome. Building the pavilion and second kitchen. Renovating the pool. Creating the fire pit. Adding spa amenities. Opening trails and bridging the creeks. Resurfacing the domes and parts of the half mile driveway.

It grew through resources that appeared at the right moment: Venue rentals. Private clients. Selling investment properties. Logging revenue. Selling 28 acres to a neighbor. A call to my dad. Selling shares from a long term investment. Always just enough to take the next step.

It also grew through challenges.

Permitting delays. Unexpected obstacles. Moments where support was not present. Traveling to be with my children and family across different states. Situations that asked me to step forward and embody the answer.

Through a deeper desire to create a place where I could evolve, fully participate in my life and share my gifts in a way that felt true.

The forest, the domes, the gathering spaces, and the elements themselves created the conditions for me to be in right relationship with myself, with others and with the living world around me.

The name came one morning, shortly after I purchased the land.

I had been saying I was going to “my forest.” My signature program was Awaken Flow.

It came together naturally.

The Florrest.

When you sit with the name, it reveals itself.

Forest. True to what it is.

Rest. A place to release conditioning and return.

Flow. What emerges when there is clarity and ease.

RR. A quiet roar from within.

The languages I carry also live within it.

Flor. Flower in Spanish.

Floresta. Forest in Portuguese.

Est. East in French. A direction of new beginnings.

I felt the name. Agreed to it. And moved forward.

There were no more questions.

Regeneration

When I first came to see this property, it had been on the market for two years.

There were collapsing structures, piles of debris, and years of accumulated waste left by others. The creeks had crushed culverts that had lost their function. The few trails had disappeared into the density of the forest.

I loved it.

Why?

Because I could see the soul of the place.

I had never lived in the country, managed land, or known anyone in Georgia. But there was an unmistakable yes inside of me. By then, I had learned to trust that voice.

My soul asked:

What is being asked of this moment?

Who am I being called to become?

My business mind asked:

What is the simplest way to begin?

How can this become viable, step by step?

So I started there. We cleared what was no longer serving, restored what could be repaired and built only what was needed next.

Step by step, the land began to breathe again.

Throughout the years, trails were reopened and new ones were carved into the woods. The forest was thinned with loggers so light could reach the ground and create more space for growth. Controlled burns returned nutrients to the soil. Fallen trees were mulched back into the earth.

What once felt dense and forgotten became alive, balanced, and responsive.

Regeneration is not about forcing change. It is about listening, clearing, and creating the conditions for life to return on its own.

Today, the land holds a network of trails, bridges, and gathering spaces.

It does not feel constructed. It feels remembered.

From Pressure to Coherence

When I bought the land in 2019, my life felt like the process of becoming a diamond.

Pressure. Challenges. Refinement. Strength.

The property reflected that. It was shaped like a diamond.

I resonated with that form, and I knew there was deeper work ahead. This new stage of life required clearer values and discernment, stronger boundaries, and deeper resilience. I needed to become unshakable. Detached from external approval and devoted to what I was here to build.

The property was 182 acres. Those numbers had been speaking to me for years. I saw the 8 as infinity and the 2 as duality. In my mind, this translated into a place where the infinite could be embodied on Earth.

In 2023, I chose to sell a portion of the land to a neighbor. It was not an easy decision, yet the outcome revealed it was the right one.

351 Otis Redding Drive. The numbers add to 9. Completion.

What if I sold enough for the final acreage to mirror the address?

153 acres. I sold approximately 28 acres.

Now the intention was embedded in the land itself. The outer landscape mirroring the inner landscape.

I chose to see it. I chose to honor it.

The new shape. A heart.

Once structures are strong and boundaries are clear, pressure is no longer required. The heart can emerge without force, magnetizing what is aligned.

The Florrest holds that transition. From strength through pressure to presence through coherence.

From diamond to heart, with the awareness to navigate life.

The Operating System

In 2017, I traveled to Iceland for a nine day retreat where we studied Sacred Geometry with Scott Olsen.

I am usually a front row student, but that day I sat quietly in the back of the room. As he spoke about geometric patterns in nature, the golden spiral, and the mathematics that organize life, something unexpected happened.

I sat there completely calm, with no emotion, yet tears streamed down my face.

I used the back of my hands to catch them as they fell and whispered to the friend beside me,

“I have no idea what is happening to me.”

It felt as if my body was remembering something.

Sacred geometry describes the patterns through which life organizes itself. From galaxies to flowers, nature builds through relationships of form and proportion.

Some call it the architecture of life. Others describe it as the operating system of creation.

When I purchased The Florrest a few years later, the previous owner gave me the documentation for the geodesic domes he had built using designs popularized by Buckminster Fuller.

Their triangular structure distributes strength across the entire frame, creating a remarkably resilient form capable of withstanding extreme winds, including hurricanes and tornadoes.

Just as nature organizes itself through geometry, each of us carries an original blueprint within.

Spaces like this invite us to remember it and come home to ourselves, again and again.

Structure & Flow

When I first saw the property in 2019, I was in the process of becoming a US citizen and had the opportunity to request a legal name change.

I knew I wanted to move away from Maria Jimena to Mena. For me, it signified integration. A simplification. A balance of masculine and feminine. And A-men.

On the land, there were two geodesic domes. One larger and one smaller one connected by a shared entrance. The domes seemed to reflect that perfectly.

Masculine energy brings structure, direction, focus, and determination. Feminine energy brings receptivity, intuition, creativity, and flow. Leadership requires both.

The domes evolved over time. In 2022, I realized that for me to live here and continue hosting, I needed to create a second kitchen in the smaller dome. What had been a bookshelf and a low ledge became that space. I also transformed a window into a private entrance. The connection between the domes was closed off, soundproofed, and secured, allowing each to function independently.

Now the masculine and feminine were both sovereign.

When these energies inform each other instead of competing, something natural happens. We become more internally balanced. We are no longer pulled into relationships from lack or dependency, searching for someone to supply what we are not embodying.

We meet from wholeness. And from that place, harmonious collaboration becomes possible.

Embodying & Modeling

When I first arrived on the property, there was an incomplete garage near the domes. It was falling apart and had become a dangerous structure with broken glass, heavy beams, nails, and rust.

We removed it, but kept the existing concrete slab. That slab became the foundation for what is now the event dome. I researched and imported a large geodesic dome from Poland and had it assembled there.

On the day the frame was completed, a rainbow stretched across the sky and passed directly through the open structure before the cover was placed over it.

It felt like a quiet blessing over what we were creating.

This space is now called the Harmony Hive. It is where people gather to reconnect with themselves and explore the work they feel called to bring into the world.

Groups are intentionally kept small. When circles are small enough, people can truly see one another.

Noise fades. Conversations deepen. Presence becomes possible.

Leadership does not grow through performance. It grows through intimacy, trust, and shared humanity.

Next to the dome, we built a companion structure. I designed the Vibez Wing to represent the idea that what is cultivated inside the circle ripples outward. Seen from above, it resembles a wifi signal.

What happens here extends far beyond the property. I’ve seen this pattern before.

When I first moved here, there was no reliable internet. Streaming was not an option. Even basic access felt out of reach. At one point, I was quoted an amount that made it clear it would not be happening anytime soon. Then something shifted.

The local electric company expanded broadband into the area and trenched all the way up our half mile driveway!

Around the same time, the road outside the property was resurfaced after years of deterioration.

Moments like these remind me that when we come into alignment internally, the external world sometimes reorganizes as well.

What begins in coherence within a circle can ripple outward into the world, without force.

Belonging & Uniqueness

The rainbow appeared in the sky the day the event dome was assembled. It had also appeared in a dream during my first month at The Florrest.

When I see a rainbow, I think of a prism. One beam of light refracting into many colors. To me, that light represents our shared humanity expressed through different cultures, languages, identities, and ways of living. Each color is unique. Yet they all come from the same source.

Belonging does not mean sameness It means recognizing that every expression has its place within the spectrum.

At The Florrest, this shows up in the spaces.

Each room is grounded in wood, white, and gray, with one color highlighted. The main living room is green, the heart. The second living room is blue, open for communication. The top room holds magenta, the crown. The rest, you can discover.

The rooms invite awareness while honoring boundaries. There is no blue in the green room. No purple in the orange room.

The trails follow the same language. A welcome board maps the land in color, guiding the experience.

Every color has its place. We all belong to the same light.

Over time, I began to notice who this place welcomes. Women. Teams. Retreat leaders. Private clients. Individuals navigating meaningful turning points. Teenagers. Older generations. Even a TV production. People from different cultures and backgrounds.

Nature does not exclude. It meets each person where they are.

As I shaped The Florrest, I created layers of comfort within nature so that it could be accessed in different ways. A level of care that allows people to soften, even if they are not used to the forest.

We meet on the same land, each person a unique refraction of the same light.

Nature as a Mirror

How often do you remember that we are made of this earth?

Bark and fingerprints. Hurricanes and galaxies. Veins and lightning. Eyes and nebulae.

They all point to the same truth.

We are nature.

Beyond beliefs that divide us, there is an intelligence expressed through the elements, the seasons, the animals, and the cycles that shape all life.

The land speaks in symbols, many of which continue to reveal themselves over time. They invite us to observe patterns, to know ourselves, and to refine our signal.

When we created the base for the greenhouse, we oriented it toward the cardinal directions. A quiet way of honoring place.

Air. Breath is our most constant companion. The first act of life. The last one we release. When we become aware of it, we begin to regulate the body.

The forest air carries the subtle chemistry of pine and soil, calming the nervous system and restoring clarity. A simple walk, with intention, can shift everything.

Water moves abundantly here. Three creeks cross the property. Ladders invite you to step into them and be with the elements.

Our water comes from a deep well, filtered and restored. It hydrates, cleanses, and supports the body.

Moving between heat and cold through contrast therapy teaches regulation. Leaders learn to return to center, not through force, but through awareness.

Fire gathers us. Around the fire pit conversations soften. Presence deepens. Something ancient settles when we look into a flame. It is not only warmth, but alchemy and transformation.

Before our fire pit was built, I walked the land and placed a stick where I felt the center should be. When the mason arrived, I went to stand there and the sun aligned precisely with the center and top of the dome. It felt intentional, as if the land was confirming that it was the perfect location for it.

The earth is the ultimate fire in our life, present every day even when i is covered. It's rays and the information it provides are vital for our health.

Earth. The land holds everything. Red clay. Mycelium networks. Pine forests. Hills and creeks. Life regenerates through cycles of decay and renewal.

In 2021, we created a barefoot path. It begins with stone, moves through refinement and balance, and ends in soft sand. At the bottom of it, people can pause to set an intention, and return up all the way to greenhouse, the seed grows and blossoms.

The Florrest sits within the Piedmont, an ancient geological formation hundreds of millions of years old. I grew up in the DC area between the ages of 5-10 and this geology makes it all the way up there.

On a hike, I once asked, “Who placed this sand here?”

Later, I learned that just south of here, the land shifts into younger coastal plains. Nothing was out of place. Two timelines meet here. Ancient foundation and newer formation, coexisting.

This place does not project outward. It brings you back.

Back to yourself.

Animal Messages: The Florrest is a vibrant ecosystem. Deer, turkey, owls, turtles, birds, butterflies, squirrels. Occasionally foxes, coyotes in the distance, raccoons, and rabbits.

Each carries a quality. Often, when people encounter them, they begin to listen.

One night, driving through the trails, I came across a baby owl perched on a low branch and stayed there for a long time. Owls remind me of perspective. The ability to see in the dark. To turn fully. To move with clarity.

There is also a place where the creek parts and then rejoins, forming a small island. We found several turtle shells there. I began to call it Turtle Island.

Years later, I learned that many Indigenous traditions refer to this land in the same way. It felt like a quiet confirmation. Turtles move slowly, steadily. They carry their home with them. They know when to extend and when to withdraw.

Clear boundaries. Inner stability. At home within their own structure.

Boundaries

I studied economics in college, and one concept stayed with me.

Externalities. We are free to act, until our actions begin to negatively impact others. Freedom exists in relationship.

That understanding became real as I began building The Florrest.

During the permitting process, I was given a clear condition. This land could not become a source of disturbance. No large gatherings. No noise or lights that would disrupt the surrounding environment. It was still a full body yes for me.

The Florrest is not designed for festivals or volume. It is designed for small, intentional gatherings. Quiet hours are not a restriction. They are part of the integrity of this place.

But boundaries were not only external. They had to be learned internally.

When I first bought the property, friends of a friend moved in. There was no agreement. No structure. No exchange. They began to take over the kitchen, the rhythm of the home, and the energetic space of what was happening here. And I allowed it.

Until I couldn’t.

That was my first real boundary. To recognize that what is mine is mine.

When I re-established that, they were offended. They questioned how I could build community while holding such a clear line.

But I learned something essential.

Without boundaries, there is no true community. Only diffusion, confusion, and eventually resentment.

After that, I walked the entire perimeter of the land. Not metaphorically. Physically. I marked it. Installed gates. Defined entry points.

There had been people who entered freely. Hunters. Neighbors. At one point, someone drove in with a beer in hand, as if this were open land.

It is not.

I defined it with clarity to protect the integrity of the land and my own.

Inside the domes, another layer revealed itself.

There was confusion around my role during retreat rentals. Some people wanted more of me. Others felt overwhelmed by my presence. The issue was not preference. It was lack of clarity.

Now it is simple. You either rent the venue and I am not involved. Or you are fully supported by me.

Clarity creates safety. This is self leadership: To know what you want. To express it clearly. To honor what is yours, and what is not. Without apology. Without aggression. With presence.

This lesson lives in my work and in my life.

There was a time when I felt I had lost my role as a co parent. When my children went to live with their father, I experienced a deep sense of separation. Over time, something deeper revealed itself. Nothing could take away my connection to them. That relationship exists beyond circumstance. And in that realization, I returned to center.

The Florrest is an extension of that truth.

A place where I can be fully expressed in my many dimensions. Where different aspects of me meet different people, at different moments, without needing to collapse into one version.

Structure makes that possible. Boundaries are not walls. They are the conditions that allow something real to exist.

Returning to Center

When you pass the gate and enter The Florrest, the driveway leads directly to the core of the land where the domes are located.

In the early years, I was open to many types of experiences. Families, yoga retreats, bachelorette gatherings, private clients, corporate teams, wellness days, even a production for an international TV show.

It was expansive. And it was unfocused.

The paradox is that wandering reveals the through line. It shows you what is not aligned so you can recognize what is. Each return brings you closer to center.

When I first arrived in Georgia, I moved with care. This is part of the bible belt, and I was not sure how my work would be received. I placed the property at the forefront and kept my deeper work more private.

Still, clients found me.

While tending to the land and hosting experiences, I continued developing my work. I also spent over a year building an app for my framework, months creating a deck of cards, and continued learning, refining, and immersing myself in experiences that expanded my capacity.

Over time, the world shifted.

COVID left its mark. The acceleration of AI began to change how people think, work, and relate. More individuals and teams started seeking something deeper. Not more pressure, but more coherence. Not more effort, but more aligned energy.

In the past six months, something has clarified. I have returned to the center of my own sanctuary. To live here. To guide from here.

When the center becomes clear, life reorganizes around it.

Access to The Florrest now begins through our website. It is a clear entry point. From there, aligned clients, meaningful collaborations, and opportunities emerge naturally.

Not from chasing. From coherence.

It took me six years to bring all of this into alignment. Every step, every challenge, every person who crossed this path has shaped what exists today. I am deeply grateful.

The Florrest is a living sanctuary. A landscape that reflects the path back to the core of who we are.

Just as this land has gone through its own process of regeneration, we can do the same.

We can create the conditions for what we carry within to take root and grow.

From that coherence, individuals become grounded, clear, and fully expressed.

And from there, they contribute to something greater.

If this resonates, you are welcome to explore.

www.theflorrest.com

Thank you for being here and for reading to the end.

Warmly,

Mena