Empowered: Why I Created This Space…

By Andrea Sacco, Founder of You Empower Tomorrow

When I first envisioned Empowered, I wasn’t thinking about numbers, titles, or traditional networking outcomes. I was thinking about people. Specifically, the incredible health and wellness practitioners I’ve met over the years who pour their hearts into supporting others, often while carrying the weight of doing it all on their own.

Empowered was born from a simple but powerful question I kept asking myself:
What if networking could feel nourishing instead of draining?

Why I Designed Empowered

As someone who works at the intersection of wellness, community-building, and entrepreneurship, I’ve seen firsthand how isolating this space can be. Many of us are solopreneurs. Many of us are helpers by nature. And many of us were never taught how to “network” in a way that actually feels aligned with our values.

I didn’t want another room full of quick pitches and surface-level exchanges. I wanted to create something slower. Softer. More human.
A space where you could exhale, show up as yourself, and connect without pressure.

Empowered was intentionally designed to reflect how wellness professionals actually operate…through trust, presence, and relationship-building.

Why This Type of Networking Matters

The health and wellness space is different. We don’t just sell products or services, we hold space, guide healing, support nervous systems, and walk alongside people in vulnerable moments of their lives. That deserves a different kind of business environment.

At Empowered, networking wasn’t about competing or comparing. It was about:

• sharing stories instead of selling

• listening just as much as speaking

• building genuine relationships that can grow into collaborations, referrals, or friendships

When wellness practitioners feel supported, everyone benefits, including the communities they serve.

Our Speakers

The speaker lineup was curated with so much intention. Each woman brought wisdom, lived experience, and a message that deeply resonated with the room.

• Laura Bruno
  Registered Psychotherapist & Somatic Breathwork Practitioner
  🌐 https://www.laurabrunopsychotherapy.com/
  From Fear to Fearless: exploring nervous system regulation, embodiment, and confidence from the inside out.

• Michelle Hillier
  Founder of Breath+Fire, TEDx Speaker, Author
  🌐 https://www.breathandfire.com
  Awaken Your Flame: reconnecting to inner vitality through breath, movement, and presence.

• Andrea France
  Founder of Moms Niagara Inc.
  🌐 https://www.momsniagarainc.com
  Going For It: a powerful reminder that there is no “perfect time,” only the courage to begin.

Each speaker shared honestly, not from a place of perfection, but from real lived experience. That authenticity is what made their words land so deeply.

Our Sponsors & Community Supporters

Empowered would not have been what it was without the support of these aligned, community-driven businesses. Each sponsor represents a different pillar of holistic wellness.

Empowerment Partners:

LC The NP: LCtheNP provides nurse practitioner–led medical aesthetics and primary care grounded in evidence-based practice. I prioritize comprehensive health and wellness through clinically informed services, including Botox and dermal fillers, IV nutrition, vitamin injections, skin care, PRP/PRF treatments and more. Our approach supports both functional wellbeing and aesthetic outcomes while ensuring safe, high-quality patient care.
🌐 https://lcthenp.com

Nova Phoenix Counselling: With four locations, Nova Phoenix Counselling services provides affordable, low barrier, quality evidence-based psychotherapy in Niagara, Hamilton, as well as virtually across Ontario. With a team of over 60 therapists, Nova Phoenix helps pair you with the ideal fit for your mental health journey and healing. Services are available in 10 languages with no waitlist. Please call for a free and compassionate consultation to learn more about our therapists, modalities, and how to get started.
🌐 https://novaphoenixcounselling.ca

Wellness Advocates:

• Instilled Roots Osteopathy
  🌐 https://instilledrootsosteo.janeapp.com

• Humanistic Health Psychotherapy
  🌐 https://humanistichealth.ca

• HouseCall Home Services
  🌐 https://housecallhomeservices.ca

These sponsors didn’t just support an event, they supported a vision rooted in care, accessibility, and community.

My Mission, Reflected in This Event

At the core of You Empower Tomorrow is one mission:
to help people feel confident, connected, and empowered in life, business, and community.

Empowered is a living expression of that mission. It’s about reminding people that they don’t have to build alone. That there is room for collaboration over competition. And that success doesn’t have to come at the cost of our nervous systems or our authenticity.

What I’ll Carry Forward

One of the most meaningful parts of the day for me was watching conversations unfold organically. Seeing people light up when they realized they weren’t alone in their struggles or dreams.

By the end of the event, the energy had shifted. There was a sense of belonging. And to me, that’s everything.

Empowered was never meant to be a one-time thing. It’s part of a larger vision of creating spaces where wellness professionals feel seen, supported, and truly empowered.

Thank you to everyone who showed up with an open heart. This community is just getting started and I’m so grateful to be building it with you 🤍

Upcoming Events & Services: