WHITEHALL — Nicole McDonald, a longtime professor of psychology at both Cornerstone and Grand Valley State universities and owner of a psychology doctorate from Michigan State University, has been focusing on whole-person wellness since long before it became the common focus it is today.
Now she's bringing that focus to her own retail space in Whitehall - Soul & Story Creative, which is located in the Colby Street plaza that will soon house Aldi. It's located between that Aldi site - currently under construction - and Elite Air Heating and Cooling. The new business has been open for just over a month, and it celebrated its grand opening last week, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday.
"Sometimes when we think about wellness, we think about diet and exercise," McDonald said. "Which is very important, but I've seen how it's much broader than that. It's about, what kind of sleep do you get? It's about the time in nature. It's about creativity and play. It's about spirituality.
"Across my academic career, I started to research all these different areas. The 15 core areas that I believe whole personal wellness consists of are all research-based. We can trace them back to studies that show that gratitude and creativity actually impacts how we think. It impacts how we relate to other people."
Those 15 core areas are each represented by a color - for example, blue is water, cleansing and hydration; red is learning, curiosity and wonder; and brown is gratitude, generosity and giving - and each applies in at least one way to each item McDonald offers in her store. Items range from organic lip balm to wellness-focused books to puzzles to toys. Art, home decor, crocheted sweaters and crafting supplies are other available wares.
"The 15 core areas, that's really how I make the decision of what will be in here," McDonald said. "Each product, the coaching, will all be based on that model. Each product can be traced back to one or more of those areas. The products are meant to support wellness in all those areas."
Wellness coaching will also be offered. McDonald plans to work with individuals, families, teams, groups and anyone else who's seeking out ways to develop healthier habits. Vocational coaching, for those considering a career change or changing jobs involuntarily, is another available service.
McDonald differentiates the coaching she's making available from therapy. It's a somewhat fine distinction, but an important one.
"Therapy is medically based," McDonald said. "You have to have a diagnosis, and it's a medical treatment. Coaching is just like an athlete being coached. They're being coached on certain skills and on certain challenges that they have. I work with all ages, but with kids and teens, it usually surrounds either an academic challenge or friendships, that kind of thing.
"Sometimes kids are navigating through a hard family circumstance. I think about a child starting a new school. What are all the anxieties? How can I help that child walk through that experience, so it's a little more issue-focused or challenge-focused?"
McDonald has already found that word of mouth has driven some of her business. She also has a Facebook page set up for Soul & Story, noting, "It's hard to have a business these days without that." She's active on the page, which already has over 400 followers.
This is all in pursuit of not just a successful business, but helping local people and visitors make sure they're making a healthy self a priority.
"Sometimes we look at things like creativity and play, and even rest, as 'The work and achievement is what's really important and those things can come later,'" McDonald said. "We flip that model on its head and ask, 'Are we living well intentionally?' The achievement and the accolades in your profession, or whatever else, will come if we are taking the best whole-person care of ourselves and the people who are around us. The achievement and the attainment and all those things that we all strive for comes on its own. When we prioritize whole-person wellness and creativity, the benefits are limitless, really."
