Reese Witherspoon opening up Hello Sunshine’s “Shine Away” Event
Last week, I had one of those rare, extraordinary moments when my key interests- education, mental health and wellness, mindfulness, and friendship- all merged. My cup was overflowing, and I felt high on life, exhilarated, hopeful, and both literally and figuratively connected. Three big events in one week, where women came together, all shared the same powerful message: Friendship isn’t just something nice to have; it’s essential to our health and happiness.
From Reese Witherspoon’s Shine Away, the star-studded weekend conference in Los Angeles, to my first ever Friendship Table, a sit-down dinner party and guided circle at my home with 18 of my friends, to a Lavender Craft Workshop at a women’s shelter on Skid Row- I was reminded that friends, new and old, inspire us to be better, work smarter, grow and learn, and reach our potential. When we stumble, they offer a hand. When we fail, they remind us to get back up again. And when we have something to celebrate, sharing our happiness with them is the surest way to multiply it.
1. SHINE AWAY
The week began on Saturday, at the Shine Away event, held on the Universal Studios lot in Los Angeles- a two-day event of creativity, storytelling, and female empowerment hosted by Reese Witherspoon and her company, Hello Sunshine. Over 2,000 women of all ages showed up radiant, confident, beautifully dressed, complimenting one another, and lifting each other up. It was like walking into a sea of “girlie girls” in the best sense of the word- strong, encouraging, kind, and full of jubilation.
Kellyn Smith Kenny, Reese Witherspoon, Karen Pittman, and Mariska Hargity
Reese opened the event with a rallying cry to “become your own lifesaver.” She spoke about filling our tanks with good advice, investing in ourselves, and learning from one another. “Our daughters deserve better stories,” she said, explaining why she created Hello Sunshine- to amplify women’s voices and show richer, more empowering representations of women in media.
I found myself nodding, scribbling notes like a college student in awe:
*Have the audacity to dream.
*Talk to yourself differently. Be your own best friend.
*Be open to possibilities.
*Learn from other women. Our mothers and grandmothers weren’t always able to!!!
That last one hit me hard. When I began writing, I thought I was finishing my grandfather’s unfinished manuscript. But in truth, I was rewriting my own story, cutting generational trauma and family secrets, and healing old wounds. I wanted to be able to hand my beloved daughters a brighter baton, one gilded with honesty, courage, and possibility.
The weekend was packed with dynamic panels that fed my heart and my mind. The representation of these varied, creative, brilliant, and strong women mattered. I soaked up Candice Kumai’s “Matcha and Meditation” session, re-inspired by my recent travels to Japan, where I fell in love with the history and culture. She renewed my belief in the power of mindfulness and meditation because the moments of peace and grounding it fosters are life-changing. The Korean Vegan, Joanne Lee Molinaro, reflected on how it’s 100% possible to reinvent yourself and become resilient, but only if you believe in yourself and never give up.
At the “She Sees Me” friendship panel, Malin Akerman shared how, after her divorce, she raised her baby with her best friend- her self-described “sister wife.” It was a reminder that asking for help isn’t a weakness, it’s wisdom and often leads to a deeper relationship.
Lizzy Mathis, Lily Singh, and Malin Akerman
At the Dear Future Me workshop, Brittany Snow and Jaspre Guest spoke about their September Letters project and finding strength, connection, and healing through storytelling. When Jaspre said, “Brit is my vault,” it stopped me in my tracks. What a perfect definition of friendship- someone who holds your truth in confidence and love.
Danielle Robay, Brittany Snow, and Jaspre Guest
Then there was Dr. Sara Kuburic, “The Millennial Therapist,” in conversation with Monica Lewinsky, talking about reclaiming your narrative. The audience was reminded, trauma doesn’t define you; it informs you- a truth that resonated deeply.
Dr. Sara Kuburic and Monica Lewinsky
Financial independence and wherewithal were important topics that many women were not taught. Alison Kosik reminded us that “financial health is freedom of choice.” Kathleen Griffith, who wrote “Build Like a Woman,” and Alison Kosik, Carmeon Hamilton, and Joanne Lee Molinaro on The Pivot that Paid Off panel, encouraged us to develop business growth mindsets when they said:
*Make one bold ask a week.
*Give your dream the longest financial runway.
*Invest in women’s businesses- especially small and local ones.
*Know your numbers- monthly, yearly, and dream-level.
Alison Kosik, Carmeon Hamilton, and Joanne Lee Molinaro
A highlight was seeing Tembi Locke, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing for my Dear Family, Podcast. Tembi discussed her new audiobook, Someday Now, and shared a quote that continues to echo in my heart: “A new chapter means starting over, but also holding on.”
Tembi Locke and Rachel Steinman
Jennie Garth was both a familiar face from 90210 but also from when our daughters were in elementary school together. There she was on stage, a mom of three daughters who’d gone through some uphill battles but never gave up and was now thriving and glowing in life and business. Everywhere I turned were women were rising, connecting, and saying “yes” to themselves- and to one another.
I happened to be reading Jen Hatmaker’s memoir, “Awake,” when I saw her up close and personal. Jen was shattered by the implosion of her 26-year marriage and now faced the daunting task of rebuilding her life and raising her five children. It was her incredible friends who stepped up, came to her rescue, and reminded her of the goddess she is, so she could come back stronger, and I’d say funnier, than ever.
Kanika Gupta, Jennie Garth, and Jen Hatmaker
In a serendipitous twist, I ran into the women who run the NAMI West LA branch, where I began my work as a mental health educator. Face-to-face with my like-minded colleagues, it felt like the universe was winking at me. Women supporting each other is empowering, and those friendships formed from that foundation are essential for our mental, physical, and relational health.
NAMI West LA X Happy Coffee- Adaline Fagen, Rachel Steinman, Harper, and Erin Raferty
By Sunday afternoon, as the Shine Away event came to a close, my heart was bursting. I’d hugged old friends and made new ones, like Jane from Copenhagen. I took Rachel from Dallas and Kristi from Minneapolis to the infamous Valley Mexican restaurant, Casa Vega, where we toasted to new friendships over spicy margaritas. I will be seeing them again for sure.
Reese left me with advice I would take in and pass on: “Have a joyful heart,” and “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” Seeing other women do impossible things made me determined to bring that same joy, fierceness, and sisterhood home.
2. THE FRIENDSHIP TABLE
Cecille Chiu, Laurie Zerwer, and Rachel Steinman
Three days later, on a Wednesday night, I hosted my first-ever Friendship Table– an evening at my home with 18 of my dearest women friends. The proceeds would go to Girls Inc., supporting the next generation of female leaders and future friends, and I would have an opportunity to practice what I preach.
Inspired by Shine Away, I poured love into every detail- arranging fresh flower arrangements for the tables and preparing homemade, healthy, and delicious soups and salads. I baked cookies and challah rolls so we could literally break bread together. I confess, the chocolate chip and peppermint cookies were not my best because I got distracted with the baking soda amount. The lesson for next time: store-bought mixed with homemade is perfectly okay. But the cluster cookies I made were a hit. Using the leftover egg whites from the challah, I mixed in pumpkin-spiced pepitas, dried cranberries, cashews, coconut flakes, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.
My home was filled with laughter as we ate, drank wine and tea, and chatted. We moved our chairs into a circle, and I led a short mindfulness meditation session before a guided discussion on friendship. The women generously opened their hearts and shared, uplifting the energy in the room tenfold from when they first came through my front door. What was supposed to last two hours stretched far longer. The next morning, I had a lot to clean up, but it was worth it when I donated to Girls Inc., and received lovely messages about the warmth and the openness of the group of women, and was asked to keep them on the list for the next one.
The Friendship Table was an experiment that confirmed a proof of concept- creating space for connection, nourishment, and mindfulness is what we are longing for and need. There does not have to be only one strong woman in the room. Rather, we can have a home or an entire soundstage full of them, and honestly, the more the merrier.
By showing my friends love and appreciation, I was caring for them. You can take all the baths and do all the journaling you want, but caring for others and saying yes to connection, that’s what makes you truly well and fulfilled. When women gather in person, with real food, real laughter, and real vulnerability, we heal, grow, and stay well.
3. THE LAVENDER CRAFT WORKSHOP
Downtown Women’s Center Workshop Flyer
Two days later, on Friday, my high school friend, Lauren Rojany, and I drove to the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles on Skid Row. The shelter’s mission is to provide safe housing and supportive services centered on wellness, employment, and advocacy. We were there to lead a sachet-making workshop using the lavender Lauren planted and harvested with her own hands at her ranch in Ojai. The women, many healing from trauma and homelessness, would soon be holding the fragrant dried bundles in their hands.
The staff joined the residence, the air in the halls perfumed and beckoning a well-deserved moment of serenity and connection. We began with a simple meditation: eyes closed, inhaling the aromatic scent filling the room. I asked the women to imagine themselves in a lavender field in full bloom as their breath slowed. When they opened their eyes, a lightness was felt as the energy shifted to a peaceful calmness, allowing easy conversation, big smiles, and laughter to fill the room. Together, we filled sachets with dried lavender flowers, sipped tea, nibbled on cookies, and shared stories.
I was reminded of how Reese said her “crafternoons” with her group of friends were more than just fun; it was therapy. When our hands are busy, whether crafting, cooking, or creating, it’s another form of wellness in disguise. When women come together with intention, whether at a Hollywood studio lot, around a dining table, or in a community room, the result is the same: healing.
WHAT I LEARNED
Rachel Steinman at the Shine Away Event at the Universal Studios Lot
Be your own best friend first. Fill your tank. Know your worth. Trust your gut. Become your own passion project.
Another woman’s success is my triumph. Linking arms with other women is the goal. When women support one another, we are unstoppable. We shine brighter, rise higher, and rewrite the stories our daughters and sons will grow up believing.
In a time when loneliness is being called an epidemic, connection is the cure. Friendship isn’t frivolous. It’s medicine and it’s therapy rolled into one. In this day and age, when we can’t always find common ground, friendship is something we all can agree on. It boosts our mood, strengthens our immunity, and literally lengthens our lives.
Joy is the connective tissue of friendship. Cheers to the women who link arms, break bread, plant lavender, and remind one another that the most powerful wellness practice of all is friendship.