I grew up in Oberlin, Ohio—one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad—and I spent my childhood looking for Harriett Tubman. Instead of playing with Barbie’s, I was pretending to help free slaves. By the time I was seven, my relationship with Harriett posed two questions to me: “What type of woman would I be,” and “Would I walk an un-cleared path to become that woman?” I have been striving to answer those questions ever since.

I was educated at Kent State, the University of Maryland, and the Lee Strasburg Institute in Hollywood. I’ve worked every job from changing diapers in an old folk’s home to cleaning the pole in a nudie bar. I’ve waitressed, bartended, been a stylist, modeled, acted and sung back up.

Now my days are filled with working on my first series of books, launching PKIA and mothering my two small children. We live in Sayulita, Nayarit Mexico and Nashville, Tennessee.

Renee Vogel is a National Magazine Award-nominated writer and editor who lives in Malibu, California. She is trying to raise a six-year-old and a puppy and, now that she knows that sugar is NOT a food group, she’s on a quest to discover what she doesn’t know about food.

There is nothing better then a techie gal on our team! Lena rocks, if she doesn’t know about it, understand it or has not heard of it, she learns it! Lena brings the “Know It All” of the tech world to our table and yours. Born and raised in Germany, educated here in the States, Lena is able to connect the dots between societies’ wants and technology. She loves the sound of ice crunching under her feet, coincidences, and obviously, anything involving her Mac!

Lauren is our in-house make-up artist and stylist. She is a part-time gossip and full time product-junkie, who is constantly sniffing out the latest (and most reasonably priced) chemical-free beauty products to spill over and dish about. She has worked as a make-up artist on photo shoots and videos here in NashVegas. She likes bunnies.

Maria Avila is our Spanish Translation Contributor, Maria is one of my Mango Momma’s and the owner of Sayulita411.com, a concierge business in Sayulita, Mexico. Maria keeps it real and all of us connected. Language is not a barrier!

is a music junkie and new mother. She was raised with lots of Beatles and John Coltrane and possesses a skilled ear with the uncanny ability to collect songs and arrange them into nifty little seamless playlists. Previous career incarnations included animator, self-help book editor’s assistant; film student and production coordinator. Current consuming activities include lots of Food Network TV watching, de-clutterizing of closets and walking around her Los Angeles Pico-Fairfax neighborhood.

is our super brave American-Israeli surfing and yoga editor. Four weeks after her second baby was born, she was in her wetsuit and surfing First Point Beach in Malibu! She is a living reminder to all of us that moving our bodies is how we stay connected to them! Michelle was trained in Integral Hatha Yoga by Ulla Anneli, who learned from Swami Satchidanda. She continues her own search for knowing via conferences and workshops. She teaches private lessons in the greater Los Angeles area.

Peggy, whose relationship philosophy is, “You can do it with one, or you can do it with many, but whatever you need to learn about relationships will come up whenever you are in one, no matter what.” Married for nearly 40 years, and Mentoring for the past 15 years, Peggy has in-depth, first hand experience about the myriad avenues relationships can take, and is a beacon for others who are learning to work it out for themselves.

is a Harvard-educated pioneer in integrative medicine and a world-renowned expert in the mind/body connection. Her work has helped recognize the important role of spirituality in health and healing. She is a co-founder of the renowned Mind/Body Health Sciences clinic in Boulder, Colorado and the author of the New York Times best-seller, Minding the Body, Mending the Mind. She has written many other books and created numerous audio and video programs, including the Public Television special Inner Peace for Busy People and a weekly Internet radio show, Your Soul’s Compass. Joan’s innovative ideas, great personality and lively sense of humor make her a sought-after speaker. Now, you can access Joan’s inspirational reflections on this web site!

is a psychologist, consultant and speaker with a passion for helping people with issues ranging from Domestic Violence, Sexual Trauma, Integrative Medicine, Intuition, and Stress Management to Women’s Issues, Infertility and Eating Disorders. She specializes in helping people liberate themselves from internal constraints so they can achieve their goals and live their dreams. Sage is a writer whose books include, Lovers & Survivors: Living with and Loving a Sexual Abuse Survivor. Her real passion, though, lies in the transformational journeys that she facilitates with Lee McCormick, founder of Spirit Recovery.

is a nationally known author, speaker and expert in the field of Eating Disorders and Integrative Medicine. She has also developed a line of supplements to help patients during their recovery from eating disorders. She is a consultant for treatment centers around the country—including The Ranch’s program near Nashville, Tennessee and a private practice, which she runs in Colorado. Her most recent book, The Overcoming Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Overeating Workbook, will be published later this year.

is the author of Controlling Crohn’s the Natural Way. She herself has been symptom-free of this disease for over 20 years. She is now a trained macrobiotic food counselor who guides individuals with chronic and terminal illnesses. She is amazing in what she can share with us. I am proof of her hand-holding direction!

Diana’s prior career was in the entertainment industry, where she enjoyed working in the media before receiving her Graduate Gemologist diploma in 2002 at Gemological Institute of America (GIA) where she pursued her fascination with gemstones. While studying at GIA, Diana wrote for couture jewelry designers, and assisted at Sotheby’s Beverly Hills for their Important Jewels auctions. By 2002, she completed New Zealand’s Blue Pearl Programme. In 2004, Diana earned the coveted designation of Registered Master Valuer, becoming a certified jewelry appraiser with the Master Valuer Program.Today, she writes for myriad publications—and she’s a popular industry speaker. Her professional affiliations include membership in National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, New York Mineralogical Club, AFTRA, and Screen Actors Guild.