Sonya Louise

Life can be hard, and starting life at the poverty line, even harder. Labeled strong-willed and rebellious, Sonya addressed her first growing pangs of divine disorder by leaving home at age 15 with only her dreams and determination in hand. Her first jobs were in fast food, and she quickly ascended to management. A natural overachiever, what she lacked in education she surpassed with ingenuity and, relying on grace and grit, she moved from industry to industry, conquering the nuances of each, looking for greater advancement and ways to make a meaningful contribution to the world. At age 30, she moved to Florida and volunteered at the local homeless shelter. Eight years later she became executive director and championed the community's first housing program for single adults. At age 40, she moved to the Pacific Northwest and began working at a family winery, launching a new tasting room (complete with gourmet cheese counter) and eventually becoming director of hospitality and sales. Sonya was poised to become majority owner, but she felt deeply unfulfilled. She could tell herself that her work was making people happy, but she knew that pouring wine was not really making a difference. Sonya had long been intrigued by the idea of personal pilgrimage and by stories of those who had been transformed by this kind of journey. In August 2016, at 43 years old, she embarked on a solo road trip that led her over 10,000 miles in 10 weeks, into wild places, to the edge of herself and beyond. Stripped of non-essentials and distractions, Sonya discovered what was truly important and recovered her life's calling. An entrepreneur with a deep sense of social justice, Sonya’s journey provides a road map for all women learning to tap into a more adventurous way of living. Her challenge to all of us is to discover our own wild sense of joy and wonder.