Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Broadway.
Hi Michelle, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story began long before I ever imagined becoming a founder. I grew up watching my mother navigate life with Multiple Sclerosis, and from a young age, caregiving became part of my identity. I learned how to hold space, how to respond before reacting, and how to anchor myself when the world felt chaotic. Those lessons shaped me, even when I didn’t yet know what they meant.
As an adult, I built a career in corporate leadership, excelling by doing what I’d always done — pushing through, staying strong, and keeping everything together for everyone else. But over time, the weight of burnout, ADHD, and unprocessed trauma created a quiet unraveling. I didn’t feel like myself. I was functioning, but I wasn’t living. My nervous system was constantly in survival mode, and I didn’t have language for it yet.
Everything started to shift when I finally slowed down enough to listen to my body. Through somatic emotional regulation, movement, and intentional self-work, I began rebuilding myself from the inside out. I discovered that regulation wasn’t about perfection — it was about presence. It was about creating small, sustainable practices that brought me back home to myself.
That personal transformation became the foundation for Jeanie Wishes — named in honor of my mother, Valerie Jean. I wanted to build something that blended science and soul, something that would help people understand their nervous system, reconnect to their bodies, and move from survival into regulated, intentional living.
Today, I’m the Founder and Wellness Creative Director of Jeanie Wishes, developing programs that weave together somatic emotional regulation, mindful movement, journaling, and community-centered experiences. I support workplaces, schools, mothers, and individuals who want to cultivate environments rooted in connection, clarity, and emotional resilience.
I didn’t start this journey because I wanted to launch a business.
I started it because I lived the need.
And now, I’m committed to helping others find the peace, presence, and permission to live fully — not just function.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all.. My path has been anything but smooth, but every part of it shaped the work I’m doing today.
For a long time, I struggled silently with self-worth, confidence, and deep people-pleasing. I knew how to show up for everyone else, but I didn’t always feel supported or understood myself. Like many women, I learned to endure, to push through, and to keep going even when my nervous system was overwhelmed.
Eventually, burnout hit me in a way I couldn’t hide from anymore. I was functioning on the outside and falling apart on the inside. It wasn’t just stress — it was my body saying, “I can’t keep doing this.” That moment was a turning point. It forced me to pause and face how disconnected I had become from myself.
Emotional regulation saved my life.
Not in a dramatic sense, but in a very real, day-to-day way. Learning how to understand my nervous system, give myself compassion, and practice self-kindness changed everything. I finally realized I didn’t have to earn rest, or worthiness, or softness. I could choose them.
The road has been full of unlearning, relearning, and letting go of who I had to be in survival mode so I could become who I am today. A deep desire to heal — for myself, my daughters, and the women and girls who need these tools — kept me moving forward when things felt heavy.
Today, I bring that lived experience into Jeanie Wishes. The struggles weren’t pretty or easy, but they gave me the empathy, patience, and clarity to help others find regulation and self-connection in their own lives.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m the Founder and Wellness Creative Director of Jeanie Wishes, where I help individuals, families, schools, and workplaces move from survival mode into regulated, intentional living. My work blends somatic emotional regulation, mindful movement, journaling, and community-centered practices into experiences that feel accessible, culturally aware, and deeply human.
I specialize in helping people understand their nervous system and reconnect with themselves in ways that are gentle, practical, and sustainable. My programs create space for women, girls, parents, teams, and educators to build emotional literacy, calm their bodies, and form stronger, more compassionate relationships—with themselves and with each other.
What I’m known for is my ability to take complex emotional concepts and translate them into simple, grounding tools that people can use in everyday life. Whether I’m leading a Girls Bonding Day circle, supporting a mother–daughter workshop, or guiding a corporate team through regulation practices, my work is rooted in science, softened by lived experience, and delivered with warmth and clarity.
I’m most proud of the fact that my work is real. It comes from a lifetime of caregiving, burnout, healing, and rebuilding—not just certifications or textbooks. Emotional regulation didn’t just change my life; it saved it. And because of that, everything I teach is grounded in compassion and authenticity. I’m not asking people to do anything I haven’t done myself.
What sets me apart is the blend of my story, my leadership background, and my ability to create environments where people feel safe enough to be honest—with themselves and with each other. I bridge corporate wellness with emotional healing, school programming with somatic awareness, and community work with everyday tools that truly help people feel more regulated and connected.
Jeanie Wishes isn’t just a business—it’s a movement toward softness, clarity, and community. And the impact I get to witness, especially in girls, mothers, and working women, is what keeps me devoted to this work.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
What I love most about Dallas is its diversity. There’s a richness to the cultural blend here — a mix of stories, families, traditions, and perspectives that brings so much color and possibility to the community. Dallas is one of those cities where you can meet people from everywhere, and somehow everyone still feels connected. I also love how many opportunities there are for community programs. Whether it’s wellness, arts, education, or entrepreneurship, there’s a sense that people here are always creating, building, and trying to make something meaningful.
If I had to choose something I like least, it’s that it can still be difficult to find truly regulated, wellness-centered spaces. There are many fitness studios and general wellness offerings, but fewer spaces focused on emotional literacy, somatic awareness, or grounded community support — especially for women, girls, and families. The pace of the city can be fast, and sometimes people are doing a lot while feeling very little connection inside.
But even that has a beautiful side to it, because it means Dallas has so much potential for emotional wellness growth. There’s room here to create more regulated environments, more intentional spaces, and more community-centered support. And that’s part of what inspires the work I do — helping bring softness, clarity, and regulation into a city that’s already full of heart, culture, and possibility.
