Like many of us, Lesli Dullum-Tutterrow has been nestled in her home office for the past two years, and has recently ventured back into the welcoming arms of Vibe Coworks.
Lesli’s many businesses fall under the umbrella of health, wellbeing, and business coaching. With a private practice based in Silverdale, she is a certified counselor and ardent consultant who applies an integrated, holistic approach to everything she does.
As you can imagine, Lesli is never bored. “My latest venture involves the transformation of annual wellbeing community events into an online platform that hosts education, connection, and support,” Lesli muses.
“Under this banner of ‘Live Well Kitsap,’ we want to help to solidify local businesses that are forward-thinking in the same realm. I am ever grateful for the gorgeous world here, in which everyone can thrive.”
I love using my unique gifts to help people and their businesses thrive. That’s what gets me jumping out of bed in the morning.”
Lesli Dullum-Tutterow
What’s your take on entrepreneurship?
Lesli: I didn’t come from an entrepreneurial family. My parents were blue-collar Midwesterners. I witnessed my mother and father get up and go to a job each day. So, it really didn’t occur to me to think in terms of business ownership until I was well into my twenties.
That spirit was sparked by my first marriage. My ex-husband ran a construction company, and I jumped in to help with that. We later got involved more in more health and wellbeing things, specifically, juice. One of my significant ventures was opening a Juice Bar in the ‘90s. From there, it just spun off. I fell in love with everything that falls under that [entrepreneurship] umbrella.
What’s your elevator pitch?
Lesli: It depends on the day or where I am since I wear several different hats. I have three businesses. Well, really four. I’m a certified counselor and brain-health coach. My private practice runs under the DBA of Optimal Wellness Consulting.
The second is the wellness, business coaching, and consulting that I do, working with CEOs and leadership teams, as well as front-line staff. I’ve dubbed that The Wellspring Company.
And then my third is Live Well Kitsap. It started as an annual community wellbeing event, which evolved during the pandemic into an online community/wellbeing resource site.
I’m not a big “pitch person.” I would rather engage with people and ask them questions, listening for clues about how I may be of help to them.
It sounds like you run a number of events. Can you tell us more about those?
Lesli: Last May, we kicked off our latest Live Well Kitsap Transformation Event online. It is a six-week transformational well-being event that we’ll be running again starting October 1, 2022. What I love about the Live Well Kitsap Transformation program is how super simple it is to do. It was designed with busy people in mind, and is a way for people to experience engaging and healthier choices daily. That same event also allows us to promote our Live Well Kitsap businesses.
Describe the impact of “whole” wellness.
Lesli: My “holistic wish” is what I would call it. Whole wellness speaks to how we all have many parts to us, and they’re all interconnected. Wellness includes tending to each aspect of being human, and becoming more so. It’s tending to ourselves physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, financially, and relationship-wise—and not ignoring or neglecting any one of those elements.
What do you wish you’d had more of in your career?
Lesli: I wish I’d had more mentors on my journey.
What was your most transformative experience as a young person?
Lesli: I started babysitting when I was 10. It was my first real venture. By the time I was 12, I had a daycare running out of my apartment. Babysitting and watching children taught me about caring for others. It taught me about getting down to the level of a child and exploring their world through their eyes. I didn’t know it back then, but this endeavor influenced and shaped that entrepreneurial spirit that has informed everything I’ve done since.
As a certified counselor, how do you see mental health faring in Kitsap right now?
Lesli: If you would have asked me that question before the pandemic, I would probably have had a different answer. Right now, many people are struggling with their mental, emotional, and relational health. The pandemic has exacerbated issues that were already there. For example, if you experience anxiety, it would have amped up over the past two years.
I’m not much of a statistics person, but I just know from my own private practice and just talking to people. Nearly everyone has struggled. More people are suffering at a greater intensity as a result of all the unpredictability that the pandemic gave us. And I believe it’s the courageous ones who are willing to go get some help.
“More people are suffering at a greater intensity as a result of all the unpredictability that the pandemic gave us. And I believe it’s the courageous ones who are willing to go get some help.”
Lesli Dullum-Tutterrow
Research has shown the benefits of massage in improving our health and wellness. How did you get involved with offering chair massages at Vibe?
Lesli: AmberDawn is my massage therapist. I was aware that she had quit her last massage job and was looking to grow her business, AmberDawn Massage. I was also aware that Vibe Coworks had offered on-site chair massages previously, prior to COVID.
My brain often goes to how to create a win-win-win scenario, so it was just easy create that bridge, working together to bring AmberDawn into Vibe to meet that demand. And voila!
Now, chair massages by AmberDawn Massage are available at Vibe on the 2nd Tuesday and 4th Thursday of every month, from 12 – 3pm.
How did you first discover Vibe Coworks?
Lesli: I met [Vibe CEO and founder] Alanna first… it might have been at a business event where I heard about Vibe and what she and [Vibe cofounder] Marcel were creating for the community. This was back when Vibe was in the small, old building. I just loved the concept of coworking. Building community and connection between people helps in big ways.
“I just loved the concept of coworking. Building community and connection between people helps in big ways…in my short time at Vibe, it’s been amazing running into people I already knew, meeting new people, and having those connection points. ”
Lesli Dullum-Tutterrow
What do you get most out of as a member at Vibe Coworks?
Lesli: I am a new member; I don’t have months and months of rich experience. However, in my short time at Vibe, it’s been amazing running into people I already knew, meeting new people, and having those connection points. I’ve already had terrific follow-ups from meeting people at the First Friday Happy Hour social. So far, I’m loving it. It’s wonderful!
Tell us about your favorite meal on the planet.
Lesli: I love to cook, and I consider myself pretty good at it. I like to eat from a lot of different cultures, but cooking, I would say I’m partial to Italian.
I grew up in an Italian home and in an Italian community in the Eastside suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. One of the best dishes I make is lasagna. I use gluten-free pasta, sub out the beef with ground turkey, add more veggies, like zucchini, spinach, mushrooms and onion, and then throw on three or four different cheeses. My lasagna is still an indulgence but it’s also a healthier version of the classic.
What do you enjoy most about living in Kitsap?
Lesli: I’m a transplant; I was not born and raised here, but I’ve been here so long that it’s truly home. I love that Kitsap is not as big as a major city, but it’s not so tiny that you have to drive miles to find people and resources. I love the water and the mountains, all the green, all the opportunity for hiking and camping. I also love that the YMCA is eight minutes from my house. The people here, the wellbeing businesses that are available. There’s just so much I appreciate about being a Kitsapian.
And just for fun… what couldn’t you live without on a desert island?
Lesli: Something to write on. My phone. Then I can do all kinds of things, but I’d need a battery charger… books. Gotta have ‘em. Salad and dark chocolate. Dinner and dessert. And a nice bottle of Moscato!