Trust
Letter From The Editor
Summer always feels like a season of rediscovery of flavors, places, and stories that make us pause and smile. In this issue, our cover star Bre Rook invites us into her world of intentional living in Offline Values in an Online World, a story of family, healing, and creating sacred spaces away from the noise.
We’re also thrilled to debut At Home, With Intention, a new feature exploring the personal essentials that shape a meaningful life. Holistic nutritionist Maritza Worthington begins the series with her Top 5 Glow-Up Remedies; rituals that restore balance from the inside out. Along the way, I met Albert, the internetfamous camel with a heart as big as his story, and discovered the irresistible plant-based confections of Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen. Each story, gathered under the warmth of the summer sun, offers a gentle reminder of the joy found in small, intentional moments.
Photo by: Amina Touray
At Home With Intention
Introducing Our New Segment: At Home, With Intention
A peek inside the homes of people we admire; fridge to cabinet, these are the essentials they always keep close, and the intention behind each one.
We’re all a little curious — what do people actually use and love in their everyday lives? At Home, With Intention is our new recurring feature that offers a peek inside someone’s home, cabinet, fridge, or routine to uncover the five items they always keep on hand. From skincare to snacks, tinctures to teas, it's all about discovering the personal essentials people truly rely on.
Each issue, we’ll spotlight someone new, a homesteader, a chef, a dancer, a stay-at-home parent, a wellness expert, and inspiring individuals across all kinds of fields, and explore the items that support their lifestyle, creativity, or glow-up journey.
To kick things off we’re starting with Maritza Worthington, a holistic nutritionist who helps driven women overcome period problems, optimize fertility, and reclaim hormone harmony. She’s sharing her Top 5 Glow-Up Remedies, the holistic staples she swears by to nourish from the inside out.
Let’s take a look inside...
Digestive
Bitters to the Rescue. Since incorporating this little tonic into my routine for gut health, I can’t imagine living life without these liquid drops of gold. If you’re trying to reduce bloating, improve your ability to digest foods, or prevent digestive discomfort of any kind, bitters can really go a long way. They basically trigger a reflex that enhances saliva production, gastric acid, increases bile secretion, and pancreatic enzyme release for the efficient breakdown of proteins, fats, and carbs. This is a great hack to utilize anytime I feel like my gut can use the extra help! I’ll throw it in my purse on a night out and take it 5-10 mins before ingesting a meal, as well as follow up with a few extra drops afterwards for total bloat-free, gut relief!
Enhance Beauty with Castor Oil
If there were one oil that could truly do it all, it would definitely be castor oil. There’s a lot to be said about a medicinal oil that dates back to as early as 4000 BCE, and was allegedly used by the great Cleopatra back in Ancient Egyptian times. And just as Cleopatra did, I too like to use this oil as part of my beauty routine to improve my hair and skin health! But I don’t just stop there. I’ll also do a castor oil pack applied to my liver overnight to reduce bloating, inflammation, PMS, and support gut & liver detox. True beauty is truly cultivated from the inside-out, and this remedy gives me the extra glow and confidence I need!
Raw Carrots for Gut & Hormone Harmony
I know everyone talks about the benefits of “an apple a day,” but I wish more people spoke about the perks of eating two raw carrots daily. This is a root veggie I try to have in my fridge weekly, as carrots have amazing gut & hormone balancing properties. They contain a unique fiber that balances gut bacteria, helps detoxify excess estrogen, and reduces PMS, bloating, hormonal acne, and more. In other words, carrots are a girl’s best friend! On busy days, I’ll try to eat a couple of raw carrots with a good dip. On more flexible days, I’ll prepare a little raw carrot salad & combine it with olive oil and apple cider vinegar to magnify the benefits.
My 5-minute De-Puff Ice Facial!
This is an awesome hack for those mornings when I wake up feeling a bit more puffy around the eyes & inflamed. I often have this ready to go in my freezer. To prep for it, I’ll fill up a shallow bowl to the halfway point with water, and then store it in the freezer until the water is frozen. The next day, I’ll take it out and top it off with over an inch of water. I’ll then put my face into the half-frozen water bowl, focusing on the right & left sides of my face for about 5 minutes. Not only does my skin feel reinvigorated, but also my energy & natural endorphins kick in!
Cleansing with Plain Greek Yogurt!
Many people know about the internal gut benefits of Greek yogurt due to its probiotic richness, but might not know that this superfood can also be used as a cleanser! Yogurt cleansing is something I love incorporating into my routine. Our skin is the largest detoxification organ, and it absorbs everything it comes into contact with. So why not feed it what it needs? The natural probiotic strains in plain yogurt can actually help improve the skin barrier, and the natural lactic acid helps exfoliate away dead skin cells. I usually lather it on in a circular motion & let it sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing it off with warm water! It’s a great skin treat!
Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen
Social media can transport you to all kinds of places: a mountaintop in another country, a runway show in Paris, or in this case, a vegan bakery. One day, a simple story post featuring a vibrant dessert led me to Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen. I tapped the location, followed the digital trail a little further, and soon enough, I found myself walking into a pink little escape filled with love, intention, and the scent of something sweet—but not the kind of sweet that leaves you sluggish. This was something different.
Photos & Interview by: Amina Touray
“
During my healing journey, what brought me true happiness and joy was baking for myself”
Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen in Laguna Hills isn’t just a place to grab dessert. It’s a space that feels alive, with purpose, with heart, and with healing energy. People come here with an intention. They come with stories. And they often leave with more than they expected.
At the center of it all is founder Giselle Shah. With a background in herbalism, Ayurvedic healing, clinical nutrition, and a PhD in Naturopathic Medicine, she turned her personal health journey into a mission to nourish others. She sat down with us to share how it all began.
Giselle speaks with a rawness that’s both moving and magnetic. Her story isn’t polished for performance; it’s lived-in, grounded in struggle, and powered by transformation.
What led you to start Giselle’s Bakery?
I started the bakery in 2018 and had a lot of health issues. I had an autoimmune and so many allergies. And on top of that, I had a major eating disorder, and I do believe that all the symptoms I was experiencing with my illness were a manifestation of the eating disorder, of me not loving my body, not nurturing my body. It had manifested into autoimmune
celiac. I mean, I was at a point where I couldn’t eat anything.
So then I decided to heal myself. I’m like, “I’m gonna change my life. I’m gonna change the way I eat, and I’m gonna do it and help others with that.” So I started educating myself. I cleaned up my diet, and I started eating better. I went and got my PhD and doctorate in holistic medicine, and I studied herbalism. I mean, I did everything under the sun. And I did it to heal myself.
Was there a specific moment that made you wake up one day and feel like you needed to change?
Well, it was a lot of pain that I was experiencing in my body, but also in my mind. It was the dark end of a soul. I was crying every day, and I started praying. I’m like, “I need to get out of this. Show me how.” And I knew I had to take action because everything was right in front of me. I already knew the how—I just had to start moving.
Were you vegan back then?
Yes, I was. But I was not really nourishing my body with the right food. I’ve been vegan for 12 years now, but I was not eating the right food. I had a lot of fear around food, and I also had a lot of fear around my body with food—”Is this going to hurt me?” So this is where I decided to really educate myself and learn about my body
and about the food that I’m consuming and its purpose.
Now I’m eating to nourish myself with wholesome, organic, delicious meals. I changed my perspective about food and what I’m consuming.
For someone just starting a holistic health journey, it can really be a rabbit hole. Where do you even begin—what do you Google, or how do you start to learn more about that lifestyle? Baby steps. That’s honestly what got me here. It was like every day taking a little bit of action, like, “Okay, this morning I’m just going to nourish my body with a wholesome breakfast. What would that look like? Let me add a little bit of fruit to my diet.”
Slowly, it builds confidence, and you want to build trust with your body. And then I would just go organically. You want to eat as organically as possible, eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and also ask your body. Your body is so intelligent—it will lead you.
As far as where to start with educating yourself, I would just go and Google. For me, it was a lot of Google. I YouTubed, I listened to a lot of podcasts, I read so many books. And it’s different for everybody because one book might resonate with a person, and an-
other book might not resonate with someone else.
Right, you have to find what suits your lifestyle the best. So why a bakery? Why desserts? (Giselle laughs) During my healing journey, what brought me true happiness and joy was baking for myself, baking desserts. And because I had so many symptoms; I had celiac, I had autoimmune. I couldn’t really eat anything, or I would have flare-ups. I mean, I was at a point where I couldn’t get out of bed. I was basically dying.
There was a point that I kind of gave up. I was like, “I accept if this is my way out. Okay.” But then I prayed. I was like, “Show me God, show me the way, and I will help. I will help others.”
So that’s the baking! I would bake all these desserts for myself. And I was so malnourished that I was like, “Okay, I need to eat food that nourishes my body.” At some point, I was 70 pounds! I couldn’t eat. My body had shut down, so I couldn’t digest.
So I started making the protein bar and the brownie (Giselle refers to her top-selling items available at Erewhon and other Whole Foods Markets) for myself because they have healthy fats, and they have protein in them.
Giselle becomes emotional and
“ I saw the dessert as medicine. And throughout this process, I said to myself - want these desserts to heal others.”
continues with - And that was the only thing my body would accept. I truly believe that because the sweetness was bringing me so much joy, my body was receiving it. So I have to be honest—for like six months, that was the only thing I could eat, my own desserts.
And I saw the dessert as medicine. And throughout this process, I said to myself, “I want these desserts to heal others,” because that’s how I saw it.
That’s amazing. I’m a firm believer, especially over the last few years, that food is medicine. I’ve had to research a lot of things myself—for example, if I have a headache and don’t just want to take a pill, but want to find the root of the problem. Everything you offer here is 100% organic and plant-based. Why was that a non-negotiable for you when starting the bakery?
Because that’s what had worked for me, and this is what I believe in. I told myself, whatever I don’t consume myself, I’m not going to give it to my community.
I see it as a responsibility, like I’m responsible for people’s health. You know, because it’s coming from my bakery, I’m not going to put something in that would harm them. I feel responsible for people’s lives.
What year did you open the bakery?
I started from home in 2018, but this place opened in 2019, so a year later.
While her desserts have already found loyal fans across California and beyond, Giselle’s vision is anything but small.
Has this brought you any surprises, like a new sense of community or something unexpected?
When I started the bakery, I started truly with the intention that I want to bring joy and love to people’s lives. I want to heal them through the desserts.
The customer relationships that I’ve built here are more like family. I see a lot of people who are going through the same conditions I went through, or they have diabetes or are going through chemo.
So we have this heart-to-heart, soul-level conversation—”I’ve been there. You are not alone. You can get through this.”
It’s more about empowering each other. Everybody’s going through something. How can I hold a safe space for them, whatever it is? It could be depression—I’ve been through depression. I’ve been through an eating disorder. I’ve been through all of it.
And when we relate to each other and we have compassion for one another, that’s when healing happens.
Beautiful. It sounds like people come here with a purpose and intention…
That’s why I love being here and meeting people. Because it’s not even about the desserts, it’s so much deeper.
From sourcing to intention-setting, it becomes clear that every dessert in the bakery is an extension of Giselle herself. Her recipes begin long before ingredients hit a bowl.
How do you approach recipe creation so that health and taste are never in competition with one another?
I love this question, because that’s literally in my mind every time I bake a new recipe—like, “This has to be super healthy, only a few ingredients, and taste good!” (she laughs) It’s a challenge of mine.
My approach is that I actually have a ritual around it. I meditate. I go into meditation, I go into my heart, and then I ask. I ask the Divine, loving Creator, “What do you want me to create for your children?” So everything is created
“I just want everybody who walks in here to feel so loved.”
with intention.
Then I think, “What would I like to eat?” and then, “What do people like?”. So I go through this process mentally, then I get a pen and paper and just write. And I go through trial and error.
How long does it typically take for a new recipe to make it into the bakery?
Not a lot, actually. I would say a few test runs, maybe three times.
What do you look for when sourcing ingredients?
In the beginning, it had to be organic, and we would just purchase from local stores. It was so expensive. Then we started outsourcing, looking around, ordering samples, and tasting them. Because the quality of ingredients varies. Like cacao powder; we use organic alkaline cacao powder, and it gets very expensive, but it can also taste very different depending on the company.
So we always ask for samples, and we test and bake with them. You have to bake with them. For example, the maple syrup we use—if it’s darker or lighter, it tastes completely different. So it’s a dance, it’s kind of science (she smiles).
I know you’re into herbalism and Ayurvedic healing. What’s your
background with that?
I started studying all of those to heal myself. I’m so passionate—I love health and wellness. With Ayurvedic medicine, I got my certification as a nutritionist, and I still follow it. It has transformed my guide and healing journey—what time to eat, what foods to eat.
I now also apply those principles to our desserts. This is very important because mixing certain ingredients together will either make your body acidic or alkaline.
And herbs have been powerful for me. I take herbs all the time for my hormones, my cycle, and to balance everything in my body. So then I was like, “You know what, I’m going to add herbs into the desserts!”
For someone new to herbalism, what two or three herbs would you recommend they always have on hand?
I take so many (she laughs). Ashwagandha to calm stress, supports hormones, boosts mood & energy. And Tulsi (Holy Basil) to balance the body, supports immunity & mental clarity
Do you grow any herbs yourself? No, that’s in the future (she
Oh yes, I totally feel the energy. Just coming in here—it feels like a different world. Where do you see your bakery going in the future? What’s the goal? The goal is to get the desserts into as many wholesale stores as possible—worldwide.
What stores are you in now?
We’re at Erewhon Market and some Whole Foods. We’re mostly based in Orange County and LA, but we ship nationwide. We ship a lot nationwide—we do cakes, wedding cakes, all of our desserts.
So the bigger vision is to also ship worldwide and bring more awareness of health and wellness to everyone. I’ve also lived in three different countries, so I know places where people struggle. They don’t know what to eat, how to eat. I just want to help in any way that I can.
Is there anything else you want to add or touch on?
I just want to leave people with this: love yourself, love your body. Because you cannot heal a body that you don’t love. That was my process—loving myself. And then you’re able to love others in a way that you never thought you could.
As I leave Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen with a box full of macaroons, brownies, donuts, her signa-
ture protein bars, brownies, and much, much more, I realize this visit wasn’t just about desserts. It was an experience, one that awakened the senses, softened the spirit, and reminded me that health doesn’t have to mean deprivation. It can mean joy. It can mean flavor. It can mean walking into a bakery and feeling, somehow, at home.
You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate what’s created here. You just have to be open to the idea that food can love you back. That with fewer ingredients, you can taste more — more coconut, more cacao, more care. Each bite feels like a quiet act of kindness.
Now, I understand why stores like Erewhon were quick to stock Giselle’s brownies and protein bars. These aren’t just clean-label desserts. They’re invitations to live softer, fuller, and with a little more intention.
I left with more than sweets. I left with a full heart.
Follow Giselle’s Journey
Visit her bakery in Laguna Hills, CA
Nationwide shipping is available Instagram: @gisellesvegankitchen
Rook Bre
Offline Values in an Online World
When you scroll through Bre Rook’s Instagram, it feels like an invitation into something sacred. Her digital space is a gentle tapestry of motherhood, memory, gratitude, and healing. From quiet rituals like weekly reflections to glimpses of postpartum vulnerability, Bre has cultivated a presence that feels deeply intentional and refreshingly real.
Her husband, Yannick, and their two children also appear throughout her platforms, offering glimpses of a family rooted in love, rhythm, and shared vision. Together, Bre and Yannick are raising a family, shaping a brand, and navigating the beauty and boundaries of a life lived partly online.
In our conversation, we learn more about the values that guide Bre, the boundaries that protect her peace, and the evolving self she’s discovering along the way.
“ Before becoming a mother, I could not grasp the immense strength and power that I would be able to access as a mother”
Who is Bre?
When you're not creating content or mothering, what’s something you do just for yourself, something that no one ever sees?
Honestly, I am still figuring this one out. It is tough to find a balance between being a content creator, mother and wife, let alone trying to find who I am again on this journey of motherhood. I am working on understanding what I enjoy for myself that is separate from my work, and finding time to explore that. What’s something about you that might surprise people who only know you through social media?
My husband and I grew up in a cult and only recently realized and escaped.
Oh wow, interesting! You’ve shared that you and your
husband, Yannick, will be launching a podcast. What inspired you to create that platform, and what kind of conversations do you hope it opens up for your listeners?
The podcast “rookatusnow”…will share our unique story in finding romance whilst being born and raised in a cult, our journey as a couple sharing our love online, starting a family, breaking generational curses, and finding how to build a village all on our own. Additionally, we will share relationship advice, cover topics on parenting, and have conversations with some of your favorite couples on social media.
What are you currently learning, or unlearning, that’s shifting the way you move through life?
I am currently learning how to live authentically because life has a different meaning for me now, being free from some-
I’ve seen light through other creators. I hope to be that incandescent light for others.”
thing that governed my entire worldview. I am unlearning generational trauma and using what I learn to be a better person, wife, and mother to my children. This new perspective on life and my conscious efforts for healing and growth have made the journey all the better.
Motherhood
Your motherhood comes across as soulful and intentional. What values guide the way you raise your children day to day?
Thank you, that means a lot to me. The integral values that guide me are unconditional love, gratitude, respect, and honesty, but most importantly, always reminding myself to lead by example.
How do you balance being present with your family while also sharing your life
publicly online?
I think the key is to have a good schedule. Small portions of my day are allotted to be shared online, but the majority is intentional time with my family that is completely separate from social media and not shared. That schedule is sacred to me, I don’t know how else I would be able to do it!
What has motherhood revealed to you about yourself that no other life experience could?
How both powerful and vulnerable I am. Before becoming a mother, I could not grasp the immense strength and power that I would be able to access as a mother, yet at the same time being humbled in more ways than one. This experience brings the perfect balance.
Digital Influence
What boundaries have been essential for maintaining your peace while still building a meaningful platform? Turning off post notifications, having specific times in my day allotted to when I access social media, and always setting an intention or goal as to what I am going to accomplish while online, whether that be posting, engaging with others, or doing content research. Not looking out for criticism, expecting it, accepting it, and moving on! That’s more of a mental boundary for myself, but it’s so important for helping me keep my peace.
How do you hope your digital presence makes people feel after they leave your page?
I hope people leave feeling inspired. I hope they get a warm feeling of motivation or hope for their own lives. That’s always been my goal, aspiring to inspire because in some of my darkest times, I’ve seen light through other creators. I hope to be that incandescent light for others.
Question to Yannick - Was there a defining moment that led you to leave your job in construction and join Bre full-time in the digital space?
It was definitely a culmination of a lot of different variables. We both had been working on this as a goal for years, and after having our son, it just felt right.
How do you both decide what stays sacred and what’s meant to be shared online?
We simply don’t post everything. What we choose to post is carefully curated. We keep a strict content schedule with specific filming days and times, and we stick to it. We also choose to not always post in real time to further protect our peace and privacy as a family!
How do you protect your relationship while navigating parenting and digital visibility?
Our collaborative schedule has been crucial in protecting our relationship because it allots time for that connection and intimacy as a couple. As the core of this family, keeping communication flowing is essential, especially when there are disruptions to that schedule.
Albert the Camel, Viral Star of Ojai
Bringing joy, adventure, and a touch of magic to Ojai’s hidden ranch
Photos & Interview by: Amina Touray
Richard Murad inside the greenhouse
The anticipation of traveling from Los Angeles, a two-hour drive, up the winding roads into the Ojai mountains to Rancho Grande, is big. This tucked-away 200-acre family ranch doubles as an animal sanctuary and a soul-soothing Airbnb stay.
I first heard about the place when I stumbled upon a viral video of Albert, the resident camel, who had wandered into his fur dad’s kitchen. His giant frame hardly fit through the doorway, but it was his gentle, curious spirit that so many fell in love with.
I had been in touch with Richard Murad, the owner, to arrange a tour around the ranch. Richard, his wife Linda, and their three children, Alex, Shelly, and Jack, host and operate the property together. As we passed through the big Rancho Grande gate, about 130 goats greeted us, each with a name and a personality.
Alex, Richard’s son, invited us to join him as he called the goats in for feeding and offered apples to the horses and Albert. It was beautiful to witness the bond between Alex and this extended fur family. Albert, a four-year-old camel who is not even fully grown yet, was just as endearing in person as he was online. That kitchen video was not even his first viral moment. Apparently, he became internet-famous the day he discovered snow for the first time, skipping around the property in sheer delight.
Once the animals were fed and content, Richard led us on a walking tour across the ranch, sharing stories of how it all began. Today, Rancho Grande has three Airbnb rentals. Two
“ ...I have a different feeling about life and what life is.”
are large, fully furnished luxury tents, and one is a cowboy cabin. It is the kind of place that feels perfect for families, couples, or solo travelers who love animals, nature, and a little bit of adventure.
What is the history of this ranch? How did you find it, and what was the vision behind it?
Richard Murad: So originally, we had been looking for a space to build a summer camp. We have a baseball school in El Segundo called Beach City Baseball Academy. It’s a very successful and competitive baseball academy that does a lot of traveling. We’ve won the World Series, our kids, I should say. Eight out of the eleven kids who won last year have trained with us since they were eight years old. We also bring Japanese teams, from Tokyo, to play with us, and we put them in our homes. So it’s a really fun place. And because it was such a happy and fun place, I thought that when I retired from the skincare business, it would be sold. I wanted to purchase some land and build a baseball camp, and then I googled “land for sale” in Ventura County because I
didn’t want to go too far away. This was the second choice that popped up. I bought it the next day after I saw it and thought it was perfect. I was told by the experts who were working with me that we’d be housing kids the following summer. But they made a big mistake because they didn’t read the rules correctly. I relied on them, but I took responsibility. We tried for five years to get the county to agree on the variance, but in the end, we gave up trying. And during that process, we were here living our lives and we had family here coming and going, and everybody was enjoying themselves, so we kept adding things and enjoying more and more. It snowed here once, it was full of snow, and it was just amazing! And we just made the transition to living here full time. It took about four to five years to transition. We have a small apartment on Washington Street in Venice, where we also maintain a life, my wife more than I. I have lived here full-time now for four years, at least.
When did it become a sanctuary, and what kinds of animals live here now?
Alex, together with Albert, the camel
“Albert… woke up to snow and started dancing. I videotaped it, and it was an immediate hit… everyone fell in love with Albert.”
RM: Well, we started with goats. My son Alex took to them right away. We’ve always had dogs, we’ve always had animals in our lives. We’ve had pigs, chickens, snakes, you name them. We just all have a love for animals, just love to have them in our lives, not understanding that we could actually do something for them, be a voice. We always say,“Be a voice for those who have none.” And that’s the value I think too, and of this place and how we run it. We also donate a lot of whatever we can to local humane societies. To us, it just grew. The goats had babies, and the next year we had 40 baby goats running around, and they were adorable but a handful. And we decided to try some lamb, and we have lamb, and it’s really easy to order farm animals. You just pick up the phone and say“Send us a dozen of these” and the next day you get them. If you know the right numbers, they’re available. The only thing you can’t get quickly is exotic animals.
Tell me about Albert. How did he come into your life?
RM: He came much later. We were already done with our farm and had a lot more maturity and purpose in what we were doing, and I’ve always wanted a camel, I don’t know why exactly, but I did, and so I googled camels and out popped Albert. And what happened was, he was four weeks old. He was born on a camel dairy farm. It was run by a veterinarian. She said that Albert had trouble eating, and the mother wasn’t feeding him well, and if you’d like to have him, you can. We had to pay for him; he wasn’t a rescue in that sense. We had a trailer sent and the next day he was on the farm.
How do you even begin to learn how to raise a camel?
RM: The veterinarian gave us a twopage-long list and powdered milk. He was bottle-fed for the first few months. Alex mostly handled him. He wasn’t that big, he was like a largesized dog, a little bigger. He happened to be a very smart camel. I can’t vouch for all camels, although they do have a high IQ. They’re said to be as smart as elephants, which
we know are very smart. And we fell in love with the guy, and he loves us, the family. We spent the whole day with him every day that we could, and he’s wandering around the ranch every day checking in on all of his friends, and he’s a happy guy.
I discovered Rancho Grande because of the viral video of Albert in the kitchen. So, does Albert get to roam around freely most of the time?
RM: When we don’t have people over, for safety reasons, because he is 2000 pounds, we let him roam the whole day and night. He stays with us most of the day, and we feed him. The start of the morning is always him coming to my door in the kitchen, with his nose making some sounds until he gets his apples. We always have apples ready for him, a few dozen at a time, he goes through. He actually went viral for the first time when it snowed here once. He woke up to snow and started dancing. I videotaped it, and it was an immediate hit. All the newspapers, Newsweek, wrote about him. It came at the right time, it was just before Christmas, and everyone fell in love with Albert. So that was his most viral moment, probably. And then one day he was in the kitchen, and I had my camera on my phone and opened it, and I started with - “Albert, get out of the kitchen.” And my son came, and that was the
story. It was a very well-received video, and probably had about 40 million hits. So he adjusted well to living here, fit right in, and he’s our family’s best friend.
For people interested in living offgrid, what is your honest advice about where to start and what to expect?
RM: The off-grid lifestyle has taken off. It’s very popular and people like to say they live off-grid, and it gives them a certain feeling with the earth, but I’m not sure if people really understand what it involves. The first thing you need is a source of energy, electricity. We use solar power and backup generators, and they’re not completely reliable. Technology has gotten better. Then you’ve got to get Wifi in and some satellites. Then you’ve got to get septic tanks and you gotta dig wells, and holes for water, and then you’ve got to maintain those systems through the years. And how do you do that if you’re not bringing in money? So you’ve got to make your off-grid lifestyle profitable, or you’ve got to self-fund it. Making it profitable isn’t easy because you are off the grid, so you’ve got to deal with everything you wouldn’t have to deal with if you weren’t off the grid, plus what you have to deal with anyway. It’s not easy, and I would think that it’s not as cool as people think it is if they’re
Photo: Wendy Wei
really into it. It’s a lot of work. The other thing on the plus side is technology, and wifi has gotten better, and that makes the connection part easier.
It’s hot outside, so Richard invites us inside, where he has additional small animals that he’s caring for, who need care. Inside the ranch, Richard showed us his greenhouse, bustling with little quails, turtles, and flourishing rows of tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, and other fresh fruits and veggies. Nearby, guests can pick their own fresh organic salad fixings, a true farm-to-table experience. He also gave us a glimpse of the communal commercial kitchen area, a lively game room perfect for family fun, and “the general store,” where his wife’s handcrafted yarn creations add a personal, cozy touch.
What does a typical day look like for you here?
RM: Well, we all have different chores and responsibilities. My responsibility is taking care of the greenhouse and the pet area (points at the duckling and quails). So
I wake up early. We have a rule that animals have to be fed before people. It’s a common rule among people who farm, so we follow that because it makes sense. It takes about an hour to get all the animals fed and happy. Then we have breakfast, and I like to stay on the ranch. The town is about a 30-minute ride, but there is no reason other than getting food to go down there, which we do once a week. So I’m here all day long, and if I’m not working in the greenhouse or cooking, because I love cooking, then just hanging out here doing other things. It’s kind of like retirement, I would say. I was working very hard for many years as the CEO of a skincare business. We had a big business, we were a couple of hundred million dollars a year in sales, and in all the stores, Sephora, Ulta…
What was the name of the skincare business?
RM: Murad Skincare
How was it, transitioning from being a CEO on the East Coast to this slower, more remote life?
RM: I was a lawyer, and lawyers are much more about winning
“ We always say, ‘Be a voice for those who have none.’ And that's the value of this place and how we run it.”
and losing, and business people supposedly should be more about collaboration. So they, “they” meaning my family, sent me to UCLA to get an MBA because they thought it’d be helpful if I knew about business. So I went to UCLA and got an MBA, and early on, I think I graduated in 2003. It was helpful, in business school you work in groups of up to ten people for two years. I spent years with some great people; they were all rocket scientists, actually. They were all from the satellites in the air, in the El Segundo area, and one accountant and some other people. Basically they taught me a lot. I have ADD, so I can’t really sit for more than a minute and do numbers well, so they did all of that, and I fed them, and we worked together.
What has surprised you most about living off-grid?
RM: I just think the only thing I can really say is, I have a different feeling about life and what life is. What is life? Being alive. And how this person here has life, he has life, and I have life (Richard points and refers to the duckling in his hand and other animals around the farm.) We all have the same life and the same energy. And there is so much death in a ranch because animals don’t live long anyway, and some die right away, so there’s always somebody passing away here, being buried, and it can really get to you if you don’t have a healthy respect for life and how it comes and goes. So maybe I feel a little differently about living and what life means, and what death means. So that’s a learning experience. You’re not really thinking about it, and then you age and you
think about it more. And being on a farm, I think you have a vision of life that might be healthy, a healthy respect for life. And I think all the mothers are amazing. When their hormones kick in after birth, all of a sudden, they become super mom for the most part. There’s a failure here and there, but they all do it, and they all take care of their kids, which is amazing.
I am curious about your perspective. What did you learn living in the city compared to what you have learned here in the country?
RM: Well, I grew up in New York City, Manhattan, and the lessons I learned there were hard lessons about life is very active and busy, a lot of movement, and this life is more a life where you can reflect and have time to think about your life and other people’s lives, and what you want to do for the rest of your life and all of that, which I don’t think you have much time to do in the middle of New York City, no matter what you’re doing there, just so much more things happening.
Would you say city life teaches us certain lessons while we are working, and this life teaches something different later on?
RM: That’s true, and that’s half
of what I meant, but it’s not just the experience, it’s also the opportunity of meeting people, and getting married, you’re not going to find someone to get married to here at the ranch. But there are key learnings, it’s life, and this is a different life. I think if you’re blessed to have enjoyed both lives, it’s a really wonderful experience to have. And so I’m closer to than I want to be at the end of my life (we all laugh) but I got plenty of things to think about, and what I spend a lot of time thinking about is what the enjoyment of life in the city and the activity there, and it almost helps. Without that, I’m not sure it would have been as interesting being here. I wouldn’t recommend people to come out and live the life I’m living unless they’re farmers, and that’s a business. I wouldn’t recommend people coming out trying to build a lifestyle in the middle of nowhere unless they have no other options.
Tell me about the Airbnb options you have here on the ranch.
RM: Now we have a cabin, and we have two safari tents that I bought in South Africa. People call them yurts, but they’re really not yurts; they’re bigger than yurts, even a king-size bed and a lot of furniture, but they’re safari tents.
What can people expect when they come to stay, and what kind of feedback do you hear
most?
RM: There are two types of people that are winners and losers here. The people with kids, from ages 4 to 12, have the best time here with family, because there are so many things to do: arts and crafts, animals, and adventure. The people who want to hike, who don’t necessarily have children, but enjoy the outdoors and won’t spend any time indoors, are great guests, and they’re overwhelmingly happy here, too. Then we have a 5 percent class, and you have that in any business. So the 5 percent here are people who are not coming for the right reason, and the minute they see dirt and they hear frog noises, see a fly, or step in a camel turd they’re all confused why they’re here. And you know what I do, I see them right away, and I say, - “You don’t belong here, and I don’t want you to spend time here, you’re not going to be happy. You’re not going to be charged,” and they leave. And that happens to me maybe eight or nine times, not that many.
How far in advance should someone book a stay?
RM: Well, we’re busier in the summer. Right now, if you wanted a weekend, you probably couldn’t get one for the next couple of months. Winter—we’re fine. The winters here are beautiful. We get snow, and I love the sweater weather.
As our visit wrapped up, the afternoon light stretched across the hills, and for a moment, everything felt wonderfully simple. Rancho Grande is the kind of place you come to for a pause from the rush of everything else. A place where goats have names, where a camel can become an unexpected celebrity, and where you might find yourself thinking about what you really value.
I left the ranch dusty, smiling, and reminded that sometimes the most meaningful lives are the ones closest to the land.
Visit www.ranchogrande.com to learn more!
Photo: Mark Neil
Divine Creation Rescue
Give a Cat a Second Chance
Divine Creation Rescue is a small, local nonprofit devoted to saving abandoned and stray cats in Moorpark and Sun Valley, CA.
Run by a team of three passionate animal lovers, the organization provides full vet care, socialization, and plenty of love to prepare each cat for a forever home. Currently, they’re caring for over 40 adoptable cats, along with many more living in outdoor colonies
Every foster, every donation, and every share helps save a life.
@DivineCreationRescue
Esther Andries
When AI meets Wellness
How a wellness entrepreneur rebuilt her life using AI and wellness tools — and is now teaching others to do the same.
Photos by: Amina Touray
In an entrepreneurial world still obsessed with hustle, Esther Andries is leading a smarter, more sustainable revolution — one rooted in wellness, resilience, and technology that works for you, not the other way around.
A Belgian-born wellness entrepreneur, published author and three-time business founder, Esther has been building companies for over a decade. But her most powerful lessons came not just from success — but from watching it all fall apart.
After launching successful wellness businesses in Belgium and later expanding to the U.S., Esther experienced a series of personal and professional setbacks that forced her to rebuild every part of her life: her income, her mental and physical health, her business model, and even her sense of identity. "Everything collapsed at once — my marriage, my company, my confidence. I had to find a new way to rebuild that wouldn’t burn me out again."
When Setbacks Become Strategy
That forced rebirth became the foundation of a new philosophy: wellness and technology, working hand in hand, can be the most powerful tools for reinvention.
"I didn’t have the luxury of rebuilding slowly," Esther shares. "So I had to be extremely efficient. I needed tools that would help me get back on my feet fast — but I also needed to protect my energy, my body, my nervous system. That’s where wellness and AI really came into play."
What started as survival turned into a thriving new business. Today, Esther coaches founders in the wellness, lifestyle, hospitality, and CPG spaces — helping them integrate AI, automation, and well-being into their operations so they can grow without sacrificing their health.
AI Isn’t Cold — It’s a Catalyst
Many founders worry AI will make their businesses feel robotic. Esther disagrees. "When used intentionally, AI isn’t cold — it’s a catalyst for freedom," she says. "It gives you back time. It removes friction. It 10 x’es your productivity. It lets you focus on your zone of genius instead of drowning in busywork."
She’s not just talking theory. Esther has tripled her income and increased her productivity tenfold by implementing AI across every layer of her business. Here’s a peek behind the scenes:
ChatGPT + Claude for idea generation, writing support, and course planning
Perplexity and Google’s Gemini for advanced research
Notion for AI-enhanced note-taking and organization
Zapier for custom automations that save hours of repetitive work
ManyChat to automate Instagram DMs and client onboarding
Tella for video recording workflows
AI automations that draft emails and social posts through MCP’s
Custom GPTs she personally built: a CFO assistant, a wellness guide, and even a virtual therapist
Everything collapsed at once — my marriage, my company, my confidence. I had to find a new way to rebuild that wouldn’t burn me out again.”
"I know what it's like to be completely depleted — emotionally, financially, physically," she says. "These tools helped me come back stronger without sacrificing myself."
Why Wellness Is the Real Growth Strategy
"Wellness isn't a reward for success — it’s a requirement," Esther emphasizes. In her coaching and content, she teaches that business and health are not separate pursuits.
In her Wellness course, Glow From Within, a 30-day wellness reset designed for women navigating transitions — something Esther knows intimately. "I created the tools I wish I had when everything was crumbling. Wellness gave me the clarity to make decisions and the resilience to start again."
What's Next: More Access, More Impact
Esther’s mission now is to help as many people as possible integrate these AI tools into their own lives. She’ll be launching AI bootcamps and courses soon — and in the meantime, she’s hosting free AI webinars to share actionable tips and strategies.
"I want people to see that you can be both ambitious and healthy/energized. You can scale and rest. You can rebuild smarter, not harder." AI is here to stay, and either you take advantage now or be left behind.”
“When used intentionally, AI isn’t cold — it’s a catalyst for freedom. It gives you back time. It removes friction. It 10 x’es your productivity. It lets you focus on your zone of genius instead of drowning in busywork.”
Rebuilding With Intention
When asked what sets her apart, Esther points to her lived experience. "I’ve lost everything — and rebuilt it all using systems that protect my peace. That gives me a level of empathy and strategy that goes deeper than business tactics."
Her story is one of radical reinvention — and it’s a roadmap for others navigating their own reset. "You don’t need to wait for a breakdown to build differently," she says. "The tools are already here. The question is: will you use them to create a business that supports your life — or one that runs it?"
Final Words
Esther Andries is more than a coach. She’s a quiet disruptor — someone who’s taken the chaos of collapse and turned it into a framework for freedom. Whether through her digital programs, AI consulting, or upcoming events, her work is a reminder that the best way forward isn’t always faster. It’s smarter.
Follow Esther’s Journey:
Find her courses, webinars, and events on Instagram: @esther.andries
Photo:
Photo: Taryn Elliott
