EP # 251 Go Within to Go Beyond: How WellFit Girls Transforms Young Lives Through Nature and Self-Discovery

Standing at the edge of adolescence, today's young women face unprecedented challenges. Social media pressures, unrealistic beauty standards, and constant connectivity have created a generation battling anxiety, self-doubt, and disconnection like never before. But in Southwest Florida, an extraordinary organization is offering a powerful alternative.

WellFit Girls, now celebrating its 10th year, is revolutionizing leadership development for girls ages 11-20 with a refreshingly different approach. Their philosophy—"go within to go beyond"—creates deliberate spaces where young women can disconnect from external noise and discover their authentic selves. As Executive Director Brooke Spencer and Marketing Director Natalie share in this conversation, leadership begins with understanding your own identity, values, and vision before you can effectively lead others.

What makes this program truly transformative is their culminating wilderness expeditions. After months of preparation, participants embark on challenging backpacking journeys—eight days in Montana's Pioneer Mountains for high schoolers and five days in Georgia for middle schoolers. Carrying only necessities on their backs, these young women discover capabilities they never knew they possessed. Without makeup, hair products, or technology, they're free to focus on what matters: supporting each other, overcoming obstacles, and connecting deeply with themselves and nature.

Many assume WellFit Girls serves only "troubled teens," but their philosophy holds that all girls face risks in today's culture. By creating diverse groups and teaching concrete skills like boundary setting, conflict resolution, and bold communication, they're preparing young women to navigate life's challenges with confidence and integrity. The impact extends far beyond individual participants—they're nurturing the next generation of leaders who will transform our communities, workplaces, and world.

Ready to support this vital mission? Visit wellfitgirls.org to learn more, donate to sponsor a girl's participation, or register a young woman in your life for an upcoming program. In a world telling girls who they should be, WellFit Girls is creating brave spaces for them to discover who they truly are.

WellFit Girls

Brooke Spencer

Natalie Bradley

6240 Shirley Street #204 Naples, FL 34109

 239-438-1079

[e-mail]

wellfitgirls.org

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
It's time to check out your neighbors on the Good
Neighbor podcast, where we bringgood vibes, great neighbors and
local businesses in SouthwestFlorida together.
Here's your host, Cabo JimSchaller.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
Welcome, good Neighbors to episode number 241
of the Good Neighbor podcast.
Today we have Good NeighborsBrooke and Natalie from WellFit
Girls Welcome.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Hi, hi, thanks for having us from WellFit Girls
Welcome.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hi, hi.
Yes, pleasure to have you guyson and share your story with our
listeners.
So let's jump in.
And why don't you share alittle bit about what you do
over at WellFit Girls?

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Sure, I'm Natalie.
I am the marketing director, soI help tell the story of
WellFit Girls, from our missionand impact to our programs and
events.

Speaker 4 (00:50):
Yeah, Hi, I'm Brooke Spencer.
I'm the executive director forWellFit Girls.
I've been a part of theorganization since 2017.
Started off as a volunteer andworked my way up to the
executive director rolerelatively quickly, I just feel
very strongly about this missionand really offering it to as

(01:12):
many people as we can find.

Speaker 2 (01:14):
Absolutely.
You got to follow your passion,and that's important.
So why don't you?
For those that aren't familiarwith what you guys do, why don't
you share a little bit aboutwhat you?
You know what WellFit Girls isall about.

Speaker 3 (01:25):
Yeah, so this is actually our 10th year.
We started in 2014,.
Well really became a non-profitin 2015.
So WellFit Girls is anon-profit that offers
leadership programs for girlsages 11 to 20.
And what makes us unique is ourapproach to leadership.

(01:47):
So our tagline is go within togo beyond, because we believe
that leadership starts with theself.
So our curriculum is builtaround this idea that to become
a confident and empowered leader, you first have to understand
who you are, your identity, yourvalues, your vision, your goals

(02:09):
.
And girls today are justbombarded with messages telling
them who they should be.
So at WellFit Girls we createthis space where they can step
away from those outsidepressures and really focus on
going inward, building thatinner foundation first, and from

(02:30):
there our programs offeropportunities to go beyond
through experiential learning.
So things like opportunitiesfor bold communication, conflict
resolution, teamwork we dofitness, boundary setting and
understanding differentperspectives from the other
girls in the group, and really alot of what we teach the girls

(02:55):
may have never encounteredbefore, so like being held
accountable or exploring what itreally means to be in integrity
with their self.
So to bring our program fullcircle, we present the ultimate
challenge of an out-of-statehiking expedition that pushes

(03:16):
girls physically, mentally,emotionally.
It's a chance to step away fromdaily distractions and into
nature where they can apply whatthey've learned in our programs
and connect more deeply withthemselves and others and
discover just how capable theytruly are.
So we have two programs.
Our signature program is forhigh school girls.

(03:38):
It's called Summit Sisters andit's a five-month journey that
ends with an eight daybackpacking expedition in June.
So, like we typically leaveright after school ends for the
summer, and this year we'retrekking the pioneer mountains
in Montana.
And then we also offer a threeweek summer camp for middle

(04:03):
school girls, which is really anintroduction into the world of
leadership.
So it starts with two weekshere in Naples and then ends
with a five-day expedition inGeorgia.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
I love it, I love it.
I love what you guys are doing.
So let's talk about theinspiration, about what you know
the founders.
What was their goal when theycreated this and developed this?

Speaker 4 (04:24):
about what you know the founders what was their goal
when they created this anddeveloped this?
Yeah, so we have two reallygreat founders Jill Wheeler,
who's an eco-psychotherapist.
She was living in Naples at thetime with two very young
daughters and really saw a needfor immersive leadership,
outdoor, adventure, adventuretherapy-based programming in the

(04:47):
Southwest Florida area.
So she came up with this idea.
She created this 10-modulecurriculum that we use in our
five-month signature programthat really goes really in-depth
into the concepts that Natalieshared.
And then she met ColbyRobertson, our other founder,

(05:07):
who really brought the nonprofitto life.
So she had a background being aWink News reporter and in
marketing and so then comingtogether really birthed this
amazing program option for girlsof, you know, all high school

(05:27):
girls all around Collier and LeeCounty.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
Very nice.
So why do you think programslike WellFit Girls are
especially important for today'sgeneration of girls?

Speaker 3 (05:40):
younger, it's so different and they just deal
with constant pressure to fit in, measure up, be enough.

(06:06):
You know, these filters andalgorithms that are just make
them question their confidenceand the pressure from social
media alone, like, isexacerbating this noise and
these pressures are leading to arise in anxiety and self-doubt
and disconnection during some ofthe most formative years of
their lives.
So WellFit Girls just createsthis space to unplug and reflect

(06:29):
and connect with other girlstheir age face-to-face and
realize their own strength andtheir own unique and potential,
beyond these unrealistic outsideinfluences.

Speaker 4 (06:43):
And just to add on to that, it gives them a little
bit of space to process throughthings that they don't have any
time or space or brainpower toprocess through because they are
so distracted and connected andconstantly doing something.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
Absolutely Well, and talk about the distraction you
guys mentioned hiking outdoors,getting away from things and
getting actually being outsideand enjoying nature.
What makes that such a powerfulpart of the program?

Speaker 3 (07:13):
Yeah.
So being out in nature likethat just strips away all of the
distraction and puts girls inan environment where they can
challenge themselves not justphysically but like mentally too
over days, because we do eightdays in our high school program

(07:36):
where the girls are justcarrying the necessities on
their backs.
There's no room for makeup orhair supplies or technology,
nothing you just have to carry,especially like what you need
there.
So it just mirrors lifestruggles.

(07:58):
We feel like it's tough, ittakes teamwork.
It brings unexpected beauty andgrowth in this challenge.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
I love that concept.
I love the idea Get away fromthe distractions and focus on
yourself internally.
So what are some of themisconceptions that we can maybe
clear up for our listenerstoday surrounding WellFit Girls?

Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, it's interesting because I think that
we're not a super nicheorganization.
We are very committed toholistically supporting the
whole girl's life.
So there have been times wherewe will go and meet with
teachers and meet withcounselors and meet with parents

(08:44):
and you know, we really, wereally like to be a part of the
whole girl's life, to uplift herin every way.
So one of our biggestmisconceptions is that we are a
therapy program or for troubledgirls or for, you know, like
what society deems at risk.
Our philosophy is that allgirls are at risk and so we

(09:05):
serve all girls.
It does not matter what lifestruggle they might be going
through, or even if they'restruggling at all.
But unfortunately, we do see somany girls working through
issues like depression, anxiety,disordered eating or exercise.

(09:26):
You know, have been throughtraumas or have been diagnosed
with something and are, you know, medicated in some way, and so,
yeah, one of our biggestmisconceptions is that we're
like for a specific type of girl, but we're committed to
providing leadership skills andphysical, mental and emotional

(09:50):
well-being for all girls.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, very good.
I feel like we have a couplemore misconceptions as well,
especially like our name wellfit.
A lot of people connect us withbeing just a fitness program,
and we're so much more than afitness program.
So the name well fit isn'tnecessarily fitness.
It's well fit for life, forchallenges, and yes, our program

(10:18):
is challenging, but it's alsosupportive and empowering and
intentionally designed to meetgirls where they are and at the
same time, we wouldn't offerthis challenging expedition at
the end of our programs and notoffer tools to help girls
prepare for it.
So that's where the fitnesscomes in to prepare for those

(10:41):
expeditions, but also to be achallenging aspect, and the
journey to the mountain,literally and metaphorically is
is what we're preparing them for.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
So, so along those lines is there?
Is there one thing you wishpeople understood more about the
important importance of, youknow, investing in the girls and
guiding them along this journey?

Speaker 3 (11:05):
I mean.
They are the future of ourcommunity and our, our world.
They're the next generation.
You know like reducedconfidence impacts a girl's
potential and girls who feelless confident are less likely
to take on leadership roles orto even pursue opportunities

(11:29):
like new opportunities forthemselves.
So, by investing in them, oractually investing in everyone's
future teachers and doctors andlawyers, activists, mothers you
know, because girls who believein themselves, have confidence
in their identity to takeownership of their lives and
grow into women who lead andsupport, who speak up, who

(11:52):
create change in their homes,schools, communities and in the
world.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Very good, Very good.
So how can people in thecommunity get involved?
You know, learn a little bitmore about well-fit girls or
support what you guys are doingyeah.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
So there's a lot of ways to get involved or support.
We want you to visit ourwebsite.
It's wellfitgirlsorg.
We are actually launching abrand new website in the next
few weeks here to a month.
Nat Natalie's been working veryhard on that.
We also would love for you todonate.

(12:29):
You're welcome to fund the girlthrough one of our programs.
Because we do these outdooradventure components with our
programs.
The cost per girl is relativelyhigh, but the reason for that
is really that we want to focuson high quality, long-term
impact instead of, you know,just kind of like a handout.

(12:51):
So funding a girl is really,really helpful and supportive to
us.
Follow us on social media andshare, you know, anything that
you really connect with.
Both of our handles are atwellfitgirls for instagram,
facebook and we also havelinkedin.
Um, if you're a parent,consider signing your daughter
up.
We have middle school and highschool programs and we do also

(13:13):
have webinars that explain ourprograms more in depth.
So you know, reach out, sign up, and we'd love to to meet with
you.
And, lastly, just if you're acommunity leader in some way,
we'd love to collaborate.
So you know, if you findsomething in this podcast that
you've heard that you really areinterested about learning more.

(13:33):
Reach out to us.
We'd be happy to meet with you.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
Very good, very good.
Any last words for ourlisteners today today.

Speaker 3 (13:51):
No, we just hope that our message, like speaks to to
someone and it's, it's gettingacross like what we do.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
I love what you guys are doing.
Thank you for being such goodneighbors and supporting the
girls in our community, and wehope to see you out there soon.

Speaker 1 (14:07):
Thank you so much.