Mary’s High School years were instrumental in the path she has paved for herself, ultimately leading to becoming the cofounder of the ellement collective. 

As a young female she was one of the top in her class, a national-qualifying athlete, and extremely outgoing. Everything was about “doing,” and achieving as much as humanly possible. This time was also textured by her mother’s survival from breast cancer and the divorce of her parents. As someone who is gifted with the trait of being a highly sensitive person (HSP), every pivotal life moment was intensely internalized. Without the community or resources to productively maneuver through these experiences, they translated as a painful struggle with things like chronic illness, insomnia, abusive relationships, general anxiety and binge-eating disorder. 

It wasn’t until she landed at a contemplative Buddhist school in Boulder, CO after having traveled overseas, transferred school a number of times, and been in a variety of therapies that she began to understand herself, her innate gifts, and her relationship to the world with more compassion and empathy. This was the start of her journey to redirecting her internal fire and perfectionism to more productive outlets. At the time, she was managing a large team at a grocery store which would mark the start of her career in natural foods. 

This shift was marked by her discovery of the Five Element theory. This teaching combined her passion for both conventional and non-conventional schools of thought, Western and Eastern, all into one way of understanding the way we operate in the world and in nature, which ultimately inspired her unique, authentic, and effective approach to leading teams and organizations that were rooted in social responsibility. 

Mary is steadfast in her belief of a holistic approach to our lives, and that when we are given the space and resources earlier on, such as the pivotal teenage years, we can be better equipped to mindfully navigate the next stages of our personal and professional lives as young women. Starting the ellement collective alongside her longtime friend, Kylie Roswell, is a dream come true and the culmination of over a decade of Mary’s work to embrace her life’s deep experiences with trauma and internal growth and knowing, all while gaining invaluable experience in C-level positions.