Sandy Lutton dipped her toe into a journey of self-discovery. Melanie guided her all the way in.
Psychoanalyst Erik Erikson coined the term identity crisis, a stage of identity development that involves the resolution of a conflict. Today, the concept typically refers to questioning our place in the world and who we are as individuals. Major life changes can trigger an identity crisis, an experience Sandy Lutton was facing in a very real way when she met Melanie.
At a time when Sandy was a wife, mother, and a CEO, she also found herself in the midst of a divorce, a complete career change, and the start of her own company, Opal Retreats. All of the roles she had maintained as her identity were changing, and she felt the need to rediscover herself. “I was trying to find myself again,” Sandy said, saying she “had to figure out who Sandy was and what she wanted in her life.”
After her divorce and the launch of her business in 2022, Sandy met Melanie. “I was experiencing an identity crisis after beginning my journey into rediscovering myself,” Sandy said. “At that time, I didn’t know a lot about Melanie. She invited me to her retreat because she thought it was something I would be interested in and would enjoy. And she was a hundred percent right.”
Finding The Right Support
Following a transformative experience at Melanie’s in-person retreat, Sandy felt compelled to dive even deeper into her quest for self-identity. “I was beginning a journey of finding myself,” Sandy explained, “and Melanie’s work seemed like something I needed — to go further inward in order to rediscover myself. I wanted to show-up in the world authentically, but I didn’t know what that meant for me.”
Sandy joined Melanie’s 1-on-1 program, The Embodiment, after giving it careful consideration. “That level of investment in my own personal growth was definitely something I had never done before, so I had some hesitation,” Sandy said. “But from the start, I felt so supported. We were all in different spaces, but in some ways we were all in the same place. I had a desire to connect with like-minded people, and that’s a big part of what Melanie’s programming offered me.”
Stepping Into a Supportive Community
Venturing into a world of self-discovery can be a lonely experience, and a long one as well. Having the support and encouragement of growth-seeking people can create clarity and self-awareness more quickly, as well as more enjoyably. That’s why it was important that, in addition to her 1-on-1 work with Melanie, Sandy had the support of The Brilliant Rebellion, a community co-led by Melanie and her husband Dan, for the purpose of supporting people who are deeply committed to their personal growth.
“I have lots of amazing friends, but we weren’t having deep-level, vulnerable conversations like I have with the Rebels,” Sandy explained. “This group allows us to really dive into exploring ourselves. I was able to open my heart and be more vulnerable. I started to realize that the more vulnerable I became, the more I grew and found more of me. And that’s what I was looking for.”
Through her experiences with The Brilliant Rebellion, Sandy realized that she had been serving an external world – doing what other people told her she should do and who she should be. “In the midst of my life, I kind of lost myself,” she said. “So I went on a journey to find myself again. And I found that I kind of like me. I like this Sandy girl! And I’m bringing her forward."
Although Sandy was a successful CEO, she wanted to go even further by building her own company designed to assist people to create a more fulfilling life. “Through my work with Melanie and The Brilliant Rebellion, I discovered that I wanted to help people figure out and build their personal messages using what they have learned and what they can share with the world,” Sandy explained. “I’ve worked with people that are famous or hugely successful by the world’s standards, but they weren’t successful at making themselves happy and finding their own fulfillment. So I want to help them take what they know and what they do and use it to create fulfillment for themselves.”
Shortly before Sandy completed her RocketFuel program with Melanie, she decided to name her company OPAL as an acronym for OPEN your mind to possibilities; PAUSE to remove the distractions and go inward; ASK what you want your life to look like; and LOVE yourself enough to step into the journey.
Having experienced an identity crisis and emerging from it more confident, fulfilled and sure of herself poised Sandy to focus on assisting others. OPAL reflects Sandy’s values and desire to support others. “After joining up with Melanie, that’s when things started to turn around for me,” Sandy explained. “I started to see the possibilities again — what life could look like for me. And that’s when I thought, I want to help other people on their journeys, especially women who can’t find time for themselves and to be themselves. I don’t want them to live for the world. Let’s teach people to live for themselves and be the authors of their own stories.”
Sandy summed up her experience with Melanie like this. “Melanie Spring and the Rebels took me deeper into a journey where I healed some of those past hurts and changed the limiting beliefs I grew up with,” Sandy explained. “It gave me a safe space to explore and get to know myself better. And all of a sudden I really started to like who I am. I was guided by Melanie and supported by a group of people who were doing the same thing, and we could support each other on that journey. And that’s where my real growth came from. It was life changing.”
