Rossy Sanchez’s Path to Creating Yellow Woman Ranch
A Journey of Passion, Support, and Community
At Soroptimist International of Borrego Springs, we proudly support women in pursuing their passions and building community connections. Rossy Sanchez, one of our scholarship recipients, shares how the Live Your Dream program, along with local support and her passion, has helped her continue her work in emotional intelligence and mindfulness, guiding her toward the creation of Yellow Woman Ranch.
Now, in her own words, Rossy shares the journey that led her to this exciting chapter of building a space for women in Borrego Springs.
Believe in Your Dreams. They Will Come True.
By Rossy Sanchez of Yellow Woman Ranch | Soroptimist of Borrego Springs Scholarship Recipient
Since moving to Borrego Springs, I have come across some phenomenal community-based groups, one of the most important ones for me being the Soroptimists. Their focus on empowering women and supporting young girls truly aligns with my own work and passion.
But let me back up a little. In 2018, I attended a two-day Search Inside Yourself (SIY) workshop. This program, created at Google, is based on increasing emotional intelligence through the teachings of neuroscience and mindfulness. The aim is to promote self-awareness (getting to know yourself), self-regulation (managing emotions), motivation (getting in touch with your sense of purpose), empathy (showing compassion toward self and others), and communication and leadership skills (how to have difficult conversations and lead with compassion). These teachings can be life-altering, when followed. I know because they radically changed my life for the better. Through the years, I have learned to love myself unconditionally and am very clear on what my purpose now is.
I created Mindful Evenings, a series of weekly online programs geared primarily at women, based on what I learned at SIY and subsequent research I conducted. Those who attended my programs, particularly mothers, mentioned how they wished their children had the opportunity to learn the same thing. These mothers understood that emotional intelligence is something all human beings can benefit from and that the earlier we learn to apply it on a regular basis, the richer our lives can be. I couldn’t agree more and started dreaming about teaching young women the tenets of emotional intelligence so that they could get to know themselves and their emotions well to better manage interactions of all kinds, which is something that could prove immensely helpful in school, at work, and in their personal lives. But I wanted to have the credentials necessary before I attempted to teach a group of young women. I wanted to seem credible to them and also to members of the school district. So after about a year in Borrego, I decided to invest in the SIY certification. Little did I know that I would be guided to participate in the Soroptimists’ Live Your Dream program and be awarded funds to help pay for the certification. And not only that, but earlier this year, I was elated to be invited to speak to a large group of both high school and middle school girls and introduce them to the topic of EQ and mindfulness during the annual Soroptimists’ Live Your Dream program.
As an extension of all this work, I’m now creating a women’s retreat and event center in the heart of Borrego.
It goes by the name of Yellow Woman Ranch and is the manifestation of a dream I had as a single mom who worked full-time. Back then I envisioned a community of women that would help and support each other so that we could all move forward. My son is now all grown up, but teaching and supporting women has become my purpose and Yellow Woman Ranch the space in which to do it in.
Yellow Woman Ranch will host a wide array of workshops and events and offer holistic services geared to improve and enhance the overall wellbeing of adult women. We will have Conversations (short interactive sessions highlighting specific emotional intelligence topics, such as difficult conversations, triggers, or empathy, for example) and other events which will be open to all adults. I’m happy to say that programs for high school girls and for the Hispanic women of Borrego are also in the works.
This ambitious project is the largest, by far, that I’ve ever undertaken, but I’m not working alone. I am partnering with some truly amazing professionals that will deliver unique and profound experiences in their own areas of expertise.
I’m learning a lot about being a small business owner and connecting with generous people who are donating their time, talents, and resources to help build this dream because they too believe in it. I’m very excited about the opportunity that has been presented to me and am immensely grateful to live in Borrego, where my family and I have been so welcomed by this supportive community. It may take a while, but I intend to live up to my promises of ensuring that all women who desire it have a safe space to learn, grow, and heal at Yellow Woman Ranch.
UPCOMING EVENT
The grand opening of Yellow Woman Ranch will take place on Saturday, October 26, from 8A-8P. For more information, agenda, and tickets visit Yellowwomanranch.com.
"For most of my life, I saw myself through the veil of empty pounds and pimples." This is a line from my personal transformation story.
We all have stories, veils, and limiting beliefs we see life through and which color our interactions and keep us from reaching our full potential. My goal is to help women, of all ages, become aware of the stories, start taking down those veils and releasing those beliefs so they can make room for the creation of the lives they came here to live.