Finding Light in Sedona_ Debra Stangl’s Journey from Burnout to Breakthrough.pdf

Debra Stangl (Founder of Sedona Soul Adventures) maintains a strong focus on business operations. She ensures regular monitoring of client feedback, team performance, and financial indicators.

1. The business world is buzzing with leaders making waves, but some just hit
different. They’re not just crunching numbers; they’re building something
meaningful, shaking things up, and inspiring the heck out of their teams (and maybe even us on the outside). Debra Stangl (Founder of Sedona Soul
Adventures) maintains a strong focus on business operations. She ensures
regular monitoring of client feedback, team performance, and financial
indicators. While embracing experimentation, her leadership emphasizes
thorough testing, review, and swift adjustments. Debra recognizes that calculated
risk-taking is integral to growth, but it is conscious risk-taking that ultimately
ensures long-term sustainability for Sedona Soul Adventures.
Finding Light in Sedona

2. Debra Stangl’s personal transformation in Sedona sparked the creation of Sedona
Soul Adventures. In 1999, the successful yet stressed Omaha divorce attorney
found that years of traditional healing methods hadn’t addressed her burnout,
unhappiness, marital issues, debt, and weight gain. A pivotal Sedona visit
prompted a life change, underscored by an unexpected $50,000 windfall.
This led her to close her practice and spend the next three years coming to
Sedona for a month at a time to do her own personal healing. Shortly before 9/11,
an intuitive message urged Debra to relocate to Sedona. Following this guidance,
she moved and, during a period of contemplation, envisioned Sedona Soul
Adventures. Inspired by her own profound experience with one-on-one work, she
aimed to condense her three-year healing journey into a more accessible format
for others. Debra’s mission became facilitating deep healing and transformation. A key
challenge was building a sustainable business model around this deeply personal
and spiritual concept, balancing a heart-centered mission with entrepreneurial
realities. Through perseverance, she successfully integrated soulful service with
strategic planning to establish Sedona Soul Adventures.
Leading with Trust and Values
Debra’s leadership philosophy centers on empowering her team, fostering trust,
and providing heart-led guidance. She leads by example, consistently
demonstrating integrity, vulnerability, and active listening, firmly believing in
never asking her team to do anything she wouldn’t do herself. The company
prioritizes hiring individuals who align with the mission of Sedona Soul
Adventures and then empowering them with the space to grow and take
initiative.

3. At Sedona Soul Adventures, the structure is notably unique, with many
practitioners operating independently within their own areas of expertise. To
cultivate a sense of unity and shared purpose within this diverse group, Debra
emphasizes the organization’s core values: authenticity, transformation,
compassion, and excellence. She ensures these values are actively lived through
regular team check-ins, consistent appreciation practices, and a decision-making
process that is always guided by the principle of “what serves the highest good?” The Dance of Progress
Sedona Soul Adventures involves a delicate dance between innovation and
stability. Debra Stangl believes these two elements are not mutually exclusive but
can mutually support each other when approached with intention. In her view,
innovation at Sedona Soul Adventures stems from active listening: paying close
attention to their clients, their team, and that inner intuitive voice that guides the
organization.

4. A prime example of this approach occurred during the pandemic when in-person
retreats became impossible. Instead of succumbing to potential setbacks, Debra
fostered a mindset of possibility. This led to the launch of their Virtual Retreats,
an offering she initially felt uncertain about. However, these virtual experiences
not only proved incredibly successful but also expanded their reach, enabling
them to assist individuals globally. This pivot was both innovative and deeply
aligned with their core mission. Growing Together
The talent development philosophy at Sedona Soul Adventures centers on
alignment with their vision of spiritual transformation, followed by investment
through training, collaboration, and trust. While valuing the existing expertise of
practitioners, Debra Stangl provides structure for growth within their unique
framework. For staff and leaders, personal development is as crucial as
professional growth, with inner work encouraged.
Mentorship is key for Debra, who personally mentors many team members and
fosters peer mentoring for a holistic, non-hierarchical learning culture where
individuals uplift and learn from each other.
A Spectrum of Transformation
Sedona Soul Adventures is a transformational retreat company located in
Sedona, Arizona. The company specializes in custom-designed, on-demand
private retreats for individuals and couples seeking profound healing, clarity, and
spiritual connection. Their approach is distinctive, tailoring each retreat to the
specific needs of the client. This is achieved through a network of over 50 of
Sedona’s Master Practitioners who offer a diverse range of healing modalities,
encompassing breathwork, energy healing, EMDR, tapping, sound healing,
meditation, Radiant Heart Healing, Positive Intelligence, the Peace Process, and
intuitive guidance. Notably, the company developed a proprietary modality this

5. year called The Sedona Formula, which integrates over 30 different healing
techniques.

Since its inception in 2002, Sedona Soul Adventures has assisted tens of
thousands of individuals and couples. Their retreats are recognized for their
depth, effectiveness, and life-altering impact. Expanding their offerings, the
company also provides Virtual Retreats, online courses, and certifications in
Breathwork, Soul Coaching, Core Wound Healing as well as The Sedona Formula.
Retreats and Spiritual Journeys
At its core, Sedona Soul Adventures is dedicated to guiding people back to their
authentic selves. It is custom-designed, on-demand private retreats, uniquely
created for each individual or couple. Their expertise includes emotional healing,
spiritual awakening, trauma release, relationship repair, and life reinvention.

6. Sedona Soul Adventures provides:
●​Couples Retreats, focused on High Vibe Relationships
●​Virtual Retreats, globally accessible and fully personalized
●​The Sedona Formula™, a new program combining over 30
transformational techniques
●​Online Courses, for personal and spiritual development
●​Their Transformational Maintenance Program, providing continued
support for alumni.
Debra Stangl’s approach is always custom, heart-led, and focused on results.
Beyond retreats, Debra leads annual spiritual pilgrimages to Egypt and Peru,
marking her 25th trip to Egypt this year. These journeys combine sightseeing
with deep energetic and spiritual experiences.
Leveraging Technology for Seamless Virtual Transformation
Technology has significantly transformed Sedona Soul Adventures’ operations.
Their Virtual Retreat platform employs secure video conferencing, automated
scheduling, and digital assessments to guarantee a smooth and effective client
experience. The intake process is streamlined through user-friendly online forms
and scheduling tools.
Sedona Soul Adventures has also invested in a robust CRM system that enables
them to track client progress, communication, and outcomes with precision and
care. This ensures that even in a virtual environment, clients feel supported,
heard, and understood.
Furthermore, the company has implemented client portals, mobile-responsive
design, and virtual support staff. These technological integrations make it easier
for individuals to access their transformational work from any location.
Guided by Feedback

7. Listening is paramount in guiding the evolution of Sedona Soul Adventures.
Debra Stangl emphasizes the importance of attending to client feedback, tracking
recurring patterns in their requests, and following the intuitive energy of what
feels timely and necessary.
The creation of The Sedona Formula™, for example, emerged from years of
observing the most effective elements across all their retreats. Debra and her
team codified these findings into a structured program designed to deepen their
work and make it more accessible to a wider audience.
Debra Stangl also prioritizes evaluating the limitations of their current offerings,
considering whether they are reaching enough individuals and effectively
supporting long-term integration of transformation. This ongoing inquiry drives
their expansion efforts. They move forward with new initiatives when there is a
clear understanding that it will genuinely serve their community.
Forging a Path
Starting from the ground up in a niche field presented significant challenges for
Sedona Soul Adventures. There was no established blueprint for the unique
service they were creating. The company faced the task of identifying
practitioners, developing strong relationships with them, building trust, and
effectively communicating their offerings—all while upholding the spiritual
integrity of the work.
Skepticism also posed an early hurdle. Many questioned whether a retreat could
truly bring about significant life changes in just a few days. Sedona Soul
Adventures had to educate potential clients while consistently delivering
powerful and tangible results. This endeavor required considerable
experimentation, patience, and resilience.
The Power of Word-of-Mouth and Media Exposure

8. Sedona Soul Adventures experienced a pivotal shift around 2006 when word of
mouth began to significantly accelerate their growth. Satisfied clients actively
started referring friends, partners, and family members. Subsequently, the
company was featured in several key media outlets and travel/spiritual
publications. This exposure provided crucial credibility and increased their
visibility within the market.
Another major turning point for Sedona Soul Adventures was the launch of their
Couples Retreats. Facilitating healing and reconnection for couples became one
of their most frequently requested services, yielding profound success stories.
These positive outcomes and subsequent referrals became a central engine for the
company’s continued growth.
Leadership in Action
Debra Stangl approaches decision-making at Sedona Soul Adventures by
balancing intuition with data. She avoids impulsive choices but also values her
gut feelings. Her process involves gathering information, consulting with her
team, and then posing the crucial question: “Is this in alignment with our
mission?” If the answer is affirmative, even if the path seems challenging, she
moves forward.

9. Debra also believes in the value of small-scale testing. Sedona Soul Adventures
rarely commits fully to a significant initiative without first testing it in a
controlled environment. This strategy mitigates risk and provides valuable
learning opportunities before scaling any new endeavor.
Business Mantra of Debra Stangl
●​Heart-Led Empowerment: Debra centers her leadership on empowering
her team and fostering trust, guiding them with genuine care and
integrity.
●​Balanced Innovation with Stability: Not to shy away from
experimentation but emphasizes calculated risk-taking.
●​Client-Centric Listening for Evolution: She prioritizes actively listening
to client feedback and identifying emerging needs.
●​Mission-Driven Decision-Making: Debra consistently evaluates potential
initiatives and opportunities.

10. ●​Holistic Talent Development through Mentorship: She invests in her
team’s growth by focusing on both professional skills and personal
development.