Another Sedona Success Story
AS SEEN IN THE RED ROCK NEWS
September 6, 2019
One of Sedona’s most dynamic spiritual counselors is celebrating a new achievement – recognition as one of the 2019 Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies in the US, and the 100th fastest growing in Arizona.
Debra Stangl of Sedona Soul Adventures revealed in August that Inc. also lists her company at #343 among fastest-growing health-related companies nationally.
Inc. ranks privately held, independent, US-based companies by percentage of revenue growth from 2015 (minimum $100,000) to 2018 (minimum $2 million).
But Sedona Soul Adventures has been a spiritual fixture in the area much longer than that. Debra founded the company in 2002, “to create powerful retreats by helping individuals and couples reconnect with their essential spiritual nature,” she said.
As many Sedona entrepreneurs have done, Stangl relocated to Sedona and proceeded to create something from nothing – changing her life in the process. After more than 20 years as a family law attorney in Omaha, a 1999 visit to Sedona triggered a “life-changing” sense of “personal healing” in Debra.
Sensing that “the world’s most gifted healers and spiritual teachers were flocking to Sedona,” Debra closed her law practice and opened Sedona Soul Adventures so “others could experience the same incredible transformations,” she said. Today, Sedona Soul Adventures is a network of more than 50 practitioners who operate retreats custom-designed for clients by a full-time sales and planning staff.
“From what I can tell, we are the only company on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list doing the type of alternative work that we do – customizing spiritual retreats for individuals or couples,” Debra said. “After divorcing people for over 20 years, it is gratifying to have spent 17 years helping them stay together.”
Sedona Soul Adventures is a notable success in Sedona’s lifestyle and wellness field, generating millions in sustainable economic impact each year. “When our clients come to Sedona for retreats, they stay for a minimum of four days,” Debra said. “Most people are here five to seven days. They stay at hotels, rentals and resorts, eat at our restaurants and buy from local merchants.” A Soul Adventures client who purchased over $20,000 in art while in Sedona “was not an isolated incident,” she said.
In addition to “our amazing people,” Debra attributes the company’s growth to skillful marketing that supports the entire spiritual wellness industry. By publishing “The Sedona Guide to Spiritual Retreats” and “The Sedona Guide to Couples Retreats,” for example, Debra helps potential visitors understand the nature of spiritual retreats and the special allure of Sedona.
Relocating to Sedona with her professional background, entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to harmonize her business with Sedona’s physical and spiritual environment, Debra and Sedona Soul Adventures epitomize a successful, sustainable business model that contributes to our quality of life, economy and our visitor experience.
Congratulations to Debra Stangl and all those making Sedona Soul Adventures an inspiring success story!
Jennifer Wesselhoff, President/CEO