It all started in October of 2017 as a blog on healthy living, fitness and plant-based living: The Plant Lady. Friends and family followed along as I inspired them with weekly tidbits about nutrition research and provided simple yet effective workouts. We talked about self-care through essential oils and I shared a bit of my life story from the perspective of a military wife. I planted seeds of wellness in every article that I wrote.
But in early 2018, the winds started to change.
I felt the urge to expand the mission of Aspen in order to help women build resilience by providing access to wellness resources. Blogs provided personal insight on my healthy living journey, but women were in need of more. As I watched the social media posts and chatted with women from differing walks of life, it became more and more apparent that more depth was vital. So many women today are living lives that are less than satisfactory – whether it’s mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally. We are a society that is living stressed out, disconnected and spread too thin. We don’t readily make the connection between the health of our bodies, what we eat, how we move and how we think.
The problem lies in this: Ignoring the fact that our entire bodies act as a connected system lends to increased stress on the body. Chronic stress weakens the immune system and can lead to chronic disease, along with anxiety, depression, digestive and sleep problems, weight gain or more. Statistics actually show that 95% of all illness is either caused by or worsened by stress.
The why. My heart is to help women thrive in wellness and develop an understanding of the relationship between the mind, the body and health. I desire to help women understand their uniqueness and how that affects their choices for wellness in food, fitness and self-care.
Connections. As an Aspen tree colony is joined beneath the dirt, our minds and bodies function in an integrated way. Through articles, resources and other opportunities for learning we can grow healthy connections.
Just as an aspen tree continues to grow, so does Aspen. Coming soon: Aspen Collective — Live Well, Collectively.
in an instant...everything changed.
new beginnings
It was at a dinner with friends where I first met my husband. He is the brother of my best friend’s brother-in-law (I know…confusing, right?) We hit it off with great conversation and stares at one another across the table. This “meet up” had been years in the making, but came at the perfect time. I had just finished my fifth year of teaching and he was finishing up the last year of his overseas military tour in Italy. As we texted and talked throughout the next few weeks, it became apparent to us both that this was something special. Weeks turned into months and before I knew it – the following May, we were walking out of a chapel, as “Mr. & Mrs.” Little did I know that the conversation that night – would change not only my “relationship status”, but provide the chance for me to explore new aspirations. Our journey had begun!
The Founder
Alecia Ritzema
Alecia Ritzema is an Army wife, lover of travel, and a coffee-drinking connoisseur. As an educational consultant and ACE® Certified Health Coach she is focused on helping people and organizations learn, adapt, and grow. Through Aspen Collective, she partners with schools, leaders, and individuals to build sustainable systems that support academic, personal, and physical well-being.
With more than a decade of experience in education, Alecia specializes in student support systems, strategic coaching, and program design, with particular expertise in trauma-informed practices and high-need environments. Through Aspen Well, she helps women create lasting health habits through articles, resources and personalized coaching rooted in nutrition, movement, and behavior change.
Across all of her work, Alecia believes lasting growth comes from aligned systems, consistent habits, and the ability to adapt over time.
