A Sister’s View

Not many people have the privilege of describing an entrepreneur’s lifetime journey—the trials, victories, heartaches, and joys—all viewed from the sideline only a sibling can occupy. Such is the case with my sister, Nancy Haller, and me. Her bio is impressive, and her work is notable.

As a child, she was exacting and thorough, opinionated and demanding. Musically, Nancy played the bassoon in the orchestra and physically danced ballet, considering the difficulty of the crafts. Many schools she attended experimented with open concepts, independent studies, and humanities blocks instead of standard classrooms. This opened numerous pathways to self-organized learning and developing the “ability to conceptualize” and learn in any environment. Her Bachelor’s degree from The Evergreen State College is in Organizational Development. All indicators of a future translating into solo entrepreneurship.

Her career pathways included hospitality, real estate sales, and teaching. Each path honed tools for success as she laid the foundation for her long-term career as a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Teacher. She is exacting and thorough regarding her business, “Advanced Wellness Connections,” which brings education and healthcare together. Through the study and use of movement, her vast knowledge of the human body’s inner workings guides her hands as she connects people to their known and unknown abilities.

The work is rewarding and exciting, and it is a mastery that continues to expand level after level. She is and has always been “up to the challenge,” pushing herself to increase awareness through movement and delighting in the success rate of her clientele, learning to embrace new patterns through her teaching.

Nancy began teaching Continuing Education to massage and bodywork practitioners across the United States and has completed hundreds of classes focusing on NeuroMuscular ReEducation and the Feldenkrais Method®.*

It helps to be funny. As we know… lessons that come with a comedic touch are often remembered much longer as we continue to ruminate on the anecdote that comes with the teachings. While serious about her knowledge, Nancy is witty and interested in presenting the material. Attending a seminar is a day of learning through laughter. Her vast experiences, which include both humans and, oddly enough, horses, become essential lessons in creating a well-rounded practitioner.

With success, there are heartaches and challenges. During a dental procedure in the early 2000s, she incurred a brain injury that affected, among other things, the speech pathways of her brain, leaving her with less than 50% intelligible speech. At the time she was diagnosed, she was one of less than 100 worldwide who experienced “Foreign Accent Syndrome,” a physical malady that left her sounding as though she was “speaking with a foreign accent.” Nancy forged ahead and retrained her brain and speech patterns to be understandable and focused. When you realize a good portion of her life has been public speaking, this dedication to self was essential to continue her business practice.

In 2012, Nancy wrote and published “I Don’t Know How Long My Short-Term Memory Is,” a book describing the journey to wellness—a handy manual to assist people experiencing Brain Fog, Brain Injury, and Brain Tired. Learning to understand and help loved ones find the pathway through brain issues can be difficult and daunting. This book is also excellent for “supporting” someone who is struggling. (Which, in reality…is the entire population of the world.)

In Fall 2024, she will complete a nine-year term as the President of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America and will continue working as President of the Feldenkrais “Educational” Foundation of North America. A commitment to giving back to her professional community of almost thirty years is only part of her ongoing goals for the future.

As an avid reader, Nancy studies the world’s vast intricacies. While her expertise is in the body’s inner workings, she is fascinated with the stars in space and the ocean’s vastness. As a stroke survivor, travel gives her a place to rest her brain and think of nothing but the splendors in front of her and the necessities of the moment ahead. At 70 years old, her biggest fear is slipping into brain nothingness, so she continues challenging herself with a far busier life than most.

To say I am “in awe” of her talents and the life’s work she has accomplished would be an understatement; however… no other word can describe my pride. Nancy has always been “the logical” one, pointing out the “why and why not” of life as it passes. As the younger sister… I will admit that she is frustratingly “right” most of the time. Perhaps this is what makes her the Entrepreneur she is now. The ability to see and apply the inner workings to the outer needs of the tasks at hand. She is complex, confident, and capable of creating a business model that works efficiently and independently for her success. While she is now long past the age… she has no plans to retire… “to what,” she says. This spirit continues to fuel the phrase “Entrepreneur.”

To learn more about this marvelous woman and the life she has created, go to her website: www.nancyhaller.com

* The Feldenkrais Method, often called “Feldenkrais,” is a somatic educational system designed by Moshé Feldenkrais (1904–1984). Feldenkrais aims to reduce pain or movement limitations, improve physical function, and promote well-being. Sessions offer individualized learning opportunities to move with greater ease and self-discovery to replicate learned patterns. You learn in a gentle environment designed to facilitate change for your future ability to continue learning at home, work, or play.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2024 issue of CHOICES Magazine