Meet Sarah Hope | Founder, Slow Medicine. Coach, guide, educator, retreat leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Hope and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risk really comes alive when it’s tied to a vision. Otherwise, it’s just plain scary and reckless. But when you have a vision, risk has a direction, a purpose. It becomes absolutely crucial for building a business that actually means something. Without that risk, a business just doesn’t grow.

For me, taking risks allows me to run my business in a way that feels authentic and aligns with my values. For most visionaries, going all-in often means saying goodbye to regular paychecks. You’re suddenly doing everything yourself – accounting, marketing, bookkeeping – on top of actually delivering your service. And getting paid for all that work? It’s not a given. It’s a huge jump into the unknown, and being okay with that unknown is key. I even took on uncomfortable levels of debt to grow my business. It’s exhilarating and, yeah, sometimes terrifying. But it makes every single day feel worthwhile.

I was terrified to leave the stability of my teaching job, but I knew I was stuck in a system of toxic productivity. It was something I just couldn’t do anymore. I’d healed myself from chronic burnout and built a life I loved, and I felt this strong calling to help others do the same. I risked everything to make it happen, and now I’m happy and fulfilled. I absolutely love what I do, and I owe this, almost entirely to my willingness to take those risks.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a nature-connected coach, educator, and ceremonialist, I specialize in supporting healers in high-powered positions who are experiencing burnout. I’ve developed a program called Slow Medicine, a four-part, nature-connected healing system designed specifically for physicians, nurses, therapists, and leaders dedicated to serving humanity.

Slow Medicine begins with healing the nervous system within the context of a larger ecosystem, and then expands outward to inform how we serve others. I’m deeply passionate about this work because it emphasizes that healing isn’t an isolated event; it occurs within a complex web of interconnectedness, encompassing our community and our relationship with the natural world. I believe our current healthcare system has become overly compartmentalized, often focusing on symptom management rather than addressing the broader context of healing. My approach views the nervous system as an integral part of this larger ecosystem, one that includes our ancestors, descendants, and all our animate relations.

Developing Slow Medicine was a seven-year journey of working closely with clients and refining my approach. It wasn’t an overnight process, but rather a series of profound insights where my life experiences coalesced, providing a clear vision of what I needed to create. Even with this clarity, the process required significant time and navigating periods of self-doubt.

Through this work, I’ve come to understand that a significant part of the current cultural breakdown stems from a lack of collective vision—what is referred to as “Cosmovision” in Spanish. While this term doesn’t have a direct English translation, it speaks to our shared understanding of who we are within the larger context of nature, time, and the cosmos. This concept is fundamentally rooted in our inherent connection to the natural world. I’ve developed a methodology to cultivate this sense of vision and belonging, and I’m particularly proud of this aspect of the program because I believe it addresses a crucial need in the world today.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I live in Colorado Springs and I’m really into nature. So for me, I’d take them on all the hikes. I love Red Rocks Canyon and section 16. My office is in Manitous Springs, and I love to go to the Penny Arcade and play the horse races with out of town guests.
In the Denver area, I love going to Golden, Colorado and Morrison for concerts at Red Rocks. I feel so lucky that there are hundreds of healthy and fun things to do within less than an hours drive.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to Shout Out EBI, Earth Based Institute, where I attended coaching school. This program changed my life and my coaching. I trained with them for a little over the year and the skills I learned have changed the lives of my coaching clients, students and mentees.

I’ve stayed on and received a great deal of support as an alum and they’ve helped me overcome many roadblocks in my mindset and business.

Website: https://www.sarahhopecoaching.com

Instagram: @sarahhopecoaching

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shopecoaching/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahhopecoaching/

Image Credits
Matt Chmielarczk Photography

Click Photography, Colorado Springs, Tamera Goldsmith