Eclectic Kate; The Connection Katalyst

I’m sitting in a pivotal, liminal space.

That palatable shift between one season to the next. The shedding of old layers too hot and heavy to carry any longer.

The discomfort of truths, no longer deniable, rising up to be integrated.

But will I surrender? Will I trust?

Will I surrender to that which is beyond my control and trust that each release, each truth, each step is necessary in order to take the next one?

I don’t know.

Eclectic Kate the business entity has been nothing short of a labor of love. Is the laboring and birthing process over? Now what?

At the beginning of this year I won a scholarship to a business program made for entrepreneurs. I desperately needed to breathe life into my flailing (not failing) business that was all but neglected in 2023. There was a lot of personal challenges that I was navigating and I didn’t have the energy, time, or inspiration to give to Eclectic Kate. So she suffered tremendously.

When the opportunity to join the BASE camp program put itself in front of me, I decided this was the life support that could revive my business. It was a wonderful experience, and I drew so much from the information and conversations.

BASE camp exceeded my expectations and helped me to not only obtain valuable resources and information, but I also got acquainted with the individuals in the community who are doing what I am doing. I listened to so many professionals who shared the “whats and hows” of being a business owner, and I learned how these professionals are capable and passionate and can help me manage my business in areas that I need that support.

The topics covered were organized well. There was so much information and resources offered that I didn’t have before, action items I hadn’t even considered previously, and hard truths that were easier to look at and work through because of the support in the group setting.

“What was the most important or valuable thing you learned during BASE Camp?”

“Hope is a verb with it’s sleeves rolled up.” -Anne of Matriark Foods

I was reminded how important it is to believe in myself. It is really important that I trust in my abilities to learn, grow, and evolve. I also learned that it is equally important to have the appropriate structures, procedures, and professional support in place to help guide my business toward greater and greater success.

I learned that I cannot be afraid of the areas that I am not proficient in. I must cultivate the courage to find help, ask for it, and take the necessary action no matter how uncomfortable it is. I learned where to turn for this type of help.

No matter how uncomfortable it is to be a beginner, or step into uncharted territory, or learn new information; it is more uncomfortable and detrimental to take no action, stay the same, and never experience the expansiveness of completing a challenge regardless of the outcome. I found great value overall in being a participant in BASE Camp.

Interestingly enough since completing the class the undulation between blazing confidence that the above paragraphs convey and complete defeat has seemed to get more intense and frequent. I don’t know what to do with all of it.

So today, I will introduce you to the refined and fortified Eclectic Kate LLC, and muse on the direction of the rest of this year.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

-Anais Nin

I am the connection katalyst Kate Frautschy, creatrix of Eclectic Kate LLC.

I teach somatic seasonal movement classes & workshops, author reflective texts, and craft natural self care products and garden goods.

I am here to catalyze individuals and communities to reconnect to themselves through the Earth.

I value environmental stewardship and personal development. I create services and products to address the prevalent disconnection individuals and communities are experiencing in today’s fast paced, digitally driven world. This disconnection often leads to deterioration of quality of life and vitality of health for individuals and communities.

I empower people to connect with natural cycles utilizing experiential classes, authored texts, and natural products. My mission is to facilitate personal growth and healing, promote sustainable lifestyle practices that emphasize environmental stewardship, and foster experiences for community care and cohesion.

This logo has seen me through the last few years.

I think it’s time for an update!

Eclectic Kate was born of the desire to be free of the boxes that categorize and stereotype the health and wellness industry.

I grow, harvest and process the ingredients for my products as well as educate and support those who want to deepen their relationship with the Earth and themselves. I use my formal training in yoga, HoopYogini, Reiki, sound, and mediation to engage all of the senses and create experiential classes and workshops that catalyze connection for people seeking meaningful relationships with themselves and the world around them.

My first 2 books were a beginner’s guide to menstruation and tracking. My third book is a compilation of poems, songs, and chants that I have written over the years covering the topics of sobriety, mental illness, and suicide. I have facilitated a wide array of programs with varied communities like elementary children, 4-H’ers, teacher sororities, Park Districts, and nature preserves.

My favorite “studio” is nature!

Flower Farm Yoga, 4-H presentations, Community Wellness with the Lena Park District, and Nature at the Confluence Seasonal Celebrations have been some of my favorite places to share the magic of movement and breath!

Eclectic Kate LLC is on a mission to address the growing issue of disconnection. Due to the fast-paced, extractive, digitally driven world we live in, there is a prevalent disconnection many individuals feel from themselves, their communities, and the environment.

The impact of this problem is significant and affects many people. Individuals who feel disconnected often struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. They may also experience a lack of motivation, low self-esteem, and difficulty forming meaningful relationships.

This disconnection also has broader societal implications, as it contributes to social isolation and a breakdown in community cohesion.

I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to catalyze connection. My company values are deeply rooted in commitment to personal growth and connection. I anchor my work in the values of:

Germinate, Integrate, Regenerate, and Celebrate. These values guide me in creating an authentic and inclusive space for individuals on their journey towards self-discovery.

Germinate represents my belief in nurturing personal growth from within. I offer movement, coaching, and educational resources that empower and support individuals on their journey of self-discovery.

Integrate is the commitment to fostering connections within communities and nurturing newly catalyzed connections within.

Regenerate reflects the dedication to environmental stewardship and personal healing. My products and services offer support to the new growth that emerges with stable, new found connections.

Celebrate embodies the necessity of celebrating milestones along the journey of personal growth and community development. Reflecting to celebrate growth and healing fosters a deeper connection with oneself and the world around them.

Built on the foundational values of Germinate, Integrate, Regenerate, and Celebrate;

I am dedicated to empowering individuals on their journey towards self-discovery while fostering a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them by creating an authentic space for personal growth and connection.

My current favorite capture of myself. It’s ok to be slightly obsessed with yourself and your vessel.

So I look at this picture above and see a beaming, confident, beautiful, kind soul.

When I feel into my body today; none of that feels true. I feel quite opposite in fact.

I’m struggling to take that next step forward in my life and in my business.

Why? I’m sure if we sat here long enough I’d get it all out.

But really it’s my thoughts. The thoughts that I allow and entertain instead of swiftly interrupting them. Somewhere along this process I lost the grip on my delirious positivity and the voices of anxious doom took the wheel.

It could be the current state of affairs in the world. Watching the unfolding of the “fall of the empire” is unnerving in and of itself, but how do we “human” and keep hope ablaze? It seems impossible for me nowadays to dream of buying a building for a brick and mortar when society as we know it seems to be crumbling at the foundation. It seems counterproductive to engage in a system that wasn’t build to help any of us “common folk” to actually succeed and realize soul purposes. It feels hopeless to dream of success in a world that increasingly seems to penalize those who have a heartbeat for humanity.

But isn’t that what a connection katalyst does?

Connect that which has been disconnected or never connected in the first place.

The oppressor wins when I give “hopeless” a seat at the table.

So what are these challenges telling me?

“Connect Deeper; Connect Courageously; Connect without attachment or expectations”

In this last year of my personal life, I have been experiencing deep heart break, seething wounds that rivers of tears have soothed, and moments of utter despair. I’ve been set in front of hard truths that give me no choice but to surrender and trust in the process of life.

Recently I have been going so far as to question “What’s the point of all of this?” “Why am I even trying?” Then the suicidal ideation shows up; that’s when I know it’s time for some spiritual resuscitation.

I am not excited about life or the future right now. That’s ok, but I can’t stay here. It’s a slippery slope into depression and self sabotage if I do not stay vigilant in my daily practices that nourish my spiritual body. If I do not stay aware of my feelings and thoughts; they start to take over and I become an angry elf with a destructive streak.

When I lose my sight on my “Why’s” my vision is blurred and my stride is tripped up. It’s so easy to get disconnected today; despite the constant connections available everywhere in the online and offline world.

Why do I do what I do? Why do I try to run a business that is focused around connection through all the senses?

All I have ever wanted to do is help save the world. When I was very little I would state just that. As I got older, I thought marine biology would be my part, as I aged I thought being a teacher would fulfill that purpose, then I became a mother; I had to help save the world my children were going to inherit.

I have only ever wanted to be a part of a utopian dream of collaborative community and reciprocal living in co-creation with the Earth. I find so much purpose in reflecting the light within another’s soul that they themselves have disconnected from. I find immeasurable joy planting rows of seeds and watching things grow. I find incredible fulfillment in growing green things as well as cultivating inspiration from growing the unseen things.

I have permanent rose colored glasses. I believe a world of peace and collective cooperation is possible. I see people katalyzing connections that are more powerful than any oppressive systems that seeks to dominate and destroy as opposed to unify and regenerate.

Yes, there is a lot of incredibly horrific things that happen here on this Earth daily.

But there is a duality in all things and I know that there is immeasurable good and incredible evolution that is happening subsequently. This I believe to be so.

So I must help nourish this evolution. I must resist the ever present “other side” where hopelessness, despair, and fear are waiting on the shore to pull me in and under to the depths of disconnection.

How can I do this through the entity of Eclectic Kate?

First and fore most; never give up. Rest, cry, freak out, take a break; but I can never give up.

Practically speaking, I am shifting my focuses to help myself restabilize the foundation of Eclectic Kate.

I’m excited to be participating in my first regular farmers market this year. Connecting with people about real food and inspiring the changes people want to make to connect with vitality, health, and community.

I’m looking forward to expanding my knowledge base again this year in the garden; it’s the best classroom of life.

I’m looking forward to drawing my focus closer to home; I have been traveling a lot over the past year experiencing groups and organizations who are already doing the work of regeneration and stewardship for the land and people.

As I put myself out there more and more, increasingly confident in my authentic self, I find that I am not always received positively. This used to be a huge problem for me. It still hurts to feel the rejection of your authentic self. However, I have become increasingly aware that often when I am in alignment and being myself those who are disconnected from themselves will feel threatened and reject that level of authenticity that they themselves are scared of. I’m not doing anything wrong; I’m activley emobdying my purpose as a connection katalyst.

Nothing changes until the discomfort of staying the same overrides the fear of the unknown and you make the decision to trust and surrender. To step forward into connection; deeper, courageously, without attachments or expectations.

That’s what I do; I germinate that spark of courage, integrate that spark into knowing and action, regenerate the pieces of self that have laid dormant and are now coming to life, and celebrate the courage in expansion that connection makes possible.

As I continue into 2024, Spring in full swing with the passing of Beltane yesterday, I’m feeling more hopeful than I have in a long time. I have spent the week connecting with people who see me, and love all of me. I have been ebbing and flowing with the energy of spring planting the seeds of hope and weeding out the overgrowth so that new growth has a chance. I also feel the unseen changes that are happening in the background, and leave myself open to the unexpected and serendipitous moments of guidance and clarity that are available when I have my “rose colored glasses” on. It’s all in the perspective.

“Where attention goes energy flows.”

“You can’t work for something you can’t imagine.”

Germinate, Integrate, Regenerate, Celebrate

The Connection Katalyst: Eclectic Kate