in the journey Finding clarity in the chaos and joy

Two Brainerd Lakes Area Women Find Their Passion In Empowering Others

BY JODIE NORQUIST

Everyone is born with unique talents and gifts, which are meant not just for our fulfillment. Anna Struss calls them “giftings.”

“We’re all created with giftings, and those gifts aren’t meant for us to keep; they’re meant for us to share,” Struss explains.

Struss and Miranda Aulie are both deeply passionate about helping others. Through their respective businesses, these two Brainerd lakes area women are creating safe, nurturing spaces that allow their clients to grow, heal and thrive.

ANNA STRUSS: WELLNESS AND MINDSET COACH

Struss, a certified wellness and mindset coach, owns Tangled Anchor, LLC. Her personal wellness journey began after a successful but unfulfilling stint in construction and design sales. She was good at what she did and loved design, but she wanted to do something different that involved helping people more meaningfully. Her “a-ha” moment came in 2016, pushing her to pursue a health coach certification through the Health Coach Institute. In 2021, she fully committed to her coaching business, Tangled Anchor, leaving her sales job to follow her calling.

Tragically, that same year, she lost her brother, T.J., to mental illness. He was 31. During this state of profound loss and grief, she tried other work for a while. In November 2023, she felt in a better place emotionally, and her brother’s death created a new desire to connect and inspire others to live lives filled with purpose and passion.

Struss’ approach is holistic, emphasizing the importance of selfawareness and mindset in achieving overall wellness. She works with many women, guiding them to recognize and utilize their unique strengths. “Women often feel like they’re not enough,” she explains. She helps them reframe their thoughts, embrace who they are and share their gifts with the world.

Tangled Anchor offers various services, including individual coaching, business coaching, group workshops, online sessions, and speaking engagements. Tangled Anchor is a metaphor for life, suggesting that while life can sometimes be messy, where we focus our attention, coupled with how we choose to respond, makes all the difference.

Struss’ signature program, EntreWomen, is a dynamic women’s group where “crazy cool ideas flourish.” The group meets monthly and highlights a different woman-owned business each month. She also hosts quarterly workshops that focus on selfimprovement and business growth. Themes such as “Sprout,” “Refuel,” “Elevate,” and “Jumpstart” guide participants through personal and professional development milestones.

Struss is faith-based; if her client is Christian, she uses language supporting that belief. If they are not, that’s OK, too. She’s learned much about herself as she went through her health coaching certification. For example, during a lab session with a partner, she discovered a personal blind spot that, once revealed, powerfully shifted her being.

She shared she used to enjoy performing and was on stage a lot in her childhood, including getting the lead role in a junior high school musical. But after that experience, she stopped auditioning for parts. This was the result of some girls, including her best friend at the time, being jealous and no longer wanting to be her friend. It was a painful moment.

“We all have things in our childhood that happened where we put walls up, and our view of the world changes in those moments. We’re not consciously aware of it all the time,” she explains. Struss started not wanting to be on stage and audition for things. She remembers wanting to audition but still wouldn’t and couldn’t understand her own choice to restrain. “My lab partner exposed the lie that I couldn’t see for myself, the power of a coach, from something that happened over 20 years ago. I knew why they were mean; however, I didn’t realize what I was doing to protect myself as a result. In a moment, it became clear, my brain was saying, ‘If I am successful, you won’t like me, and I don’t want that, so I won’t audition,’” Struss explains. Part of her current passion for coaching is to empower women to shine.

Struss works with many business owners and their employees, helping to ultimately provide a better customer experience by coaching the employer's business goals and empowering each staff member to be seen, heard and valued.

“When I’m working with a client, it’s like time stops, and I love it,” Struss says.

Visit www.tangledanchor.life to learn more.

MIRANDA AULIE: THERAPIST AND ADVOCATE FOR WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

Miranda Aulie, a licensed therapist, founded Wishing Well Therapy Services in January 2024. She focuses on women’s mental health and building community. She works with women of all ages, helping them navigate life’s transitions and challenges. Her approach is proactive and holistic. She often explores the intricate connections between mental health and hormonal changes, particularly during perimenopause.

Aulie’s passion for women’s mental health stems from her personal and professional background. As a stayat-home mom, she often volunteered at the women’s shelter. She enjoyed volunteering and she wondered how she could make a career of it. This led her to an interest in social work and she soon began to focus on women’s mental health. After working five years as a therapist, along with her volunteer work at the women’s shelter and through her personal relationships with women throughout her life, she noticed a significant gap in services for women, particularly around perimenopausal symptoms and their impact on mental health. This realization led her to create a space where women could find support, understanding and practical strategies for managing mental health.

Wishing Well Therapy Services offers individual therapy, couples counseling and bi-monthly women’s groups. These groups, Women’s Wellness Wednesdays, are offered from 6-7:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month and cover a wide range of topics, from inner child work to the neuroscience of trauma. They provide a supportive community where women can share their experiences and learn from each other. Aulie also emphasizes the importance of advocacy in her practice, encouraging her clients to seek the support they need and deserve.

Aulie started her women’s group in March 2024 and it’s become a welcomed addition for her clients who are already in weekly or bi-monthly therapy. It allows them to connect with other women and learn more about topics they may grapple with. She explains that perimenopause can be a vulnerable time for many women. She also has clients who are dealing with having children on the cusp of adulthood and this can be a challenging time for a parent. She supports her clients as they work to improve relationships, process trauma, break unhealthy generational patterns and find love and acceptance toward themselves and others in their lives.

“Knowledge is power,” Aulie adds. “By understanding and advocating for our health, we can navigate life’s challenges with strength and grace.”

Visit www.wishingwelltherapyservices. org to learn more.

A Shared Vision for Empowerment

Struss and Aulie wish to empower women through holistic wellness and mental health support. Both women have a clear message in a world that often pushes us to focus on our shortcomings: embrace your gifts, nurture your well-being, and remember you are enough.