Deanna Farnell is a business leader with over 30 years of experience in corporate management, financial strategy, and operational excellence. A CPA, CEO, CFO, and COO, she built a distinguished career across various industries before an autoimmune diagnosis transformed her perspective on health. She founded a Holistic Healing Center, expanded into a Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Center, and most recently launched Highlands in Bloom, a residential facility for community healing focused on autoimmune and mental health support. Her approach integrates medical treatment, therapy, and natural healing methods.
Website: highlandsinbloom.com
Website: foylife.net
Website: foywellnessandrecovery.com
Host: Richard Lowe | Guest: Deanna Farnell
Summary of Transcript
Richard Lowe: Hello and welcome to Leaders and Their Stories. I’m Richard Lowe, The Writing King. Today I’m joined by Deanna Farnell, who has some great insights about managing stress. She offers solutions, support, and a perspective we all need. Deanna, take it away.
Deanna Farnell: Thank you, Richard. We’re living in a time of constant change, and that creates a daily challenge to stay balanced, mentally and physically. I’m glad to share some tools to help eliminate unnecessary stress in our lives.
Reducing Stress by Design
Richard Lowe: I’ve made a point of reducing stress in my life. I stopped reading the news and avoid social media feeds that add negativity. Stress is real, and who needs more of it?
Deanna Farnell: I agree. I spent 30 years in corporate life. I’m a CPA by trade, and for a long time I defined myself through my work. I let other parts of my life take a backseat to running other people’s companies. In the end, those jobs didn’t serve me beyond a paycheck. That realization led to a major mindset shift. Now I focus on how I want to live, not just how I work.
Richard Lowe: Well said. You’re either choosing ways to live or ways to die. Work, if you’re not passionate about it, can be soul-crushing.
Deanna Farnell: We’re all going to die someday. The key is to live with purpose. Stress will always be there, but managing it is everything. Doing something I love every day has made all the difference. Not everyone has that luxury, but we can always add small things to our day that lower stress.
Small Changes, Big Impact
Richard Lowe: Like paying taxes. We don’t enjoy it, but if you plan ahead, it stops being stressful. I love being a ghostwriter, it’s my passion. So I stay focused on that and eliminate what doesn’t serve me.
Deanna Farnell: That’s so important. I’ve learned that if you don’t prioritize your health, everything else falls apart. That’s why I launched a holistic healing community and recently opened California’s first autoimmune and mental health facility. Chronic stress plays a big role in how autoimmune conditions ignite in the body. We’re teaching people how to lower stress through nutrition, community, and practical daily habits. We even created a “Nourishment and Wellness” guide to help people build healthier routines one step at a time.
Richard Lowe: That makes a lot of sense. For me, Atomic Habits was a game-changer. One percent improvement every day adds up fast. Even though I naturally focus on the negative like most people, I’ve learned to slowly shift that balance.
Deanna Farnell: I love that book too. I also give out Sustain Me by Barbara O’Neill at our autoimmune support group. “SUSTAIN ME” is an acronym: Sunlight, Use of Water, Sleep, Trust in a higher power, Abstaining, Inhaling oxygen, Nutrition, Moderation, and Exercise. It breaks health down to simple daily actions. Just stepping outside for 15 minutes of sun or placing a few grains of Celtic salt under your tongue in the morning can supply your body with over 80 essential minerals.
Richard Lowe: I’ve used cell salts before, maybe a similar concept. Simple actions add up.
Deanna Farnell: Celtic salt has more minerals than Himalayan salt. Little changes like this make a big difference. What do you do to reduce stress?
Eliminating What Doesn’t Serve You
Richard Lowe: I’ve been working on eliminating bad habits. Overeating is a big one, especially as a diabetic. I practice positive self-talk, avoid negative media, focus my social media on business, and cut out toxic relationships. If someone is even slightly harmful, I either fix it or walk away. As creatives, even subtle negativity can sabotage our work.
A ghostwriting client once told me they struggled with people questioning why they were writing a book. That kind of comment can derail someone’s entire project. We need to protect our creative space.
Holistic Healing in Practice
Deanna Farnell: I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis six years ago. I refused traditional treatments and instead opened my own healing center. We offer everything from PEMF therapy to infrared light, hyperbaric chambers, sound bowls, and tapping. These may sound unusual to some, but they’ve been around for centuries, and they work.
Richard Lowe: Walking through botanical gardens helps me. As a kid, I thought flowers were “unmanly,” but now I find them calming. I don’t care about labels. I just do what brings me peace.
Deanna Farnell: My grandparents were horticulturalists, so I grew up surrounded by plants. Our autoimmune facility sits on 1.5 acres of gardens. I walk it every day. Nature heals.
Richard Lowe: Butterflies are my thing. I visit butterfly tents and farms often. They’re relaxing and beautiful.
Deanna Farnell: Have you been to the butterfly sanctuary on Vancouver Island? It’s magical.
Richard Lowe: Not yet. I’ve been to one in California with giant spiders too, about the size of your hand. Mildly venomous but fascinating. Not everyone’s cup of tea.
Deanna Farnell: Spiders are my irrational fear! After my mom passed last summer, I started having recurring dreams about them. So no spider tents for me.
Facing Fears
Richard Lowe: I’m afraid of heights, so I go up in hot air balloons. I’m claustrophobic, so I crawl through caves. Facing fears can be freeing, even if it’s terrifying in the moment.
Deanna Farnell: I believe stress starts in the body. Food, mindset, and habits all play a role. My motto is: “Have you listened to your body lately?” Most people haven’t, because they don’t want to hear what it’s saying.
Richard Lowe: Most people just treat symptoms instead of root causes.
Deanna Farnell: We all want quick fixes. But lasting health and stress relief require real self-awareness and internal work.
Photography as Healing
Richard Lowe: When my wife was sick with COPD, I became her full-time caregiver. That was the most stressful time of my life. After she passed, I turned to photography. I traveled to national parks and Renaissance fairs, even wrestling matches. Photographing life helped me reclaim mine. Podcasts also help. They give me purpose and connection as an introvert.
Deanna Farnell: That’s inspiring. You seem so comfortable on camera. It’s not easy for everyone. I still find it stressful.
Richard Lowe: It took practice. I realized I couldn’t be shy and market myself at the same time. So where can people find you?
Deanna Farnell: You can visit our healing community at highlandsinbloom.com. We offer programs, workshops, and free events for people managing autoimmune conditions or chronic stress.
Richard Lowe: If you’re dealing with stress or autoimmune challenges, go check it out. Community matters.
Deanna Farnell: We focus on bi-directional healing, mind and body together. It’s all connected.
Richard Lowe: Final thoughts?
Deanna Farnell: Take mini-vacations every day. Put yourself first. It’s not selfish, it’s survival.
Richard Lowe: Well said. This has been Leaders and Their Stories. I’m Richard Lowe, The Writing King. Come back tomorrow for another great conversation.