*Published in the 2019 Alumnae Bulletin
Adrienne Nolan-Smith ’03 knows a thing or two about resilience. Following a tumultuous period marked by illness and tragedy, she emerged with a new lease on life — and a flourishing, health-forward company.
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” Adrienne said of her decision to quit her job to create WellBe, the media enterprise and lifestyle brand that launched in July 2017. “But I wanted to be of value to people, to show them different ways they can live.” It was also a personal crusade of sorts.
When she was in sixth grade at Chapin, Adrienne struggled to get to school on time and to concentrate on her assignments. Eventually, doctors diagnosed her with chronic Lyme disease, but several rounds of antibiotics did nothing to alleviate her symptoms. Desperate, Adrienne’s mother, “a ferocious researcher,” turned to holistic options.
Fortunately, through a combination of Chinese herbs, dietary supplements, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and avoidance of dairy, gluten, processed food and sugar, Adrienne gradually started to improve. It was a difficult time, for sure, but “Chapin was absolutely amazing,” she recalled.
By the time Adrienne was 14 and in Class 9, the Lyme disease was gone, but her journey into the realm of integrative medicine, which combines alternative and conventional therapies, was far from over.
After graduating in 2003 with a strong academic foundation and a group of close friends, Adrienne headed to Johns Hopkins University. While on campus for just six months, she sustained more health problems. She lost her menstrual period and experienced painful stomach issues, prompting her to visit a naturopath, who recommended acupuncture and a clean diet. The treatments did the trick.
Meanwhile, toward the end of college, Adrienne’s mother experienced her own set of frightening health problems, which manifested in manic episodes, paranoia and delusions. She was overmedicated with a host of potent mood stabilizing and antipsychotic drugs, with no consideration of the root cause of the mental illness or a more holistic approach to healing them. Despite her best efforts, Adrienne felt powerless. Miserable and unable to function, her mother shuffled through a series of mental health facilities, her condition in a downward spiral.
In 2010, shortly before Christmas, Adrienne's mother died by suicide. “My mom was so accomplished and brilliant,” she said. “She taught me everything I knew about healing the body, but we couldn’t help her.”
This devastating loss was a major turning point in her life. With the encouragement of her “Chapin family,” Adrienne pushed through her sadness and continued with plans to attend graduate school. With an M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School and determined to make a difference, she advised hospitals for a healthcare technology company, but fulfillment eluded her. “I was working with a broken system,” she noted. She decided to change course.
A business plan she had written for one of her Kellogg classes served as the jumping-off point for what would become WellBe (getwellbe.com). With this framework and no shortage of courage and determination, Adrienne set out to build her company, whose mission is to make wellness the standard of care. “It took over my whole life,” she said of the process.
Growing steadily for the past two years, WellBe promotes healthy living through informational articles, expert interviews, health news and research, panel events and a podcast featuring individuals who have used holistic therapies to significantly improve and even overcome — various ailments from fibromyalgia to multiple sclerosis. She is also in the process of developing some e-learning and navigation offerings for her community.
Adrienne, who is also a certified patient advocate, is certainly making a name for herself. She has been a guest on 20 podcasts (and counting) and speaks widely at venues such as the New York Junior League, Deepak HomeBase at ABC Home and the WIN Summit. In addition, WellBe has been featured in Forbes, Psychology Today, Organic Authority, Mindbodygreen, the Fullest and the Chalkboard, among other publications.
Throughout these eventful years, Adrienne’s connection to 100 East End Avenue has endured. “I love Chapin more than anything,” she said. “It did an incredible job of making all of us feel empowered to do whatever we wanted to do. There was never any reason to take a back seat.”
Asked to reflect on Chapin’s theme this year, “Listen with Compassion, Act with Courage,” she thought for a moment before responding. “If you don’t listen with compassion, you are going to miss opportunities to help people. My mom was an incredibly giving person. She instilled in me a culture to give and to help.” she said.
Her advice to her Chapin “sisters”? “Be the best daughter, friend and person you can be but remember to be kind to yourself, too. And pay attention to what’s going on with your body.”