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Hi there,
My name is Hunter, and if you have a moment, I’d love to tell you a story…
It’s the story that led me here to connect with you today.
This is the story of Within.
And it all began with one question my mom asked me in 2017—a question that would change both of our lives forever.
But before I get into that, I need to introduce you to someone.
Meet My Mom
My mom’s name is Heather Hayward, and in 1981, my grandpa took her on a trip to introduce her to meditation.
My mom was 17 and had just made a life-changing decision to get sober.
My grandpa, David, knew that meditation would be essential to her during this new phase of her life, so he taught her various techniques to begin her daily practice.
And since that trip, she’s meditated and written almost every single morning.
However, the gift of this experience wasn’t the routine of going within, but rather, it was what my mom developed as a result: A deeply personal relationship to what we refer to as the “Still Small Voice” within—a voice that would be the foundation of everything that was to come.
Heather's First Business
By 19, Heather launched her first business as a massage therapist, incorporating techniques of guided meditation and visualization, taught to her by her grandmother, my great-grandma Peg.
These techniques, paired with massage, transformed her private practice into a thriving business that supported our family for decades.
Then, In 2003…
Life has its twists, and at 40, my mom faced a big one.
A chronic thumb injury forced her to step away from massage therapy. As the breadwinner of our family, she had to figure out a new career, quickly.
Although she had no prior experience or education, her Still Small Voice was guiding her to become a coach. So, despite her own doubts, she followed that guidance, first becoming a Results Coach, then a Clinical Hypnotherapist, and eventually, an Immersive Experience Leader.
No matter the role, her mission remained constant: guiding people within to their own source of calm, clarity, and courage.
In fact, she developed her own unique methodology, called Immersive Meditation, designed to do just that: connect people to their Inner Wisdom. It served as the foundation for her success, launching her new career to unforeseen levels of impact.
This Is Where I Come In
Growing up, I had a front-row seat to watch my mom’s evolution. I witnessed her impact as she guided thousands of clients to moments of clarity and transformation.
But what captivated me most was her relationship with the Still Small Voice. My mom had this incredible courage, determination, and ability to face the unknown, because she could always go within to receive the guidance and reassurance of her path.
While all of this left me with a great appreciation for my mom and her work, I never thought our paths would intertwine, professionally.
The Question That Changed Everything
It was 2017, I had recently graduated from University with a degree in Physics, and in general, had a knack for finding patterns in abstract concepts. I had been working as the Director of Operations for a small startup for about a year, and I was unfulfilled.
Meanwhile, Mom was mentoring coaches and therapists in her unique Immersive Meditation method. They kept asking, “Can you teach me how to do what you do?”
Even though she had no experience building courses, her Still Small Voice guided her to create a professional training program.
Then one day, out of the blue, she asked, “Do you think you could look over the course I’m putting together? I think your feedback would be helpful.”
That one question set everything in motion.
Taking the Leap
My mom had only asked for my advice, but when I went home, I had a huge realization: If I could enable one more person to positively impact the lives of so many people, like my mom has, that would be an incredible service to the world & I would feel an immense sense of fulfillment.
So, I quit my job the next day, and I came back to my mom and said, “let’s do this together.”
It was a leap into the unknown. When we tried explaining the idea to people, almost no one understood the concept.
A business mentor of mine even said to me directly that the business didn’t solve a problem. But we both trusted the Still Small Voice guiding us, and we pushed onward.
The Guided Meditation Framework® Is Born
Over the next two years, we worked tirelessly to turn my mom’s decades of experience into a structured, teachable system.
The result was The Guided Meditation Framework® (GMF)—a professional training program designed for coaches, therapists, and facilitators how to use my mom's Immersive Meditation technique to guide people to insights and realizations.
It wasn’t just about relaxation; it was about connecting people to their own Still Small Voice—a source of profound clarity, calm, and guidance.
Building a 7-Figure Business
When we launched the GMF in 2019, it took off. Hundreds of facilitators trained in the framework, each going on to impact countless lives.
For the first couple years, it was fantastic and fun. We built an amazing community and network of beautiful, heart-focused individuals.
So, we started following the guidance of industry experts to grow bigger, to do more, to achieve “scale.”
And it worked.
By 2023, our business was earning over 7 figures per year.
On paper, it looked like success, but to us, it didn’t feel like it.
Losing Sight of the Shore
We realized that somewhere along the way the journey to success had cost us our peace.
We had built the GMF beyond the size we ever truly wanted to.
The Still Small Voice, once so clear, had been drowned out by the noise of day-to-day operations.
In the pursuit of growth, we realized that we had been actively ignoring our own Inner Guidance, which had been calling to us all along.
Reconnecting with Our Purpose
We paused to ask ourselves the hard questions: Why were we doing this? What was the impact we truly wanted to make?
We thought about what we loved most about the GMF Community—the friendships, the connections, and the transformative work of helping people tap into their Inner Wisdom.
It became clear that our deeper purpose wasn’t about scaling a business. It was always about connecting people to the Still Small Voice within.
Then, it dawned on us that now, with hundreds of expertly trained facilitators and coaches, we were perfectly positioned to realize that purpose.
Back to the Drawing Board
We realized that we were being guided to pivot our focus from the familiar into the unknown, to building a community centered around connecting people directly to their Still Small Voice.
We realized that there didn't exist a place for those who craved that personal relationship with a Higher Power that not only didn't require a subscription to mainstream religious beliefs but also didn't judge, reject, or condemn them in any way.
We realized there didn't exist a space that wasn't about stuffing your brain with more information and “spiritual paraphernalia,” but rather was about helping you integrate and implement what you already know.
We realized there wasn't a place that was truly for those who wanted to connect with people like them, to have real conversations, to form real friendships, and to grow, explore, and share the journey to Wholeness with like-hearted people in a space that is safe to be vulnerable, to not have all the answers, and to simply be your authentic, curious, and creative self.
So, we realized we were being guided to take another leap of faith, and to create what is now Within.
Inviting You Within
Within is more than a community—it’s a sanctuary. It’s a space where spiritual seekers can cultivate their relationship with what some call the Holy Spirit, Inner Wisdom, or, as we lovingly refer to it, the Still Small Voice.
Through Immersive Meditation experiences, workshops, and community gatherings led by my mom and our incredible facilitators, Within is a global haven from the distractions of everyday life – where spiritually-minded people can come together to find inner peace, clarity & inspiration by deepening their connection to Self & Spirit.
I could tell you more about it, and how Within has changed my life, however, I think I'll leave that to another page. This one is long enough (lol).
So, that’s our story. Thank you so much for hearing it.
And maybe, if joining the Within Community is something you’re interested in, I may get to hear your story too.
I know I speak for my mom and all of our members when I say, we would love to have you join us.
Wishing you more peace, love, and joy,
Hunter Varnum
Co-Founder of Within & The Guided Meditation Framework®
