Reigniting Purpose and Clarity: A Small Business Owner’s Journey of Growth and Values-Alignment

Client: Samantha Leenheer
Organization: House of Joy & Kinetic Experiences
Industry: Event Planning and Experiential Design

Background

House of Joy, led by Samantha Leenheer, is an event planning company committed to designing experiences that are not only beautiful, but deeply meaningful and personal. Through her secondary venture, Kinetic Experiences, (developed while working with Crystal Lily Creative) Samantha focuses on cultivating growth, connection, and authentic community for wedding and event professionals. While both ventures are guided by a clear purpose, Samantha reached a crossroads where clarity, deeper insight into DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and core values became crucial to move forward with integrity.

The Challenge

Before working with Crystal Lily Creative, Samantha lacked perspective—particularly in how her decisions as a business owner impacted others. Despite doing individual research and engaging in group therapy with a previous business partner, the approaches weren’t all-encompassing enough for transformative change. This gap in understanding and support contributed to the closure of one of her businesses.

Samantha needed guidance that transcended a checklist approach—something rooted in personal growth, community accountability, and a deeper comprehension of DEI in leadership. She craved a sustainable roadmap she could revisit time and again, one that would ground her in values even when the initial fire faded. She needed a deeper, values-centered approach to leadership and inclusion.

“I just didn’t have the perspective and lived experience to understand how decisions I was making were negatively impactful to others.” 

The Decision to Work with Crystal Lily Creative

The choice to collaborate with Crystal Lily Creative came down to a combination of tangible and intangible factors: clear deliverables, flexible payment plans, emotionally intelligent coaching, and an intersectional, inclusive perspective. Samantha appreciated that Crystal offered a framework that could be adapted to her needs—offering both structure and fluidity.

Though the investment initially gave her pause, she recognized it as a long-term gain—not just for her business, but for her personal evolution. Unlike other coaching experiences that felt fleeting, she felt this work would stay with her for years to come.

“I had never worked with someone who took the perspective of core values through a DEI lens. The way it was offered on two platforms in a manageable, tangible way made me feel like there would be more actionable steps I could take.”

The Experience

Working with Crystal was eye-opening. Samantha was surprised by the emotional depth and time investment the process required, but she found that reading, hearing, and enacting the messages reinforced learning in profound ways. The experience was holistic and personalized, allowing her to engage at her own pace without compromising the integrity of the work.

She especially valued the space to explore who she was and wanted to become, while being compassionately held accountable. The dual approach—merging business strategy with emotional and identity exploration—created a unique and transformative journey.

“It felt like there was a framework, but I didn’t have to follow it verbatim. There was room to flow and adjust—it felt personalized, even though there was a structure. I was held to what I said I wanted, while being allowed to explore who I am and who I want to be.”

The Outcome

Samantha gained immense clarity in how she shows up as a leader and as a human being. She now moves with intentionality—reflecting her values in every conversation and every room. One unexpected outcome has been her shift in presence at industry events: rather than sticking with familiar faces, she now seeks out new voices to ensure people feel seen, heard, and valued.

The work not only reignited her passion, but restructured her mindset. She now takes regular inventory of her emotional state and aligns her actions with her values. This has shaped not only how she leads, but how she connects with others, serves her industry, and continues to evolve.

With reignited clarity and passion, Samantha launched Kinetic Experiences to provide dynamic, innovative, energizing experiences for the wedding industry. Her first event demonstrated Samantha’s commitment to cultivating deeper connections and relationships where people feel seen, heard, and valued.

“I have more clarity in how I want to move—with more intention than ever.”

Transformation Highlights

• Clarity on Core Values: Rediscovered purpose and focus after feeling disconnected.
  
• Improved Presence: More intentional, inclusive interactions within her professional community.
  
• Sustainable Tools: A customized roadmap rooted in values that continues to guide her.
  
• Emotional Intelligence: Developed deeper understanding of others’ perspectives through honest, DEI-centered guidance.
  

Testimonial

“I worked with Crystal at a time when my business was in turmoil, and I was seeking clarity to have a better understanding of my core values and have a better understanding of diversity, equity and inclusion. Working with Crystal gave me a lot of clarity on where I was at in my life, what values were most important, not only for myself, but also to both of my businesses, and how I could make them more human focused. I felt really comfortable exploring all of these things with her. [Crystal] guided and encouraged me to grow and change through the framework that she created. I was able to gain a good grounding of where I wanted to be in life and how I wanted to show up both personally and professionally. I attribute a lot of where I'm at today to our time together. The information and lessons I learned truly grounded me in my core values and decision making.” –Samantha Leenheer, Founder of House of Joy & Kinetic Experiences