An Inspired Chat with Ali Kates of Petaluma

We recently had the chance to connect with Ali Kates and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ali, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Something that always brings me joy outside of work is hanging out with my husband and our two pups, and my horse. I love being outside with my husband and fur babies. It is really needed especially when you are building something behind the walls of your home being outside and connection is so necessary!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, I’m Ali Kates, the founder of Be-Well, a mental health events company that curates wellness experiences rooted in somatic healing and nervous system regulation. My work began in the trauma recovery space, where I saw firsthand how burnout, stress, and emotional overwhelm impact both individuals and high-performing teams.

Through Be-Well, I design immersive workshops, wellness days, and corporate retreats that go beyond surface-level perks. Instead, we create experiences that help people reconnect with themselves, manage stress in sustainable ways, and ultimately perform at their best without sacrificing their wellbeing.

What makes Be-Well unique is that we don’t just host “feel-good” events—we provide tools and practices that stick, creating lasting impact long after the experience ends. Right now, I’m especially excited about expanding our corporate partnerships and building Be-Well into a media-meets-experiential brand that reshapes how organizations think about mental health at work.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My grandma. Until my grandma passed away when I was 23 she was my parent growing up. I spoke to her almost everyday from the age of 2. She saw me so clearly before I saw myself. She was my true north growing up and into my early adulthood. I am so grateful for her and having someone like her guide me and see who I was before I could see myself.

When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain when I realized that keeping it in was costing me more than the pain itself. For years, I carried the weight of trauma, burnout, and health struggles in silence—thinking that if I just pushed through, it would eventually go away. But instead, it grew heavier.

The turning point came when I began learning about the nervous system and how our bodies hold onto stress and trauma. For the first time, I saw that my pain wasn’t a weakness—it was information, and it could be transformed. Once I gave myself permission to process, feel, and share my story, I found not only healing but also a deep sense of purpose.

That’s when I started using my pain as power. It became the foundation of my work—helping others regulate, release, and reconnect. Now, what once felt like my biggest burden has become the very thing that allows me to serve and support others in creating lasting wellbeing.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Hmm.. My closest friends would say what really matters to me is people feeling safe to be exactly who they are. I care deeply about creating spaces where others feel seen, heard, and supported—whether that’s in my personal relationships or through my work. They’d probably also say I’m endlessly curious about the human experience, always asking questions and wanting to understand what’s beneath the surface.

At the end of the day, connection, authenticity, and wellbeing are the things that matter most to me. I want the people in my life—and the people I serve—to know they don’t have to hold it all together alone, and that their wholeness is what makes them powerful.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes—absolutely. I talk about this all the time with my high-achiever clients because I’ve lived it myself. You set an audacious goal, work tirelessly to achieve it, and when you finally get there…it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would.

What I’ve learned is that goals are powerful and motivating, but they can never fill an internal need for safety and security. If you don’t feel grounded and safe within yourself, no external achievement will ever be enough. That’s why I focus so much of my work on nervous system regulation and somatic healing—because when you feel safe in your own body and mind, your goals become more fulfilling, and success actually feels the way you imagined it would.

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Image Credits
Emilie Bers Graff Photography

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