I’m going to be real with you — I’ve never found myself in this position before. I kind of like it. There’s a thrill to laying oneself bare before the eyes of a lover, a close friend, even a stranger at a bar…but a company? Who knew.
I want to tell you the story of how I got here, how I came to be cold emailing a company with no current job openings because I need to join the team. I’m talking about a soul-level type of need. My discovery of MUD \ WTR has felt like stars shifting into alignment. Let’s back up.
I landed my job at Float Seattle by happy accident in 2013. I had long been interested in exploring my own consciousness through means of altered states. When I booked my session, I wasn’t expecting to come away with an interview for an open role. That said, I didn’t initially get an offer and was told they had chosen to go with someone who they felt had more “qualifying work experience”. I wasn’t ready to accept that decision, so I sent a follow up email stating pretty boldly that I think they made a mistake and asked them to reconsider. I really wanted to be there. Next day I was offered the job. It was my tenacity and my drive that changed their minds — they wanted people who not only enjoyed floating but who wanted to bring a grander idea to life. One of shaking people out of the mindless grind and back into themselves. I became the longest standing employee, outlasting even the founder who sold the business to new ownership during my tenure. The rest is history (jk, there’s more).
There is a lot to distill from my time there, but I believe having been there at all is what aligns me with MUD \ WTR. It made me into who I am, or put me onto a path that allowed me to find out anyway. Floating changed the course of my life because it got me curious about human behavior. One of the most transformative aspects of being a part of this industry was bearing witness to the transformation of our guests. Some were simply curious, others were highly stressed and looking for relief from a world which had them addicted to anything from work to caffeine to screens. Many started out claustrophobic and nervous to spend an hour alone in their own heads — why would anyone want to pay to do nothing? Being forced to slow down, to pay attention, was a terrifying idea and yet so many found sanctuary in the dark, buoyant waters that held them. By incorporating this practice into their routines they found that an investment in the process of changing one’s mind yielded results beyond their expectations. Clinical studies show remarkable benefits for those suffering from depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and improved recovery rates for athletes. Working there gave me beautiful insight into just how important rest and ritual are in allowing us to show up wholly where it matters.
As a business, we encouraged safe psychedelic exploration within our community (during floats and at home), donated to MAPS annually, connected people to ayahuasca and yoga retreats, and introduced functional mushrooms into our retail section. We hosted events for sound baths, breath work, tea ceremonies and meditation. Yeah, we offered a service people had to pay for, but we also wanted to facilitate the discovery of a myriad of practices that have potential to be gateways toward expansion. Our belief was that when we make our use of time sacred, we give ourselves space to make the details of life meaningful.
I dedicated nearly a decade of my life to building and advocating for something that benefits our mental, physical, and emotional well-being — it was an exploration in re-configuring what a life well lived could look and feel like, and welcoming others to do the same. I felt honored holding space for people to learn the magic of ritual (in this case reducing external stimuli for one hour) and how it can lead to an inner stability which is far more inviolate against outer chaos. My ability to relate to people deepened. I became attuned to myself and the world around me. The two industries are different but I believe the missions are fundamentally the same. Floating and MUD \ WTR are both a protest against a cultural status quo that makes us sick. What they offer instead is an avenue for “creating healthy minds through healthy habits.” As you so eloquently put it (yes I am quoting you twice), “our society is terrified of the dark, but without the dark there is no light, and without rest, there is no rise.” How we rise is up to us. This is what calls to me and I’m listening.
With the pandemic came great change and seemingly boundless uncertainty that begged for some self interrogation around what comes next for me. In 2021 I stepped away from Float to broaden my scope. That decision brought me to Seed Health — a company whose product I had been using for years and whose rigorous scientific framework and approach to educating the consumer drew me in. I was stoked at having the opportunity to work remotely, learning about the microbiome and participating in something that has potential to positively impact ecosystems far and beyond our individual bodies. I learned so much of value, including how it feels to be a part of the hustle culture masked behind unmet promises of progressive employee experience. This ultimately gave way to worsening mental health, loss of time sovereignty, and disconnection from broader company goals and personal values. This was one of the major catalysts for my respectful resignation after a year’s time.
Just before acting on my decision to leave, I went to my first Burn and I was shaken all the way down to my core. So much around me cracked and crumbled, but the foundations I built through my float practice remained. I knew both that my departure from Float was pivotal for growth and that my experiences after were leaving a lot to be desired — but something about getting caught in a dust storm on LSD when the MDMA started to peak really added poignancy to that understanding, if not in the ways one might expect. Burning Man required immediacy, a grounding in mindfulness. I experienced a wild way of existing that inspired me. I was no longer distracted and distressed. Instead I was curious about finding ways to incorporate these lessons into my life in the “default” world. I got back in touch with what it feels like to be one of the living. I was presented with a compass that only worked when used with clarified intention.
I am moved by that which makes us curious, because in following them we often find a sense of personal enrichment along the way. I agree that output is the result of more than hours worked, and a life that doesn’t make room for opportunities which allow us to flourish inevitably leads to worse outcomes over the long run. I want to be a part of the paradigm shift you’ve set out on. The career of my dreams has me joining a bright, collaborative team who support one another in integrating our lives with our work so that we can show up fully, keep thinking outside the box and produce high quality outcomes together for years to come. MUD \ WTR's philosophy on the employee experience is the antidote to a work culture that is complicit in today's mental health epidemic. It's the fruit of like-minded dreamers who want to reorient our standards and live with integrity.
I have never felt more fully aligned with a company or the people behind it. I am deeply passionate about well-being, about translating experience into meaningful connection, and about shifting perspectives. I also enjoy a tasty bev like you wouldn't believe. I am a storyteller and ritual maker, like you. I want what I do to be a path back to our collective humanity and I believe that my career shouldn’t have to be in direct conflict with that goal. It should support it. There is a larger horizon than the one we’ve been taught to see. Everything I create and contribute to is a self portrait, much the same way that MUD \ WTR is a self portrait of its founder and those who contribute to its growth. I believe that all of the unknowns, job rejections, the fear of having made a grave mistake — they all brought me to this point.
I invite you to have a conversation with me. Let’s develop a role where I can leverage my unique background and add value at MUD \ WTR. I have ideas and I’m sure you do too. Please know that I’m no stranger to the ever evolving nature of a growing business. I am firmly of the mind that a "culture fit" and drive is more valuable than having 700 years of relevant experience listed on paper. No resume will ever be able to encapsulate a person and what they truly have to offer. When we undervalue life experience in favor of work experience we miss out on people who could make all the difference. Our culture tells us we can make career pivots while propping up near impossible barriers to entry. We should be encouraged to transition and then catch up where we need to with the support of our team and community — the right person can be trained for any job.
I’m ready to get muddy.
In hope,
Nimue
P.S. — some fun facts:
I have floated 100 consecutive days, so I am ready for your 66-Day Challenges.
Out of the 32 books I read in 2022, the most valuable was Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.
I have a morning and evening ritual but neither one includes a non-water beverage. Perhaps I ought to incorporate one. * wink wink *
I’m learning Swedish because I’m drawn to the way language acquisition gives us a new place from which we can observe and interact with the world.
I don’t have an internal monologue.