From Doubt to Confidence, a journey of self-discovery to a legacy of service.

Lee’s Summit, Missouri 10/20/30 – A crisp, sunny fall day in the heartland, leaves of gold, red, orange and brown cover the path I am walking along. The wind whispers through the willow trees along the creek to my left, winding through a majestic shallow forest.

The sun intermittently glistens through the flowing tree limbs, wind whispering what sounds like angel’s harps. I am walking with the owner of this spiritually charged haven, exploring the serene elements which compliment and inspire the idea of the nearby wellness center she has created.

Hello, I am Mariah Prussia with “Define the Fight” and I am interviewing Diane Steffee today, owner of this beautiful refuge and Wellness Achieved, a holistic center where multiple disciplines in health and healing joined forces to bring healing, renewal and inspiration to those in need.

Our walk ends at a sitting space in front of her quaint, cottage-style cabin on the property. We sip warm elderberry tea as we sit in her comfortable Adirondak chairs under a large willow tree in the front yard.

“Diane, Thank you, for inviting me into your haven to interview you today. We are blessed to have such a colorific fall day. God blessed us.” As I look around the property, I am in awe of the beauty I see.

Diane- “Yes, he most certainly did. One thing about the heartland, is that we can experience God’s powers throughout seasons. We have them all… spring summer, fall winter., and then some (grinning, she looks around and up into the sky).

We adapt to the changing seasons just as we adapt to our ever-evolving lives. I have visited other regions of the United States, I love the mountains, but having been born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived all but 3 years here, to me, this is the BEST place to be.

Mariah – “So, Diane, I am here to visit with you about your impressive Wellness Center, ‘Wellness Achieved’, but first I would like to get a little background on you, the woman.”
Diane- “Ooh, okay. What would you like to know?’

Mariah – “Tell me what you would like me to know about you.” How did you arrive at this juncture in your life and what inspired you to create and build your wellness center. “
Diane-laughing, “Wow, how many days did you pack for??

Huh, I was particularly influenced by my maternal great-grandparents and great-great aunt and uncle. My great-grandmother, Mama Fannie, as she was fondly called, was the matriarch. She was a strong, practical and loving woman.

She demonstrated resilience and independence. My great, great aunt and especially uncle, showed me love and acceptance as I was a bit overweight as a young child compared to my siblings and cousins.

In my journey, I have been broken emotionally and spiritually, my self-worth, my abilities, and my identity have all been challenged through the years. I lived an emotional roller-coaster as I navigated my life.

Today, I stand strong in my convictions, my ideas and my desire for my life. That desire includes helping others live a fulfilled and authentic life of health and wealth.

I want them to know their authentic self and utilize their own powers to heal and create a life that they desire and deserve. I want to leave a legacy for my own family.

I owe much of today’s confidence and skills to Mark Januszewski and his wife, the Fab Davene, the creators of the Master Key Experience.

Mariah – “There is a lot to unpack here. Let’s dive into your career as an adult. What have been your experiences to bring you specifically along the path to wellness and inspire others.”

Diane – “Sure. I was always drawn to the biological sciences and human performance. Being a multi-sport athlete, I majored in Health & Physical Education and Coaching. In 1986, I began my 25 years as an educator and coach.

Enthusiastically, I shared my love for health, wellness, nutrition, competition and self-acceptance. I hoped to inspire as many youths (and their parents) as I could, leaving a legacy for all that I encountered.

My favorite sport, one I excelled at, was running and it impacted me the most. My daily runs were therapeutic, a sacred time for reflection, healing and renewal.

The connection I developed with myself, God and the universe allowed me to stay somewhat grounded through tumultuous experiences. Then I joined a couple network marketing companies, hoping to build more autonomy through an increase in income.

I was not prosperous in those, however. In 2012, I began my career in Massage Therapy.

MT was an opportunity to stay connected to athletics and help people through a natural modality of healing and recovery.

I dove deeper into understanding the physiology of the body, recovery, nutrition and the mental aspects of sustained demands on the body and mind. In 2013, I was introduced to Class IV Laser Therapy, a form of photo or light therapy, and it worked powerfully!

It was a technology to accelerate the body’s healing without drugs or surgery! While working with different specialists of natural healthcare & wellness, I wondered, “Why are we not all working together, harmoniously, to help people?

We all compliment one another’s skills, and our end goal is the same. The seed for the wellness center was planted.”

Mariah – “Apparently, your adult life has been one of service to others. The service of education and application of that education. Massage therapy for you, I believe, meant something much deeper, more compassionate, than just a paycheck.

Expand that experience for us, please.

Diane –My success or failure as a massage therapist depended solely upon myself. I was an entrepreneur. I had to step up my game! I loved having autonomy, working for myself, but with others. I cherished the freedom to work from a spiritual realm.

I felt more respected and appreciated than I did in education. I believed in my skills and compassion. Those beliefs manifested through my hands and my heart. My clients expressed such deep genuine appreciation for the relief and healing I brought for them.

They were thankful I acknowledged and listened to their concerns. I listened with my ears, my hands and my heart. They felt it in my work. I was so overwhelmed with their gratitude that I would cry, thanking the Lord for my gifts.

Mariah – “So, now your efforts turned to creating “Wellness Achieved. Explain the center and what you hoped to accomplishment with it.”

Diane- “The center is a work of love and gratitude. A 20,000 square foot, two-story facility nestled on a beautiful 30-acre sanctuary with Willow trees, a babbling creek, and a two-acre pond south of the city.

I felt such a connection with the land that I built my house here too.

My hope was to bring a staff of enlightened, holistic experts together under one roof, to offer hope, healing, spiritual growth, strength and inspiration to anyone who needs the services. We did that.

Our popularity and financial success allowed Wellness Achieved to add two mobile units that travel throughout the region to bring these same services for free and low cost to under-served communities.

Mariah – “Is the center all you had hoped it would be and what do you attribute your success to?”

Diane – Mariah, I am overwhelmed with pride and gratitude at what I have accomplished with the center.

Throughout my life, I had struggles and magically it seemed, God placed someone in my path that provided the guidance and care I needed at the time. I wanted to do the same for others.

Though I was selfless in my education and massage therapy careers, I was not good at accepting help or assistance from others. I was taught to be independent. Independence is not strength in and of itself. We need a balance.

The Mastery Key Experience explained the Law of Giving is also about learning to receive. That lesson unlocked a new world for me.

I rapidly increased my income in Lifewave business through seasoned leadership, helping others achieve what they want which allowed me to achieve what I want.

My income helped finance the center. Now, I have a world-class healing refuge right here in the Midwest! My vivacious granddaughter and seasoned staff will carry on the center’s legacy.

My family will continue to benefit from it for generations, continuing my legacy of faithful service.