About
Into The Woods
Our History:
Into the Woods is a family owned and operated business that began in 2008 as a scrapbooking and crafting retreat for groups of women. Every weekend during the school year, our property—nestled in the incredible beauty of the West Michigan riverside—would be brimming with laughter, connection, community, and of course, lots of crafting. We were so glad to be able to bring people together so they could create memories and experience joy in the home that had been in our family for generations — hand-built by my father.
Year after year, the retreat groups grew and we quickly evolved into not only a crafting retreat destination, but a getaway destination for families, groups, and individuals to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature and spend quality time together. Now, we have expanded to several more locations, both on the original Retreat House property and throughout Michigan.
And, recently, we’ve evolved even further.
Our company now not only includes retreat and vacation rental destinations, but we’ve also grown to offer personal and professional coaching, whole life wellness resources, and transformative events and workshops.
We believe this creates the perfect blend of resources to help families, business, or individuals blend connection, growth, community, and the unhurried life they’re looking for when visiting one of our spaces, or booking a retreat or coaching call.
Hi, I’m Mercedes!
Founder and Owner of Into The Woods.
I am a personal coach for emerging leaders to help you tap into your strength and potential (and leave the self-doubt and anxieties in the past).
It is truly an honor to carry on my dad’s legacy. He taught me the value of connection, growth, and building a business, and his love for the land and good gatherings is infused in everything we do.
Our Mission:
We know life can get busy.
Between work, family, friends, and the grind of daily life, the people and things we love most can demand our constant time and attention. We also know that women often put their ever-growing to-do list in front of their own needs. They're racing from one obligation to the next, juggling all the things and doing a good job of it.
But there's an exhaustion, an unrest, a guilt, and a consistent worry bubbling right below the surface. And when you're living with perfection and overperformance on the outside, but wrestling with worry and weariness on the inside, you're not living your best life.
So we're here to help women set aside time and space to learn, grow, and connect without feeling guilty — learn about your true self and your ultimate purpose, grow as an individual and as a community or family, and connect with others who can nurture you and support you along this journey. We believe when you do those things, you can create the identity you truly want, live an authentic life, and discover the joy and fulfillment you're meant to have.