Brenda Martel: From Healing to Transformation

Meet Brenda Martel—a dynamic woman whose life journey bridges beauty, healing, and transformation. A proud mother of two incredible adult children, Brenda has built successful careers in both cosmetology, where she owned and operated two thriving day spas, and physical therapy, holding leadership roles in hospitals and rehabilitation centers. Evolving from a career in clinical care to creating global wellness retreats, she now channels her passion into Rising Journeys, a company she founded to offer powerful, soul-stirring experiences that combine cultural immersion, personal growth, and deep connection. As the #1 Houston Founding Member of the Global Woman’s Club, Brenda continues to inspire and empower others through every chapter of her evolving mission.

You’ve successfully navigated two distinct career paths — cosmetology and physical therapy. How have those experiences shaped the way you approach wellness in your retreats today?  

In both cosmetology and PT, I have had the opportunity to use my skillsets that enabled me to assist people in either looking and feeling better about themselves or physically aiding them to return to their prior level of function after an injury or illness, and live a more normal life. I feel both of these opportunities have given rise to my ability to now be the catalyst for helping people grow and transform from the inside out. As well as getting to know themselves at a deeper level. 

Launching a global wellness retreat brand is a bold and inspiring move. What sparked the idea behind Rising Journeys, and how did you know it was time to bring it to life?  

Thank you. And yes, it is quite bold, and I do hope it is inspiring to many. I  originally thought of the idea as just a glimpse of an inspiration to do so. One of my goals in life is to travel, explore the world, see how others are living and connect to the diversity of life and experience various cultures in real life. I felt it was a good time to begin Rising Journeys because I’m comfortable with the number of people I have rehabilitated, and my cosmetology days are over.  This was just the next logical step, and I still have the opportunity to help people grow and transform in some profound ways.  

Each of your retreats has a unique theme and location. Can you walk us through how you select a destination and design the experience around it? 

Sure! I started off choosing the locations that were either familiar to me or the collaborators I am working with for the activities and sessions, so that we could have that cultural immersion piece come alive. Secondly, I design the experience around what the special area has to offer and what would be a good fit as a theme.  For example, our retreat in June 2025 is set in Sedona, AZ, so it was a perfect venue with the earth’s natural vortices to have a Reset & Rebalance theme to return to your authentic self. Hiking through the red rocks, gentle exercise out in nature, balancing our energies, meditating, journaling and seeing the historical  Indian sites, to name a few of the excursions, brings the theme to life. It all comes down to the area and what it has to offer that helps to dictate the theme. If you have a specific place in mind or theme you’d like to see, please feel free to let me know.  

You mentioned incorporating local history, cuisine, and cultural immersion. Why is that so important to the transformation and healing process in your retreats?  

Every retreat of Rising Journeys requires all of these components to aid in the experiential transformation of the participant. When you have history come alive around you in some form, and you are immersed in the cultural activities, along with the amazing opportunity to indulge in local cuisine, it offers more experiential fulfilment. These components, in conjunction with the wellness portions of the journey, create a very powerful transformational experience. One of my objectives in beginning Rising Journeys was to have a way for people to connect to the world, to others and themselves, all the while transforming and growing in all of those areas. When you have exceptional experiential moments,  you tend to remember those more, and they remain a part of your memory for years to come. Something that will impact you for life. And that is part of my mission. 

What do you believe sets Rising Journeys apart from other wellness retreats currently available around the world?  

I believe there are many attributes we offer that set us apart from others. First and foremost, we offer memberships to our participants. We collaborate with local professionals in the community in which we are travelling to further enhance the authenticity of the experience while often reaching places that are not touristy, to capture the historical, cultural and local cuisine aspects. We also offer exclusive retreats for a variety of groups. Our mini luxe retreats are designed so whereby people can host a private retreat close to their location with a group of friends locally and enjoy the effects of a retreat without the need to travel a far distance. (And, as a sneak peek, we have some other exclusive aspects up our sleeves that we will be rolling out as we grow. Stay tuned..) 

You offer ongoing wellness support after the retreat ends. How does that post-retract connection help participants continue their growth and transformation?  

It comes down to the accountability factor. The post retreat connection and support is designed for the individual to maintain what they have learned at the forefront of their minds to be used continually. With the support of our wellness team, we are there to guide, hold accountability and offer a customized individual program as a way to continue their journey as best fits their needs. It is also beneficial to attend a different retreat with different themes to grow in other ways as well. The other part of the ongoing support involves staying in touch with the people they have met on any given retreat and gaining group access to Q&A and group support as well.  

What has been one of the most rewarding stories or pieces of feedback you’ve received from someone who attended a Rising Journeys retreat?

One of the most impressive pieces of feedback to me personally in developing this company has been that my light has helped people more than what I can offer, and they love my energy. My goal is to have this feeling flow through all we do. We will be debuting our first global experiential & transformational retreat June 18-23,  2025, in Sedona, AZ, with a theme of RESET & REBALANCE. Followed by others in  Belize, Central America, Italy, Greece, Puerto Rico, to name a few.  

As the #1 Founding Member of the Global Woman’s Club in Houston, how do you see your role influencing or aligning with your mission through Rising Journeys?  

I love the sound of that! Since becoming a member of GWC, my vision of Rising  Journeys’ mission has been greatly enhanced. I chose the name Rising Journeys to reflect the uplifting journeys of us all, mine, our collaborators, retreat leaders,  and most importantly, the participants. I want to see them all rise and grow. Now, being associated with GWC, it adds another dimension to assist people with their inner and outer growth. Having the support of two entities together will be impactful. I knew the moment I saw the opportunity to join together with GWC, it was meant to be. And who knows? You may just be speaking with the next regional director in Houston.  

For women or professionals who are looking to pivot or start something new later in life, what advice would you offer based on your reinvention journey?  

I have often heard that if you get an idea to do something and it resonates with you, do it. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, event or struggle with the what-ifs.  Sometimes you realize what you most enjoy doing, and your bigger purpose exposes itself to you when you have learned what you need to be prepared for the next phase of your journey. At least that has happened in my case. I would encourage those individuals to get involved with groups, surround themselves with like-minded individuals and find a coach/mentor in the area of their expertise they wish to pursue. Learn from others’ mistakes and set high goals to dream big! 

What’s next for you and Rising Journeys? Any exciting retreats or collaborations on the horizon that we should keep an eye out for?  

Yes! Our debut RESET & REBALANCE experiential & transformational retreat will be held in Sedona, AZ, June 18-23, 202,5, and we would love to see you there! All the info can be viewed at risingjourneys.com. And immediately right after that, I  will be representing Rising Journeys at the GWC Summit Event in London, England, with a presence on stage and having the opportunity to share more with all the wonderful GWC members there!  
So grateful to have had this moment with you. Thank you for this opportunity!