At Home With Sheryl Ott
Photos by Kimmie Geer
Meet Sheryl
Thank you Hillary and Haylee for inviting me to participate in your ‘At Home’ series. In this unprecedented time of a global pandemic and mandatory quarantining, it feels good to be part of the Farmer’s Daughters community, and having the opportunity to share stories and find new ways to connect with each other. We are truly #strongertogether
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Sheryl Ott. I am a wife, mother, breast cancer thriver and founder of Dare to Detour, a woman’s retreat based business established in Bozeman, MT in 2017. I’ve had the good fortune of living on both coasts, but Montana has had my heart since I first visited the state when I was 18. Here's a timeline of sorts: Born in San Francisco, I moved with my family to Oregon when I was seven. My parents, an engineer and an elementary school teacher, wanted to escape the urban sprawl of the Bay Area and raise my sister and me in a place where we had easy access to the outdoors. They bought a small hobby farm in the Willamette Valley where I had a pretty idyllic childhood running wild with my sister, raised all kinds of animals, was an active 4H-er, went to Tigard High School and attended Oregon State University, where I met and dated a guy from Kalispell who introduced me to Montana, something I’ll always be grateful for. After college, I wanted to step way out of my comfort zone, so I dared myself and moved to New York City, which felt like the wildest place to me at the time. I told my parents that I’d only stay in the city for two years. Famous last words - I lived in NYC and worked in financial services for 11 years with a brief three-year stint in catering somewhere in the middle. I met my husband early on, which explains why my plans shifted?! When I became pregnant with our first child, we moved to the Bay Area, where we raised our family for 21 years. We started coming to Big Sky to ski when our kids were little dinos in the ski school, and I rekindled my love affair with the Treasure State. We finally escaped the craziness of the Bay Area and moved to Bozeman full time two years ago.
Living in Bozeman feels like I've come full circle back to my childhood in Oregon - back to my rural upbringing, back to a slower pace, back to where a handshake still means something, back to saying 'hello' to strangers on the street, back to having big nature right outside your front door - and it feels good. I'm often asked how a girl from a hobby farm in Oregon made it in New York City for 11 years?! My answer has always been, my family's support and growing up on the farm. I am blessed with an amazingly supportive family who has always believed in me, no matter what. My family AND growing up on a farm prepared me for life in New York far better than anything I learned in school. On the farm, I learned the value of hard work, resourcefulness, creativity, the cycle of life, the strength in community and most importantly, resilience.
The farm, working in NYC, becoming a mother and raising a family, moving to Montana, and now battling breast cancer - these are the pivotal transformative experiences of my life that are informing the development of my business, Dare to Detour (www.daretodetour.com @daretodetour). Through Dare to Detour, I host events that provide women with tools and support to step out of their day-to-day routine to cultivate strength, resilience, community and creativity. The 5-Day retreat that I'll be hosting at the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch this September is all about connection. Speaking of connection, I can't wait for the world to open back up and getting back to having face-to-face conversations and making meaningful connections in my community, especially at The Farmer's Daughters Cafe and my other local Bozeman favorites.
What are you reading?
I have at least 20 books piled up next to my bed...I LOVE TO READ!!!! I am currently committed to these two gems: "Quit Like a Woman" by Holly Whitaker AND "Untamed" by Glennon Doyle. Both books are shifting paradigms and my overall perspective across all aspects of my life profoundly. I recommend both without hesitation.
What are you cooking?
Sheltering in place and the crazy snowy weather we’re having has me craving comfort food - Bone Broth + Soups are what I'm cooking the most. Tom Kha Gai is happening tonight. Up next is the Bison Chili from Megan's new Glō cookbook (@glo_skinside_out). Bone Broth is something I keep going year round for many reasons, but right now it's all about supporting my recovery from my recent double mastectomy and reconstruction. This week marks one month out from my surgery and I am happy to report that I am officially cancer free and healing really well - the human body is so amazing! I am working with an oncological registered dietician (natalieledesma.com) in partnership with my integrative oncologist (smithintegrative.com) to refine my diet and nutrition and support my long-term treatment plan to reduce the risk of my cancer returning. Of all the places in Bozeman, The Farmer's Daughters Cafe best supports my evolving nutritional plan, so will definitely remain my go-to for all things healthy and delicious! Can't wait to enjoy some of my FD favorites again - Handsome Scramble, Warrior Smoothie, Bison Bone Broth + Hillary's Signature Coffee.
What are you wearing?
My shelter-in-place go-to: Graphic T "Make Magic Happen" from Heyday (@heydaybozeman), Cropped Sweatpants from The Great in 'sweet tea' (@thisisthegreat) old shearling slippers, and an even older flannel.
Favorite spot in the house?
My favorite spot in the house is the window seat in my kitchen. Nearly every morning I enjoy my coffee sitting there with my dogs Rizzo + Ruby before we head out on our daily morning walk. If I’m lucky, the Sandhill Cranes will fly over and say ‘good morning.’
What is your morning ritual?
Before I get out of bed, I take a moment to stretch, breathe deeply and feel gratitude, most recently for being cancer free. Once I'm up and ready for the day, I spend about 20ish minutes setting my intention and perspective - I light a candle or incense and consider how I want to show up that day. I journal around my intention and then review my To-Do list and set priorities. If I've already had my coffee, I'll sip on warm lemon water and then I'll head out with the dogs. Last week I added a 10 minute guided meditation with Nicole Wild (@nicolewildcollective) at 8am MST that she's offering via Instagram LIVE every morning through the month of April. My biggest take away from Nicole's meditations is this: The place of stillness within you is also the place of knowing. For someone who has barely allowed herself to sit still her entire life, this is mind blowing?! I've also been participating in Karen Lum's (@klumconsulting) Monday Morning Zoom Huddle 'Clarity & Conviction.' Karen will be hosting this huddle throughout the mandated shelter-in-place - this week over 70 people attended from all over the country! At the start of the huddle, Karen asks us all to choose a word that sets our overarching intention for the week. This week my word is PATIENCE, patience with myself and with my family. This shelter in place has my family living back together for the first time in six years. I am grateful that we are all together and am truly enjoying this gift of time with my children, but yikes! Living together plus managing the additional dynamics of both kids being forced into online college, my daughter losing her senior spring, graduation and apprenticeship all at once the first week of the quarantine, and my husband working from home 24/7 as he manages the impact COVID-19 has had on his global business has me thinking that PATIENCE might be my word for the balance of the quarantine?!
How has this experience changed you?
I am trying to be more present and intentional as I move through my day, interact with my family and friends and manage Dare to Detour. I notice that when I haven't taken the time to mindfully set my intention each day, I don't feel as grounded or as productive. I'm also less patient with myself and others when I haven't taken the time or rushed through my morning ritual. Not to be dramatic, but honestly, my morning ritual has made me a more balanced and interesting person to be around. Working on adding a night time routine during this whole shelter-in-place scenario - working to make the best of quarantine!
How have you stayed connected with friends?
I wish I owned stock in Zoom!!!!!! I've connected with different groups of friends on Zoom often, which has been wonderful. I'm an extremely outgoing person, so sheltering-in-place has been a real challenge for me. I normally reach out to my people via text and DM and phone calls. With all the extra time I find myself with, I'm also writing letters, which has been much more meaningful than I expected. I am connecting with all kinds of people in my world by sending them a hand written letter via snail mail. I started doing this last week, and have sent 20+ letters so far. Who knows, letter writing might remain part of my routine well after the world reopens?!
