Have you ever felt a tug on your heart that was too clear to ignore?

That quiet, steady invitation to widen the reach, to deepen the impact, and to create space for more people to experience the transformation they were created for has been with me for years.

It all started in 1999 when I wrote down a dream for a retreat center to inspire participants to feel seen, valued, and heard. Over the years, lessons in parenting, business, and teaching prepared me for my first executive coaching role in 2009.

In 2011, I founded One Light Ahead (My first recorded seminar title in 2006) and by 2021 opened One Light Academy Inc. to expand as a coaching agency. The Living Unlayered retreats, the award-winning Slaying the Onion, 2nd edition (2022), and decades of coaching have demonstrated what transformation looks like. Now, going into 2026, I am excited to put all of the legacy under the AprilBallestero.com brand, as an obedient voice and vessel for Living Unlayered.

As my work grew, one truth became clear: the impact was life-changing, but access wasn’t equal, and our capacity to host transformation was limited by available spaces. Some leaders could invest in themselves; others couldn’t.

That’s when the vision for a nonprofit began to take shape; not as an expansion, but as an alignment, leading to the dream of a fully funded, consistent retreat center.

This center is more than a building; it’s a legacy. It will be a sacred space where leaders can unlayer without distraction, a home for transformation that is predictable, accessible, and ongoing, powered by generosity, vision, and purpose.

Thank you for partnering with us.