Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Soul Space creates space for people to share

 

KENOSHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Have you ever met someone who makes you feel like you can tell them anything? This week's everyday hero is one of those people.

Jenna Zeihen realized she had this gift when she interviewed her own mother. And turned that ability to connect with people into a movement.

"Who wants to read first?" she asked, kicking off a session of her organization, Soul Space.

The group had gathered inside East View Coffee Company in Kenosha on a frosty night.

"Kirsten, you want to go?" Zeihen asked. 

The group gathered to share.

"I'm just riding the seismic waves, baby," one young woman said, of her recent change in life. She'd moved out of her parents' home and into her own space.

They came to open up about anything and everything.

Using a poem prompt to start writing.

"Mountains and valleys and rivers and streams," read Zeihen.

"So, we use artistic outlets to form a space that's really open and vulnerable and harnesses the power of human connection," Zeihen explained.

Zeihen started Soul Space three years ago. She calls gatherings like this one Root Sessions.

"I wanted to make a space where people felt safe to share," she said.

And it's clear she has.

"I previously lost my brother to gun violence a year ago," another young woman shared with the group, delving into a difficult topic.

"You could see the look in their eyes and the smile on their face, that they felt, they felt better after they shared," said Juli Zeihen, Jenna's mother, who sat next to her during the session.

People are willing to be vulnerable.

"We're here for you and we love you," Jenna said, as group members snapped their fingers in support.

So, it makes sense that Soul Space came from a time when Zeihen herself felt that way.

"I have an allergic disease called mast cell activation syndrome. And at the peak of my illness, I was pretty much in my room all the time," she explained.

She started doing interviews.

"She loves to let somebody else shine," her mom said.

Those interviews actually started with her mom, Juli.

"I do believe the interview she had with me was the deciding factor," Juli said.

Jenna realized you never know what people have been through.

"The real moment for me was when I interviewed my mom about her life story, and I thought I knew everything about her, and then I realized there was so much I didn't know," she said.

She started posting her interviews with people online.

"People were asking me if we could have the same conversations in a group setting," Jenna said.

And when she got better, that's just what she did.

Zeihen's best friend, Lily Karnes, said it's been impressive to watch Soul Space evolve.

"I sobbed the first time," she said.

The two friends, business partners and roommates met in 2019 through the Miss Kenosha competition. Both are former winners.

"Her purpose in life, I'm convinced, is the essence of Soul Space. And to create something like that," Karnes said.

Remembering a time she felt alone is a reminder to keep showing up for others.

"I don't want to get too emotional, but it genuinely does make me feel like maybe the things I've gone through were for a reason," Zeihen said.

Jenna does have a natural ability to connect with people, but she is not a therapist. She said Soul Space also serves as an access point, and they partner with a behavioral hospital.

Her goal is to keep helping people make meaningful connection. For more information, click here. 

If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].