Exploring Life & Business with Tessa Powell Frommer of Social Alchemy Institute

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tessa Powell Frommer.

Hi Tessa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Honestly, the journey to creating Social Alchemy Institute has been one of deep transformation—both personally and professionally. Before this work became my full-time path, I spent years leading massive teams and managing a multi-million-dollar sale organizations, selling solar systems across the country. What those years gave me—beyond the business acumen—was an education in people. I learned how to support all kinds of personalities, backgrounds, and nervous systems. I started paying close attention to what actually sustained success, and what didn’t.

What I saw over and over was people chasing big numbers, promotions, and financial freedom, only to arrive at burnout, disconnection, or this lingering sense that something was still missing. That’s really what lit the fire for me. I became just as interested in helping people sustain the level of work they were doing as I was in helping them access deeper fulfillment—the kind they maybe hoped the money or status would bring. I started weaving mindfulness, meditation, and pattern awareness into our team cultures. I watched how, when people connected back to themselves and got honest about what they were really carrying, everything shifted. Performance improved, sure, but so did the way people felt about their work and each other.

Now, this is my full-time work. Through Social Alchemy Institute, I coach individuals 1:1, travel to train high-performing teams, and host them in person here in Boulder, Colorado. We also hold workshops where people can learn their Human Design and begin to understand how they’re built to thrive—both personally and professionally. At the core of all of it is the same question that’s been with me from the start: How can we create a life that actually feels good to live inside of?

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first year of running Social Alchemy Institute has been its own initiation. I’ve worn every hat—marketing, sales, operations, curriculum design. I created my own KPIs. I set my own pace. And through all of it, the clearest, most non-negotiable truth has been this: if I’m going to hold space for people as they move through some of their hardest, deepest, and darkest moments, I have to take exceptional care of myself. More than ever before. The work I do requires me to stay deeply resourced so that I can keep guiding people to the other side—toward that vision of fulfillment they’re really after, beyond the external markers of success.

One of the challenges has been doing all of this largely on my own. Thankfully, my husband sits on my informal “Board of Directors.” Since we share a roof, he’s often the one helping me reflect back decisions that stay true to the core integrity of SAI. But even with his support, this path asks a lot. It’s not just about business growth—it’s about staying in the practice of re-visioning what I’m building every single day.

I’m constantly asking myself: “Am I doing it this way because I think I should? Or because it actually feels right?”

That question is the heartbeat of Social Alchemy. Yes, I have the business and sales background. Yes, I know how to build and scale. But SAI is different. This is about co-creating lasting, meaningful change inside individuals and organizations. And that requires presence. It requires a willingness to challenge old systems and invent new ways of working, relating, and leading. It’s a dance. But I love it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At its core, my work is about helping people and teams come back into alignment with who they really are—so they can create, lead, and live from that place.

Through 1:1 coaching, I blend Human Design and Co-Active coaching to support individuals in understanding their unique energy, gifts, and patterns. Together, we uncover what’s been holding them back and build the inner architecture to sustain the level of fulfillment and success they’re really seeking.

For teams and organizations, I lead trainings and culture-building days designed to get everyone operating on a better wavelength—one that prioritizes authenticity, collaboration, and clarity. We identify the unique strengths within the group, work through energetic dynamics, and create practical systems that support lasting, meaningful change.

Whether I’m working with a single person or an entire leadership team, the goal is the same: to create spaces where people can drop the performative layers and show up as their fullest, most powerful selves—because that’s what actually transforms culture from the inside out.

What makes you happy?
I’m happiest when I’m surrounded by people I love—a full house, music playing, friends and family moving between the sauna and cold plunge, dancing in the kitchen. I love creating spaces that feel alive and welcoming, always with fresh flowers nearby, bringing beauty into the everyday. I love creating new coffees and matchas or serving my loved ones up a traditional tea ceremony complete with a deep meditation.

I’m happiest when I’m learning, evolving, and growing. Travel has shaped me deeply, making me feel like a citizen of the world, blending traditions, modalities, and beliefs to find my own way. And honestly, sitting still with a coffee in a new place makes me just as happy.

At the end of the day, happiness comes down to love. How much I felt it—and how much I gave it.

Pricing:

• $333-555/month
• One time sessions $188
• Human Design for Business, Life, Emotions $222 (90 minutes)
• Trainings and Workshops (Travel plus a base fee pp)
• Hosted training (sauna, cold plunge, one meal, and pp cost)

Contact Info:

• Website: coming soon!
• Instagram: @socialalchemyinstitute