Meet Jess Pfeffer | Holistic Event Planner, Community Builder, and Yoga Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jess Pfeffer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jess, how does your business help the community?
Loneliness epidemic is real and it has been going on for a while, with COVID amplifying it. Mental health and physical health are very connected so offering opportunities for people to rest, reset and connect with others is paramount. My company Jess Pfeffer Holistic Event Planning curates spaces and experiences for people to come and be seen and heard. The purpose and intention behind everything I create and host is to remind people we aren’t alone and need community no matter what’s going on. As a “community architect” I pride myself on collaborating with other holistic practitioners who also have this mission in mind. I continue to create micro communities with the goal of contributing to the health of my own community and hope it spreads to the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
At the core I am a dot connector. I am meeting new people all the time and feel blessed that the people I meet are doing amazing work in their industries. With that I have the honor of collaborating with some of them or at least introducing them to others to share their magic. When I started my business 6 years ago it was called Real Connections and I was still in South Florida.

My purpose then and now is to remind and inspire people the importance of connection and community. It’s easy to have surface level relationships so we lean in when we don’t have the time or capacity to focus on deeper ones. My brand evolved into Jess Pfeffer Holistic Event Planning when I moved to Atlanta 4 years ago with similar offerings. I create and host experiences that are holistic by using yoga principles and practices.

I also consult other wellness brands by coaching them and asking what is their passion and purpose, and then helping them plan.

Last year I launched my first signature workshop, SETTLE, and have been teaching it to the public and private settings ever since. SETTLE is a somatic workshop where I teach a bit about our nervous system and offer tools to regulate it, easy and accessible ones for my guests to do on their own also. My newest offering, Conscious Babes Who Brunch, launches in 2026, and I am super excited about it. Conscious Babes Who Brunch is a membership for women to meet and connect over healthy inspired meals. Members will also have opportunities to connect online and at other gatherings, plus discounts on local women owned products and services. I like to think of Conscious Babes Who Brunch as SETTLE’s baby sister. Both inviting individuals into the collective and being a safe space to just be.

The challenge for me is that I feel strongly about how events are created and executed therefore haven’t been able to scale since I want to be the host for any of them and not ready yet to have someone else represent the brand I created and am so passionate about. It’s hard for me to be at multiple places at once, obviously!

Another challenge is there are a lot of similar offerings in the wellness industry, and standing out can also be difficult. I believe in co-petition not competition but notice some people live in scarcity and instead of working together they avoid it/me. This is hard for me as a people person, because I want to work with everyone and never want to leave people out or feel left out. Plus as they say “don’t take it personal”, that’s very hard for me.

I want the world to know that the simplest thing of smiling to a stranger, asking someone their name and how they are doing, something small goes a long way. I have learned that healed people heal people and hurt people hurt people and if we don’t have the hard conversations we’ll stuck in the cycle. I hope that the way I live my life personally and professionally can inspire people to do the same, make people feel seen and heard.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have a list of them on my website actually, that I call Jess Approved. My goto spots are definitely Oakland Cemetery, Arabia Mountain, and The High Museum. I have been lucky enough to teach yoga and had programs at all 3 of them!

In Atlanta we are so lucky to have James Beard Awarded and Michelin Star rated restaurants, but even more so are restaurants that support local farms and the slow food movement. A few of my favorites are Deer & The Dove, Leons, Tio Luchos, and La Semilla.

A goto when my family and friends come to visit is Ponce City Market, shopping and eating are two of my favorite things add in a walk on the beltline and it’s a good time overall!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My role models for my work start from my parents who show me unconditional love and encouragement. As a manifesting generator who doesn’t have a “linear” work journey, they continue to encourage me.

Next I have to give credit to Esther Peril, Priya Parker, and Radha Agrawal. All inspiring community builders and women who too believe we need a place to “belong”. I am rereading the book Art of Gathering by Priya Parker and learning so many amazing tips on how to be a great host and create gatherings with meaning.

Website: https://www.jesspfeffer.com

Instagram: jess.pfeff + conscious_babes_who_brunch + serviceberryfest

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-pfeffer-ab070642/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesspfefferholisticeventplanning

Other: https://substack.com/@jesspfeff

Image Credits
Ryan Kimbro
Lindsey Kiesgen