Written by:
SOMO Village
Published on:
August 6, 2025
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Community Builders: Social Wellness Society’s Mission to Create Connection
Table of contents
Sonoma County native Justine Licursi knows the toll that a busy life can take. As a corporate sales professional and mom, she felt herself running on autopilot—until she launched Social Wellness Society, a project helping people connect, move, and rediscover joy in community.
With the tagline, “The community you’ve waited for, the wellness you deserve,” it perfectly captures its mission to make wellness feel more inclusive and connected.
“I’ve always been passionate about health, wellness, and well-being,” Justine says. “But even though those things have been constant in my life, they weren’t always healthy.”
She continues, “Life constantly changes and evolves, as we should as humans. I struggled finding ‘me’ along my journey and would often just do what I thought was expected of me. This affected my mental health and wellness for years, decades even.”
Now, she’s determined to help others find what lights them up—sooner than she did. I believe in creating real connections, inspiring fun, empowering people to lead balanced, fulfilled lives, and to find their people.
Justine’s Journey from Corporate Life to Community Builder
Born and raised in Sonoma County, Justine and her husband raise their son here now as well. This small-community feeling is one she’d overlooked as a younger woman..
Today she works in sales for a tech manufacturing company —a career she describes as solid but intangible.
“Everything I work on for my primary day job is online,” she says. “I never physically get to touch something I’ve helped build.”
As she approached a milestone birthday, she realized she’d been waiting too long to pursue what truly fulfilled her. She craved something more meaningful, aligned, and personally fulfilling. For much of her life, Justine struggled with confidence and self-love—a reality she’s candid about today.
“It’s taken me years to build confidence, self-love, and believe I’m worthy of doing things that bring me joy,” she says. “Even now, when I plan an event, I’m terrified nobody will show up.”
She jokes, “It’s like being a kid again, throwing your birthday party and praying someone comes.”
Yet that vulnerability is something that fuels her mission.
“If I can help even one person not feel as alone as I once did, it’s worth it,” Justine says. “Building community helps me heal, too.”
Why Connection is the Atomic Particle of Wellness
The pandemic only deepened feelings of disconnection—for Justine and for many others.
“I became such a homebody during that time,” she admits. “The thought of going out and being social felt daunting. But every time you push yourself to go out, be around people, and connect with others, you rarely regret it.”
Through her studies with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, becoming a certified health coach, Justine learned about the concept of bio-individuality—the idea that while everyone’s wellness journey looks different, we all share universal needs.
She studied the concept of primary food – the parts of life that feed your body, mind, and spirit off the plate. Each of these elements affects our overall well-being:
- Creativity
- Finances
- Career
- Education
- Health
- Physical Activity
- Home cooking
- Home environment
- Relationships
- Social Life
- Joy
- Spirituality
“We often forget that wellness is about so much more than just fitness or nutrition,” she says. “It’s also your mental health, your friendships, your career, your home environment, etc. All of these things contribute to your well-being and require our attention and nourishment .”
The Connection Between Wellness and Creating Stronger Communities
For Justine, the connection between wellness and community isn’t just personal—it’s a vision for a stronger, healthier Sonoma County.
“When people feel good about themselves, they’re more confident, more engaged, and more willing to show up for others,” she says. “That energy ripples outward. A community is only as strong as the individuals in it.”
She’s seen it firsthand through Social Wellness Society.
People who start attending events for their own self-care often end up supporting others, discovering local businesses they’d never known, or becoming connectors who help neighbors find shared interests.
“It’s collaboration over competition,” Justine says. “When we work together, we create spaces where everyone feels valued and supported. That’s what truly makes a community thrive.”
She believes strongly that community-building shouldn’t just be reserved for business networking.
“Social Wellness Society is networking, but not in a business sense,” she explains. “It’s about building genuine human connections for the sake of community, not profit. This is a passion project for me, not a business.”
And in times of uncertainty, focusing on local relationships and shared joy feels more important than ever.
She explains, “The world feels overwhelming sometimes, but we can always create a positive impact right where we live. That’s how we bring balance—not just to ourselves, but to our whole community.”
The Idea Behind Social Wellness Society
Social Wellness Society was born out of Justine’s personal need for connection—and her desire to create safe, inclusive spaces where people could meet new friends and try new experiences.
“I used to go to wellness events where you’d enjoy the activity and then everyone scattered,” she says. “I wanted to create events where people stay and talk. That’s where the real connections happen.”
She describes the magic of those moments as a “euphoric high.”
“It’s like a buzzing that leaves you with thoughts of endless possibility, excitement, inspiration, and feeling recharged,” she says.
When it comes to planning and hosting events, she adds, “That nervous energy never really goes away. I still wonder if anyone will show up at Social Wellness Society events. But I push through it because I remember how alone I have felt at various stages of my own journey—and I never want anyone else to feel that way. I want people to feel inspired and unafraid to show up alone.”
What Can You Expect from a Social Wellness Society Event?
Most Social Wellness Society events follow a two-part format:
- A wellness or movement activity—like Pilates, pickleball, or other creative workouts
- A social component with food, vendors, and time set aside for genuine conversation
An upcoming event includes a Pilates session, pickleball fun, pool time, and local vendors—many of whom are women-owned businesses.
“My goal is for people to be so engaged, they don’t want the event to end,” Justine says. “I want them to leave on a high, feeling like they’ve truly connected.”
She loves partnering with local businesses and friends from diverse fields.
She explains, “Supporting others and bringing people together has been the best part.”
The Power of Small Acts of Self-Care
While some of her events are bigger gatherings, Justine emphasizes that self-care doesn’t have to be grand or time-consuming.
“I’ve seen a lot of people work at the same job for their entire careers,” she says. “I watch them grind every day, working weekends, never taking breaks. Too many people still wear burnout like a badge of honor, bragging about sleepless nights and nonstop work. You might have a career and title, but if your body and mind are wrecked from neglect, that’s not living.”
Instead, she urges people to start small.
“Self-care doesn’t have to be a big ordeal,” she says. “It could be five minutes of quiet coffee before the family wakes up, or reading a few pages of a book. Small shifts lead to new habits and hopefully a healthier outlook and lifestyle. It’s progress over perfection.”
Justine is especially passionate about helping younger women avoid waiting as long as she did to follow what lights them up.
She shares, “I don’t want anyone else to wait that long out of fear of rejection or to be living a version of yourself that others expect. Lead with passion, protect your peace, and live in alignment with your true self.”
Justine also reminds people that self-care looks different for everyone.
“I jokingly call myself the self-proclaimed self-care queen,” she laughs. “I’m always moving things around on my calendar, but I make sure there’s at least one moment in my day just for me.”
5 Simple Ways to Care for Yourself Today
If you’re looking for simple ways to kick-start your self-care journey, Justine shares a few of the small things she leans into that might work for you too:
- Enjoy your morning coffee in silence before the day begins
- Take a short walk around your neighborhood for fresh air and mental clarity
- Read a chapter of a book that inspires or relaxes you
- Say yes to something new that sparks your curiosity—even if you’re nervous
- Put down your phone for ten minutes and simply breathe or reflect
“These little things add up,” she says. “Your body and mind will start to crave that time, and it’ll eventually become second nature.”
The Power of Community in Creating a Culture of Wellness
Social Wellness Society is all about fostering deep, meaningful personal connections.
And for Justine, those personal connections are about something even bigger: strengthening the entire community.
“You’re never alone, even if it feels that way,” Justine says. “Sometimes we outgrow friendships, relationships change, and life evolves, and that can make you feel alone. But it doesn’t mean those friendships aren’t still valuable. We just need new connections that fit who we’re becoming.”
Her advice is simple: “Anything that makes you feel good contributes to your well-being. Even if you’re nervous, just do it anyway. You’ll never regret choosing courage over comfort.”
Want to Get Involved with Social Wellness Society?
Curious to try a Social Wellness Society event?
- Visit: socialxwellness.com
- Follow: @socialxwellness and @journeywithjustine_ on Instagram
Small steps, brave moments, and community are waiting to welcome you in—and every connection helps make Sonoma County a stronger, more vibrant place for everyone.
Looking for a community rooted in connection and well-being? We’d invite you to come and visit SOMO Village. Situated in Rohnert Park, SOMO Village is now under construction. Stop by and experience it for yourself.