Heather Lillico is a wellness expert and the founder of Cultivating Calm, a comprehensive wellness app designed to help people manage anxiety through a natural, holistic approach. With a unique combination of mindset, movement, and nutrition, Heather provides users with guided meditations, anti-anxiety food recipes, and movement routines that seamlessly fit into a 30-minute daily regime. Cultivating Calm aims to regulate the nervous system, offering sustainable, natural anxiety management without medication. We got to speak with Heather to find out more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
My business is called Cultivating Calm, and it’s a wellness app designed to help people manage anxiety through a natural, holistic approach. It’s built on three core pillars – mindset, movement and nutrition – and combines guided meditations, anti-anxiety food recipes, and movement routines into a 30-minute daily routine that helps users reclaim control over their mental well-being. What makes Cultivating Calm different is that it’s comprehensive: it doesn’t put a band-aid over the symptoms of anxiety, it helps regulate your nervous system and gives you back a sense of control sustainably, naturally, and without medication.
What made you want to do this work?
I’ve lived through the kind of anxiety that stops you in your tracks. It hit me all at once during university, and when medication and therapy didn’t work for me, I struggled to find any tools that truly helped. I spent years trying to figure it out, eventually discovering the benefit of nutrition, meditation, and mindset shifts, but the real breakthrough came when I stopped treating those tools as separate and began using them together. That’s when I finally began to feel real relief. I created Cultivating Calm because I know I’m not the only one who wants to manage anxiety in a natural, empowered way. I also want people to know that there is an alternative path to managing anxiety, another option that doesn’t require you to spend hours a day or rely on one-size-fits-all solutions. Sometimes all it takes is the right kind of support.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
I wanted to challenge the idea that there’s only one way to deal with anxiety. So often, we’re told to try one thing – therapy, medication, or exercise – and hope it works. Anxiety is complex, and what I found was that most approaches only targeted one part of the problem. Eating well didn’t help my panic attacks; Going to the gym didn’t change my thought patterns. I felt like I was patching holes in a much bigger issue. I created Cultivating Calm to fill the gap – to give people a way to manage anxiety that is multi-faceted, rooted in science, and deeply personal.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Cultivating Calm is for people who crave more ease, clarity, and joy in their everyday life. It’s for the high-achiever who wants to feel accomplished and at peace. The parent who wants to be present with their kids instead of stuck in stress mode. The professional who’s done the self-help books and is still lying awake at night with a racing mind. Our community is made up of people who want to feel grounded without having to overhaul their entire life. They want tools that fit into their day, not more to-dos. Cultivating Calm is here for those who are ready to feel better, not later, but now, and finally enjoy the life they’ve worked so hard to build.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
I offer a tiered model so people can access support in the way that suits them best. The Cultivating Calm app has a free version that includes foundational tools to help users start feeling better right away. From there, I offer Lite and Pro memberships, which unlock full access to anxiety courses, yoga classes, meditations, and nutrition resources—everything someone needs to feel more grounded, focused, and resilient. For membership pricing options, visit our website.
For those who want to go deeper, I also offer 1:1 coaching to help them break free from overthinking, perfectionism, and self-doubt so they can step into a more confident, fulfilling life. Details can be found here.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Accessible through the App Store or Google Play, it is an app with users in Canada and internationally.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
“I’ve tried so many things and nothing has worked—what makes this different?”
It’s a question I hear all the time, and honestly, I get it. When you’ve tried therapy, read the books, and still feel anxious or stuck, it’s easy to feel discouraged. What makes my approach different is that it’s practical, holistic, and designed for real life. I combine practices that support your body and mind in a way that’s doable—even for the busiest people. And I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. Whether someone starts with a two-minute breathwork practice or dives into coaching, everything I offer is about creating small, consistent shifts that actually stick—because that’s where real transformation happens.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is witnessing real, lasting transformation. It’s not just about feeling less anxious—it’s about watching someone step into a version of themselves they didn’t think was possible. Like my client who went shoe shopping with her daughter and, for the first time, it didn’t end in tears. Or another who finally asked for the raise she knew she deserved, because she had the confidence to stand up for herself. Those moments are everything.
The hardest part? Wanting the change more than the person does. It can be frustrating trying to convince someone to care for themselves when they’re used to putting everyone else first. I’ve had to learn that their success isn’t mine to carry—it’s theirs. My job is to guide, support, and give them the tools. What they choose to do with them is up to them.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
I always say, “I help people relax for a living… which is ironic, because nothing stresses people out more than being told to relax.”
The truth is, most people don’t need another person telling them to just “breathe” or “be more mindful”— they need tools that actually work in the chaos of real life. That’s the sweet spot I aim for.
Where can we follow you?
- Follow Cultivating Calm at cultivatingcalm.app
- Follow Heather Lillico at heather_lil
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
Lately, I’ve been practicing yoga at Mosaic Yoga (they have two beautiful locations downtown), and I can’t say enough good things. The vibe is warm, welcoming, and down-to-earth—none of the performative wellness energy, just real people connecting through movement and breath.
The community feel is strong, the teachers are incredible, and the owner truly cares about creating a space where everyone feels seen and supported. If you’re looking for a studio that’s equal parts grounding and uplifting, Mosaic is it. Highly recommend paying them a visit.
