Nashville At Home: A 600 Square Foot California-Cool Condo

Fran Benedict (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

You know those people in life who radiate positive energy and when you're around them, you just feel better about everything? One of those people in my life is Fran Benedict. Fran's a certified health and integrative nutrition counselor, the founder of SimplyMindful.com and a great hiking partner. SHE LIVES IN ONE OF THE COOLEST SPACES I’VE SEEN IN NASHVILLE: A 600 SQUARE FOOT, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, LIGHT-FILLED GEM IN WEST END, WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY INTERIOR DESIGNER HANNAH CROWELL OF CROWELL & CO. INTERIORS. FRAN RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS HAPPY SPACE AND SAYS SHE FEELS RIGHT AT HOME IN ITS WEST COAST AESTHETIC. MAKES SENSE SINCE FRAN SPENT NEARLY 20 YEARS LIVNG AND WORKING IN NORTHERN (OAKLAND) AND SOUTHERN (San Diego) CALIFORNIA. SHE MOVED BACK TO NASHVILLE IN 2020 WHERE SHE WAS BORN AND RAISED. THIS IS MY CONVERSATION WITH FRAN.

Living Room (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Coffee table detail (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

Wood-burning fireplace (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

How do you describe your home?

A sanctuary.

A perfect place to curl up with a book on a rainy day. (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

What do you love most about your space?

I love that it's got everything I need. It's small, but it's practical and forces me to live simply.

You grew up in Nashville. Are you surprised it’s become so popular?

I think I'm more surprised with how fast it's grown. It's a lovely city with a lot of charm and hospitality and rich in culture, so it's not surprising people are drawn here. The music scene and creative energy are very appealing as well. There are many beautiful parks here too! I love the outdoors and trail running and have discovered many adventurous gems since I've returned.

You’re a certified health and integrative nutrition counseloR. HOW DID YOU BECOME SO INTERESTED IN health?

I was a bit of a mess as a child and struggled quite a bit. I was having a hard time in school and acting out in unproductive ways. Luckily, with my family's support and proactive approach at a young age, I was introduced to the importance of mental + emotional health and started learning about its incredible impact on our quality of life and it’s significance in helping us thrive. This realization piqued an interest in developing a more holistic understanding of health and wellness while encompassing the body and spirit too.

You seem to have an endless supply of joy and energy. How do you practice self care?

Oh goodness, thank you for saying that. It’s definitely not endless. Though I try to implement what I learn. Health Promotion and Behavior was my course of study in college, and I've continued studies within the same vein into my forties, so I'm always learning as I move through different phases of life. Things I do now that I love are gardening and prepping a recipe from the food I've grown, which is so rewarding, and so is sharing it! The quality of foods we eat also impacts our moods, so I enjoy making things that make my body feel good because it affects my mind and vice versa. BTW, that includes my favorite chocolate cake with coconut whipped cream! I love surrounding myself with people who respect, value, and enjoy connecting in meaningful ways. I have a daily devotion practice, and I love being in nature and running. I love trail running! Running is an active form of meditation for me. And so is prepping and cooking food.

Last but not least, being kind to myself, that's a big one. I look at how my thoughts impact my perspective and how I'm feeling in addition to patterns that may not be serving me (my therapist helps me with this too). I also enjoy journaling from time to time. Oh, getting lots of sleep, and staying hydrated - at least I feel better with lots of both : )

You and I both enjoy gardening. Why do you love it?

I have a garden at my parents’ house and when I garden, I feel like I'm learning about life and participating in its beautiful cycles. It's all about learning to grow something. It's a process of figuring things out along the way, the messy, the unexpected, the exciting, the setbacks, the in-betweens, and the rewards. I see it as an appreciation practice - in a way - with so many beautiful benefits:

It highlights the concept of impermanence.

In a very tangible way, I'm able to participate in, witness, and accept time passing and how everything is changing all the time.

It creates a greater awareness that everyone and everything is connected while at the same time temporary, which also helps me to appreciate and enjoy the precious gifts and moments we have.

Fran in her kitchen with her homemade Coconut Kefir which I can personally attest is delicious and I typically don’t like healthy foods. (photo by Julie Lee Simpson

In California, you worked to bring mindfulness and health promotion initiatives/workshops to companies like Pinterest, Active.com, Feeding America, The Boys and Girls Club, and Stanford University's Center for Continuing Studies. How do you see mindfulness and well-being practices changing how workplaces FUNCTION?

One of the companies I've worked for in helping bring mindfulness to the masses is Salesforce through their annual conference called Dreamforce. Salesforce is a big proponent of infusing mindfulness practices into their work culture. For example, there are meditation rooms on most floors where people can step away and practice meditation throughout the day. I think it says a lot about the company's intention to care for their employee's health and well-being. And when an employee feels valued and cared for, they stick around.

I think we have lived in a very frenzied world for a long time. At least in my experience working in the tech and software spaces, people always seem to be working. When you incorporate mindfulness and well-being practices into a culture, you open space to slow down. I know people say it makes folks more productive. In all honesty, I think the focus on productivity misses the point of mindfulness practice. It's the intention to connect you back to you, your truth, and much greater powers more critical than a bottom line and human busyness. That would be my hope.

Kitchen. I love that cabinets go all the way to the ceiling. The dishwasher is in the drawer to the right of the sink. Not an inch of space is wasted anywhere in this small but big on style condo. (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

What brought you back home to Nashville?

I left Oakland in the middle of the pandemic. I had gone through a breakup, there was a lot of civil unrest, the CA wildfires, and Covid. I was missing my family and had wanted to be closer to them. I love California and will still spend part of my time there, but making Nashville my home base made sense.

This hallway is ample enough for Fran’s home office. The rolling barn door can conceal the washer/dryer unit or bathroom when needed. (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

I know you love running. How much do you run a week?

I run anywhere from 10-25 miles a week, depending. I've been running since I was in high school, which is about 30 years or so, but I go through periods of running and taking time off. I've also incorporated swimming as I've gotten older, which is so therapeutic. And I like stretching/yoga too. And dancing! I like to mix it up.

Exercise is a huge stress reliever for me. It also makes me feel so good, mentally as well as physically. I feel sharper and more alert once I get my body moving, and at times, pushing it a bit. My mind gets clear, and since I enjoy running trails, it forces me to focus on the moment because, in an instant, I could be flat on my face : ) I feel connected with nature when I'm on the trails and get to see and experience so much beauty that surrounds us all the time. I'd consider it a spiritual practice for me as well. I feel connected to something so much larger when I'm in nature.

I typically don’t photograph bathrooms (who wants to look at a toilet?) but the tile, art and greenery make this one so fresh and appealing. (photo by Julie Lee Simpson)

What is the #1 thing you do for yourself every day? The thing that's most important to your own mental and emotional health?

My daily devotion. Even if it's a simple Thank You for this new day. I have Goddess Oracle cards by Amy Sophie Marashinsky. I shuffle them, then pick a card, and that's my message for the day. I also use another card series called Inner Compass cards by Neel van Lierop. I'll read a passage from a book called
Finding the Gift Daily Meditations for Mindfulness by Angela Howell and then I have a book my mom gave me called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. My daily devotion takes me about 15 minutes.

What books have had the biggest impact on you?

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle

Favorite local places to eat?

Avo (off Charlotte)

1892 (in Franklin)

answer. (Sylvan Park)

Thank you, Fran. I adore your space and as always, spending time with you has been an absolute joy🏡

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