Rock Bottom To Ritual: Designing A Life That Heals Creating Purpose After Pain with Lauretta & Sharon Gavin, The Gavin Sisters

From Illness to Infotainment: How The Gavin Sisters Turned Healing Into a Wellness Movement

When Sharon Gavin was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that left her barely able to dress herself, she could not have imagined that one day she would be running a wellness retreat business and a mushroom coffee brand with her sister.

But that is exactly what happened.

On this episode of The Wild Party Podcast, Sharon and Lauretta Gavin share how illness became a catalyst for reinvention, how sobriety became a superpower, and how sisterhood became the foundation for two purpose-driven businesses: The Detox Barn and Funki Coffee. Their journey is not about overnight transformation. It is about sustainable change, bold reinvention in midlife, and building something meaningful from the ground up.

When the Body Forces a Wake-Up Call

Fourteen years ago, Sharon woke up covered in a rash. Soon after, her muscles began to fail. She was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, a chronic autoimmune disease that left her incredibly weak and dependent on immune-suppressing drugs.

“I became incredibly weak. I could barely dress myself. I couldn’t get up out of a chair. I was really, really ill,” she shared.

At the same time, Lauretta was navigating life as a single mother. Both sisters were comedians by trade, performing together as a double act called Gavin and Gavin. Life was already intense. Then it became transformational.

Sharon made the decision to leave an unhappy marriage and move in with Lauretta. Together, they began researching others who had improved autoimmune conditions naturally. Patterns emerged: reduce toxic stress, eliminate alcohol, cut processed foods, and move toward a nutrient-dense plant-based lifestyle.

“At this stage, when I looked at what they did, I was like, oh, it looks like I’m going to have to become a miserable tea-total vegan. My life’s over,” Sharon joked.

Instead, it was just beginning.

The Slow, Sustainable Climb Back to Health

The sisters did not flip a switch overnight. They began with one change: alcohol.

“It took about five years for Sharon to get off all her drugs,” Lauretta explained. “We didn’t do it all at once. We started one thing… and over time she just got better and better and better.”

Giving up alcohol became a turning point for both of them. Sharon describes it as life-changing. Lauretta calls it the best decision she ever made.

“I only wish I hadn’t done it sooner,” Sharon said, reflecting on how normalized drinking is in society despite its health risks.

As Sharon healed, Lauretta thrived. Energy increased. Focus sharpened. Productivity improved.

“We fell in love with feeling well,” Lauretta said.

That love became the foundation of their future businesses.

Building The Detox Barn: A Retreat They Would Want to Attend

Friends began noticing something powerful. After weekends away with the sisters, they would leave inspired to make changes.

“They said, you need to help people do this because you know so much stuff. You’ve both been through so much,” Lauretta recalled.

And so The Detox Barn was born.

The retreats combine plant-based nutrition, digital detox, habit change workshops, yoga, and most importantly, laughter. Drawing on their comedy background, the sisters infused humor into wellness.

“We didn’t want something too worthy, too judgy, too heavy for people,” Sharon said.

Today, their retreats feel intimate and transformational. Sharon describes finishing a recent retreat and realizing it felt like she had invited a group of friends over for the weekend. That blend of authenticity and expertise is their magic.

They are not preaching wellness. They are living it.

From Coffee Withdrawal to Funki Coffee

While Sharon could give up alcohol with joy, coffee was another story.

“I had to give up coffee. But I’ve got to be honest, I was really quite miserable without coffee,” she admitted.

Eventually, she discovered mushroom coffee, a blend of organic Arabica coffee and functional mushrooms designed to support energy without the crash. That discovery sparked an idea.

Funki Coffee was born through trial, tasting, and a lot of experimentation. The sisters sourced triple-certified organic Arabica beans and blended them with a seven-mushroom mix at a 4.5 percent ratio, enough for health benefits without overpowering flavor.

They launched small, ordering just 250 bags for their first run. No huge debt. No flashy agency. Just belief and reinvested retreat profits.

“We didn’t want to get ourselves into loads of debt… we had to be really smart about it,” Sharon shared.

Today, word-of-mouth, festivals, and retreat guests fuel steady growth.

Comedy, Community, and Authentic Marketing

Unlike many polished brands, The Gavin Sisters lean into authenticity. Their Instagram feels like a conversation, not a campaign.

“There is no strategy other than post as much as you can… as long as you’re not posting for the sake of posting,” Sharon said.

Their background in stand-up makes them fearless on live video. Their sister dynamic keeps the content natural. And their marketing philosophy is simple: be yourselves.

They are also expanding their “wellness comedy” talks, blending keynote speaking with sketch-style storytelling. Sharon describes it as “a TED Talk meets a sketch show.”

It is infotainment at its best. Purpose wrapped in punchlines.

Midlife Reinvention With Ambition and Heart

At 50 and 54, Sharon and Lauretta are not slowing down. They are planning new product launches, expanding their comedy talks, and continuing retreats in the UK and Portugal.

“We hit 50 and we were like, I need a pension,” Sharon laughed.

But beneath the humor is ambition. They are building something sustainable, ethical, and values-driven. They believe in plant-based living. They believe in sobriety. They believe wellness should feel joyful, not restrictive.

Their story is proof that transformation is possible in midlife. That illness can become inspiration. And that business can be built on integrity, not hype.

If you have ever wondered whether it is too late to change your life, their answer is clear: it is not.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Wild Party Podcast to hear Sharon and Lauretta’s full journey, their candid conversations about sobriety, and their vision for the future.

🌿 Explore their retreats, shop Funki Coffee, and learn more at https://gavinsisters.co.uk

You may just find yourself booking a retreat, brewing a new morning ritual, and rethinking what wellness really looks like.