Nancy Corcoran: Building Whispering Springs and Turning Pain Into Purpose

Nancy Corcoran has never been afraid to chase an adventure.Years ago, she and her husband John sold their dream home, bought a sailboat, and spent the next twelve years splitting their time between the Bahamas and a 200-acre property in rural Ontario. That property would eventually become Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat, one of Canada's most unique glamping destinations and the place where we now host our annual Waypoint Retreat.But this conversation is about much more than building a beautiful business.Nancy shares the heartbreaking story of her granddaughter, Ayla, who suffered a severe brain injury at birth, forever changing the course of their family's life. Rather than allowing tragedy to define them, Nancy and their family have dedicated themselves to creating hope for other families through Camp Moonlight, the We Love Joy Foundation, and Ask Ayla—the world's first AI companion built from the lived experience of raising a child with cerebral palsy.It's a conversation about adventure, entrepreneurship, grief, resilience, advocacy, and the incredible things that can happen when you choose to turn pain into purpose.In this episode, we discuss:Why Nancy and John sold everything to buy a sailboat and chase adventureThe story behind building Whispering Springs Wilderness RetreatCreating spaces that help people disconnect, reconnect, and slow downWhy entrepreneurs often need to trust intuition more than certaintyThe life-changing birth of Nancy's granddaughter, AylaWhat it's really like for families navigating a birth injury and cerebral palsy diagnosisHow Camp Moonlight is creating community for families raising children with disabilitiesThe We Love Joy Foundation and its mission to spread kindness, empathy, and inclusionThe creation of Ask Ayla, the world's first AI companion built from lived experienceHow AI can transform caregiving and support families around the worldWhy Nancy believes our greatest pain can become our greatest purposeThe importance of creating a more compassionate and inclusive world for children with disabilitiesEnjoy this conversation with Nancy Corcoran. EPISODE LINKS & REFERENCESWhispering Springs Glamping ResortWe Love Joy FoundationAsk Ayla Camp MoonlightBook: I’m Who I’m Meant To BeWaypoint RetreatWe’d love to connect with you. Here’s where to find us: Vienna Waits WebsiteSubscribe to Vienna Five NewsletterUNBLOCK Yourself™ ProgramCorporate ProgrammingWaypoint RetreatVienna Waits on InstagramGreg’s LinkedIn Whitney’s LinkedIn On this podcast, we explore what it means to get UNBLOCKED.You’ll hear stories about finding clarity, navigating career pivots, and choosing to live with intention. Sometimes that’s through conversations with guests who made bold moves and changed direction. Other times it’s just the two of us unpacking the books, ideas, and lessons shaping our own journey.We’re not experts looking down from a stage. We’re in it too. Building, questioning, adjusting, and trying to create lives that feel more aligned, more alive, and more intentional.During the conversation, Nancy referenced a statistic that may sound like "1 in 4 births." The correct statistic is 1 in 400 births.