1. I’ve got a big ‘ol toolbox.

I’ve studied over 100 nutrition theories. Because no matter how great it works for you, no single diet plan is the solution for everyone. That’s because of bio-individuality- what’s fantastic for one person isn’t necessarily great for another. Not considering your unique circumstances and biology can be a huge mistake. And not just with food. That’s why I’ve studied much more than just nutrition. A protocol-driven wellness plan must account for stress, sleep, fitness, mindset, and emotional and energetic balance. I’m constantly researching and testing tools to see who they work best for.

Here are a few examples of things I might suggest for you:

• A weekly gratitude practice
• Incorporating more bone broth into your diet
• Getting a fantastic massage- more than once!
• Buying an earthing pad and some blue light-blocking glasses
• Making a resolution-oriented phone call to your sister after that big fight
• Guided re-evaluation of your to-do list and weekly calendar
• Deep-breathing exercises
• A meal plan tailored to your business travel
• A bedroom makeover conducive to better relaxation and sleep
• Trial period eliminating dairy products
• An energetic clearing of your new apartment
• Creation of a “Get-Out-In-Nature” routine
• Tweaking a smoothie recipe to address your unique nutritional needs and tastes
• Goal development for a new career
• Foam-rolling and stretching

Here’s a truth you may already know: you may be awesome at covering the basics… eating well, exercising regularly… but if you’re super stressed or continue to stay in situations that are toxic on a deep soul level, real healing is simply impossible. Go ahead and read that sentence again, I’ll wait…

Balance in health is about more than just limiting desserts to special occasions. It’s about building a life that serves and supports you foundationally in all areas. To build that foundation, you’re not only going to need some great tools, you need to learn how and when to use them for a lifetime.

2. I don’t live in your head.

You know your own faults and weaknesses up close and personal, right? Yeah. Me too. It takes someone outside of your head to really clarify your strengths and resources. When you begin to see yourself as the amazing, uniquely gifted person someone else does, you can learn to shift your focus and energy to operating out of that mindset more permanently.  I hate stuck thinking. Hate. It. I have a deep drive to help you eradicate the stuck thinking that keeps you from seeing yourself clearly. Your strengths are assets, and I train you to use them as such- with zero excuses or poor self-talk.

3. I focus on getting to the bottom of why you’re really stuck.

I can spot all the ways you (often subconsciously) undermine your progress. My job is to coax the best out of you until it becomes second nature. Stewarding transition in people of all types, in a way that will resonate deeply and uniquely with each one, is my life’s work. When you work with me, it’s all about you, not me or some completely prefabricated course or program.

Most likely, you either know or sense that you’re stuck.  Don’t stay there. Get help from someone neutral who can direct your mission, purpose, and strategy. They’re the underpinnings of self-discovery that are tempting to skip past. Don’t. Valuing yourself enough to get help doing the work changes everything. I promise, you’ll wish you’d started years ago.

4. I know when to teach, when to push, and when to cheer.

There are many ways to get results. Knowing which tactic to apply- and when- is critical.  You may need a well-timed a-ha! moment, serious drill sergeant-style accountability, a cheerleader, or a gentle mentor to untangle the deeper truths you already know. You’ll probably need them all- maybe even in the same day! My job is to discern what you need most, and when. You can focus on the work, because I’m focused on the method.

5. Change is the name of my game.

Growth. You’ve likely figured out by now that it only sounds easy. Transitions often stir up big fears and buried emotions. No worries. I’m prepared for that and can help you navigate toward the end goal, despite the bumps you’ll inevitably encounter. In fact, it’s learning to actually appreciate the bumps that propels you into taking bigger leaps toward self-awareness and expansion. That’s what underscores lasting success. You’ve (sorta) worked toward your goals and dreams for a long time, and if things just aren’t clicking, it’s time to get fresh perspective. You need someone who’s going to keep you on track- but won’t freak out when setbacks occur. They happen- and can even be really valuable to the process. Once you decide you’re truly ready to address your health, it’s my job to support you in keeping your energy and effort aligned with that decision.

6. I’m passionate about teaching, not selling you product.

If you’ve bought products and programs that promise quick results with minimal effort, but have been disappointed time and time again, coaching is for you. Just as the perfect shade of lipstick can’t truly cover up poor self-esteem, products or programs that don’t account for you and your entire story are temporary band-aids at best.  Sure, they can help get you out of a rut and create better habits. But often those improvements don’t last long. That’s because they aren’t getting to the root of why you were imbalanced in the first place. Quick fixes rely on your willpower. And let’s face it, that’s just asking for failure.

I’m not interested in plugging you into a cookie-cutter program that’s “the best solution for everyone” or selling you food and health-replacement products. Those solutions don’t consider you first.

Here’s some free advice, whether I’m the person you choose to work with or not. Be sure you work with someone who is prepared to fully consider you- your past, present, and future- while determining next steps. If someone barely knows anything about you but is certain that their health supplement is your golden ticket to health (along with everyone else’s)- think twice. Your journey shouldn’t look exactly like anyone else’s. Your growth map, by definition, is uniquely yours.

My purpose is to teach you what you need to be successful, starting with exactly where you’ve come from and where you are now. My success lies in growing you, not an upline.

7. I’ve been where you are.

I’ve never met a passionate health practitioner who didn’t evolve into mentoring. Experts and teachers are real people first. They aren’t masters because they’ve always been perfectly healthy; expertise comes from having done the work in themselves. If you’re frustrated because you’re doing so much right, and yet so much is still wrong…I know exactly where you’ve been. Most importantly, I also know the power you have for creating lasting change- even if you don’t… yet.

Not long ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find someone who appeared to be healthier than me. I was super athletic, active, and happy. I taught fitness classes 5 times a week, ate a “perfect” organic whole-foods diet, and knew the value of support and spirituality in my life. From the outside, things looked mostly perfect. I appeared to have it all. But underneath all that were years of extreme chronic stress, a toxic relationship, and I was going through a severe emotional trauma. It sounds crazy to me now, but back then, I honestly thought that all my perfect food, supplements, and fitness routines would protect me from stress and emotional toxicity. I figured I could do everything else really well and make up for it.

Well, guess what? Bonus points in one area don’t cover up issues in another. I became extremely ill, seemingly overnight. I know now that I missed a lot of red flags my body was sending up. For years. It took a lot more than eating well and working out to reclaim my health.

I’ll never miss a red flag again, in myself or a client. That’s wisdom. It was hard-earned, too. But nothing makes me happier than seeing my clients benefit from that, and then go on to share what they’ve learned with someone else. Wisdom is a shared commodity. I don’t have any super secrets. I’m just a really good curator of what works, a methodology expert. Sure, you could do it all on your own if you really wanted to, but it’s not easy. And most people don’t get very far on their own.

So get help. A wise teacher wants to share it all with you. She knows it’s you who needs to become your own best expert.

8. Collaboration is super important.

The ability to collaborate is vital. You need to be comfortable communicating with me. My ability to listen, and really hear you, is paramount. That means listening for clues that aren’t so obvious. If your words aren’t aligned with your actions or intentions, guess what? I’m calling you out on it. Your integrity in speech is important, because it reflects the value you place on your own worth. And sometimes we need to start there before we ever get down to details. Because- no matter what you say- you will only put care and energy toward what you value. And if I’m going to value you, I’m not doing it alone!

Be absolutely sure you’re 100% comfortable with whomever you choose to work with, whether it’s me or someone else. It’s critical that the person you work with is someone who’s going to be able to hold you accountable. Then see if they’re someone you like, because there’s not much value in building something this important with someone you don’t. So, call me up and we’ll arrange to meet and see just how well we can work together. Never skip the meet n’ greet.

9. I want you to outgrow me.

People often want a perfect checklist of easy-to-follow recommendations. Preferably in pill-form. And they’d like to pick it up from the drive-thru window, please. Uh… nope. A prefabricated to-do list is fine to get you started, but can only take you so far. Instead, I teach you how to listen to yourself, how to value what you already know, and how to discern your real desires and motivations. Then we work on how to move you toward success in a meaningful way. I teach you how to find the answers, and how to heal yourself. By the end of our time together, you’ll be completely comfortable being the boss of your health. You’ll simply outgrow your need for me. It’ll be the best “breakup”  you’ve ever had and don’t worry, we’ll still be friends!

10. Your gut feeling matters most.

I could give you a few more compelling reasons why you should work with me, but what’s more important is what your gut is telling you. If something you’ve read here resonates with you… dive into that. Your initial gut feeling about how we might work together matters.

I’ve found that most clients don’t realize that somewhere along the way, they stopped listening to themselves. The reasons for that are many and varied, but it’s one of the very first things we must address. If you keep giving your power away- to people or things or circumstances- I can promise that you’ll never be truly healthy.

So focus more on your gut feeling when deciding what your next step should be in developing the healthiest you possible. Follow that. And be open to what happens next, because when you get out of the way of your thinking, the unexpected often occurs. It’s often life-changing, if you’ll let it be.