Heather is originally from Canada but has made St. Augustine, FL her home for the past 15 years. Heather’s background was in early childhood education, but she’d always had a strong passion for health and wellness. It wasn’t until she went through her divorce and found her emotional health suffering, which ultimately affected her physical health as well, that she realized how much health and wellness means to her. As she healed, she knew that she wanted to be there for other women in similar situations who were seeking to get back on track with their health and wellness after the emotional toll of a divorce. And that is what led her to pursue her health coaching certificate and launch Rebolistic Wellness (“Rebel” and “Holistic”).
Heather’s goal is to bring the message that health and wellness is fun, fashionable, and sexy. She is breaking the idea that health and wellness is big, scary, and hard. She envisioned a world where everyone eats organic produce because they know they are worth it, whole foods are more popular than processed foods, and children are exposed to personal development (soul food) in school.
For more details, visit their website here.
Here we sit down with Heather, to know a bit more about her journey as a health coach.
Q. What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
Heather: Honestly, I generally live life out of the box, so to speak. I’m not conventional, and I like to push limits (within reason). Hence the name of my business, Rebolistic: encouraging women to channel their inner rebel and take a holistic approach to their health and wellness, regardless if it goes against society’s norms. The inspiration to become an entrepreneur came from a desire to reach my full potential and then expand it, to not be held back, to have no limits. I don’t feel I would have that same freedom working for someone else.
Q. How did you get started?
Heather: I was working as a preschool director, but I was feeling restless and unfulfilled. I knew I wanted to be working in the health and wellness industry but wasn’t clear on how. Then, I saw something on social media about health coaching that caught my interest. I didn’t do anything with it, just tucked it in my brain for later. Shortly after that, I was listening to a podcast, and the individual happened to be interviewing someone from IIN, Institute for Integrative Nutrition, regarding their health coach program and a special discount that was available for a limited time. It seemed like a sign, so I inquired for more information, and over the course of several days, I played phone tag with an IIN lady. Finally, it was Friday, the last day that the discount was available. I had made one last attempt to reach out during my lunch break, to no avail. I was driving home from work that night and had the thought, “Well, I guess it wasn’t meant to be”. Literally, the very second that thought came into my head, my phone rang, and it was the lady calling me about enrolling. That was the universe meeting me, giving me the sign I needed. I enrolled to study health coaching, and I wasn’t far into the program before I was already starting to plan my business. I knew that my story of divorce and struggling to prioritize my health would play a big part in who I served. I knew I wanted to empower women and help them see that they deserve great health. I kept that in the forefront of my mind and let that guide me as I built my business.
Q. What was your biggest startup challenge? What steps did you take to overcome it? What did you learn?
Heather: Confidence. Or should I say, lack thereof. Thankfully, I was aware of this, though, and knew to reach out for help. I hired a mindset and confidence coach when I first made the decision to pursue health coaching. It was her program that got me to a place where I could even do a Facebook Live. She consistently encouraged me out of my comfort zone and is a big reason I have made it as far as I have. That experience really opened my eyes to the fact that the things that scare us the most only hold us back if we let them. I didn’t want to continue through life with low self-confidence, and I knew I wouldn’t move forward in my business without addressing it. So, I sought out the person who could help me through that. And I’ve continued to do so in other areas. My weak point is someone else’s area of expertise, and vice versa. So, facing our fears and seeking help with them is not only bettering us, but also allowing someone else to shine in their strength.
Q. What is the Most Memorable Thing You’ve Done Since you Started your Business?
Heather: I held a virtual cooking class via Zoom. It was fun. We made one of my favorite dishes…a Thai chicken soup that is healthy and soooo good. I was surprised how many people signed up for it! I am comfortable in the kitchen though, so it was really fun and different.
Q. What is one book you recommend, and why?
Heather: So many. I love to read. And I’ll list 2 here instead of 1…because I’m a rebel like that.
“Untamed” by Glennon Doyle. I read that book when I was coming out of the roughest part of my divorce. Right before the sun started shining a little brighter. It spoke to my soul, to the essence of who I am and remains a huge inspiration to me to this day.
“The Having” by Suh Yoon Lee and Jooyun Hong. I’ve read this book twice so far since opening my business. It has helped me in my journey of healing my money story and welcoming in abundance in all areas of my life.
Q. What are your top 3 favourite online apps, tools, or resources and what do you love about them?
The Tapping Solution – EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is a tool that brings me much peace and relieves stress. This app is great because it’s on my phone, and I can access it anytime for a quick tapping session.
Insight Timer – my go-to for meditations, soothing sounds, etc.
Practice Better – I was literally just introduced to this platform this week. I haven’t explored all of its features yet, but it’s a fantastic tool for health coaches. It’s like a one-stop-shop for documents, scheduling, billing, etc. I’m sure I’ll find a favorite feature that I like, but I haven’t played with it enough yet. I just know I love it.
Q. In terms of legacy, what is the mark you’d like to leave on the world?
Heather: In terms of health and wellness – that women deserve and are worthy of amazing health and wellness in every aspect…physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional. And that prioritizing that sometimes might make us appear selfish. But that’s ok. Because if we don’t make ourselves a priority, no one else will.
In terms of life – we write our stories. If we are unhappy with anything in our lives, it is up to us to change it. No one else can or will. Other people influence our lives, but they don’t create our lives. We were born to be great, to fulfill a purpose, so we must do everything in our power to chase our dreams and create our ideal lives. And this is so doable if we realize our potential and our worth and if we utilize the expertise that is available to us through guides and mentors.
Q. In one sentence, what’s the best advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their entrepreneurial journey?
Heather: Seek out mentors who can guide you, in whatever form you need, for the areas that are your weakest.
To keep up to date with Heather, connect with her on Linkedin and Facebook.