Becoming a Health Coach

What happens when your own body keeps throwing you curveballs — burnout, single motherhood, perimenopause symptoms nobody warned you about — and coaching becomes both your business and your survival tool?

Megan and Danna sit down with Vanessa Gaitlin, an IIN-trained coach (and one of Megan's earliest connections in the coaching world) who's spent over a decade rebuilding her practice around her own hormone chaos. Vanessa's coaching origin story starts with a very specific craving: hamburgers and Coca-Cola, eaten compulsively while working an exhausting corporate marketing job. A coach helped her trace that craving back to homesickness, not willpower, and Vanessa was hooked on the idea that food is never just food.

From there, her business has shifted shape again and again — emotional eating coaching, a hard niche into "no weight loss talk, ever," corporate wellness workshops, ghostwriting for a supplements brand, and a genuine burnout so severe she couldn't hold a plank or follow a friend's story. She's candid about the anxiety attack that landed her in a doctor's office, and how that crash led her into yoga, breathwork, and nervous system work almost by accident.

The back half of the conversation gets into the messier reality of perimenopause: Vanessa describes years of vaginal pain and insomnia dismissed by doctors because she was "still getting her period," and how she eventually pieced together her own answers through a menopause-focused yoga teacher, a hormone-cycle certification, and — eventually — a gynecologist who actually listened. Now she works exclusively with women in perimenopause and menopause through her seven-week group program, Back to Her, blending food, nervous system work, and community accountability.

Vanessa also shares her clearest business advice: niche into what you've personally lived (not just studied), always have three offers ready to go, and market what your client will gain — not what you're willing to give. It's a grounded, funny, occasionally TMI conversation about what it actually looks like to build a coaching business while your own hormones keep rewriting the rules.

00:00 Meet Vanessa Gaitlin

01:44 Coaching Menopause Wellness

03:54 From Corporate to Coaching

15:32 Burnout Recovery and New Niche

30:10 Menopause Wake Up Call

31:04 Hormone Education Overload

34:55 Niche Marketing Newsletters

45:04 Group Program Offers Wrap

Mentioned in this episode:

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Welcome to another coaching series where we do a coaching debrief after a real coaching session.

Let's meet Tina - this is her Health History.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Goals

00:51 Why Coaching Now

06:58 Mom Guilt and Stress

08:07 Sleep and Gut Deep Dive

16:43 Holistic Plan and Wrap Up

Mentioned in this episode:

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Listen to all of Tina's debrief episodes - Playlist

Check out So Frickin' Healthy

Find full, real-time coaching sessions with Tina on our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy.

Listen to Tina's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Institute for Integrative Nutrition Special Deals

IIN is expensive but they always have special deals going on.

Get big discounts on IIN Courses

Be that health coach who has a health coach

If you're a health coach or want to become one, you most likely have some health issues you hope to tackle too. We all do... Let's book a discovery call and see if we're a match made in foodie heaven

Organilicious

How do you become a coach (and actually make it work) without having it all figured out first?

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to be a coach, but I’m not sure I’m qualified… and also I have no idea how the business side works,” this conversation is for you. Megan and Danna sit down with Ben Fox to unpack what it really looks like to grow into coaching, build credibility (even when you’re young), and create a sustainable path that doesn’t require perfection, a polished brand, or seven social platforms.

Ben shares how he went from calling himself a broad “life coach” at 25 (boldly, as one does) to becoming a career transformation coach working with people navigating big professional pivots. A big theme is that coaching skill isn’t the same as industry expertise. Listening, reflecting, and helping someone move forward are transferable skills, and in many cases, the thing that makes someone a great coach is less about knowing the “right answers” and more about being able to hold space and ask the right questions.

Then we get into the part most new coaches quietly dread: marketing. Ben doesn’t sugarcoat it, but he does make it feel doable. He talks about focusing on one platform (LinkedIn, in his case), using consistent outreach, and understanding the funnel. Not everyone responds, not everyone is your client, and that’s normal. The goal is reps, clarity, and a system you can keep doing when you’re tired, busy, or doubting yourself.

Finally, the conversation zooms out to a freeing reminder: you can be a coach without being a full-time entrepreneur. Megan reflects on realizing that solo entrepreneurship wasn’t the right fit, while coaching still absolutely is. You can coach in a corporate job, in your community, inside a larger organization, or as a contractor. The question isn’t just “How do I become a coach?” but “What version of coaching actually fits my life, values, and nervous system?”

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

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00:00 — Intro: rebooting Becoming a Health Coach + why Ben’s story matters

01:45 — Ben’s coaching identity: life coach → career transformation coach

03:45 — Age vs credibility: earning trust when you’re young

07:10 — Do certifications matter (and what programs can really give you)

10:00 — “Just go coach”: learning by doing and getting comfortable sucking first

12:00 — Finding a niche: from scattered marketing to a clear focus

15:30 — First paying clients: why charging changes everything

20:45 — The marketing mindset shift: LinkedIn outreach + consistency

24:15 — One platform wins: why omnichannel made Ben miserable

29:00 — Rejection rates and funnels: what conversion can look like

32:10 — “Who Not How”: hiring help to learn marketing and business

34:30 — Coaching as a contractor: tradeoffs of “just showing up to coach”

38:00 — Ben’s current offer: 1:1 package + building community

39:30 — One piece of advice: how do you know you want to be a coach?

41:00 — Megan’s reflection: coaching without entrepreneurship + experiment first

47:00 — Biggest myth: you don’t need expertise to be a great coach

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Institute for Integrative Nutrition Special Deals

IIN is expensive but they always have special deals going on.

Get big discounts on IIN Courses

Are you So Frickin' Healthy?

Check out the other podcast I co-host with Danna Levy Hoffmann from Organilicious.ch. We are both IIN Health Coaching graduates who got together for our love to talk about all things health related.

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

How Do I Make It Last?

Joanna walked into her final session with the only question that matters: How do I make this stick when things are hard?

Travel. Illness. Holiday season. She's exhausted again—and she knows exactly why. A few months ago, she wouldn't have noticed the difference. Now her body tells her immediately when she's off track. That awareness? That's the win.

She asked about dinner burnout, about the overwhelm of meal prep, about what happens when her partner's default is "let's just order delivery." These aren't exotic problems. This is every parent, every busy person, everyone trying to eat real food while life keeps lifing.

Danna's answer: you don't have to meal prep for the whole week. That's overwhelming and sets you up to resent it. Just think about tomorrow. Just one meal ahead. And Megan's chiming in from the sidelines: get an air fryer, Joanna.

The bigger picture: six sessions isn't the same as six months. Real habit change takes time, and the three-month mark is when life starts testing you. Joanna hit that wall—but she also proved she knows how to climb back over it. She notices the difference now. She wants to get back to feeling good. That's not where she started.

This series showed what health coaching actually looks like: messy, human, full of slip-ups and comebacks. Joanna did the work. Danna held her hand. And now she walks forward on her own.

This is the final debrief of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Overview

02:14 Air Fryer and Kitchen Gadgets Discussion

07:44 Meal Prepping Tips and Tricks

11:07 Joanna's Journey and Coaching Reflections

15:36 Advice for Aspiring Health Coaches

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

She Came Ready

Joanna walked into session five with a list. "I have a lot of stuff." That's exactly what a coach wants to hear.

She was ready to move on to movement—nutrition felt handled. But Danna pulled her back for a moment. There was something in how Joanna talked about "falling off the wagon" with food logging. Was she disappointed because it actually helped her? Or because she felt like she should be doing it?

There's a difference between "I need to do this for me" and "someone told me I should." That distinction matters. If food journaling works for you, keep doing it. If it doesn't, let it go—no guilt required.

And then there's the real transformation: Joanna used to slump at 3pm, completely done. Now 5pm rolls around and she's surprised the day is over. That's not a small thing. That's her life back.

But here's Danna's concern: they're approaching the three-month mark. That's when life happens—vacations, holidays, birthdays. The honeymoon phase ends, routines get disrupted, and people convince themselves they've ruined everything. Without someone to pull you back and say "that was just a trip, let's get back to it," it's easy to spiral.

Joanna's killing it. But real habit change takes time—and one more session to go.

This is the debrief after session five of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Recap

01:08 The Importance of Client-Led Coaching

03:11 Balancing Data and Personalization

07:30 Challenges in Habit Formation

12:45 Long-Term Coaching and Accountability

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

She Feels It Now

Joanna messaged before the call: "I haven't kept up with it." Danna braced for bad news. But here's the twist—it was just the logging that slipped. The eating habits? Those stuck. She has energy. She's feeling the difference. That's the whole point.

Remember session one, when Joanna asked "How will I know it's working?" She wanted black-and-white proof, and Danna couldn't give it to her. Now she doesn't need proof. She feels it.

Food logging was never meant to be forever. It's a pain in the ass for two weeks, but the information you get from it can revolutionize how you understand your own body. We overlook what we do habitually—and if you don't draw attention to it, you'll never know it's the thing that needs to change.

Joanna thanked Danna. Danna's response? "I didn't cook your meals. I didn't keep your food log. You did all the work. Thank yourself."

That's the thing about coaching: it's your body. Your habits. Your changes. A good coach helps you listen—but you're the one who has to hear it.

This is the debrief after session four of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Overview

00:42 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Food Logging

03:26 The Importance of Tracking and Habit Formation

09:36 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Conferences and Congresses - no matter what you call them, they are an excellent resource for health coaches.

In this episode, Megan talks about why you should consider attending health conferences, how to prepare before you go, and what to do while you're there.

We love to hear from you!

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Takeaways:

• Attending health conferences provides invaluable networking opportunities with industry professionals and like-minded individuals.
• Health coaches, particularly those new to the field, should prioritize attending conferences to gain insights into industry trends.
• Preparation is key for maximizing the benefits of attending health conferences and engaging with sessions and booths.
• Engaging with exhibitors at booths can lead to unexpected partnerships and valuable conversations within the health industry.
• Health conferences can be financially burdensome; consider volunteer opportunities to alleviate costs and enhance learning experiences.
• Self-care during conferences, including proper hydration and nutrition, is essential for maintaining focus and energy throughout the event.

Chapters:

• 00:00.0 - Why Conferences Matter
• 01:17.0 - Networking Like a Pro
• 04:40.0 - Conference App Prep
• 06:15.0 - Choosing Talks and Sessions
• 08:08.0 - Expo Hall Strategies
• 11:14.0 - Budget and Self Care
• 14:04.0 - Save Money and Wrap Up

Mentioned in this episode:

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Interested in attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)?

Enroll today with my code and save 20% off any IIN & Chopra Course! *excluding CIP

Get big discounts on IIN Courses

She's Doing the Hard Work

Good news: Danna's awake this time. And Joanna? She came in hot—full of data from her CGM experiment, eager to keep going, and finally seeing real results.

But Megan caught something in this session: a little miscommunication around food logging. Joanna was trying to figure out how to track (weighing her go-to foods once so she'd know the portions forever), and Danna pushed back. Why? Because quality matters more than quantity. If you're weighing your potato chips, you're missing the point.

The bigger insight: Joanna's the type who goes all-in and then loses the plot. She knows this about herself. So the goal isn't to overhaul everything—it's to change one variable at a time and let it stick. She tried two new recipes this month. That's a win. She's not the person who's going to flip her entire life overnight, and that's okay.

Here's what coaches want you to know: they're holding your hand, not carrying you. You're still walking. You're still doing the hard work. A good coach feels you out, adjusts, and keeps you from drowning in goals you'll abandon in a week.

This is the debrief after session three of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Overview

00:17 Joanna's Progress and Challenges

01:55 Food Logging Discussion

06:13 Coaching Strategies and Client Interaction

16:31 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Send us a Voicemail

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

If you’re becoming a health coach (or you’re early in your coaching career), you’ve probably felt the pressure to “have it all together” while the world feels… like a lot. In this episode, mindfulness practitioner and certified coach Gretchen Larsen shares practical ways to stay grounded, reduce stress spirals, and prevent burnout—without pretending you’re fine.

We talk about why overwhelm can shrink your sense of control, how to work with your feelings instead of bypassing them, and the power of choosing small, doable actions that restore agency—especially when everything feels too big.

• The “circle of control” and how to come back to what you can influence
• Why small actions (even cooking dinner) can interrupt a stress spiral
• How negative self-talk shows up for coaches (“I should know better”)
• Feeling your feelings vs. replaying the world’s events (and getting stuck)
• “Do it in connection”: why support systems matter for resilience
• Creating a safe container for emotions (alone and with trusted people)
• The only thing we always control: choosing our response

Gretchen Larsen is a leadership and empowerment coach who supports teams, female professionals and activists doing important work in the world. For over 25 years, her work has spanned across start-ups, nonprofits and Fortune 500 companies, helping teams and aspiring leaders navigate change and transformation with a people-first approach.

Especially in times of uncertainty, Gretchen encourages mindfulness and somatic awareness to help people take care of themselves, reconnect to what’s in their control, and take grounded, purposeful action. She believes that now more than ever, we need strong female leaders to help guide our planet, our organizations and the change we all so desire.

Website

LinkedIn

Listen to Gretchen's Meditation on So Frickin' Healthy

Welcoming the Unwelcome by Pema Chödrön

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

00:00 Mind Body Connection

01:02 Doomscrolling And Boundaries

02:49 Gretchen Spiral And Control

06:10 Small Actions To Cope

14:41 Hit Bottom Find Support

21:11 Make Space Choose Response

Mentioned in this episode:

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Institute for Integrative Nutrition Special Deals

IIN is expensive but they always have special deals going on.

Get big discounts on IIN Courses

When Your Coach is Human Too

Danna's been up since 4:30am. She's brain foggy, running on fumes, and didn't have time to review her notes before the session. Megan's listening and thinking: come on, Danna, you can do it.

And that's the point. Coaches are human. There's no such thing as a perfect session every time—and showing that to clients matters. Life gets messy. You show up anyway.

The real takeaway from this session? Joanna says she does the 80/20 thing with processed foods, but when someone also mentions their memory isn't great... they might not be tracking how often it's actually happening. A food diary could help—not as judgment, but as data.

And then there's the question every client asks: How long until I see results? The honest answer? There's no magic timeline. You can follow every Huberman protocol in the book, but if your cortisol is through the roof and you're white-knuckling through perimenopause, perfect eating won't save you. It's all connected—sleep, stress, food, hormones. You do your best and keep going.

This is the debrief after session two of Joanna's health journey.

If you want to hear all the coaching “behind the scenes” (health history, coaching debriefs, and Joanna’s reflection), listen on Becoming a Health Coach.

Listen to all the post session debriefs

If you want to hear the original coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.

Listen to all the coaching sessions

We always looks forward to hearing from you!

Send us an Email

Send us a Voicemail

Check out the So Frickin' Healthy Podcast

Support the Show

00:00 Introduction and Session Reflection

01:47 Challenges of Maintaining Focus

05:11 Diet and Habit Tracking

10:16 ADHD and Perimenopause Discussion

15:50 Concluding Thoughts and Next Steps

Becoming a Health Coach provides resources and inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a health coach. Recorded and Produced in Switzerland. Member of the SwissCast Podcast Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Institute for Integrative Nutrition Special Deals

IIN is expensive but they always have special deals going on.

Get big discounts on IIN Courses

Becoming a Health Coach is a proud member and production of the SwissCast Network

The SwissCast Podcast Network is here to amplify the diverse voices and unique stories of Switzerland—all in English. Whether you're a Swiss local fluent in English, an expat, or simply curious about Swiss culture, SwissCast offers engaging content that speaks directly to you.

Check out more great podcasts on the SwissCast Network

Want more?

To listen to Danna's full session with Joanna, you've got to check out our other podcast, So Frickin' Healthy. The episodes are about 30 minutes, and you'll hear the full conversation how Donna navigates the session in real time and the specific health struggles Joanna is facing.

Listen to Joanna's full coaching sessions on So Frickin' Healthy - Playlist