How I Got Here

Like many of you, I have had many careers and I have come to love them all. I pursued my fascinations of science as a biochemist.  In the lab, I studied the molecules we are made of and decoded the body’s genetic blueprint. I followed my love of technology and climbed the corporate ladders in Silicon Valley until I couldn't stand the cubicle for one moment longer. While there, I honed my leadership skills and strategic thinking and I learned to be curious about everything. I even reinvented myself as a pilot and became a captain of privately-owned executive aircraft. As a pilot I gained risk mitigation expertise, allowing me to be more confident in my decisions. I certainly enjoyed the precision required to fly at that level (no wonder I’m meticulous when reviewing client cases).  I had finally felt that I had found my dream job – I LOVED that job!!.

Along the way, I pursued my other interests with just as much fervor and commitment to service and excellence. I believe that how you do one thing is how you do everything. So, in typical high-achiever fashion, I didn’t pursue anything unless I could give it 110%. An avid cyclist and hiker - it was pretty common to come across me on mountain trails racking up countless miles by foot or by bike. I loved being in the outdoors and would spend as much time as I could exploring the deep canyons and ridge tops of the local mountains.  I loved the challenge of topping out another climb, yet I also loved the peacefulness I feel when connecting with nature.  It’s always been a comfort and a place of refuge as I pursued what had become “successful” by typical standards… but I also had accepted exhaustion and burnout as the price of this level of “success”.

No problem, I got this!

The biochemist in me thought I could just eat the right things, the professional in me thought that I could simply execute a well constructed project plan and the pilot in me thought that If I just followed the "flight plan", that I would get to the destination of restored health. In fact, restoring my health became my part-time job, and my life’s story had become about illness, disease, being different, not belonging, hiding and afraid and most definitely NOT being strong.  My approach was very methodical and I worked with the best endocrinologist I could find. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars and countless hours on my restoring my health.  Being very driven and determined to fix this, I applied everything I had known to work in the past.

Yet, a year into my plan, I felt horrible most days and life was not where I needed it to be. I still couldn't qualify to fly professionally and finally, my doctor was recommending rather extreme methods for treatment. Options that I did not want to pursue.

During this lowest of lows, I had to face a lot of demons. What if I could never fly again? What would I do for occupation if I couldn't fly? And why was I so ashamed that I had gotten sick in the first place? How on earth was I ever going to feel better again? Am I doomed a life of constant fatigue, hair loss, chronic migraines? Will I ever be able to enjoy being outdoors again? 

My wake-up call came when I realized that blindly following what others were telling me to do was not going to fix this. There was no rescue ship coming. And, as you can imagine, this led to a lot of soul searching.  I knew something had to change but I didn't know what.

And then something clicked and this amazing transformation occurred.  It didn't happen overnight. But I committed to changing my life and consciously designing a lifestyle and business I love. I brought it to life one step at a time.  Today, my business and personal endeavors are driven by my purpose.

I started eating real food and focusing on nourishment & nutrient density. I took a good look at my lifestyle and reconfigured it to be supportive of autoimmune disease rather than antagonistic of AI. I dug into the biochemistry of my body using functional medicine and started the repair of abnormal function. I began to slow down and did the deep inner work to compliment the nutrition and stress management strategies. I started to look at autoimmune disease, not as this thing I had to fix, but as part of me that I love just as equally as the other parts!

And I realized I couldn't do this all alone. I needed support and accountability to help me make these lifestyle changes and build new healing habits. I needed cheerleader and  I needed someone to kick my butt when I made poor choices. Allowing my experience as a business leader and pilot serve me, I assembled a great team and the first thing I did was to get a coach who had walked in my shoes; someone who hold a space for me to step into what is possible!

The transformation was the means to reinvent my life and along with it my health and vitality. And where I have landed is more fulfilling than I had ever imagined! Now I live a whole life that I love, more than just a “career”.  I’m building my dream home with my husband and our dog, Phaedra. I have more energy than I can remember having even before I got sick. I embark freely on the adventures that I love to experience: hiking, cycling, backpacking and playing on the beach with our dog. My life is full with people I love and soul-fulfilling experiences.

Why am I telling you this? Because in my heart of hearts, I know that if this is something you desire for yourself, Im here to tell you that you can have this too. You don’t have to do this the hard way, and you don’t have to do it alone. I believe my wake up call can serve you too.

I obtained the training and certifications necessary to do what I'm most passionate about: I help those with chronic health issues, including autoimmune disease, break free of their frustration by taking simple steps to transform their vitality without complex medical treatment. Join me in the journey of finding life's simple treasures one by one... and restore your own personal health to optimal vitality.