This article is a guest post by Krista Goncalves
I started as a Holistic Nutritionist and then became a Wellness Business Copywriter. Believe it or not, it took me several months to nail down an official title for my new position (and essentially a new business model) that I had created for myself.
When I was ready to cross over into the business coaching side of things, I felt myself struggling with how to frame this change to people – verbally as well as written, and was even resisting using the word ‘coach’.
I was aiming for a designation that was simple, yet felt good. One that was professional, yet fun – but not in an overly silly way if it were to come up in conversation, or during virtual “business card swaps”.
After much introspection, mixed with a good dose of self-debate, I feel like I finally accomplished that – and I want YOU to feel like that too!
In this article, I’ll share with you:
1. How I got over the fear, and sometimes awkwardness, of telling people what I actually do as a health coach and/or wellness entrepreneur.
2. How I crafted my “here’s what I do” statement.
3. How I chose my job title – and now I totally own it!
So, now I’m throwing the question back to you, Wellpreneur…
How do YOU tell people what you do with confidence & authority, and perhaps even a bit of flair?
I tend to have a “more people at the party is more fun” mindset, but the hard truth is that we’re facing a lot of competition in the wellness industry. I’m seeing this now more than ever in the increasingly crowded online space.
As a result, it’s becoming more difficult to stand out and get noticed. It also goes without saying that all of those ‘dream clients’ have plenty of options when it comes to choosing a health coach to bring on board.
Don’t let that deter you though, because as I always say – there’s plenty of room for everyone to play in the online sandbox!
How I Got Over the Fear of Telling People About my Wellness Business
At first, I was just fumbling around trying to tell my friends and family what it is I actually did as a wellness entrepreneur.
But next, it was putting it out there for the world to see, hear and read. This was somewhat terrifying, to say the least! I clumsily navigated this feeling of stage fright at the start of all three of my health & wellness-related businesses.
First, with my fitness training & outdoor bootcamp company. I was overweight when I started it, and you can imagine how my fear of what people thought of me got in the way of what to say, and how to confidently convey what my business was all about!
Then, came my nutritional consulting practice. Again, I was overweight when I first started looking for nutrition clients because I had just had my second baby. My area of focus at that time was weight loss for busy moms. Umm…needless to say it was a tough sell when it didn’t appear like I had it figured out for myself!
I know you can probably relate to my experiences — the fear of being judged or unvalued, and hence, the awkwardness of articulating what you actually do as a health coach or wellness entrepreneur.
This felt especially uncomfortable when I was around those who did not seem to fully understand or support my wellness business endeavours. I’ve actually come across quite a few of those folks in my time!
Everyone has a backstory though. Everyone. But, if you’re feeling an inability to uncover yours, and then articulate what you do (like I was), it isn’t necessarily a confidence problem – it may be more of a branding problem.
The Key to Releasing Fear of Self-Promotion
Once I formulated my backstory, and started articulating what I really did as a health & wellness expert (very much as a result of that story) – my confidence emerged, and it all really started to take shape, including the look and feel of my personal brand.
Yep, you have a brand, because you are your brand – so I’ve learned!
By the way, I don’t know too many instances where someone got into the health & wellness industry that was not motivated by their own health journey. That’s precisely how I became known as the “Nutritional Ninja (for Hormonally Challenged Women)”.
Looking back, I know it sounds funny, but it certainly was fitting at the time, and there’s was never any confusion as to what I did for a living!
I really tried to own that quirky “edu-tainer” persona with everything I did in my career as a Holistic Nutritionist too – from all the content I produced on my website and on social media to speaking engagements, interviews and workshops.
But, it did take time to feel confident about it and to really own it. Here’s the process I took myself through…
Creating an Elevator Pitch for Your Wellness Business
Think about it, if you were to describe yourself to a prospective client saying, “Hiya, I’m a Health Coach! Let’s work together…”. Well, it’s probably not your best bet as a sales pitch, because there are a heck of a lot of health coaches & wellness experts out there!
However, what if you described yourself more in this manner – using my exact statement when I was nutrition consulting as an example:
“I’m a Holistic Nutritionist. I help women 35-55 to optimize their health by giving them the tools they need to upgrade their nutrition and get their hormones back in balance. I’m kind of like a Nutritional Ninja for Hormonally Challenged Women!” — then, you’ve clearly conveyed the transformation that you offer.
Lisa Simone Richards, Visibility Strategist calls this modern-day version of an elevator pitch – an ‘Audio Logo’. I just love that concept!
Here’s a little fill-in-the-blanks script I used to help me map out my statement. Try it for yourself!
- I’m _____ (your name), and I’m a ______ (simplest form of your title). (although you might not have this nailed down quite yet)
- I love ______ (guiding, helping, supporting) clients who want ______ (your specialty).
- When we work together, they love how I ______ (your approach).
- But, when it comes down to it, what they really get from me is ____ (your transformative offer to them).
- Because I’m more than just ____ (your simple title), I’m a _____ (your creative title).
PRO TIP: go through and fill in this script with a few different options for each blank, then revisit it every few months.
Choosing Your Job Title – where “Plain Jane” meets “Creative Wellpreneur”
There’s no question that finding your authentic voice takes time, and your personal brand as a Health & Wellness expert will also take shape over time.
Trust me, I’ve already been through 3 different titles in the past year and I’m sure it will change again in the future 
Very much like the script I used to craft my ‘audio logo’, I asked myself the following questions in order to come up with the title that I now use:
Who is your ideal dream client? What kind of language speaks to them? What are some terms that will be relatable to them?
- Brainstorm or “mind map” a number of different options, both regular and creative – a blend of the two is just fine so long as it ends up being descriptive and useful.
- Try it on for size. Here’s where you’ve got to just put it out there, and get some real world feedback.
- Say your proposed title(s) out loud several times. Then, ask your most trusted people what they think of it? Is it descriptive enough, fun yet still professional, and most importantly – does it speak your target audience’s language?
So, there go Wellpreneur…the next time “what do you do?” comes up in conversation, or you’re out swappin’ biz cards (virtually or in the real world) – I know you’ve got this, and you’re gonna blow them away with your answer.
If you’re a “Health or Nutritional Ninja”, as I was for many years — be one, and positively own your message and your title. You’ve earned it!
Krista Goncalves is a Holistic Nutritionist and Wellness Business Copywriter who lives in Kelowna BC with her husband and two young kids. While Krista enjoyed her combined 10 years as a Fitness Trainer/Bootcamp company owner & Women’s Health Expert, she’s now incredibly passionate about helping other busy Health & Wellness Experts “juice up” their businesses with her web content writing services and coaching resources at Making Lemonade with Krista Goncalves. When she’s not writing, you can likely catch her outdoors hiking, paddleboarding or doing bootcamp in the park or on a beach! Feel free to connect with Krista on her Facebook page.
