Long story….if you want the short version, scroll down to the bottom of the page.

In 2016, I sat across from my doctor, waiting for her to explain why I had these odd stomach pains. My doctor was no-nonsense and didn't sugarcoat anything. She said, "You have Hashimotos, and I am changing your diet." Wait what? I got a rapid description of my autoimmune condition from her, and my doctor sent me on my way with a bad photocopy of a diet that abolished gluten, sugar, and alcohol. I was scheduled to have dinner with my BFF that night and indulged in my last bread, cake, and wine for a while. I had no idea what I was dealing with, and my doctor didn't have time to hold my hand through the learning process. Luckily, I like to research data, and soon, Amazon would be making daily stops at my house with lots of books that would help in my mission to educate myself about autoimmune conditions. I had to do the work myself and figure out what worked for me and what kept my numbers moving in the right direction. Having someone working through all the information with me would have been a much faster learning and healing process.

Then COVID busts into our lives, and suddenly, I find myself grounded from travel (something I did three weeks every month) and sitting behind a desk all day for 8-10 hours of video calls. I suddenly had more evenings free and pondered whether I wanted to start working again on my doctorate program. I left those studies nine years earlier due to a significant increase in job responsibilities (a West Coast position that became an America's position and a move across the country). If I were going back to school, the question was, could I still hang with having homework and taking tests?

To test my schooling acumen, and while working on optimizing my health and figuring out menopause, I decided the most pertinent and timely topic for further study would be nutrition. I found a fantastic nutrition class/program, started my first class, and LOVED it. So I took another, and so on. I completed the program two years later and became a certified holistic nutritionist and wellness coach. I then decided to up my game and took the board exams for both becoming a Board Certified Holistic Nutritionist® (BCHN®) through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals and a Board Certified Holistic Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) through the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaching, which collaborates with the National Board of Medical Examiners for this specific board certification. So here I am with a passion for supporting women with their overall wellness including thyroid issues, inflammation (the root of all wellness evil), fatigue, and menopause challenges and coming along side them to help them improve their overall health so they can live their very best lives.

More about me: I am married and live in California. I worked for many years in the electronics industry, and when I left the corporate world in 2021, I was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Americas for a company I loved. I had the opportunity to spend 14 years leading the most incredible team on this earth. Most recently, I have been supporting a non-profit I helped form in 2017, focusing on assisting women to reach leadership positions within the electronics industry. Besides being honored to interact with many unique and talented women, I created and implemented the only industry-wide Mentorship Program, which has impacted many lives in ways I never dreamed of. I completed my undergraduate work at Saint Mary's in CA (go Gaels!) and obtained my MBA from Santa Clara University in CA (go Broncos!). I started a Ph.D. program in organizational leadership with Regent University and put that on hold when I took on a much more significant role at my organization. I completed the Holistic Wellness Pathway Program at Hill College in December of 2022.

Short Story: I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, which sucked. My doctor told me to change my diet, and we could control this auto-immune disease (she was right). I was grounded from travel due to the pandemic, so suddenly, I had some free evenings. I went back to school for nutrition and coaching and also left the corporate world. I finished this school journey with a certification in holistic nutrition and coaching. I decided to up my game and become board-certified for holistic nutrition through the National Association of Holistic Professionals and health and wellness coaching through the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching in collaboration with the National Board of Medical Examiners.