During the last 26 years, we’ve certified over 119,000 health, nutrition, and fitness professionals. Each month, we recognize one of our distinguished graduates who use what they have learned to inspire others and make a difference.
Meet our graduate for the month of August, Kayla Jury, an AFPA Certified Holistic Health Coach
Which certification did you choose, and why did you choose AFPA?
As an educator who already had a lot of experience with “conventional” weight loss and health practices, I really wanted to widen my depth of knowledge. In my search for the perfect certification to do just that, I found AFPA’s Holistic Health Coach Certification. I felt that this program would give me the depth of knowledge in holistic health that I wanted!
What are your favorite parts of your career?
The best part about being a health coach is truly that I am helping others. Before becoming a coach, I was a classroom teacher, teacher trainer, and curriculum developer―so it is obvious that my passion has always been in empowering others through education. This has been an avenue for me to do that in a new way. With my coaching, I not only coach on nutrition and movement, like other health coaches do, but I also coach on our mental fitness. Our mindsets around food, movement, and our bodies are such a pivotal piece of our success, and it is often the most rewarding for my clients and for myself! My goal is to help each of my clients create harmony between their everyday life and their health, meaning that they can reach their health goals while still enjoying their lives. There is so much information online that makes people think they have to give up the things that they love in order to “achieve health,” and it makes me very happy to be able to show people that being healthy can fit for them, too!
Do you have any client success stories you would like to share?
I feel so lucky to be able to have many incredible client success stories. My clients come to me knowing that I am here to teach, so they come ready to learn and work hard. The client wins that are the biggest success to me are the mindset shifts that clients make, not just their physical progress. Mindset shifts are so important because they are what will help the client have results that last for their life. With the learning they get from me, they become empowered to make the right decisions for them.
Some specific success from clients is learning that they can eat carbohydrate sources and not be afraid. That they learn to give themselves grace and prioritize adding rest and recovery into their days instead of 6-7 days a week. The effects of fueling their body correctly are also huge! Parents having the energy to dance and play with their children or my athletes increasing their performance and recovery!
What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in holistic health?
Hmmm… I think that the advice might be this―do it for the right reasons. There are a lot of coaches out there that start because they think that it will be a great job for flexibility and income. Which it is! BUT―when someone is coming to you with the vulnerability of their health and fitness life―you have to be ready to really be there for them. And the only way to do that is to be there for the right reasons!
The other thing that I think is really important, and I learned this when I was an educator in the classroom, is that just as much as you can have a client that is the right fit for you, you can also have a client that is not the best fit for you. It might take a little bit to figure out your ideal client, but when you do, your coach and client relationships will THRIVE, and therefore, your client results will be incredible when you only take clients on your roster who are a great fit!
To connect with Kayla, follow her on Instagram for more information or you can contact her directly at [email protected] to learn more.
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