Today we’d like to introduce you to Aly French & Erica Stein
Hi Aly & Erica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
We founded Courageous Wellness in 2018, with an intent to share courageous stories of people that had gone through challenging health journeys. Aly had gone through a cancer diagnosis and healing in her twenties and Erica had been through a self-love journey and along with that experienced the challenges of body dysmorphia, weight fluctuation and gut dysbiosis. Recognizing that health topics are difficult to talk about, we created the Courageous Wellness platform to let people know they are never alone in their health journeys. The show expanded and soon we were hosting health and wellness experts and diverse guests across many different fields, exploring many different topics that fall under the general wellness umbrella. In this time we also became Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coaches with advanced training in hormone and gut health. In addition to the show, we provide Nutrition Health Coaching services to individuals as well as to groups – you can find us hosting corporate events to accessible and food positive nutrition education in 4th grade classrooms.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We are a two person operation and of course have had many challenges since we began! When growing a business, life can get in the way. From adjusting to a fully virtual setup during the pandemic, to navigating a lot of personal loss in our families, it seems that there is always something that may work towards slowing the growth process. Having a partnership has been wonderful for both of us and has kept the train on track, even when the train was moving slowly. We have learned that there is ebb and flow in business growth just as there is ebb and flow in partnership, but having a co-pilot can help when life throws curve balls.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
A lot of the wellness industry can be inaccessible to many and we strive to create more accessibility while keeping a lens on the social determinants of health and staying grounded in science, self-compassion and practicality. We love the fun aspects of some wellness trends but are proud of that fact that we keep a bigger picture on what “wellness” actually is. It can look different for everyone, and ultimately we want people to feel empowered to advocate on their own behalf. We also talk a lot about topics that we don’t see many addressing in our space. It is important to recognize the privilege within the space and ask, how can more people access feeling great in their lives? Can anyone truly be well if communities are suffering? How does the interconnectedness of human beings affect the way that we feel in our bodies and on the planet? We feel that it is some of our most important work to host these conversations, as so many people are having basic body autonomy stripped away – whether that is in the form of reproductive health care, gender affirming care or in food assistance, to name a few.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
We have received a lot of support from our spouses, family and friends as we have grown our community. Also, clients that have put their trust in us to be their cheerleaders and support their health journeys have given us even more than we have given them! There is no better feeling than having a client finish a 6 month program with us, with improved energy, satiety, better sleep, and a more grounded approach to caring for themselves!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.courageouswellness.net
- Instagram: @courageouswellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/courageouswellnesspodcast
- LinkedIn: Courageous Wellness LLC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@courageouswellness6195
- Other: TT: @courageouswellness
Image Credits
Annie Vovan (1-3)
Jessica Sattleberger (4)
Zuri Pommerenk (5)
