Meet Allyson Gottfried of GottHealthy with Allyson Gottfried

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allyson Gottfried.

Allyson, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a young entertainer, I conditioned myself with fitness so that I could be strong both vocally and physically on stage singing and dancing. I started in martial arts as a kid which led into boxing conditioning and eventually all kinds of fitness from pilates to cycling to distance running and all kinds of strength conditioning. Even at a young age, I was always interested in learning about health and wellness. But it wasn’t until I was already knee deep in my business of personal training, did I fully understand that my clients needed something bigger than fitness to get them reaching their goals… long term. I knew nutrition was a big deal. Food is huge. We are 100% what eat.

But, after being so hands-on with my clients, I also knew it was even BIGGER than what we eat. Healthy is: what we eat, what we think, what we believe, what we say, what we do, who we surround ourselves with, how we manage our stress, how well we sleep, how we communicate… etc. So I went back to school and became a certified health coach. I usually am hired as a fitness and nutrition coach as those are the two areas people think of first when becoming healthier, but we usually end up going below the surface. It’s where the real work happens and the shifts are made.

It’s not always easy. But it’s not always that tough either. The smiles and joy that people feel along their journey to a healthier and happier place is why I wake up excited to keep building my business. And it’s usually contagious. Co-workers, family and friends notice a shift and then hop on board too. There is a movement happening in wellness. People want to be educated and want to take control of their health. I’m excited to be part of it. It is tremendous.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth? No way! Its been the wildest rollercoaster ride ever. Ups and down and twists and turns with a ton of sleepless nights. I work for myself. Building a business on your own, 100% by yourself, is scary and risky.

However, my program speaks for itself. I always had faith in my work. I’m completely hands on. There is no cookie cutter program. I knew that would separate my work from others. I think the biggest challenge for me was a personal internal one. I love my job so much. As much as I would love to give away my services and time away to EVERYONE, I couldn’t. I gave my business the respect it deserved, and it started growing. And by setting boundaries and sticking to them, I actually am getting to do the work I love to do on a larger scale and reach more people. Go figure. Life never stops teaching us lessons.

GottHealthy with Allyson Gottfried – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
GottHealthy is a hands-on health coaching business. I take on clients of all ages (currently 14-93) who are interested and committed to learning about how to live healthier lives through individualized fitness and food coaching. I travel to my local LA clients for fitness and I coach people around the country via FaceTime in nutrition.

I specialize in creating a program based on someones bio-individuality. Yes, there are common denominators for us all to know about and follow, but there are also many exceptions to every fitness or food theory. In fact, whats good for me maybe not so good for someone else and vice-versa.

I also offer a concierge program to my clients where I’m available to them and their nutrition questions around the clock. For instance, I currently have clients traveling for work texting me menus of the restaurants they’ll be dining at over the next few days. I will completely guide them through the menus and help them choose smart options while on the road. For others, it’s guiding them through the grocery aisles if they’re feeling overwhelmed or actually getting in the kitchen with them and showing them how to food prep for a successful week ahead.

I don’t have assistants. It’s just me. If I don’t have the answer, I will point them in the right direction. Sure, it limits how many clients I can take on at once, but I am totally passionate, invested and committed to seeing my clients succeed. And that’s why it works. The goal is to get them so confident in this area that they can fly on their own and hopefully then lead by example for others… a domino effect.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Anytime I get a text message from a client who is elated that her skinny jeans fit again, or that his doctor has taken him off 90% of his medications, or that she feels stronger and more in shape with her postnatal fitness program than she did before she even got pregnant.

Seeing my clients shift their lives inspires ME greatly to stay healthy too. The truth is, they’re doing the real work. I’m just their tour guide on the journey. But the unsolicited testimonials remind me why I’m doing this work. It’s a win/win for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.GottHealthy.com
• Instagram: AllysonGottHealthy
• Facebook: AllysonGottfried

Image Credit:
Ronnie Mendoza

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.