61. The REAL Reason You Haven't Picked a Niche, and How to Do So TODAY

Even though it’s bittersweet to end this show, Cynthia has some exciting news about what’s coming up next. She’s received a lot of feedback from listeners that you all are ready for bigger topics on coaching, personal development, and starting and scaling a successful business. That’s where her new show, I’d Like to Thank My Self, comes in.  I’d Like to Thank My Self is all about becoming self-made and stepping in to the person that you know you’re meant to be. She’ll be sharing conversations that cover things like mindset, confidence, overcoming adversity, and so much more.  We’re realizing that you are ready for a much bigger, real, and raw conversation about how to create a life and business so good you’re only jealous of yourself.  To round out The Transformational Nutrition Coaching Podcast, Cynthia shares her top five episodes (plus a special bonus one). She highlights what makes each of those episodes near and dear to her, and why she recommends that you go back and listen if you missed them the first time around.  Cynthia’s Top Episodes:  Episode 50: 50 Things I Wish I Had Known When I First Started Coaching Episode 37: Dr. Mike Dow on Brain Health, Ketamine, Psychotherapy, and Holistically Improving Your Mental Wellness Episode 59: Cognitive Decline is the Pandemic Nobody’s Talking About — Here’s How You Fix Your Brain with Dr. ​​​​Tom O’Bryan Episode 51: How to Overcome “Mom Guilt” and Live in the Moment with Elle Gail Episode 49: How to Heal Your Gut and Follow Your Intuition with Brandi Mackenzie Episode 1: From Homeless to Health Coach       In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  Common threads in the feedback from listeners  What you can expect from Cynthia’s new show, I’d Like to Thank My Self Cynthia’s favorite episodes and why they’re her top recommendations  A powerful message from Cynthia as she closes this chapter of the podcast  Important Links: Show notes for this episode  Resources Mentioned: Get on the waitlist for my new show, I’d Like to Thank My Self  Access our Free Health & Nutrition Coaching 101 Course Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN graduate, Sarah Joy, on Instagram 

If you're looking to improve your hormone health, you're going to want to hear this! Dr. Anna Cabeca is a Triple-Board Certified OB-GYN who has worked with thousands of women one-on-one to help them understand and improve their health and manage their hormones. She is committed to supporting women so that they can thrive physically, emotionally, sexually, and spiritually, and we are so excited to share her knowledge with you. Although we recorded this interview with Dr. Anna a couple years ago, her expertise on hormone health, cortisol levels, adrenal fatigue, inflammation, and thyroid health is still incredibly relevant and important in today's world.  Dr. Anna explains how people are seeking help for more and more chronic pains and illnesses that are significant symptoms stemming from the same three root causes — hormone imbalance, inflammation, and adrenal fatigue. Tune in to hear tips, tricks, and strategies for holistically supporting your hormones, getting rid of toxins, and lowering your cortisol levels. To view our full list of Show Notes and Episode Resources, visit https://transformationalnutrition.com/episode065. 

One of the fears that holds coaches back from not pursuing their dreams is the concept of information overwhelm. There’s this pressure to know absolutely everything about health and wellness, but we all know that’s simply impossible.  Luckily, world-renowned memory and brain coach Jim Kwik has amazing solutions for that exact problem. Jim offers executive coaching services to students, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders, and he joins Cynthia on this episode to explain how you can retain key information as a coach.  Jim breaks down how to optimize your memory for everything from research and statistics to names and faces. He illustrates the connection between memory lapses and multitasking, and how simple brain training exercises can help you stay focused. He also shares tips for speed reading and better comprehension, which will help you stay on top of all the latest information in the health and nutrition space.  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  The four key ways to absorb information FASTER  How to increase your reading speed by 25% to 50% Tips for being powerfully present with your clients  The 10 critical lifestyle habits that will support your memory  How “digital dementia” might be limiting your ability to retain information (and how to start reversing those effects!)  Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Access our Free Health & Nutrition Coaching 101 Course Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Connect with Jim:  Learn more on Jim's website  Follow Jim on Instagram  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook

We just closed enrollment for the last time in 2022 for our Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach program. And whether or not you enrolled for a spot this go-around or not, you most likely have a ton of questions about becoming a health and nutrition coach.  That's why we've created our 4-part Nutrition Coaching 101 video course — to walk you through absolutely everything there is to know about this career! In today's epsiode, we're giving you a sneak peek at this course, starting with the first video. Throughout the rest of the series, you'll discover... What a coach REALLY is... and isn't (and why the difference can determine your level of success) The easy to follow, step-by-step process to coach clients – (even if you worry you won’t have all the answers) The secret advantage to making great money and having the freedom to do what you want, when you want — without burning out in the process The “3-legged stool” approach to coaching that’s simple to use and gets every client you coach results, no guesswork required!  and more! You can get access to the full course over at transformationalnutrition.com/freecourse.  View our Show Notes at transformationalnutrition.com/episode063.

There are three specific fears that Cynthia has noticed with people who want to become coaches, but don’t take any action towards making their dream a reality. In this episode, she addresses what they are and explains how you can overcome them.  The number one limiting belief that people feel held back by is that they’re introverted. As a homebody herself, Cynthia shares strategies that she’s implemented to ensure she can protect her peace and show up as the best possible version of herself for every client.  Potential coaches often fear that they need to be an expert in all areas of wellness and look a certain way, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Coaches also never have to resort to sales tactics that aren’t in alignment with how they want to run their business, which is one of the major benefits of being your own boss.   Listen in as Cynthia breaks down the common misconceptions about what it takes to be a coach and shares resources to get started with your coaching career today!  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  The easiest trick to managing your energy as a coach How to build your career around modalities that light you up  Tips for staying grounded and guided by your bigger purpose for becoming a coach  The best way to address where your fear of selling or marketing might be coming from  How to handle situations with clients when you don’t have the answer right away  Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Access our Free Health & Nutrition Coaching 101 Course Episode 20. You’re Not a Perfectionist… but you are THIS  Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN graduate, Sarah Joy, on Instagram  

This is your sign to stop procrastinating, move through the fear, and start your coaching career today. So many aspiring coaches stall out when it comes to choosing a niche, but that’s often because it’s an excuse to stay in their comfort zones. In this episode, Cynthia breaks down the three questions that you want to ask yourself in order to get really clear on your niche and start working with clients.  The most common reason why people pursue coaching is because they’ve overcome a personal struggle or helped a loved one through a challenging time, and now they want to share what they’ve learned through their transformation with people who could really benefit from it. Cynthia shares tangible examples of niches that you can choose based on needs, lifestyles, and symptoms. She also highlights the passion-based learning curriculum at ITN that helps coaches become experts in whatever area of health and wellness lights them up the most.  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  Real-world examples of how niching down sets you up for success as a coach   How you can take your personal struggle and turn that into your speciality  A powerful visualization exercise to help you figure out who your audience is  Why niching doesn't limit you (and how it actually does the opposite!) The ideal timeline to set for yourself before you switch gears and try another niche  Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Access our Free Health & Nutrition Coaching 101 Course Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN graduate, Sarah Joy, on Instagram  

Whether you love social media or you'd rather stay unplugged, we can all admit that it can be overwhelming, especially for coaches. In this episode, Cynthia shares five ways to build your brand, share your message, and attract clients — without spending another second using social media. You should never put all of your eggs in one basket when it comes to growing your business, yet it seems like every coach turns to social media first. Cynthia highlights ways to get involved in your community, particularly with small businesses that are health and wellness oriented. She breaks down how some ITN grads have collaborated with local gyms and really made a name for themselves in their area.  Other ways to broaden your reach include working with press and local publications, creating long-form content on a blog or website, building your email list, and setting up a referral program. Listen to hear Cynthia’s advice for spending less time scrolling and more time working with clients.  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  How to prepare a pitch and offer for a local business collaboration  Creative ways to establish credibility and get your name out there  How often you want to ideally communicate with your email list subscribers  The one tip that can DOUBLE your revenue How to capture the power of word-of-mouth recommendations   Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Access our Free Health & Nutrition Coaching 101 Course Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN graduate, Sarah Joy, on Instagram 

Fourteen of the top 15 causes of death are chronic inflammatory diseases. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce the amount of inflammation in your body from a functional medicine perspective. In this episode, Cynthia sits down with Dr. Tom O’Bryan, an expert on gut health and autoimmune disease, to discuss how to combat cognitive decline, reduce inflammatory triggers, and correct the root cause of leaky gut.   According to Dr. Tom, brain deterioration is the pandemic that not enough people are talking about. He shares why it’s so critical to start treating signs of cognitive decline early on and gives his top recommendations for identifying where inflammation is coming from.  Dr. Tom highlights ways to reduce environmental triggers in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and food you consume. He also breaks down the brain-gut connection and gives his top 3 non-negotiables that anyone can implement for a healthy, balanced lifestyle. In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  The first critically important step to take to improve your cognitive health  The most common environmental trigger for inflammation (and how to avoid it) Affordable ways to get cleaner water for you and your family  The five pillars that lead to the development of chronic inflammatory diseases Practical ways — that won’t break the bank! — to start healing symptoms of leaky gut  Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: You Can Fix Your Brain book  Dr. Tom's Three Step Gut Reboot Guide  EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Chemicals  EWG’s Clean 15 List Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Connect with Dr. Tom O'Bryan Follow Dr. Tom on Instagram  Learn more on Dr. Tom’s website  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook

Studies have shown that incorporating spirituality in your life strengthens your immune system, lowers pain, fights stress, increases emotional wellbeing, and so much more. But, it’s one of the most commonly overlooked and misunderstood aspects of a healthy lifestyle.  At ITN, our core curriculum goes much deeper than mediation, mindful practices, and religion. Those aspects can be important, but spiritual nutrition is about discovering meaning and connection to yourself and the world around you.  Cynthia dives into the three subcategories of spirituality and explains what happens when you’re lacking in any one of those areas. She illustrates the domino effect of filling a spiritual void with unhealthy habits, including overeating and self-isolation.  Cynthia also shares a real life example of what it can look like to be spiritually disconnected and highlights how you can work with clients to implement soulful, nourishing practices into their lives. Listen in to learn more about how you can start to cultivate a deeper connection to your spirituality and help your clients do the same.  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  What really happens when you ignore spiritual nutrition  The “proactive health model” that helps you and your clients get to the root cause of their symptoms  The surprising link between increased sugar consumption and lack of spiritual connection  Warning signs that you or your client may be struggling with spirituality  Creative ways to easily integrate spiritual practices into your daily and weekly routines Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Episode 12 - Spirituality & Sugar Go Hand in Hand  Download the Course Catalog and Getting Started Guide  Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN graduate, Sarah Joy, on Instagram

You want to be a coach… but that doesn’t mean you’re ready to be an entrepreneur.  One of the biggest mistakes Cynthia made when first starting out as a coach was taking time to actually understand how to build a business. We want to make sure YOU don’t stumble over the same roadblocks as she did!  In today’s episode, Cynthia shares the five steps that every aspiring coach should take to break through any limiting beliefs and create a wildly successful business.  Cynthia describes how truly believing in yourself is essential to finding success as a coach and making decisions that propel your career forward. She shares some tangible tips for building a strong personal brand and an effective marketing strategy. Cynthia also illustrates the importance of getting super clear on who you want to work with, what you want to work with them on, and the method you’re going to use to achieve results.  In today’s episode, you’ll discover:  The #1 secret to your success as a coach… that isn’t what you think it would be Tips to help you attract the right type of clients for your business Why you should always start your business with coaching clients one-on-one  How to market your offerings in a more authentic, aligned way  The importance of just starting now and putting yourself out there (and what will happen if you don’t) Important Links: Show notes for this episode Resources Mentioned: Download the Course Catalog and Getting Started Guide  Learn more about becoming a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach Watch the Dream Career video series  Follow Us: Visit our website Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Facebook Connect with ITN student, Darcel Osei, on Instagram