We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shelly Abriss. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shelly below.

Shelly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents had this magical power of being fully present while simultaneously helping us children develop our autonomy. One example was how my mom got us ready to launch for college. She typically did the laundry for my family but she waited until we got to the age where we started to care about our clothes and appearance, then damaged one article of clothing we held dear. One day I came home to find my favorite pair of pants had bleach stains all down the pant leg. I was mortified as only a pre-teen could be. “Mom!? These are the only pants that fit my butt! What happened?!?!?” My mom responded calmly, “Oh, what a shame. There must have been some bleach leftover from the load of whites I did earlier.” Afraid that this would happen again I volunteered to take over the laundry. This proved to be a valuable skill to have when I left the house college making the transition to dorm life easier for me. It wasn’t until I was home on a school break that I discovered the truth. My little brother was complaining that mom destroyed his favorite hoodie and he was never going to let mom touch his clothes ever again. Im embarrassed at how long it took me to come to the realization: she was doing this on purpose! She was so supportive and attentive and cunningly masterful at waiting for the right moment to let us (the children) think it was our idea to want to learn how to do the laundry. That woman is a genius! Being self-sufficient has carried over into my coaching business. I won’t ask someone to do something I am not willing to attempt myself. I also use the “teach a man to fish” model in my coaching packages.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a child life specialist by trade who spent 20 years working with patients and families in the healthcare setting. I became disenchanted over the years with the western healthcare system as more lifestyle illnesses came through the doors. I went to grad school to be the change I wish to see, earning a masters in Organizational Leadership, but I felt I still wasn’t doing enough to get the healthcare system to bring a more proactive, strength-based approach to patients. I eventually decided to go grassroots and earned a certificate in Integrative Nutrition as well as a coaching certificate through the International Coaching Federation and started Wing Woman, a health coaching and consulting business to help individuals strive to being the best version of themselves. I offer coaching packages and online modules on health and wellness. I help clients get clear on their goals, identify obstacles, and provide accountability and support to help clients achieve their goals. Progress over perfection is my motto. I meet the client where they are and help them make achievable steps towards their goals. I incorporate nature through coaching hikes, cooking to fuel your body properly, play to make trying new things less intimidating, and accountability through a nurturing presence.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe having the endurance to try and the courage to fail is what fuels success. I had a guest speaker in grad school talk about applauding failure where we each had to go around and share something we screwed up and then take a bow while everyone clapped. It was a nice exercise to normalize imperfection. The whole idea was that failure is not a mistake if you learn from it. Change is hard. You have to be willing to try something, assess, and pivot until you find what works for you. This couldn’t be more true with health coaching. Everybody’s body is different. I customize my care to help you find what works best for you. And I can share lessons I have learned along the way for I am right there in the trenches with you trying to improve my health. It’s a journey and we can go through it together. I have a tool I use with clients called a WingTip. It is one small task you add to your routine each week. It can feel like an insignificant activity but just as one degree difference can change the trajectory of a plane, one additional step can improve your health. For example adding 12 minutes of sleep to your schedule or drinking 2 extra glasses of water a day requires minimal exerction and can increase your quality of life in just a few days. That slightest pivot in action comes from bravely committing to that one, small action step regardless of what the outcome maybe.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I lived in a foreign country for a bit as a young adult. As much as I tried to prepare myself for culture shock, it was completely unavoidable. To have your values and belief questioned really makes you examine the why behind your thinking. Knowing your “why” is a very powerful thing. With my “why” as my foundation, I was able to listen and come from a place of curiosity. I was able to decipher what was important to me versus what was only familiar to me and be able to let go of the familiar if it wasn’t apart of my core values. The experience was difficult and painful at times, but it made me stronger and I am so grateful for the experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shellyabriss.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WingWomanHealthCoach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelly-abriss-5a1089171/