Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cat Donofrio. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cat, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

In my 30s, I became paralyzed in my left shoulder and spent months bouncing around specialists who couldn’t figure out why. It was during that period I discovered two things: 1) medical doctors/specialists don’t always have the answers and we have to advocate for our own health and 2) there’s a world of holistic practices out there that are very effective, even though some western practice doctors still shun them. I actually had a neuro specialist tell me he couldn’t work with me anymore when I told him I had started getting acupuncture for my shoulder.

From this experience, I started to do more research and reach out to more holistic practitioners and now believe that following a more holistic lifestyle is the best way to stay as healthy as possible; and also that there is also a place for western medicine for certain acute dis-ease.

This was the start of my journey to eventually creating my own business in order to share my own learnings and guide other women on a path to greater health. I want to help increase the “health span” for all of us whose life spans are already increasing in this country. Let’s not only live longer but better too!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a women’s wellness coach, my goal is to guide women entering their 40s and beyond in rediscovering the healthy, vibrant woman hiding under their worn out, stressed out and emotionally drained uniform they wear every day. One of the things that makes me a good coach for these women is that I have walked their path and am relatable in so many ways.

In addition to my own lived experiences, I am a certified nutrition coach and a RYT200 certified yoga instructor. I’ve studied mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation and other wellness-related topics in order to support my and my clients’ wellness needs. I’m constantly learning and incorporating those learnings into my coaching.

I call myself the Rebel Well Coach because I work a little differently from many other “coaches”. I take a personalized approach with my clients learning as much as I can about where they are, where they want to be, what’s worked for them and not worked for them in the past in order to design WITH them a plan for moving forward in their wellness journey.

I don’t tout quick fixes, magic pills or one size fits all diets and exercise programs. I’m honest with my clients that it will take time to reach their goals and that it will take effort. And, once they achieve their goals they will have reached them in a way that those results can be sustained the rest of their lives.

Two things I find missing for most people when they start on a new wellness plan/diet are support and accountability, When I am your coach, I will be your biggest cheerleader, hold you accountable to your commitments to yourself and pick you up when you stumble and help you get back on the path. And, in keeping with the theme that there is no one size fits all approach, I offer several ways that someone can work with me from an intensive 1:1 six or twelve-month coaching relationship to an ad hoc text-based service where I’m available to answer questions and provide support when/where you need it. Women may also join my private Facebook group for wellness information, tips/tricks, motivation and the occasional challenge to keep things fun.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I had a time machine and could go back and advise my younger self, I would absolutely tell her to follow her dreams and not stay in less than fulfilling career just because it’s expected and feels more secure than taking a risk for something new. I’ve spent my whole adult life working in Corporate America, primarily in technology. Early on, I did enjoy many things about that career and learned a lot.

It was probably in my 30s that I started to think more about what I really wanted in life and that didn’t exactly look like what I was doing. But societal pressures (and a steady income) kept me from taking that chance on myself to try something new. And, I look back now and sometimes think about how many more people I could’ve helped and how much more confident and satisfied I’d be in my own life if I had taken that risk and believed in myself more when I was younger.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Training/knowledge are certainly the foundation of growing a business in my field; however, you can have all the knowledge in the world but if no one knows who you are or you aren’t authentic and trustworthy, that knowledge won’t get you far.

The key to being successful is, first, know what you stand for, who you can help and why you want to do this. Who is your ideal client? What do they really want and how do they feel about getting there? How can you solve for their issues and how do you speak to them in a way that will resonate?

You have to be visible. Put your message out to the world. Share your story and your own experiences. That’s what makes you relatable. That’s what will make your ideal client think “Hey, she gets me. I want to follow her or I want to work with her.” And, don’t let fear of what others think stand in the way of getting your message out there. There will always be people who don’t understand or don’t believe in you; but, then they’re not your target audience anyway. When fear gets in your way, think about the disservice you are giving to those you can help by not sharing your wisdom or offering your guidance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/catdwellness
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catdonofrio/ https://www.instagram.com/catdonofrio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/balancedlivingforahealthyvibrantlife
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catdonofrioohio/
• Other: TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@katzedo

Image Credits
Pic 1: Heather Moran Creative