We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Gaskin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

From an early age, I knew my parents supported me no matter what. They encouraged me to follow my dreams and aspirations and sacrificed in their own goals and dreams to foster my success. I was always encouraged to never give up and was encouraged to overcome my challenges. I contribute a lot of my current tenacity and determination to how they raised me with this unwavering support.

I remember my Dad never missed a volleyball game. As a club volleyball setter, I played in a lot of games year around. He was always supporting, encouraging, and hassling the referees at every game. This unwavering support was a steady in my early years.

This has truly impacted how I have approached my careers as an adult. I graduated from college with an Education Degree and completed my Master’s Degree in Educational Administration years later. When my son was born in 2015, my perspective shifted and I found myself diving into my passion of health and wellness. I shifted to a new career, starting with educating others on plant-powered products to support whole health and expanding into integrative nutrition coaching. Throughout this career shift, my parents supported, asked questions, tried products for their own health, and incorporated healthier options into their diet.

I feel that this steady support from my parents has been foundational in growing my self-confidence as I took many risks and career changes. As a result, I truly have found my passion and purpose.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am an Integrative Nutrition Coach and my business is Pursue Zen LLC. I work with clients, primarily women, who have hidden diagnosis’ or diseases and strive to make whole health changes to support their longevity. My passion is helping clients to prevent and reverse disease through finding a balance in mind, body, and soul. It’s a multi-prong approach where we discuss stress, movement, mindset, spirituality, relationships, and how those items impact the foods they eat. We are also slowing our nervous system response to listen to our needs and desires through this work. In doing so, clients better understand the food that is truly fueling their bodies. With an educator background, I share with clarity and encouragement many effective tools to help my clients reach their goals.

I offer group coaching and one-on-one coaching. My group coaching is offered a few times a year in programs like my 30 Day Sugar Detox. My one-on-one clients are committed to lifestyle and nutrition changes over the course of six months, at a minimum. I work with clients for six months at a time since that is enough time for vacations, birthdays, holidays, or other special events to interrupt and derail their progress. We collaborate and work on how to overcome these challenges while creating a sustainable, healthy balance promoting fulfillment, joy, and longevity.

I am different from other integrative health coaches because I strive to live in this balance of mind, body, and soul, just like my clients. I am doing the work myself! I plan to be climbing mountains and extremely active as I age so that my final years are truly doing what I love.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Growing up I loved caring for others, playing teacher, and leading groups. I knew I wanted to incorporate those passions into my future career and in college, I did just that. I finished my Education Degree and became an early childhood teacher. Years later, I completed my Master’s Degree while I was teaching. I wanted to truly lead change within education but as I dove into the complexity of the system, I knew I didn’t want to get into the legalities within the system. Around this time, I had trouble maintaining a healthy weight, had intense migraines, and felt as if I were just going through the motions each day. The community at my school was toxic with a lot of negativity and gossip among the teachers. The migraines grew worse and I took a prescription that made my feet numb. I knew something had to change and I couldn’t go on feeling that way each day. I found sound healing. This introduction into healing vibrations and frequencies was truly impactful. After just a few weeks, I didn’t have any more migraines. But, I knew I needed a change. Months later, I had a beautiful baby boy.

Thankfully, I was able to step away from my career in education and become full time mom due to my supportive husband. I dove into natural cleaning options and essential oils to support myself and my family. Then I shared them with everyone I knew because they had become an integral part to my own healing journey.

After several months of sharing about the power of plants through essential oils, I was no longer a full time mom. I had a wonderful side-gig that supported my personal health, fulfilled that need to educate and care for others, while stepping into my leadership strengths. Fast forward several years, Covid hits, my family is plagued with emerging health concerns, and the world shuts down.

I navigate my own health, nutritional needs, and find a better balance between my own mental health, being mom, and pursuing an expansion of what I offer customers and clients. I complete my Integrative Nutrition Coaching certification and am truly living my passion now as an advocate, speaker, and guide for clients.

Each pivot, taught me to slow down and listen, be present and grateful in each day, and remember that life is a journey of experiences that are meant to be enjoyed!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As a child, I was often told to “clean my plate”. I would have a decent size serving and was expected to eat it before partaking in dessert. Of course, I wanted dessert so I would clear my plate. This became engrained in me and created an unhealthy relationship with eating and ultimately over-eating. I’ve had to unlearn this on my journey to better health. I have taught myself to start with veggies and greens to support a blood sugar balance, to omit the breads with meals, which were a staple, to limit the portions on my plate, and to manage the need for a sweet treat as a reward for eating a healthy meal. These are ways I have overcome my “clean the plate” and is something that I also coach my clients through.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.melissagaskin.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissagaskin.pursuezen/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melsgaskin/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissagaskin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiFuoItrWhHv33vbmTDiAvw