We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Testa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I have always loved working with youth! Coming from a background in pediatric specialties, athletics, and first response as a firefighter, I wanted to find a way to combine my passions and have a greater impact, thus, Team Testa Wellness was born.

There are very few options for youth when it comes to customized wellness support- we absolutely love putting the pieces together for our clients to help them live their best, most well, lives possible.

The road has had its twists and turns but that’s what makes it enjoyable and keeps us on our toes! We have struggled with fitness facilities that we coach at closing, clients experiencing financial hardship, and the obvious one- the pandemic.

We see these struggles as a lesson along our journey and they go along with what we coach our clients on- facing adversity head-on and developing a way to make the most out of it.

For professionals looking to start their own practice, we say go for it! Trust your instincts and follow your passions. If you do that, there is no way you will be disappointed!

Andrea, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Team Testa Wellness works with teens and young adults to help them develop confidence and resilience through wellness education, life, and fitness coaching.

All of our clients have a fitness component to their coaching- movement is imperative. Along with fitness, we develop a customized wellness plan for each client- we meet them where they are currently and support them through their unique journey.

We are one of the only wellness companies that also work with youth with special needs such as Down Syndrome and ASD. TTW coaches also specialize in working with clients who experience body dysmorphia, ODD, ADHD, anxiety, and depression.

We’re proud to say that we bring happiness and joy to our clients’ lives- our coaching sessions are full of laughter and fun and we believe that our method of adding enjoyment to fitness and wellness is what makes our clients so successful in reaching their goals.

Happiness matters most to us. We are all out here trying to do our best and live our best lives- our goal is to help our clients with that process. Wellness is about physical and mental health- we want our clients to do more than just live well, we want them to thrive.

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

In order to succeed in the fitness & wellness field, specifically when working with youth, it’s important to be relatable and down to earth.

Each of our clients has their own story and journey and it’s imperative that we are empathetic, understanding, and have the ability to identify with our client’s situations.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My background working in Pediatric Specialties has definitely helped me to build a strong reputation within the wellness field and it’s also helped me to develop rapport with special populations.

Coming from a medical background and first response has helped me gain my clients’ and their families trust and confidence.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.testawellness.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/testawellness
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/testawellness