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

Alright, Brittany thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

At age 14, I got my first summer job in healthcare as a candy stripper in Billings Montana. I worked on the oncology floor passing out water and snacks and stocking. I loved the patients I met and the people I worked with. From that moment on, I dreamt about being a pediatric oncologist because the children on the floor touched my heart. They were such brave little fighters. As I got older, my career path wavered. But when my grandmother got sick, I knew I had to follow my heart, so I entered nursing school to become an RN. I moved back home and our local hospital called begging me to come work for them; I onboarded immediately and worked there as an RN for 20+ years; mainly in an administrative role.
I loved the people I cared for, but when my own health began to deteriorate, I began viewing sickness and disease from a different perspective. I tried all of the conventional methods to fix my health problems, but nothing seemed to work. Medications did little to resolve symptoms, tests were not definitive of a diagnosis, yet my health continued to fail: cardiac issues, chronic fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, skin issues … I was sick but no one knew why.
I returned to school to finish my master’s degree in nursing and then went on to become a nurse practitioner. However, I didn’t want to just practice medicine, I wanted to figure out why people were sick in the first place and address the symptoms and underlying issue. My passion for the root-cause led me to focus on functional medicine.
In my small Nebraska town, I was going against the grain and my family thought I was nuts to spend that much time and money on traditional schooling only to focus on holistic/functional health.
But my heart knew the direction I as to take, so I opened my own practice and health coaching business and have never looked back.

Brittany, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always had a passion for healthcare, but my passion for functional medicine has allowed me the opportunity to expand and grow my businesses in ways I never would have imagined. I primarily work with women, helping them navigate their health. Most come to me with complaints of fatigue, anxiety, depression, brain fog, joint pain, inflammation, digestive issues (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc.), and they feel hopeless. They have been told their labs are normal; everything looks fine. Their symptoms have been chalked up to being busy moms, having crazy careers, or their age. I look at each woman as a unique individual with a background that has played a role in who they are today and the symptoms being manifested. This allows me to formulate an individualized plan to help them achieve their health goals and improve their overall well-being.
I am most proud of myself for having a vision and being willing to pursue my purpose in life even though my family, friends, and community have not always understood or been supportive of the path I chose. My purpose in life has always been to impact the health and lives of others, but the way I go about it now is by providing a safe, inviting space for women to share their journey and provide a holistic, root-cause, person-centered approach to symptoms and disease.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I have been in nursing for over 20 years and initially answering this question I would say I would not go back down the same path. But, I don’t know that I would be where I am today if I wouldn’t have gone through all of my years in traditional medicine. Spending 20 years in the traditional medical model and then experiencing it first hand when I began to have my own health concerns opened my eyes to all of the things that didn’t work. It made me expand my horizons and seek answers in places that were not acknowledged or acceptable in traditional medicine.
So, sometimes the journey teaches you the things you need to know to make you a better person and push you to grow. In my 20’s, if I could have learned what I know now and fast-tracked to become a functional medicine nurse practitioner and health coach, then I would have!! That would have given me an extra 15 years to pursue my passion and help that many more people in the world!

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

HIRE A COACH!! Invest in your success!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: brittanyheyden.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1brittanyheyden/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1brittanyheyden

Image Credits
ShookEm Photo & Co.