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

Alright, Colleen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

“I was riding in the back of an old pickup truck, sitting on the tailgate with my legs and bare feet dangling below. As we rolled along I stared down at the gravel farm driveway rushing beneath my toes that lead us from the lower tobacco barn by the house up the hill to the big tobacco barn and the prettiest [sunset] view in Bourbon County. Daddy pulled up alongside the intersection of two fence lines, and I knew it was my signal to open the gate. I dutily hopped off the tailgate and ran to the front of the truck, my bare feet effortlessly navigating the gravel chunks, cow-pies, and thorny thistle blooms that lay below. Stepping over the cattle grate and unclasping the cleverly rigged wire hook, I hauled up on the heavy metal gate and drug it open so the truck could pass through. As Daddy pulled through into the next field, I smiled a wide grin at my mom in the passenger seat, waving and pulling the gate closed again after they passed.

Driving up to the crest of the hill, with me chasing behind, Daddy finally put the truck in park and killed the engine. It was a warm Kentucky summer night, perfect for enjoying the luxuries of dusk in the countryside. We were fortunate that our hill, “the highest point in Bourbon County” I’d always been told, presided over a marvelous view of the West. Looking out the front doors of the big tobacco barn, one’s eyes could traverse rolling hayfields, a thickly forested creek corridor, and continue drifting over the sylvan countryside that lay beyond. As the sun went down we noted the pastel palette painting the sky and compared ephemeral shapes in the clouds. We didn’t do this every night, but it was a fine treat when the family was all together to come up here on the hill for a natural respite at the end of the day.

As dusk fully claimed the countryside, the sound of crickets rose and echoed across the fields. Fireflies began to materialize out of the clover like sprites in the warm, sweet air. The smell of manure and livestock was subtle, earthy, and comforting… Like an old blanket that hasn’t been washed in a while, but still gets pulled on every night. The tall grass tickled my toes as I stomped around the barnyard, catching fireflies, jumping on bales of hay, climbing on top the truck, and generally doing anything but sitting still.

This effortless source of energy that lived within me was probably a great annoyance to my parents, but they hid it well, telling me often to “go outside and scream until you get it all out.” What an amazing coping mechanism I was given at an early age! Rather than telling me to shut up, sit still, or calm down (common responses to hyperactive kids which cause them to suppress many emotions and impulses, and thereby disconnect from their bodies), my parents offered me the wide embrace of open countryside. By telling me to go scream it to the sky, to stamp my bare feet into the earth, to run around and around until I had stitches in my side and could no longer breathe, they gave me one of the greatest sets of tools – the greatest gift – they could have ever given.

They showed me that it was okay to move, to question, to scream, and to feel emotions. They offered me the cheapest and most accessible grounding rod of all time for my sensitive body, my curious and exploratory mind, my hyper-aware and empathic emotions, and my boundless energy… Mother Earth.”

–Excerpt from Chapter 1, “Rooted,” of a book I’m currently working on.

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?

My journey as a wellness professional began in 2013 when I was feeling lost. After graduating from college and closing the books on a successful college swimming career I suffered from lingering injuries, was frustrated and burned out, struggled to maintain a consistent health routine, and lacked both passion and purpose in my life.

I hit rock bottom in my mid-20s after over a decade of being on hormonal birth control, overtraining as an athlete, and suffering through a challenging and draining career. I suffered from leaky gut, IBS, chronic pain, weight gain, my hair was falling out, my period went missing, and I was entering perimenopause (in my 20s!!). I wasn’t getting answers from my doctors but I just KNEW something wasn’t right.

Searching for answers about my physical and mental well-being, I enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training at the Asheville Yoga Center in Asheville, NC. Throughout the program I delved deep into many methodologies of holistic healing. I studied anatomy + physiology, traditional Ayurvedic medicine and nutrition, injury prevention and rehabilitation, mindfulness and meditation, and many other life-changing skills as I grew into a proficient yoga teacher and healer. I discovered that the health of the physical body is foundational for emotional and spiritual wellness, and that these are all intricately interconnected.

Step by step I uncovered the path to holistic healing and discovered my innate ability to heal myself. Along the way I found my purpose and my calling. I have coached college swimmers and athletes of all ages from 2009-2023. In 2018 I felt called to deepen my knowledge of how to help people achieve their highest levels of well-being, and I completed my training as a Health and Wellness Coach and a Lifestyle Medicine Coach in 2019.

After years of traveling the world, practicing yoga, and navigating my own personal health journey, I’ve seen a lot. Most importantly, I understand that every person is different and will have their own path of healing and growth. I’ve worked with countless women, athletes, and high-performing people, witnessing how gaining confidence, embracing growth, and developing resiliency lead to vibrant health. I have seen the power of intentional wellness — choosing the behaviors and habits that make up YOU and your unique story. Your choices define your identity and your health. That’s where the magic is!

Due to the pressure of our society, many high-performing men and women face health and hormone imbalances and often feel disconnected from their bodies. Here Swell Life Wellness, through my 1:1 program, yoga classes, workshops, and retreats, I high-performers to overcome health challenges so they can feel balanced, nourished, and confident every day.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Two books that have been instrumental in not only my own healing journey, but in the development of my business, have been Atomic Habits by James Clear and Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell. I frequently recommend that my clients read these as well to support the work we are doing together.

Atomic Habits lays the foundation for transforming your health and life through small, sustainable habits and systems. It is a no-nonsense approach to habit-formation and lifestyle change that is easily applicable but filled with wisdom that I find myself returning to over and over again. Reading this book not only helped me revolutionize the way I personally approach habits and goals in my life, but it also made me a much better leader, coach and healer.

Rise Sister Rise is a book that opened my eyes to the magic of the world, and the great power and responsibility of being a woman in leadership. It gave me a new perspective on leadership from a feminine space. I had grown up and spent my early career years “trying to be one of the guys” and playing by the rules of masculine hustle culture to get ahead. This book, along with my studies of embodiment and the divine feminine, showed me that it was safe to soften. I learned that I could be a much powerful role model and leader when I embraced my femininity and lead from a heart-centered place. Filled with stories from the author, poems, affirmations, and tons of information, this book totally shifted my way of thinking about my place in the world and my mission as a healer.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building a reputation in my market has been difficult for me, because I spent years and years establishing myself as an expert in the fields of athletics and swimming and diving. After 8 years of working in college athletics, I was starting to see some of the same patterns of injury, hormone imbalance, and burnout occurring in a huge percentage of my athletes, so I shifted into the space of being a holistic healer. It was frustrating not being known or recognized as much when I switched from athletics to the holistic sphere. It has taken 3-4 years of continually showing up for myself and my clients, teaching workshops, having a steady online presence, and being patient with my growth. There were a few times I almost gave up. Just in the past year I’ve experienced recognition and established a firm reputation in my market and local community as a holistic healer and yoga leader.

I just had to keep coming to my WHY. Why did I start this business in the first place? Who am I really here to help?

It took a lot of faith and TRUST that the people who need me – the clients who really need the medicine I have to offer – are out there and that they’ll find me when I speak my truth. It still takes a lot of faith. But I’ve been able to see it unfold, slowly over time, throughout the past few years.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.swelllifewellness.com
• Instagram: @colleenswelllife
• Facebook: Colleen Potter
• Linkedin: Colleen Maggard
• TikTok: @colleenswell

Image Credits
Allison Maggard Photography Anne Helen Evans Photography