We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Denise Kangrga. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Denise below.

Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

Throughout my life, people of all walks of life have done kind things for me. Whether it was my parents dropping me off at a school dance and waiting for my call to come pick me up, or a simple compliment on a somewhat bad day, people have shown small acts of kindness in many different ways. This story of kindness is recent and serves as a constant reminder to myself to have the same belief in myself that this person shares with the world.

After my father’s death in 2010, followed by my own health issues that came about in 2011, I made the decision to get control of my health. I had a goal to get off my medications, inhalers, and daily use of a nebulizer. I met with doctors, got tested for all different things, and once it was determined I had food and environmental allergies, I took the proper steps to get my diet and lifestyle in check. I eventually was able to get off of all my medications and breathing treatments, and I’m happy to say after all these years, I have managed to keep it this way.

All of this hard work I put into myself, prioritizing my health and lifestyle, I decided this is the line of work I was meant to be be in and give back to the world. In 2015, I received my certification in health coaching from The Institute of Integrative Nutrition (IIN). Through this schooling, I studied under high profile, well-known health professionals, and renowned doctors. My classmates and I developed a close knit network, helping one another in school and well after our graduation from IIN.

Soon after graduation, I began working in 2015 as a health coach, under my business Glow Health Coaching, with one-on-one clients. It was a few years later and through my IIN network, I was offered a shift in my career to begin working at a corporate level, doing corporate health seminars. The job lasted until 2020, when Covid showed up and everything went on lockdown. The colleague I was working with on this project had her business shut down, and my business came to a screeching hault. I was lost, but knew I had to divert and take a different direction, so I took a job as a substitute teacher.

In addition to substitute teaching, I have always volunteered my time at church, helping with various fundraising and church auxiliaries. It was through one of the fundraising efforts I was co-chairing, that I really got to know Elizabeth Kresojevich, owner of I’m All Ears, LLC, Marriage and Family therapist. Now I have known Elizabeth’s family for quite some time, before her career as a therapist, but we were both older now, and we came to realize we work quite similarly and share many of the same ideals and how things should be run.

Last year, Elizabeth invited me to her office open house. I went to the open house. Initially, I was hesitant on why I was the only one invited, however I went. I convinced myself Elizabeth was just inviting me because we were friends, and she wanted to share with me what she was doing in the world, outside of our contributions to our church. To my surprise, Elizabeth had other plans.

She had invited me because of my health coaching background. Even though I had been out of that line of work since 2020, Elizabeth saw the value that health coaching could bring to her clients, and the clients of other therapists, and brought me in to the fold to start meeting these individuals. I was so surprised this was the reason she invited me. Her belief in me, both as an individual as well as a health coach, was not something I ever expected. Soon after, I began meeting with Elizabeth, I started to build my business again. Together, we discussed areas I could be of help, and I developed my webpage, programs, and I finally got my feet off the ground again with my health coaching business. It is such a good feeling to have Glow Health Coaching back up and running.

It was Elizabeth’s unwavering belief in me and her confidence in what I can offer that is the kindest thing anyone has done for me in a while. Life is hard, and owning your own business can be mentally draining, exhausting, and can play with your mind. But every single day, especially on the days I am doubting myself (because we all do a little), I think of the kindness that Elizabeth has shown me in helping me grow my business, and the belief she has in me, and these are the things that ground me and remind me of the exceptional things I can offer. A small gesture of believing in someone and being their cheerleader can be the greatest act of kindness you can give someone.

I have expressed this to Elizabeth once before, but I suppose this piece serves as a “thank you” to her for her kindness. It has changed how I think about myself, and I have changed my thinking process because of her kindness.

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

In 2015, I created Glow Health Coaching after discovering my own autoimmune disease and healing myself 14 years ago, and after graduating from The Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Previously, I obtained a degree from Purdue University. I have worked in government, non-profit, real estate, advertising, and as a substitute teacher.

Having personally dealt with my own autoimmune disease, as well as working with a child with ADHD and OCD, my personal experiences give me an upper hand on the needs of individuals trying to heal themselves, families working to support one another, and helping people develop interpersonal skills. These areas have allowed me to create the three (3) areas in my business, Family Coaching, Health Coaching, and Career Coaching.

When I first started in my business, I was a featured guest on a local radio station in AZ, where we discussed health coaching and the benefits of hiring a health coach. I have also been featured in our community publication as a contributing journalist for the health section.

I love helping my clients, and understand that everyone has to be ready to make a change in their life, so I may not be for everyone. However, once I have a client, I enjoy learning about them, watching them implement and achieve their goals, and look forward to a time when they have the skills to thrive in the world without me.

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

Three books that have a made an impact on me:

1. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino; I read this in college along with Napoleon Hill’s book. The book moved me, and I still keep a copy of this book in my nightstand

2. Atomic Habits by James Clear; this book taught me that nothing happens overnight. Consistency each and every day is what brings about change.

3. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne; I just finished this book on audio. Changing how I think about things and clearly defining my intentions for myself.

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

As in most lines of work, I truly believe being a great listener is a crucial component to success, for the health coach and the client. It is imperative to listen to your client’s needs, collaborate with them to develop clear goals, and to then be able to help direct them and work together to achieve their goals to help them live, and sustain, a healthy lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.glowhealtcoach.com
• Instagram: @glowhealthcoach
• Linkedin: Denise Kangrga