We were lucky to catch up with Emily Ocon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily , thanks for joining us today. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

I went to an undergraduate for exercise science and that began my introduction to the world of wellness. I started my business in my junior year of college as a way to share what I was learning with others. From there, I pursued my master’s in nutrition and exercise science, believing that was my path. It wasn’t until I faced my own health issues that I realized that I wanted to go deeper than the systems I was learning at school to integrate mind, body, and soul. This is when I started going deep into alternative healing modalities and got breathwork certified, Reiki Level I and II practitioner certified, and started my certification as a trauma-sensitive mindset coach.

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?

Hi, My name is Emily. I put the “em” in HealthEMbody. Healthembody is a digital platform where you can learn about resources to help you with the journey of the aftermath of trauma and help you sharpen your mental, spiritual, and physical toolbox. I started Healthembody because, on my own journey of healing from childhood trauma and the effects of years of a dysregulated nervous system, there was no place where I could find a one-stop shop. In undergraduate and graduate school, I studied exercise science and nutrition and had a wide range of knowledge when it came to the modalities of nutrition and movement. However, I felt that there was more missing in the information I wanted to share. Through this journey, I became a Reiki Level I and II practitioner, a certified breathwork coach, and am currently in the process of becoming a trauma-informed mindset and manifestation coach. My latest venture is creating Club Breath, a breathwork portal and in-person event series, focused on combining breathwork and meditation with DJing to allow you to hear some of your favorite music through your breathwork sessions. Music for me has been one of the biggest tools in working through and feeling emotion and I am so excited to create these offerings for my audience and open people up to this modality that has truly changed my life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

One of the biggest and hardest decisions I have made on my business journey was leaving Columbia University, a school that on paper is one of the most prestigious universities in the country, to go full-time in my business. On paper, it would seem like I had it all. Attending my dream university for my Master’s program, and living in New York City. However, I was more miserable than ever mentally. When making the decision to leave, I had a game plan for how I could maximize going full-time in my business, but much like life, things don’t always go to plan. However, I left because I knew in my soul the path I was pursuing there was not making me happy. To make this decision I had to go against everything everyone around me was saying. My family, my friends, and even my professors all questioned my actions, especially because I was 2/3 years into the program. “It’s only one more year” they all would tell me. At the end of the day, only you know what’s best for you. Only you know what’s right in your heart and in your gut to live the life you desire. Since leaving, life has shaped up to be very different than the pretenses I thought I was walking into when I made that original decision, but the path it is leading me down is one I trust is working for the best and in ways I never could have even imagined. During this time I have dealt with fear, imposter syndrome, and doubt, but nonetheless, like many entrepreneurs everywhere, you have to pursue and put your blinders on to accomplish your dreams. Sometimes, that takes relinquishing control so that life can guide you to the places, rooms, and opportunities it wants you to be in.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I truly believe as much as there is strategy, your alignment to authenticity is what drives your clientele base. People want someone they can relate to, and there is an abundance of people in every industry they can choose from to work with. The biggest strategy for building your personal clientele base is being authentic to the things that make you individually unique as there are more people than you think that will align with this and choose to work with you specifically because of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.healthembody.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthembody/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSRzabqXZoTYqpYqx1eYgeA

Image Credits
Olivia Stauber