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

Kathy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

Thank you for having me and providing a beautiful forum to inspire your readers to take a conscious approach to manifesting their visions. One might say I come from a colorful background, growing up amidst the Hollywood scene of Los Angeles, California. After years of cultivating a diverse set of skills in the entertainment industry—ranging from hospitality and production to syndication and distribution—under the helm of socially conscious television producer Norman Lear, I decided to step away from the business to get married and start a family.

When my daughter, Danielle, developed chemical sensitivities and a compromised immune system in her first year, my life took an unexpected turn. When Western medicine wasn’t helping, I didn’t know where to turn. In my pursuit to find answers to heal her, I contacted a medical doctor who also practiced homeopathy. That first visit introduced me to natural medicine, where I discovered valuable information about the immune system, environmental influences on our health, and the importance of informed, conscious living.

I wrote about our journey from illness and hopelessness to recovery through natural medicine and gave it to her doctor. She shared the story with her medical newswire community—an early form of the internet exclusively for doctors. Surprisingly, I began receiving letters from doctors and their patients thanking me.

Like any good activist wanting to share new knowledge, that inspired me to get a post office box and create an in-print newsletter, Mother to Mother: Another View, featuring the story and other insightful thoughts about my discoveries. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, but a friend had a computer, and I had read a book about how to write a newsletter in 30 days that came with a 100% money-back guarantee, so I took a chance and followed its blueprint.

Mothers craved the information and loved it. They began calling me for guidance about how to help their children. My reputation and business as a holistic consultant grew organically over time by word of mouth. I also worked for minimum wage at a holistic pharmacy while Danielle was in school, allowing me to further my studies about herbs, homeopathy, flower essence, nutrition, and many other modalities. I began teaching free classes, donating time in the community, and networking with people, sharing information.

Mother to Mother became the launchpad for every next step of my evolution in being known as a pioneer of holistic medicine and environmental health, which led to my serving on numerous advisory boards as an expert. I also authored two self-help parenting books, Bach Flowers for Children: Raising Emotionally Healthy Children without Drugs (1991) and The Complete Teething Guide — From Birth to Adolescence (2004).

In the early 1990s, I produced and hosted a 30-minute show for public television, Raising Healthy Children Without Drugs, and was featured in magazines and newspapers, on radio interviews, and national television. I also became a contributing editor to various publications, both in print and eventually online.

My extended writing journey was similar; colleagues in the media enlisted me to research different health and environmental issues and write articles about my findings, later branching out to include reviews about products, books, travel destinations, and events. I took candid pictures wherever I went and sent them to the subjects and other publications. Neither of my careers were focused on the monetary aspect of gain, but rather about making a difference, being of service, and being open to the vulnerability of human connection. That is pretty much how it all started.

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?

I have been a health and environmental writer for over 37 years, as well as an award-winning author, producer, and holistic consultant. My mission is to educate people by providing information that isn’t readily available through mainstream media outlets so they can make informed decisions about their health and lifestyle choices to protect their loved ones and the planet for future generations. I have done this through many different resources, outlets, and platforms over the years.

Far too often, people cruise through life following what is accepted as normal according to the herd mentality directed by the mainstream media. Most of us believe what we are told without any consideration of what might be best for us as individual beings. My mission is to encourage people to get present in their bodies and take the time to do their own research to make informed decisions. Most of my clients have been referred to me after experiencing various health conditions and Western medicine wasn’t helping, or people looking for alternatives to traditional methods for pest control or similar environmental issues.

I am not a doctor, nor do I have a degree in environmental science. I am an investigator, an observer, and a student of life—a woman with what many consider valuable knowledge and resources in many areas, who is willing to share her insights. I have learned over the years about the importance of informed, conscious living, how to best walk in alignment with the earth, and the power of nature’s most precious gifts.

After the release of my second book, The Complete Teething Guide from Birth to Adolescence, I was invited to do a book signing at a large baby expo in Southern California. When I arrived, I was horrified by the products presented to the attendees as positive role models for healthy living and responsible parenting. The products—ranging from environmentally harmful and toxic household goods, personal care items, and processed foods containing preservatives, chemicals, and dyes—were known to be linked to cancer and behavioral problems in animals, humans, and, most disturbingly, our children.

I couldn’t believe no one had ever created a natural parenting event. After a few days of reflection, envisioning a healthier resource for people and thinking about my background in the entertainment industry and knowledge about natural medicine and environmental responsibility, I decided to investigate the prospect of putting one together.

While I had never produced an event of this scale, I reached out to a few clients, friends, and contacts in the natural products industry to gauge support. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the concept of Whole Children Whole Planet Expo was born. I immediately formed Whole Planet Productions, Inc, as a health-conscious lifestyle hub—mind, body, and spirit—to inspire, educate, and empower people to make informed decisions to protect their families and the earth.

It was with this vision and passion in my heart, along with the help of award-winning celebrities, radio and television networks, family-run businesses, corporate companies, and the media, that the Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo was presented at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Earth Day 2006. “Creating empowered parents, balanced families, and a healthier planet for our future.” The show ran bi-annually from 2006 to 2010.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Taking the risk of producing a show the size of Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo, was scary and exciting at the same time. It was a lot of hard work, and there were many challenges. For example, when I moved the venue from the Los Angeles Convention Center (an indoor venue) to an eleven-acre (mostly outdoor) Waldorf School campus, it turned out to be a producer’s nightmare! The semi-truck carrying all of the vendor’s products arrived late, so everyone had to set up in the dark with no lights. The next day, despite it being Spring, we had a freak heatwave of 112 degrees, with no breeze. It was unbearable for everyone. There were so many other difficulties that weekend. Facing the second day of the event and dealing with the aftermath of the weekend was an extremely difficult experience. My stress level was off the charts, and I wanted to run away and hide, rather than face the moment.

While most of the vendors were understanding, some blamed me and were really upset. The reality was it was an act of nature, life circumstance and a prime example of why we were all there—addressing Global Warming.

Once I shook off my unwarranted self-criticism about how I could have been better prepared to deal with Mother Nature and the logistics of the new venue, I asked myself, how could I further support my exhibitors after such a challenging weekend? The answer was FREE publicity. But how would I make that happen? That’s when I decided to transition Mother to Mother to a new format with a wider demographic brand of Eco Family News— an online newsletter with an accompanying blog and internet radio show on I Am Healthy Radio (long before podcasts).

I started by featuring the few companies that were unhappy over the weekend circumstances, sending out a free email blast to my 8,000 subscribers, which included members of the press. That action, thankfully, smoothed their ruffled feathers and marked the beginning of my next chapter—with thriving resilience.

As you can see, each of my experiences has guided my evolution in all that I do—in my career and my personal life. With each project I have embarked on, I have learned valuable lessons that I am grateful for and that inform my everyday actions. Thankfully, the universe has beautifully supported me at each juncture.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The third and last show ran smoothly and was a lovely success. However, I could feel the tides turning within the industry and decided it was the perfect time to say goodbye and put the WCWP Expo to sleep. It was simply too much work, and I was exhausted. I wanted to close that chapter on a positive note.

Once I made that decision and took some time to replenish my energy well, emotionally and physically, I took on a new focus of helping other businesses flourish with marketing support, as well as once again caring for my holistic clients and loved ones’ aging health.

Taking that time allowed me to get present with the importance of one-on-one connection again, which inspired my next project. After three decades of teaching people about pregnancy, birth, and the care of our children and planet, my work continued to evolve alongside my personal growth. I realized that as I have matured, my journey has come full circle, now encompassing all phases of life—birth, midlife, and beyond. I learned that the wisdom years are equally as important as the first half of life, which is now reflected in my new book, Walking A Friend Home: A Practical Guide to Consciously Living & Dying.

In it, I address the epidemic of loneliness that often accompanies aging and the growing lack of true intimacy in relationships, which is compounded by our societal denial. The book offers readers valuable tools, guidance, and resources—emotionally, physically, logistically, and spiritually—to teach them how to engage in honest conversations, make deeper connections, and navigate the complexities of all life stages, including death.

My extended mission today is to teach people how to cultivate a life rich with meaning and unconditional love by embracing all phases of life together. I invite your readers to begin the conversation and join me, at whatever age, as we embark on a beautiful journey of self-discovery, moving from the intellectual mind to the spirit of the heart to explore your human vulnerability. To learn how to live fully awake, aware, and present—while becoming your best self—offering each other the many gifts of consciously living and dying together—something that will change your life forever.

Trudi Roth, editor, and founder of It’s The TruStory! states, “Walking A Friend Home represents Arnos’ journey of the entire cycle of life—both in nature and our human experience, fostering love, balance, and respect throughout, eventually returning all elements to the earth. It reflects the importance of consciously living through all phases—including death. She weaves her knowledge, intuitive gifts, and connection to the spirit world together—facilitating gentle transitions full of grace, dignity, and a feeling of being loved with a sense of completion for everyone.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kathyarnos.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathyarnos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069668173387
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathy-arnos-79650811/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kathyarnos852
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/wholeplanetproductions
• Other: Kathy is available for consultations; please contact her at [email protected] or through her website.

Image Credits

Author photos: by Danielle Arnos © 2024.
Cover photo and artwork: by Kathy Arnos © 2022
Whole Planet Productions, WCWP Expo, & Eco Family News graphic design: by Kathy Arnos @ 2004