We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kellie Hamilton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kellie below.
Kellie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
I had been researching, reading, and learning about holistic nutrition and functional medicine since I graduated nursing school in 2014. I was fascinated that having graduated from a top nursing school in the area where I live, I had not learned about holistic nutrition or functional/root cause medicine. For seven years this was my hobby. I would tell facts about what I had learned to friends, family, and even patients that I had in the hospital that were relevant to things they shared with me.
When the pandemic hit I was still working in the surgical intensive care unit that quickly became a Covid medical ICU since surgeries were at a minimum. I couldn’t see an end in sight and knew nursing care had changed forever. I wanted to do more, offer my patients more, and be the change in bedside care that I was so desperate to see. So after putting myself through the AFPA for the certificates Holistic Nutritionist and Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, I opened the doors or computer I should say to A Better Path to Wellness LLC in January of 2019.
I had no clue how to open and run a business being a nurse but I wanted to try and with the help of SCORE, online resources, the Chamber of Commerce, and amazing small business friends the hard work started to yield some results. Clients started working with me and getting results, people loved the community events we were doing and it made the struggle worth it.
My advice would be if you have a dream, go for it. It sounds cliche but you really won’t know if you don’t try. It won’t be easy I can attest to that but it will be one of the most rewarding things you ever do for yourself.
Kellie, 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 am an evidence-based holistic nutrition coach and the owner of A Better Path to Wellness LLC. I specialize in chronic disease maintenance & prevention and plant-based nutrition counseling. I am not your average health & nutrition coach.
I am a practicing surgical ICU nurse with almost a decade of experience and my knowledge of holistic nutritional interventions empowers my clients to be the healthiest and happiest they can be, making me a powerful asset to anyone struggling to improve their health.
I offer drop-in group and 1:1 coaching packages which can be found at ABetterPathtowellness.com. There are free 20-minute consults available for potential 1:1 clients to make sure we will be a good fit to work together.
My clients receive secure HPPA-compliant access to their own NutriAdmin portal where all their session notes, reports, health information, and meal guides reside.
I am proud that I help my clients add tools to their wellness toolbox that are affordable, doable, custom to their lifestyle needs and sustainable. No two people are the same. So why should your care plan be?
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
I think the most successful tool in the health and nutrition coaching field is listening. Your clients know their bodies and their illnesses better than anyone. They want to feel heard, seen and helped based on what they share. If you are a coach that wants to rush, talk at, and provide a quick fix or magic pill to your clients, you won’t last long in this business.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think working at the bedside in one of the most trusted professions to date gives me an incredible leg up in establishing my reputation in this field. Being a nurse has taught me so many things. How to talk to people and care for them on the worst days of their lives. How to support people emotionally, spiritually, and physically during demanding times. How to communicate during difficult situations.
Being a nurse isn’t for the faint of heart and there is a reason why the saying “people love nurses” exists. They just are a different breed.
I am proud to be a nurse. I am even more proud to be off the beaten path of Western medicine and help people improve their health even further by being an empathetic holistic nutrition and health coach. I don’t think people should conform to what others say or tell them how they should be. I am very down-to-earth and real with my clients. I am human just like them and I think it’s important for people to know and see that when you work with them in the capacities I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: abetterpathtowellness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_better_path_to_wellness/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/A-Better-Path-to-Wellness-1569001673314700/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellie-hamilton-bsn-rn-hn-69744189/
- Other: Nutrition coach-approved spirits- https://scoutandcellar.com/?u=abetterpathtowellness