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

Alright, Sarah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I am lucky to have parents that have taught me the value of hard work. I find all of my parents inspiring and successful business people and humans (mom, dad, stepdad). I think they had a perfect balance of support but also asking us to be self-sufficient, independent, and achieve things on our own.

My mom taught me that working is cool. I watched her from a young age balance being a working mother and valuing her career. She taught me that women can do awesome things and we are just as valuable in the workplace as anyone. She changed career paths later in life, which showed me it is never too late to try something new and follow a passion. She will forever be a huge inspiration to me.

My dad taught me the value of loyalty to a company. He was with his company for 25 years. He worked through the ranks and found success with showing value to his profession. He also was a great sales person. I learned so much from him about forging relationships, balancing work, and having fun in the process. He portrayed a great balance of hard work, dedication, and adding in some levity and laughs in the process.

My stepdad taught me that sometimes risk is so worth the reward. He founded a company when I was 10. I had no idea of the challenge and risk he took on at that time, but realized that later in life. He taught me the value of “The Golden Rule” and treating others how you want to be treated. I also learned that surrounding yourself with a variety of smart people is key. I do not need to know everything. I can surround myself with a vast network that builds a successful path.

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

I work a dual life in a corporate job and creating my own personal wellness brand over the years. I have always been passionate about exercise, health, and wellness. I also have found a love for helping people set themselves up for success. I turned this into a brand and company where I work with clients 1:1 or in groups to find sustainable, achievable, but challenging goals and routines.

I got my certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, achieved my NASM certified personal training certification, and finished my 200-hour yoga teacher training. I teach group fitness as well as have the ability to work with clients 1:1. I like the programs I used to become certified because it rounds out my offerings. Exercise plans are nothing without goal setting. Wellness routines are not achievable if we are not looking at the whole person.

The problem I solve is helping people find wellness that works. I take a very individual approach to each person. I believe we are so multi-faceted. Wellness is not just food or exercise. It is spirituality, relationships, goal setting, time management, gratitude practices, social life, physical health, creativity, and more.

I ask a lot of my clients, but also know what I ask is realistic. I make it challenging because that is how we grow, but aim to make the challenge personalized.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I had to learn a lot about failure. Failure is inevitable, I had to change my mindset around this. I like to say failure is just feedback.

It can be hard to keep going when you feel like a program you’ve created flops, or a client you are working with does not seem to jive with you. It can be tough when you are just starting and you are a small scale and feel like nobody is listening.

I won’t always get it right. That is okay. But, what is the feedback from that? What did I learn? What can I change for next time? What information can I take back as valuable knowledge to evolve myself and my offerings?

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Being authentic, 100%. I am a very transparent speaker and think there is great value in airing the stuff that may be uncomfortable. I have been through a lot in my life. Death of loved ones, infertility, IVF, pregnancy challenges, becoming a new mom, big life changes such as cross country moves .

I believe people shy away from topics like this because they may feel it deems them “less than” or people will view them in a negative light. The fastest way I have grown my business and offerings is by talking about my own struggles. I speak to how I am working through them.

Nobody has it all figured out. I think people see a side of me that makes me relatable. They watch me put what I teach to others into practice and find success with it myself. It opens the conversations to people who also may be experiencing the same thing. It makes me less robotic.

At the end of the day, we are all human. I seek first to be human, then to be everything else.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sarah-johnston-wellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahdjohnston/

Image Credits
NA these are all my images