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

Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

The most important professional lesson I have learned came from my years practicing as a pharmacist — and it wasn’t what I expected.

I entered the profession with the sincere intention of helping people. I thought dispensing medications would be a noble way to serve, that I’d be contributing to real healing. However, I quickly came to realize that, within the strictly biochemical and pharmaceutical-based model, I wouldn’t be helping many people at all — at least not in a way that aligned with my ethics or my perspectives on health.

My career unfolded during the height of the opioid epidemic, where I found myself repeatedly handing out pills to patients who were clearly being harmed rather than helped. Alongside this was the relentless frustration of dealing with insurance hurdles and witnessing patients caught in endless cycles of polypharmacy — sometimes taking five, ten, even fifteen medications simultaneously — with no clear path to reducing or discontinuing them.

Through these experiences, I came to a sobering realization: the pharmaceutical industry isn’t designed to heal people. Instead, it is structured to suppress symptoms of chronic illness, keeping people medicated for life. Once patients are on the pharmaceutical treadmill, it is extraordinarily difficult to step off — and this, I came to see, is no accident. The pharmaceutical model is fundamentally flawed and often at odds with real health.

This understanding transformed my professional trajectory. I recognized that genuine healing requires addressing root causes — nutrition, lifestyle, and environment — rather than merely masking or suppressing symptoms. This insight inspired me to shift my focus toward food as medicine, a philosophy that now defines my work.

Today, through my private practice, Happy Gut Healthy Mind Nutrition, I help individuals restore health by optimizing nutrition, supporting gut health, and fostering a holistic approach to wellness that empowers lasting change. My mission is not only to guide people away from symptom suppression and toward true healing from the inside out but also to help them avoid stepping onto the pharmaceutical treadmill in the first place—promoting proactive, root-cause care that supports long-term health and resilience.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m the founder of Happy Gut Healthy Mind Nutrition, a private practice based in Fort Collins, Colorado. My path into this work grew out of my personal and professional journey toward understanding health at its root. What I discovered is that lasting wellness doesn’t come from quick fixes—it comes from supporting the gut, nourishing the body, and creating balance in how we live.

I provide personalized nutrition counseling with a focus on gut health, microbiome balance, and holistic lifestyle support. I often guide clients through the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) protocol, a therapeutic approach that emphasizes healing the gut lining and restoring digestion with nutrient-dense, easily digestible foods. This work is particularly powerful for people struggling with digestive issues, chronic inflammation, mental health concerns, and metabolic challenges.

What sets my practice apart is the blend of evidence-based science with compassionate, individualized care. I see my role not just as a practitioner but as an educator, giving clients the tools and knowledge to make lasting changes and take ownership of their health.

I’m most proud of the transformations I’ve witnessed—clients regaining energy, clarity, and confidence in their bodies. The main thing I want people to know is that real healing is possible. My mission is to empower individuals to reclaim their health by reconnecting with food, strengthening gut wellness, and building mindful, sustainable habits for long-term vitality.

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

Passion is truly the driving force behind success in my field. While training and knowledge provide the essential foundation, it’s genuine passion that fuels persistence, creativity, and the deep commitment needed not only to help clients transform their health but also to build a strong, trusting client base. Working in nutrition and wellness means engaging with people’s lives in a very personal way, which requires empathy, patience, and enthusiasm. When you’re passionate about what you do, you’re motivated to keep learning, stay curious, and go beyond standard approaches to find solutions that genuinely make a difference. Without passion, it’s easy to become discouraged by the complexities and challenges clients face, but with it, every obstacle becomes an opportunity to grow, connect, and inspire true, lasting change.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building my reputation within the market has been largely about connecting with the community in meaningful ways. I’ve found that networking and participating in local meet-up groups create invaluable opportunities to engage with people who are genuinely interested in health and wellness. Beyond that, I make a point to offer free educational presentations to the community, which not only helps share knowledge but also builds trust and rapport. These events allow me to demonstrate my expertise while showing a genuine commitment to helping others, which naturally leads to word-of-mouth referrals and a strong local presence. Being accessible, approachable, and focused on education has truly been key to establishing credibility and growing my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.happyguthealthymind.com
• Instagram: pharmacist_gone_rogue
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happyguthealthymindnutrition