Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Madigan.
Jen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have worked in many different fields throughout my career ranging from working in the hospitality industry, selling real estate, vacation rental property management, restaurant investments, owning and managing a pilates fitness studio and most recently becoming a certified Yoga Instructor and Health Coach. My interest in nutrition, cooking healthy whole food meals and holistic health has always been my greatest passion, which led me to get my certification to become an Integrative Holistic Health Coach through IIN. (The Institute for Integrative Nutrition) In college, I received my BA in Business with a minor in Marketing and knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur and create my own brand, but wasn’t sure exactly what that would entail. One thing I did know was that my greatest happiness came from helping people feel better about themselves through fitness, mindful movement, and healthy lifestyle choices.
In 2016, I took my first solo international trip to Costa Rica for a Yoga retreat and fell in love with the practice. I instantly knew I wanted to become a yoga instructor and came home and began my research. I also had this bucket list dream to one day move to Maui, HI, a place I visited often. So, I set the intention to save as much money as possible over the next year so that I could move to Maui, get my yoga certification, start my coaching business, and build the brand Holistic Health by Jen. I officially moved to Hawai’i in 2018 but travel back to San Diego every three months to visit with friends and family and network with potential future clients. The best part about my coaching business is that I can virtually coach clients from anywhere in the world, which I love! Technology is amazing these days.
Living on Maui, I teach Vinyasa Flow yoga and Mat Pilates classes at a few different studios around the island and am currently working on putting together some healthy cooking classes and wellness workshops focusing on gut health and hormone balancing for women. I’m also joining the team, as a Holistic Health Coach at Maha Wellness Center, opening on the North Shore of Maui in June. Taking the risk of selling my house in San Diego, giving up my vacation property rental business and quitting my side hustle hospitality job was definitely the scariest decision I’ve ever made. But Hawai’i was calling my name and I knew it was the perfect place to pursue my passion for health and wellness. I finally feel in total alignment with where I’m at on my journey and I have no regrets. I’m super excited to grow my wellness brand and can’t wait to share the projects I’m working on.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think any new business owner would agree, that it’s never a smooth road, especially when first starting out. I experienced this with my first business venture in 2012. I opened a brick and mortar Pilates studio and within the first year realized, I wasn’t completely happy in a business that didn’t allow me to travel freely and work from anywhere in the world. After three and a half years, I decided to close the studio and set out to re-evaluate my business plan and the vision I was trying to create. I was finally clear that I wanted to build a brand and not just a business. Looking back, I’m still grateful for the knowledge I gained throughout the experience. Ultimately, I just knew I wanted something more that would reach a larger audience.
Entrepreneurialship definitely comes with its fair share of challenges. It’s the natural ebb and flow of business over time. You being to realize what works and doesn’t work within your business plan and then you make the necessary adjustments to your strategy. Learning to accept that not every idea you have is going to be successful is one of the biggest obstacles I’ve had to overcome. The best advice I can give to other women who are just starting out in business or even thinking about starting a business is to think about what you’re most passionate about in life and then go after that. Make sure you create a vision for your business or brand and get clear about the target audience you are trying to reach. Then, you just have to START! Don’t be afraid to START! Having this idea that everything needs to be perfect before you can move onto the next thing, won’t get you anywhere. Just remember that everyone has to start somewhere, so just do it. You can make the necessary changes along the way as you grow.
Also, don’t be afraid to invest in more education, whether that’s through books, online courses or additional certifications. I’m a huge fan of continuing to learn. I’m currently enrolled in two courses right now to grow my business. Plus, the knowledge you gain from these investments will help your business grow at a faster pace and will eventually amount in greater profits once you apply these skills into your strategy. My last bit of advice would be to find a few people in your industry that you see as role models and aim to learn or even partner with them to gain more expertise and grow within your own business. Make it a goal to find your tribe and surround yourself with people who support your vision. If you have the means to do so, I would also suggest hiring a business coach that can guide you along the way. If you can find someone to do it for a trade of services or for free, that’s even better!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Holistic Health by Jen – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I started Holistic Health by Jen to help people on their journey to find the healthiest version of themselves and to live their best life. My services include 1:1 private health coaching, group coaching, wellness workshops, meal plans, healthy cooking classes, grocery store tours, and private and group yoga/pilates classes. My coaching courses are 3 or 6-month programs, where we meet twice a month and this can be done in person or virtually through skype, zoom or over the phone. Some of my future business goals include creating healthy e-cookbooks that will be available through my website, leading yearly yoga/wellness retreats in Maui and other tropical locations around the globe and eventually I want to build an automated online coaching course that will be available to anyone at any time. Ultimately, I’m aiming to scale my business and create passive streams of income. Work smarter not harder, right?!
I think what sets me apart from other fitness/nutrition coaches is that I don’t believe in a one size fits all approach. I’m not going to give you a diet plan with a list of things you should and shouldn’t eat and send you on your way. I practice a holistic approach to health and wellness, looking at how all areas of your life are connected. I’ll help you find balance within your primary foods, which includes healthy relationships, a fulfilling career, regular physical activity and developing a spiritual practice. Then we will focus on secondary foods which includes what you put into your body, crowding out unhealthy foods and deconstructing cravings. I focus on the concept of bio-individuality which means each of us has unique food and lifestyle needs. I’ll support you to make positive changes that are based on your needs and preferences. Together we’ll co-create your health goals within reasonable time frames and actionable objectives so you know exactly what you’re working towards.
Who have you been inspired by?
I feel fortunate to have had so many amazing women and friends inspire me throughout the last 10 years since I’ve explored different business ventures. Most recently, I joined a Mastermind group with a handful of very talented and driven women who are also business owners in the wellness industry. We meet once a month to discuss our business goals, current challenges and offer each other feedback and encouragement. We also hold each other accountable for the intentions we set each month so we are inspired to stay on track and continue moving forward in our business despite any obstacles. This has been a game changer for me and I highly recommend other women to seek out a mastermind group in their community or start one of their own.
A few other women who inspire me on a daily basis through online business courses, books, and weekly podcasts are Jenna Kutcher and Rachel Hollis. These women are the ultimate boss babes and are constantly encouraging women entrepreneurs to chase their dreams. I’ve learned so many amazing tips for growing my business and how to properly implement them into my business strategy. I make it a priority to tune into their podcasts each week to gain more inspiration and take notes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.holistichealthbyjen.com
- Phone: 858-682-8517
- Email: holistichealthbyjen@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/holistichealthbyjen
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/holistichealthbyjen
Image Credit:
Jim Sloan Photo, Caitlin Grace Photography, Brandon Wu
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
