EP 154: Meet Your Host Kiki!

Hi, I’m Kiki, and I’ve been growing, learning, and having loads of fun hosting the Making It Real Podcast for over 2 full years now. And yet, I’ve never properly introduced myself! In this week’s episode and in today’s post, I wanted to share the highlights of my evolution in the wellness industry thus far - and why I am so passionate about delivering you with as much value from the show as possible.

So, read on or click below to tune into the podcast. :)

Returning As a Founder

When I first joined Meal Garden many years ago, I was fresh out of university and excited to dive into my “dream” job - in wellness! I was as excited as I was inexperienced, and the role (originally in marketing & customer support) gave me hands-on experience working with holistic practitioners of all sorts. I was lucky to be involved in a monumental transformation at Meal Garden - pivoting from a customer to a professional platform. From day one, I was immersed in the culture of health innovation & functional healing.

This eventually led to my desire to go out and “do my own thing” - which, long-story-short, landed me where I am today, as CEO of AdaptDaily, an herbal & functional superfood company specializing in adaptogenic remedies for everyday health, and personal coach for women seeking an escape from diet culture and a more peaceful relationship with food at KikiAthanas.com. Getting these ventures off the ground meant taking some time away from Meal Garden, but always staying connected with the team & exciting company happenings.

Alas, I came to a place where I felt accomplished - yet yearning for the next phase in my personal & professional growth. I wanted to learn how to scale, how to work smarter - not harder, and ultimately, how to run my businesses with more ease & less “hustle”. This was when Jeff, the Co-Founder @ Meal Garden, came to me with the proposal of hosting a podcast in collaboration with the brand. It was a kismet opportunity to connect with the brightest minds in the health industry and learn from people doing & teaching the kinds of things I was!

Making This Podcast REAL Different (& Actually Valuable)

I didn’t know exactly who to talk to, or exactly what to talk about - but I did know that I needed this podcast to be instrumental in escalating and evaluating my own - as well as my eventual community of listeners - success in the field. And I didn’t have time to lose! In fact, if there’s one thing I’ve come to terms with as a serial entrepreneur, it’s that time is our greatest resource.

To be honest, I was a bit sick of the seemingly vague, fluffy - or downright irrelevant “advice” being shared on the topics of health coach businesses, and working in the wellness industry. I needed more than just the strategies, more than just the mindset, and more than standard “shares”. I wanted to speak with progressive leaders who were doing things differently - who were doing things THEIR OWN way - and it was working for them!

Today, my podcast guests are a compilation of just that: consultants who steps ahead of the game, owning their space, and inspiring others to do the same. Alongside “real-life” practitioners who are winning at the game: genuinely serving clients’ highest needs for health transformation in ways that are intelligent, advanced, and ultimately: simple and effective!

So, Why Should You Care?

After years of my own personal ups & downs in this crazy space called the “wellness world”, I have come to a place of deep curiosity and continuous openness to new ways of thinking, acting, and most importantly: serving. We all want what’s best for our clients and for ourselves. If you could outsource finding the most powerful quick wins as well as holistic frameworks for success as it relates to your practice - would you? That’s what I’m asking you to continue to trust in me for. By listening to my podcast, you are joining me in being wide open yet clearly committed to advancing the systems, processes and energy of your business.

It’s my promise to you that giving me around 20 minutes of your time each week - whether it be on your drive to soccer practice or as you mop your kitchen floor - will greatly serve the health & happiness of your professional (& personal) pursuits - in wellness & beyond. Thank you for your trust. I look forward to hearing from you in the form of feedback, guest suggestions, and your own experiences implementing the guidance and perspective that my experts transcend!

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