Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Mansfield.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I began my health coaching journey when I became pregnant with my daughter, Brooklyn. Wellness was at the forefront of my mind from the moment I wanted to become pregnant and carried through my entire pregnancy. When Brooklyn was born, I knew I wanted my wellness values to be a part of my life forever, including my daughter’s. I decided to take this passion into a career, so I could help other women find what is important to them. As Brooklyn grew, so did my education and wellness goals. I saw how children were eating and parents that were overwhelmed on what to do. I knew there was a need to help motivate parents to make the best choices, along with inspiring children to feel powerful in how they fuel their bodies as well. My first children’s book, “It’s Just Me, Brooklyn!”, was originally supposed to be a sort of memoir for my daughter. A book that showed her unique personality, independence, positive self-esteem, and it has her 2 cats in it which I believed was an important part of her story.
I had so much fun writing the first book that my publisher and I decided to continue the series with a focus on children’s wellness topics. So, here I am, writing 4 more children’s books, starring Brooklyn and her cats, as we travel through topics such as being more adventurous with new foods, working through fears, stress & anxiety, and finally mindfulness. I use the books as tools for children in my book readings, wellness events, and school assemblies to motivate them in fun and unique ways. Each book has tools that the parents can actually implement at home where my goal is to have the entire family on board with achieving total wellness.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ummm… nope! I struggled to get pregnant and I truly believe it was my lifestyle. I was in a high-pressure sales job that was very stressful, traveled a lot, entertained clients often (wine, late nights, and not-so-healthy eating), wasn’t exercising, and wasn’t focused on what was making me happy. I was almost in robot-mode. I met a health coach who helped me regain focus on taking care of my body, and within 3 months, I was pregnant. My pregnancy was a breeze, and so was my labor and delivery, but after Brooklyn came home it was a struggle. I believe I had postpartum depression as I lived in a cave for 3 months feeling lost, sad, frustrated, angry, regretful, and just exhausted. I didn’t enjoy the newborn stage at all. I felt alone, except for this tiny baby just staring at me and me wondering what the hell we were going to do that day.
I was also back in school for health coaching- an entirely new career and for the first time, being my own boss. I was terrified and felt I had an entirely new identity. No one tells you how truly hard it is to start your own business. I thought I could sell anything – because in the career I had let go I was always a high performer and the hardest worker you’d ever meet. I worked up until the day Brooklyn was born and was proud of that. Now I felt naked and extremely vulnerable. With my new health coaching business, no one was jumping at me to buy what I offered. I compared myself to others and what they were doing on social media. I spent thousands of dollars learning how to be an entrepreneur instead of just getting out there, being myself, and telling my story.
When I did try to get out there, not many were interested. Looking back, I wish I realized I was BUILDING something. It wasn’t just going to come to me in a day. I’m grateful that I never gave up and kept on doing the things I was doing, learning as much as I could, meeting as many people as I could, so I could be where I am today. This is how I view wellness and this value is in my practice. It cannot be done overnight, or even in a week. We create bricks and lay them down, brick by bring, to eventually create that strong foundation. That’s what is challenging about my business, so many of my clients want the “quick fix” and I have to tell them that isn’t how I work.
With wellness, I’ve definitely had my struggles and am honest about it with my clients. I don’t always eat healthily, there can be a couple weeks where I don’t exercise, I can work way too much, not take care of my stress levels, and I make mistakes when it comes to Brooklyn. She’s not this perfect child that eats everything I put on her plate or behaves like an angel because we’ve managed to figure out what makes her happy all the time. Through my human mistakes and realistic life, I’ve become a relatable and approachable health coach that women love to work with. I’ve learned so much from mistakes, and they motivate me to make changes and try something new. I always get back on track somehow but when I fall off the track, I use that to figure out a new learning opportunity.
Please tell us about Michelle Mansfield, Health Coach & Children’s Author.
I am a Holistic Health Coach focusing on children & family. Before that, I was primarily focusing on women’s health where I found that 99% of the women I was working with asked me how to get their children on board. I had never prescribed special diets for my clients- my practice was getting more whole foods in a woman’s life, cooking more, moving more, and finding what makes them happy. I thought, “Why wouldn’t our children do the same thing?” I went back to school last year to get another certification to work with children and families and here I am now. I love helping families achieve wellness as a family, as a unit. Working together with the family’s values and goals as a team is the best road to success. When mommy is eating differently, the kids get separate meals, and dad is on the phone during dinner, the disconnection affects the results.
I also want to motivate families to face their fears about bringing new and exciting foods into their kitchen instead of relying on what’s easy and comfortable. Involving their kids in the kitchen, getting connected to where their food comes from, having fun at the family table, being mindful of the meal and how it makes them feel, and strengthening the relationship of the family with a positive family table. We also need to take care of our beautiful minds and slowing down in this fast-paced world. Children’s anxiety and depression are at an all-time high where my goal is for families to face the situations that challenge our children (and us!), to not be afraid, to talk to our children, figure out solutions, and make the time to stay present and pay attention. Our busy world filled with activities, technology, school pressures, relationship challenges, terrifying news stories, and changes in our communication (or lack thereof!) have our children disconnected from what is truly important to them. What brings them joy, pride, empathy, excitement, kindness, happiness. Along with other emotions like sadness, fear, frustration, and anger. I want parents and children to find how to reconnect with their powerful minds & souls.
I’m so proud that my values and personality are the stars of my business and that I honor them. Even when I’m tempted to take the easy route, I reel it back in and remember my passions, values, and promise to my practice. I am also grateful that Brooklyn has inspired me to be so passionate about her wellness that I’m using that passion to help others. We, as parents, are their teachers, leaders, and in charge of their lives where I love helping parents that recognize that they need help and will do whatever it takes.
My practice is unique because I value the importance of the family unit and not solely working with the individual. My passion for children’s wellness, along with my own experiences within my family, has shown me the significance of having unity with wellness. The benefits of family support, being on the same page, celebrating within your home, and recognizing the values and goals you have as a family, creates a strong foundation that the child can carry into adulthood. I also realize how parents tend to neglect their own health with solely focusing on what their child needs where I wanted to change that to have the parent included for even better results.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One weekend my family and another family we grew up with went away for the weekend to a hotel. There was an indoor pool, mini golf, we ordered pizza poolside, swam at night, sleepovers in one another’s hotel rooms, went to the Museum of Science & Industry, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, and who as a child doesn’t just simply love staying at a hotel? We thought we went to a super fancy hotel in a different state back then. It was better than Disney. Recently, my mother informed us that the hotel was actually a Holidome in Elmhurst, IL, and my brothers and I heard a record screech and said “WHAT?!” We then busted out laughing at how we thought we were on this lavish vacation when in fact it was about 30 minutes from our house. I think about this memory often with my daughter and when I plan things for her. Sometimes, I need to do a reality check that she doesn’t need something super fancy, full of action, expensive, entertaining and all the “rage”. She is happy spending time with us as a family and enjoys the simple things. I sometimes wonder if I should take her to Disney, American Girl Place, Legoland or the SugarFactory when she is happy riding her bike around our neighborhood and having a picnic on our family room floor. This is also my own reality check with slowing down and enjoying the simple things in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michellemansfieldhealth.com
- Phone: 630-248-9300
- Email: info@michellemansfieldhealth.com
- Instagram: @happy_family_project and @brooklynbookseries
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellemansfieldhealth/ and https://www.facebook.com/itsjustmebrooklyn/
- Other: www.itsjustmebrooklyn.com
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