Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Kellgren.
Samantha, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2014, I discovered Health Coaching was “a thing” and felt a weight lift. I had been feeling aimless in my position as a special events manager, enjoying the women I worked with, but knowing I needed a change to be truly excited
Health Coaching was exactly what I craved; connecting with people and helping them create positive change through adopting healthier habits.
From the beginning, I worked exclusively with women, but after the birth of my son and the struggles we went through to get pregnant, my focus shifted.
I fully believe had I not made the holistic changes I did, that IVF would not have worked. It was the toughest journey I have been on, but I am a healthier woman both emotionally and physically because of it.
I was so changed from this experience it changed my coaching business. In my third trimester I enrolled in the Integrative Women’s Health Institute’s Optimal Fertility program and now, I help other women get an earlier start than I did.
Through Preconception & Prenatal Health Coaching, I guide women in making holistic changes so they can get their body in balance before trying to start a family.
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?
Health Coaching is only now starting to gain traction. In the beginning, I really had to explain what Health Coaching was to everyone who asked what I did. Now, companies are more often including some form of Health Coaching in their employee wellness plan which is really exciting!
Still, when I worked with women in general, it was difficult to attract clients since my scope was so broad. I’ve noticed since I’ve focused my business on Preconception & Prenatal clients, they can find me easier. Health Coaching requires work on the clients’ end, to see any progress they have to be ready to open up and commit to making changes in their lifestyle. This is daunting, but when clients connect with me they are typically ready for that commitment.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Simply Well Coaching story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a certified holistic health coach specializing in women’s health! I help highly fit, health driven women towards their goal of having a baby. I love guiding women who want to keep their health and fitness a priority, but need to alter their habits to get their bodies ready to carry a healthy pregnancy. My goal is to support women with information and compassion so they feel confident and excited about their lifestyle changes.
When I was ready to start my family, I told my doctor I planned to go off the pill and asked what I needed to do. She basically said to take a prenatal vitamin and give it a couple months, if I didn’t get a period in 3 months and wasn’t pregnant, to come back and we’d see what was going on. That was it!
I did a lot of reading to find out what more I could do to increase my chances and discovered a lot of information out there, some useful, some not, but enough to feel overwhelmed.
Similarly, when women are pregnant, they see their doctor once a month for the majority of the pregnancy and only have about 15-20 minutes with their doctor.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not sure how much stock I put in “luck”. I think it’s the circumstances you’re presented with and how you react to them that determine the path you take. When I graduated in 2007, it felt like a bad time to be looking for a job and after moving to Chicago in in 2008 it took nearly 2 years to get a full time offer! Instead of calling it bad luck, I really believe it gave me opportunities in my life I wouldn’t have had. I explored my new city and gained confidence to go for jobs I may have been too nervous to apply for if I was in a cozy job.
In the couple years after my husband and I got married, we were in a financial position where I could pursue a passion without a huge risk. This was before we were even thinking about kids!
Still, I was cautious and started networking with women in the city doing what I aimed to be doing and I have carried that networking and mentor mentality with me.
Pricing:
- History and Foundation Setting Session (75 minutes) $100
- Dig Deeper Session (45 minutes) $60
- Accountability Check-In Session (20 minutes) $30
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simplywellcoaching.com
- Phone: 502-558-8160
- Email: samantha@simplywellcoaching.com
- Instagram: simplywellcoaching
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Simplywellcoaching/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago 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.
