Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridget Stieven.
Hi Bridget, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Before working as a holistic health coach, I obtained my Master’s Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. Post graduation, I landed my dream job at Barnes Jewish Hospital in the Central West End. I worked on nearly every acute care floor, step-down unit, and ICU from neurology to oncology to trauma. The majority of my patients were struggling with a task that you and I take for granted each day… swallowing. I have always had a passion for food and one of the biggest pulls to this field of work was the idea that I could play a small part in helping my patients eat and enjoy food again. As time was passing in the hospital, I started learning more and more about how nutrition and lifestyle has a huge impact on reducing and even eliminating chronic disease… of which all my patients were suffering. I started to pay attention to the food the hospital was serving and recognized that it was not the source of healing that it should be. In many cases, it was actually feeding my patient’s illnesses and making them worse. I started to think, “Am I really helping if we are not getting to the root of the issue and educating the patient on what to do to stay out of the hospital?” That is when I realized I had grown out of alignment with the environment that I was working in. I knew I needed to get on the preventative side of health care so that I could start empowering my patients to live their healthiest life without ever having to experience the sickness they were doomed for when consuming the Standard American Diet long term. I left my dream job and set out on my own obtaining my Health Coach Certificate from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition based out of New York City. Ever since, I have been serving my clients virtually in the St. Louis area and beyond to prioritize their health and help them feel their best, lose unwanted weight, and find balance in healthy living.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Thankfully I have a very supportive husband who never questioned my wanting to leave the hospital to work for myself. Having him in my corner has made all the struggles a bit easier. However, my transition began right at the onset of COVID-19 so that eliminated any chance of me getting out into the community to market and serve my clients locally. Working by myself from home with my 3 young children has also brought its own challenges and figuring out how to balance it all! Not to mention having to learn how to run a small business because I had zero experience up until I decided to make this change. I also tend to be a bit type A, which I am working on relaxing and have had to work through a lot of anxiety when I didn’t know when, if, or where my next clients would come from. I realized I had to let go of the expectations, do what I could do and let God take care of the rest. Lastly, I’m a very social and outgoing person so I’ve learned that it can be very lonely running your own small business compared to how I was immersed in a sea of people and communicating all day while I was at the hospital.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a holistic health coach, I help driven women prioritize their health to feel their best, lose unwanted weight and find balance in healthy living. I work alongside my clients to provide them with clarity, support and accountability. No one client is the same so I make sure to meet each client where she is, assist her in identifying the blocks that are keeping her stuck as well as remove the anxiety and overwhelm that often comes with lifestyle change to ensure she has success in reaching her unique health goals.
A health coach is a guiding mentor who utilizes a whole-person approach. The whole person-approach is what makes me different from a nutritionist or a dietician. Not only do I look at nutrition, but I also look at other lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, emotions and social factors.
I take my clients through a 12-week program that focuses on getting back to basics. I do not have one pre-set meal plan or categorize myself with any fad diet because everyone is different. I take a whole-foods approach that is aimed at fostering gut health and reducing inflammation so that the body can heal itself naturally. Additionally, I strive to educate my clients on how the choices they are making is influencing their biology (i.e., cravings) and how by making slightly different choices, they can be craving-free, hunger-free, energized and satisfied. I put my clients in the driver’s seat to empower them to take their hear into their own hands while I walk by their side each step of the way.
What were you like growing up?
I was a very driven, determined kid and adolescent. I was a straight A student, making all the honors lists through college. I played soccer my entire life and was very competitive. I played D1 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. I remember loving biology in high school and learning about the different parts of our cells. I also remember wanting to take nutrition courses in college but not pursuing it due to scheduling challenges with soccer practice. I guess I made my way back around in time! I would also say that I was always friendly, outgoing, encouraging and empathetic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bwellwithbridget.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridgetstieven_health/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetstievencoachingllc/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bridget-stieven-coaching-saint-louis?uid=F9ccgQHSWG8KMQ7GwuqNPA&utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
