Balance and Bloom/ Health & Wellness Coaching

09/17/2026

Did you ever have a wild idea that you actually acted on?

At the end of 2024, I noticed a little spark inside of me that lit up whenever I talked about topics surrounding health and wellness.

So I did something about it.

I researched side hustles in health and wellness and, lo and behold, discovered a certification program in Health & Wellness Coaching through Duke University.

I got the go-ahead from my husband, and that little spark turned into a full-blown candle.

I enrolled at Duke and started the program in April 2025.

I took online classes at night.
Did homework on the weekends.
Coached friends and family.
Read ALL the books.

All while working a full-time job, running my boys around, and keeping up with all of life’s events.

Then, in September 2025, I lost my job.

I could have let that candle go out.

Instead, I kept it burning.

And that spark became a firecracker.

I LOVED my classes. I loved coaching. I loved learning about neuroscience, sustainable behavior change, habits, and how mindfulness can help regulate our nervous system.

I graduated from Duke with a certificate in Health & Wellness Coaching in December 2025.

But the firecracker kept growing.

Now it was a firework.

I wanted to learn more. Grow more. Push myself further.

So I decided to pursue the highest standard in the coaching profession and become National Board Certified.

That meant hours and hours of studying.
Coaching enough clients to earn the experience hours required to apply.
Learning evidence-based, client-centered coaching processes.
Learning medical terminology and health information.
And eventually sitting for a four-hour national board exam.

Yesterday, that tiny spark became an EXPLOSION.

I PASSED MY BOARDS. 🎉

The circle is complete.

I did the thing that was once only a spark.

I did the thing I was afraid I might not be able to do.

And now I have something more valuable than a certification.

I have evidence.

Evidence that I can follow a spark.

Evidence that I can learn something completely new.

Evidence that I can keep going when the path gets hard.

Evidence that I can do hard things.

And one day, there will be another scary thing.

Another spark.

Another idea that makes me think, Could I actually do that?

I already know what I’ll do.

I’ll follow the spark.

Because I have the memory and the evidence that I can do hard things.

✨ Keep looking for your spark. You never know where it might lead.

09/16/2026

Day 2 of my parents advice from the 90’s

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

Parental advice from the 90’s

09/10/2026

Take a break

09/09/2026

Be curious. Protect your creativity. And keep your expanders nearby.

That was the message I shared yesterday with the freshmen and sophomores in an advertising design class at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

When you’re young and even when you’re not, it’s easy to believe your first instinct is the right one.

But what if it isn’t?

I challenged them to start asking themselves:

“What else could be true about this person, situation, or circumstance?”

That one question can create space for curiosity instead of judgment, possibility instead of assumption.

And when someone gives you their opinion, remember: you don’t have to accept it.

As Dr. Wayne Dyer said, “Be independent of the good opinions of others.”

And lastly, keep your expanders nearby.

Your expanders are the people who lift you up.
The ones who buy tickets to your show.
The ones who celebrate your wins.
The ones who believe in you before you fully believe in yourself.
And, perhaps most importantly, the ones who talk well about you behind your back.

Those are your people. Keep them close.

Yesterday reminded me why I’m so passionate about doing this work.

If I can help even one young person become a little more curious, protect their creativity, trust themselves, and surround themselves with people who make them bigger…

that’s the ripple effect I’m setting out to create.

And yesterday, I felt it.

09/08/2026

Evidence for your brain

08/31/2026

Put new thought into your mind

08/29/2026

Live like Dolly

08/29/2026

Imagine you’re in elementary school learning how to recognize your emotions, regulate your nervous system, slow down, and be present.

What?!

Then, you get to carry those skills with you through the trials, challenges, and big emotions of life.

Skills that will help you in your career, with your family and during other times of stress.

I’m so excited to announce that I’ve accepted a position as a school-based mindfulness instructor with Shanthi Project

I get to help kids learn those skills!

This new role is another piece of the life I’m intentionally creating alongside my work with Balance & Bloom and my mission to help women find their spark again.

Maybe designing the life you want doesn’t mean having the whole picture figured out.

Maybe it means being willing to take the next step toward what lights you up.

One piece. One spark. One step at a time.

Cheers to building a life that doesn’t just look good from the outside but also feels good on the inside.