Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Diane Johnson, founder of Diane Johnson Wellness Consulting, located in High River, AB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach specializing in student-athlete nutrition and wellness. I educate young athletes on how to use food to optimize their performance in sport and life and ultimately achieve their dreams of playing sport at an elite level. I also provide programming and support to youth sports programs, coaches, and parents searching for ways to implement nutrition education into their programs easily.

Tell us about yourself

I've spent over 20 years as a youth sports coach, several years on the board of a youth sports program, and I began my career as a physical education teacher. When I started my nutritional consulting 12 years ago, it was very evident to me that there was a huge gap in that our young athletes were seldom educated in nutrition. Student-athletes have exceptionally high nutritional needs. Neither our education system nor our youth sports programs have done a great job of providing the education or support they need to fuel themselves properly. After witnessing many young athletes struggle with exhaustion, mental and emotional challenges, recurring injury and illness, and ongoing performance setbacks, I made it a mission to eliminate student-athletes undernourishment.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Witnessing the results that individual athletes and teams experience after embracing nutrition as a part of a culture of wellness has been amazing. One women's University volleyball team I had the pleasure of working with went from bottom-middle of their league to winning Canada-West in just two short years. I have also had the pleasure of seeing many teenage athletes take what they learned with me and use it to drastically improve their performance, earn starting positions, step into leadership roles on their teams and build confidence in themselves. I have stayed in contact with several of these athletes who are now continuing their sports journey playing professionally around the world. Seeing young athletes achieve their dreams is my favorite thing.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Belief. There are so many great practitioners out there; sometimes, it's easy to get caught in the internal dialogue of, 'Why would they choose me?' We can get lost in doubt which breeds fear, and fear tends to keep us stuck or quitting altogether. I've learned to take these moments of discomfort as reminders that I am leveling up and that my belief will continue to grow each time I commit to taking a small step forward.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Just start! Don't worry so much about all of the 'how's.' Commit to taking daily inspired action for the business that you are passionate about and trust that the path will unfold for you.
  2. Extract lessons. Let go of perfection because, really, it doesn't exist. Your greatest learning will most likely come from what you might have deemed 'failures.' Open yourself to making mistakes and commit to extracting the lessons from them to continue moving forward.
  3. Hire a coach. Even coaches need coaches. We can't always see our blind spots. It's like living inside a jar when all the ingredients are listed on the outside. We need someone else to help us see all the ingredients that are contributing to our current environment. Once we see them, then we can change them.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I'd encourage anyone involved in youth sports to look at the bigger picture and ask questions about how they can provide their young athletes with an experience that will benefit them during their sports journey and beyond. We have been quite focused on the short game, so to speak, but youth sport holds a great capacity to instill powerful lessons for life and gains for long-term health and wellness. Bringing nutrition education into youth sport will positively impact millions of young individuals who will grow into healthier adults.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.djwellnessconsulting.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJWellnessConsulting
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djwellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-johnson-14b12137/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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