Silence Body Critic - Lisa Dahl Wellness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lisa Dahl, Owner of Lisa Dahl Wellness, located in Bolton, MA, USA.

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

As an Intuitive Eating and Body Image Health Coach, I offer a non-diet approach to health and wellness. I specialize in working with women who are chronic dieters or labeled themselves as "emotional or binge eaters." They are women who have disordered eating patterns, and the surprising fact is many women think their eating is healthy, although filled with rules, restrictions, and deprivation.

The women I support are continually in a diet cycle, on and off, and view themselves as good or bad based on their food choices and the number on the scale. I support these women through one-on-one coaching or a one-on-one coaching program with a small group experience called Body Peace & Food Freedom. In addition, I offer online workshops such as the Magic of Mindful Eating and a series of in-person workshops in Bolton, MA.

Tell us about yourself

As a lifelong self-proclaimed expert dieter, I thought I would be the best weight loss coach when I shifted careers six years ago. All my choices were "in the name of" health because I believed you needed to be thin to be healthy, and a thinner body was a better body. I already knew the tips and tricks to restrict, deprive and disguise it all with the "healthy lifestyle" mantra. Armed with additional education, I would be all set. Through my coaching and continuous desire to learn and support my clients, I discovered that I had it all wrong.

I found the book, Health At Every Size®, the practice of Intuitive Eating and the Be Body Positive Community. I spent the following year unlearning 40+ years of misinformation and shifting my thoughts and perspective about my relationship to food and body and my thoughts about others' bodies. It changed my life personally and professionally. As I embraced this new perspective, I shifted my practice to be 100% weight inclusive, meaning I believe it is ethically and morally wrong to support women to lose weight and that no one's self-worth should be tied to a number on the scale.

I removed the number on the scale as the destination, so there was no failure. I support unpacking the bags that created this negative mindset to learn a new perspective and focusing on the actions and behaviors that make women feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. My mission and passion are to create a paradigm shift to accept our here-and-now bodies and remove diet culture. I want women and our next generation not to suffer with their relationship to food and body and believe that we can be happy, healthy, and confident in any size.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I am creating a business aligned with my values and beliefs. My greatest joy is seeing and hearing the shifts that my clients experience with their relationship to food and body. When my clients share the ease and acceptance they now feel in their bodies and have let the food rules go, that, in my opinion, is a success.

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

Doing all the things and knowing you can't be an expert in all of them. It's frustrating knowing that people spend years in school learning to be experts in entrepreneurship, marketing, and social media. The truth is, I fall short in these areas, and I need to continue focusing on my expertise, coaching, and finding ways to bring in these experts to help me grow my business.

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

Set up systems as soon as possible so that you can work efficiently.
Set boundaries for working hours if you work from home.
Look for organizations that support your community, entrepreneurs, and your type of business. If you look hard enough, "free" money is available to learn and grow.

I am grateful for my daughter, Sam Dahl, Dahl House Designs, who has become an entrepreneur and launched her business during COVID. What started as her happily sharing her artistic expertise in creating my website and anything that makes my work look beautiful, she has built her own outstanding business focusing on Squarespace web design, branding, and graphic design. I couldn't do it without her!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.lisadahlwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lisadahlwellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisadahlwellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadahlwellness/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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