Finding the right balance between a healthy life and lifestyle is a significant challenge. Many people ignore health issues until they become severe. According to the SMA (International Stress Management Association), only 23% of the adult population in the U.S. engages in sufficient exercise, over 40% suffer from chronic diseases, and only 12.2% are metabolically healthy.
There is no easy path, but these two women, Andrea Nagel and Sofia Bilianka, not only reversed their health issues but also used their lifestyle changes to launch their own businesses.
But how did they do it?
Andrea Nagel, owner of The Enlightened To-Go and The Enlightened Culinist, Wellness Mentor, weighed 305 pounds and, with a balanced diet, lost 175 pounds in two years.
She reversed all her health problems by changing her eating habits and starting an intense exercise routine. This life experience led her to create a wellness mentoring and meal prep business. Since then, she has appeared on various television programs, such as News 12 and the LJ Show, discussing the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
“My breaking point was when my knees gave out, and I could no longer carry a laundry basket up the stairs to my basement. The extra weight was too much to carry without my body giving up on me. Not only that, I had hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.”
It all started while Ms. Nagel was working full-time as a restaurant manager. When the pandemic hit, she was laid off from her position and decided to start her own meal prep service, cooking the same healthy food that helped her lose weight. Since 2021, her rotating clientele has grown five times solely through word of mouth and social media posts.
“It’s only been two years since I took the leap of faith to start my business. There’s slow and steady growth with moments of setbacks and uncertainties, but these are my blessings and challenges that I work through now. That’s what keeps me going.”
Currently, Andrea is working towards the continuous growth of her wellness business. “My ultimate goal is to help children and adults understand our eating habits and that living healthily is achievable. I am currently creating services and educational programs to teach children healthy eating from an early age. From cookbooks to interactive drawings, I want to show that healthy food can be fun. Expanding my meal prep service will allow me to open a physical establishment and offer more home delivery services,” says Andrea Nagel.
Another example is coach Sofia Bilianka, who lost 36 pounds in five months and transitioned from being a teacher to a personal trainer.
Post-lockdown, Sofia returned to teaching full-time in her school district. However, after a few months, she realized that her true calling was in wellness. She wanted to focus on her weight loss journey and lifestyle change to help others.
“I started having good interactions with my followers on social media who were actively participating in my progress and were interested in my journey. I realized that I could turn this into a business.”
Ms. Bilianka began studying nutrition and tactics to boost metabolism. She started teaching her friends and social media followers. “My social media began to grow at that moment, and soon I was making money from it.”
Next, she began helping people in her community at the local gym as a personal trainer and nutritionist. “Getting clients at first was a big challenge because I didn’t know how to approach and offer my services. I worked on building relationships with clients so they would commit to training with me. Personal training is a people business, and communication is a vital part of it!”
One of her significant achievements has been creating a training program for women who have recently given birth and had their bodies altered by pregnancy.
To do this, she studies the individual needs of each mother and how to incorporate training into their routines with their children.
“One of the things I learned was to eliminate exercises you don’t like. I tell my clients that if you don’t feel good doing an exercise, don’t do it. You need to love your routine. After all, you need to stick to something you enjoy.”
Success stories of entrepreneurs like Andrea Nagel and Sofia Bilianka, who started from humble beginnings, can be an excellent source of inspiration for others. In fact, some are so surprising that they seem almost fictional. Overcoming lifestyle and career changes, these women have managed to find success and serve as inspiration to achieve goals regardless of the starting point. Many lessons can be learned, and many mistakes can be avoided — especially the mistake of giving up!
VIVIANE FAVER
Journalist
vfaver@gmail.com