Lindsay Little is an MS in Holistic Nutrition alumni who took the leap and opened her own wellness coaching business, Full Bloom Acres, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Discovering Holistic Health
Lindsay first started thinking about holistic health after something that her painting professor said during her Bachelor of Fine Arts undergraduate degree. “I started to become interested in the environment and how we relate to the environment, which led to researching our food systems, and that kind of led to our healthcare systems,” she says.
Lindsay was driven to learn even more due to circumstances in her own life. “I started to have some health issues and I wasn’t finding the answers that I wanted from traditional doctors,
she says. “It just wasn’t sitting well with me so I started to look outside of that realm. One thing led to another through my own journey and realizing that I wanted to learn more about herbs and growing my own food and using food as medicine.”
Choosing ACHS
After discovering her interest in nutrition, Lindsay researched many different schools and certifications. “It seems like anyone can become a health coach in a few months now, and that didn’t sit well with me because I wanted to know the science part of it,” she says.
After finding ACHS, Lindsay saw that the nutrition programs covered anatomy and more. “I decided I wanted to do a Master’s degree and go all in. The school needed to be online because I needed to keep working full time, and ACHS just kind of fit. The professors were so incredibly respected in their fields, and you guys offer such a wide range of courses.” she says.
Joining a Professional Nutrition Organization
The National Association of Nutrition Professionals (NANP) is a holistic nutrition professional organization with membership options for both students and graduates. Lindsay joined NANP as a student member after a professor in one of her courses mentioned it. “I liked the idea of being involved with a professional organization as a way to look more credible to potential clients as well as networking and a way to learn and grow and use the resources that they provide,” she says.
As a graduate, Lindsay transferred her membership to the professional level. “I think it adds something to my resume and my qualifications as a nutritionist,” she says.
Lindsay recommends that even if you aren’t ready to become a NANP member, you should follow them on social media and sign up for their newsletter to get an idea of what they have to offer. “Take advantage of it when you can. I know when you’re in school you’re crazy busy, but you just have to make time for it and it can be kind of life-changing for your business or personally,” she says.
Learn more about NANP by visiting their website or following them on social media.
An Unexpected Pandemic
With a plan in place to open Full Bloom Acres after graduating from ACHS in May of 2020, everything was up in the air once the COVID-19 pandemic started. “Everything was planned and then everything shut down,” Lindsay says.
Even with an unexpected pandemic, Lindsay was still able to move forward with launching her business. “My husband and I had a lot of talks about it and I just decided I’m going to go for it. If I don’t do it now, who knows when I will?” she says.
Although her business got off to a slow start because of the pandemic, she says that it actually gave her more time to set up her website and learn more background skills that she otherwise wouldn’t have had time for. Lindsay originally planned on taking most of her clients in person in her home office but has shifted more focus to online clients and offerings.
Lindsay says that offering coaching online has allowed her to reach more clients and has opened up additional opportunities.
Full Bloom Acres Wellness Coaching
Within her business, Full Bloom Acres, Lindsay has multiple wellness coaching options to support her clients. The Full Bloom Wellness Coaching Program is a 12-week program with 1 hour weekly meetings. “We develop a plan and kind of walk-through action steps each week. We build on things and it’s really about identifying small goals that people want to accomplish to work towards those larger goals,” Lindsay says.
She also offers one-time coaching: “If someone just wants to meet with me and ask a lot of questions, or not necessarily need a plan and just kind of want someone to bounce ideas off of. Or maybe a loved one is going through something and they are looking for ways to find healthy recipes and help those people.”
In addition to wellness coaching, Lindsay also offers essential oil coaching for anyone who may have questions on the topic. “Most of the people I’ve worked with for it are interested in essential oils but just don’t know what to do with them. Maybe they’ve bought lavender oil at Walmart before and that’s kind of the extent of it. Identifying what they want to learn and being able to make suggestions. I think essential oils are kind of misunderstood,” she says.
Lindsay’s favorite part of her job: “When I’m working with a client and we’re talking about something and they have this ah-ha moment. A moment you can see that a lightbulb goes off in their head. And they get this look on their face and some people start crying, some people start laughing, you can see when it happens. It could be something so small, but it triggers this moment and that seems to be the turning point for them. When things that we’ve been working on kind of click.”
If you are interested in Lindsay’s wellness coaching, visit her website and make sure to follow along with her on social media.
By Gillian Turner, Social Media & PR Specialist
Disclosure of Material Connection: I am the social media & PR specialist for the American College of Healthcare Sciences, the Institution that publishes this blog. However, all opinions are my own. This blog may contain affiliate links. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent disease. This article has not been reviewed by the FDA. Always consult with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor before making any significant changes to your health and wellness routine.
About American College of Healthcare Sciences
American College founded in 1978, is a fully online accredited institute of higher education specializing in holistic health. Based in Portland, OR; our goal is to make research-driven and science-based holistic health education taught by industry-leading experts accessible to anyone anywhere while still giving students a hands-on experiential learning experience like a traditional college and a strong sense of community, school pride and student bond.
This commitment to our students and graduates reflects in our current survey results that reflect 98% of our students would recommend ACHS to a friend or family member.
We believe education is the most powerful tool for changing an individual and the world around us.
When a person enrolls as ACHS, it is vitally important that they graduate with tools they need to forge their own holistic and sustainable missions, build up their communities confidently and changing the face of healthcare with knowledge.
