- Can you tell us a little bit about your background to date?
I am an Empowerment Wellness Coach, as well as a registered nurse and co-founder of a non-profit aimed at healing. I thrive on empowering women. I don’t just focus on becoming healthier but on helping women to overcome the barriers of the narratives others have put on them creating this false perception of self. I empower women to prioritise themselves, using a combination of my nursing background, personal experience and research. I also incorporate holistic modalities, focusing on a total health practice to empower women to have lasting transformations, versus short-term success.
- What made you decide to become an Empowerment Wellness Coach?
Becoming an Empowerment Wellness Coach just made sense for me. I’ve travelled this journey and as a result, I relate to the experiences my clients have been through. My health started to deteriorate along with my confidence, and I felt so lost on how to make changes. I did not have anyone in my life who was able to guide me or give me a glimpse of hope. One day I realised I needed to take accountability, prioritise myself, and speak life into myself, despite what anyone else believed about me. Through trial and error, research, and my nursing knowledge, I created a regimen that not only worked, but is also sustainable. Once people in my life saw the changes I created, they started asking for advice and began to see their own results. That is how Louisa Valentin Empowerment Wellness Coach was born.
- What kind of clients do you work with?
My client demographic consists of professional women who are unhappy with their state of mental, physical and spiritual health, as well as the world’s perception of who they are. They are tired of failing and hiding the essence of who they are. The women I work with are ready to smile and be amazing role models to the people in their lives. These women are ready to take accountability, do the work and are open to being coached. My clients have taken the initiative to change their world and become the healthiest version of themselves.
- What do you aim to teach your clients through your coaching?
That they create their reality. By taking accountability and investing in themselves they can transform and become the healthiest version of themselves in mind, body and spirit. I aim for my clients to learn that through this structure they aren’t in it for a “quick fix” that won’t last or is “too hard” to sustain. They’re making lifestyle changes and shifting from the inside out to become their ideal vision of health and enjoying the journey in the process.
- What are the most common problems or challenges you come across when working with your clients?
Many of my clients lead busy lives, they’re entrepreneurs, corporate workers, mums, wives, and leaders in their communities and often wear multiple hats. Once they start listing their daily duties it can become overwhelming, to say the least. The biggest issue is that almost none of my clients have an obligation to themselves. They don’t see themselves as a priority, which is quite disheartening. Once we start working together, their schedules are no longer a problem but a challenge to work with and each woman commits to becoming a priority in that equation. I work with some of the brightest women I have ever met and if there is one thing any woman can do, it is conquering a challenge. We do that together to create a system for success.
- What is the most rewarding part of your job?
It’s so rewarding to see that mindset shift in the women I work with. When it just “clicks”! That is when everything else starts to make sense and they start to have measurable progress. They can see it and feel it. Once I see that twinkle in their eyes, that is when I know we have won, and I get a front-row seat for their transformations. It is really empowering and awe-inspiring.
- What’s been your biggest success?
My success lies in the success of every woman I work with. Every time they have a victory, I share that moment. It truly brings me joy. If I had to quantify my biggest success through a client, it would be with one of my earlier clients. I didn’t think she was making any leeway in her journey because she was committed to her limited beliefs, which were keeping her stagnant. Then one day, that shift happened for her, and the journey was no longer an uphill battle. There were still challenges but she found she could work with them instead of allowing them to stifle her progress. That’s power and to be a part of that is truly a success.
- What wellness practices do you carry out every day?
Wellness is instilled in just about every part of my life. To give a few examples of what I do daily, I say my affirmations, write in my gratitude journal and move my body. I eat good food that nourishes me, and I treat myself with patience and love. Anything I ask of my clients I also ask of myself. I am my first client and as I continue to learn and fine-tune my practice, it gives me the inspiration to share with the women I work with.
- If you could give our readers one piece of advice to help them on their wellness journey, what would it be?
Make it as easy as possible to make good choices. If going for a run is part of your wellness journey, make a running playlist and get your running clothes ready the night before. Want to bring journaling into your wellness routine? Get a journal and a pen that is pleasing to your eye and comfortable to write with and keep it at the place you sit at. This could be your desk or your bedside table, depending on the time you commit to writing. If you are ready to stop eating out for lunch every day, prepare your meals in advance and portion them out so that they are ready to grab. Don’t forget any snacks you may need. I like something sweet after lunch, so I make sure to take an orange or banana with me. I also keep a jar of almonds at work, for when a salty craving hits. I always like to be prepared.
I love the quote credited to Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to plan, you are planning to fail”. Without a plan, we don’t have any direction and usually do not have sustainable results. We cannot monitor if we are making progress. It is okay to re-evaluate if something is not working, but when you make it as easy as possible, you are giving yourself the best opportunity for success.
10.What is your motto?
My personal motto is, “Choose Happiness”. It is empowering for me to decide how I am going to feel and react to the situations that happen in my life. It is more than likely that the emotions we encounter, are not going to change the situation we are confronted with. For example, if I wake up late, whether I take it in my stride, or if I am upset about it, it doesn’t change the fact that I woke up late. For this reason, I choose to find humour in life. This doesn’t mean that I’m happy 100% of the time, but I always have the power to choose. I choose happiness.
Louisa Valentin is an Empowerment Wellness Coach, who empowers professional women to find their strength to achieve their optimal state of mental, physical, and spiritual health. As a nurse of almost 20 years, it is no surprise that Louisa is passionate about helping others. She helps women prioritise themselves, creating real lifestyle changes to have lasting transformations and change the world’s perception of who they are. For more information visit https://www.louisavalentin.coach/