Empowering Transformations: A Dive into Health and Wellness Coaching with Jody Goldfarb
We are pleased to welcome Health and Wellness Consultant Jody Goldfarb to the One Planet Life team! We sat down with Jody and asked her five questions about her journey to health and wellness coaching and why she believes health and wellness matter when focusing on sustainability.
OPL: Let’s kick off this interview with a foundational question. What is a health and wellness coach?
Jody: Health and Wellness Coaches help people become their most successful and satisfied selves in whatever areas they pursue. Within the health and wellness arena, coaches offer the opportunity to clarify goals and set intentional plans. Coaches empower clients to achieve self-determined goals related to health and wellness, much like One Planet Life’s “joyful changes.” We help clients identify, strategize, remove obstacles, and have accountability while building new habits. We support clients to move through life with intention and mindfulness toward optimal physical and emotional balance.
OPL: What attracted you to the Health and Wellness field and profession?
Jody: I used to say that health and wellness coaching was just the natural extension and combination of my interests and past professional experiences across education, social work, and nutrition. But it’s more than that. At the core of everything I do is a belief that health, wellness, and life balance should be available to everyone, everywhere, equally. I have always loved listening to people’s stories, reflecting on them back, helping to identify areas of opportunity, and educating others on the power of mindfulness, intention, and breath. My ability to cultivate deep connections with people, a natural skill at reflective listening, and an optimism that anyone can overcome anything when their obstacles have been broken into bite-sized pieces have all led me to this career in coaching.
OPL: What is the relationship between health and wellness, and sustainability?
Jody: As we all make small joyful changes within ourselves, we can also do this with the intention of moving towards sustainability and lowering carbon footprints. What’s good for my health and wellness is good for our planet. Very often, small habit changes in one arena lead to the rippling effect of positive changes in other areas. I think it would be hard NOT to feel the connection between one’s personal wellness and the wellness in the surrounding community. If I walk to work, eat locally, spend time in nature, and plan my snacks and hydration (just to name a few), I am caring for myself and Mother Earth.
OPL: What draws somebody to seek out a health and wellness coach?
Jody: So many reasons lead people to focus on health and wellness, honestly. It can be anything from wanting a career change to feeling burned out from a lack of work-life balance to wanting to exercise more and feel more physically active and healthy. When people hit a fever pitch of needing some kind of change or transition, a health and wellness coach can help set goals and help change habits. Often, we feel “off” but might not have the time for insight or the clarity to know what shifts may be beneficial. Coaching can support that exploration.
OPL: Where are you on your own health and wellness journey?
Jody: I say to myself what I say to others: “I am a work-in-progress.” I recently did a strength-finding assessment and discovered that I have a hungry brain, a need to acquire new knowledge regularly, and a desire to develop new skills. That could not be more true! I am currently in the process of studying for a yoga teacher certification. I spend time reading books and articles on wellness and listening to podcasts about mindfulness, and I spend as much time as possible with my dogs, three girls, and husband. I try to be outside and walk as much as I can. And, I have loved adding the One Planet Life app on my phone to track my shifts toward sustainability.
Learn more about Jody Goldfarb here or visit her website, intowncoaching.com
