Becoming a Health Coach
Are you exploring a career in health coaching? Wondering if the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) is right for you?
In Becoming a Health Coach, Megan shares her unfiltered experience going through the IIN Health Coach Training Program—module by module. You'll hear about holistic wellness, habit change, mindset shifts, and what it's really like to train as a certified health coach.
Perfect for aspiring coaches, wellness enthusiasts, and anyone curious about a more meaningful, purpose-driven path.
RSS Feed Special Coaching Series!
This project follows a real three-month coaching engagement with six coaching sessions. We recorded the coaching sessions themselves, plus Joanna’s full health history, plus debrief episodes where Danna and I reflect on the coaching session and break down what we were listening for.
If you want to hear the actual coaching sessions (the real-time coaching conversations between Danna and Joanna), listen on So Frickin’ Healthy.
Episodes
47
Sept. 24, 2026
From Hamburgers to Hormones: Vanessa Gaitlin's Coaching Journey
Back to Her: Coaching Through Perimenopause and Everything Else
What happens when your own body keeps throwing you curveballs — burnout, single motherhood, perimenopause symptoms nobody warned you about — and coaching becomes both your business and your survival tool?
Megan and Danna sit down with Vanessa Gaitlin, an IIN-trained coach (and one of Megan's earliest connections in the coaching world) who's spent over a decade rebuilding her practice around her own hormone chaos. Vanessa's coaching
What happens when your own body keeps throwing you curveballs — burnout, single motherhood, perimenopause symptoms nobody warned you about — and coaching becomes both your business and your survival tool?
Megan and Danna sit down with Vanessa Gaitlin, an IIN-trained coach (and one of Megan's earliest connections in the coaching world) who's spent over a decade rebuilding her practice around her own hormone chaos. Vanessa's coaching
46
Sept. 16, 2026
Meet Tina - Coaching Series
Welcome to another coaching series where we do a coaching debrief after a real coaching session. Let's meet Tina - this is her Health History. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Goals 00:51 Why Coaching Now 06:58 Mom Guilt and Stress 08:07 Sleep and Gut Deep Dive 16:43 Holistic Plan and Wrap Up Mentioned in this episode: Missed an episode? Don't worry, we have you covered. Check out the link below to the playlist of all the debrief sessions for Tina. Listen to all of Tina's d
45
Aug. 7, 2026
Are you allowed to be a coach before age 30? featuring Ben Fox
How do you become a coach (and actually make it work) without having it all figured out first? If you’ve ever thought, “I’d love to be a coach, but I’m not sure I’m qualified… and also I have no idea how the business side works,” this conversation is for you. Megan and Danna sit down with Ben Fox to unpack what it really looks like to grow into coaching, build credibility (even when you’re young), and create a sustainable path that doesn’t require perfection, a polished brand, or seven social
44
July 24, 2026
How do I make things stick when things are hard? Evaluating the Sixth Session with Joanna
How Do I Make It Last? Joanna walked into her final session with the only question that matters: How do I make this stick when things are hard? Travel. Illness. Holiday season. She's exhausted again—and she knows exactly why. A few months ago, she wouldn't have noticed the difference. Now her body tells her immediately when she's off track. That awareness? That's the win. She asked about dinner burnout, about the overwhelm of meal prep, about what happens when her partner's default is "let's ju
43
July 17, 2026
The Honeymoon Phase is Ending: Evaluating the Fifth Session with Joanna
She Came Ready Joanna walked into session five with a list. "I have a lot of stuff." That's exactly what a coach wants to hear. She was ready to move on to movement—nutrition felt handled. But Danna pulled her back for a moment. There was something in how Joanna talked about "falling off the wagon" with food logging. Was she disappointed because it actually helped her? Or because she felt like she should be doing it? There's a difference between "I need to do this for me" and "someone told me
42
July 10, 2026
Thank yourself - You did all the work: Evaluating the Fourth Session with Joanna
She Feels It Now Joanna messaged before the call: "I haven't kept up with it." Danna braced for bad news. But here's the twist—it was just the logging that slipped. The eating habits? Those stuck. She has energy. She's feeling the difference. That's the whole point. Remember session one, when Joanna asked "How will I know it's working?" She wanted black-and-white proof, and Danna couldn't give it to her. Now she doesn't need proof. She feels it. Food logging was never meant to be forever. It's
41
June 16, 2026
The Value of Health Conferences: Unlocking Opportunities
Conferences and Congresses - no matter what you call them, they are an excellent resource for health coaches. In this episode, Megan talks about why you should consider attending health conferences, how to prepare before you go, and what to do while you're there. We love to hear from you! Send us a Voicemail Send us an Email Takeaways: Attending health conferences provides invaluable networking opportunities with industry professionals and like-minded individuals. Health coaches, particularly
40
April 22, 2026
When Tracking Becomes the Trap: Evaluating the Third Session with Joanna
She's Doing the Hard Work Good news: Danna's awake this time. And Joanna? She came in hot—full of data from her CGM experiment, eager to keep going, and finally seeing real results. But Megan caught something in this session: a little miscommunication around food logging. Joanna was trying to figure out how to track (weighing her go-to foods once so she'd know the portions forever), and Danna pushed back. Why? Because quality matters more than quantity. If you're weighing your potato chips, you
39
April 8, 2026
Health Coach Self-Care, Burnout Prevention, Stress Management: How to Stay Grounded While Building Your Coaching Career featuring Gretchen Larsen
If you’re becoming a health coach (or you’re early in your coaching career), you’ve probably felt the pressure to “have it all together” while the world feels… like a lot. In this episode, mindfulness practitioner and certified coach Gretchen Larsen shares practical ways to stay grounded, reduce stress spirals, and prevent burnout—without pretending you’re fine. We talk about why overwhelm can shrink your sense of control, how to work with your feelings instead of bypassing them, and the power
38
March 18, 2026
Coaches Are Human Too: Evaluating the Second Session with Joanna
When Your Coach is Human Too Danna's been up since 4:30am. She's brain foggy, running on fumes, and didn't have time to review her notes before the session. Megan's listening and thinking: come on, Danna, you can do it. And that's the point. Coaches are human. There's no such thing as a perfect session every time—and showing that to clients matters. Life gets messy. You show up anyway. The real takeaway from this session? Joanna says she does the 80/20 thing with processed foods, but when someo
37
Feb. 18, 2026
The Art of Coaching: Evaluating the First Session with Joanna
Behind the Session The first session is done—and Danna and Megan are debriefing. What just happened? What worked? What do listeners need to know about getting the most out of health coaching? Joanna came in like a lot of first-timers: a little anxious, full of questions, not quite sure how coaching works. She wanted a program. A protocol. Something concrete. But that's not how this goes. Good coaching isn't about talking at someone—it's about listening, pulling out what's really going on, and
36
Feb. 18, 2026
Joanna's Health History - Special Coaching Series
Chapter 0: Before We Begin Meet Joanna: working mom, twin wrangler, cheese enthusiast. She's got four-year-old twins, a ten-year-old who moonlights as a paid babysitter, and a brain that hasn't known single-tasking in years. She's here because of the afternoon crash—that 2pm slump that wipes her out. She wants her focus back, her energy back, her brain back. But she's also clear about what she's not here for: diets. Diet culture. Anything she wouldn't want her daughters to see. Joanna eats fle
35
Feb. 18, 2026
A Real Client. Six Sessions. One Coaching Series. (Here’s How to Listen)
Thanks for listening to the introduction episode for our coaching series with Joanna. This project follows a real three-month coaching engagement with six coaching sessions. We recorded the coaching sessions themselves, plus Joanna’s full health history, plus debrief episodes where Danna and I reflect on the coaching session and break down what we were listening for. Here’s the easiest way to listen, depending on what you want more of. If you want to hear the actual coaching sessions (the rea
34
Oct. 2, 2025
Ep. 34 Pairing Functional Medicine with Health Coaching
Megan and fellow coach Danna revisit an early episode to unpack functional medicine—what it is, how it differs from conventional care, and how a functional approach can sharpen a health coach’s practice. Expect practical examples (BP meds, antibiotics + probiotics), how to vet providers, and what extra training changed in Danna’s client work. Back in 2018, Megan introduced functional medicine as an option when conventional care feels stuck on symptom relief. In 2025, she and Danna (a Functional
33
Sept. 5, 2025
Ep. 33 “It’s Not All in Your Head”: Advocacy, Intuition, and Better Doctor Visits
Megan and fellow health coach Danna revisit an early episode on patient advocacy, reflecting on what still holds up in 2025. They cover why women are disproportionately dismissed, how to prepare for medical appointments, when to switch doctors, and how to use online research without catastrophizing. Episode description Back in 2018, Megan shared Jennifer Esposito’s years-long road to a celiac diagnosis—an all-too-common story for women whose symptoms get minimized or misread. In this updated c
April 18, 2025
Podcast Introduction
My name's Megan McCrory and I am an aspiring health coach and this is my story. I'm starting a podcast series for the whole year to follow me along my journey of becoming a health coach. I just want to tell you a little bit about how I got to this point and a little bit about Health Coaching.
32
Nov. 15, 2024
Ep. 32 AI, Wearables, and Data Privacy: The Future of Tech & Health Coaching
Embracing Technology in Health Coaching: Telehealth, Apps, Wearables, and Ethics In this episode Megan explores how technology is revolutionizing health coaching. The discussion covers telehealth platforms, apps, and wearables, emphasizing their benefits and challenges, including data privacy and ethical considerations. Megan also shares insights on AI-powered coaching, advanced wearables, and the potential of virtual reality, encouraging coaches to thoughtfully integrate tech tools to enhance
Jan. 12, 2024
What standout features of the certification program did you find particularly beneficial? featuring Danna Levy Hoffmann
Thanks for listening to Becoming a Health Coach with Megan J. McCrory .This episode of Becoming a Health Coach features a discussion between host Megan McCrory and guest Danna Levy Hoffmann. They discuss the reasons behind Danna's choice to become a health coach and her journey through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's certification programs. Danna shares her insights on how the program provided a foundation in coaching and business skills alongside her pre-existing knowledge of holist
31
Jan. 3, 2024
Ep. 31 Behind the Scenes: Tips for Aspiring Health Coaches featuring Michelle Leotta
Hello, and thanks for listening to Becoming a Health Coach with Megan J. McCrory. When Michelle Leotta became a certified health coach, there was no such thing as board certification and most people had never heard of kale. Join this lively conversation about the industry's evolution and how to get started on your health coaching path from someone who has been in your shoes and continues to move the industry forward. Michelle Leotta has combined 13 years as a practicing health coach with 20+ y
Dec. 22, 2023
How did you choose the Institute for Integrative Nutrition as a certification program? featuring Danna Levy Hoffmann
Choosing the Right Certification: Becoming a Health Coach Bonus Episode In this bonus episode of 'Becoming a Health Coach', host Megan McCrory speaks with fellow health coach Danna Levy Hoffman about her journey into health coaching. Danna shares her reasons for choosing the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and how convenience and cost factored into her choice. Danna also discusses the initial obstacles she faced setting up her business, her learning process, and her subsequent further educa
About the Host
Megan J. McCrory
Chief Instigator
Megan turned to health coaching when she wanted to change career paths. Originally interested in earning her masters in Nutrition, she decided to explore health coaching as a first step. She has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University and worked for 17 years in the Diabetes Care Medical Device industry.
Sponsors
Recent Blog Posts
Oct. 31, 2025
The Pricing Lady - Janene Liston
One of the best things I did when starting my business was to book a pricing strategy package with Janene Liston, aka The Pricing Lady. BEFORE meeting Janene this was how I came up with my prices (btw a price is NOT a pricing strategy): First, I…
Oct. 23, 2025
The Institute for Integrative Nutrition
The number one question I get is, “How did you like IIN?” and the second is, “Was it worth it?” IIN changed my life, and it was definitely worth it! There is a reason why IIN has been around for so many years is because it works. The Health Coach …
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