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, p…
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
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
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
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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 …
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