How I Became a Women's Midlife Health Coach

Health coach wasn’t on my Bingo card for my second act in life, second to being a stay-at-home mom for 21 years. But when my kids were nearing high school, I started thinking, what’s next? What am I going to do that makes me excited to get up in the morning?!

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved being there for my family. But with them leaving the nest soon, I needed something else.

I needed to find a new purpose.

It wasn’t until a girlfriend visited and casually said, “you should coach me” that the lightbulb went off. I was reminded that 10 years prior I had looked into becoming a health coach, but the timing wasn’t right. Her suggestion awakened something in me that felt right. I had a strong passion for health, wellness and fitness and realized I could use that passion to help other people.

Two days later I enrolled in IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) and my coaching journey began.

In the beginning, I didn’t have a clear direction. I just wanted to help people become healthier versions of themselves. What I found is that most people want to feel better, they want to be healthier, they just don’t know where to start — what to eat, what diet to follow or what’s real and what’s a gimmick.

After following several fad diets over the years myself, I learned what actually works. And instead of chasing trends, I wanted to help people build habits they could actually stick to. The kind that, over time, really change your life.

I knew I needed to tailor my coaching, find a niche, as business coaches love to say, but I couldn’t narrow it down. Many of my health coach friends focused on gut health, which is so important, but didn’t grab me. Others pursued more training in the functional medicine space, important, but again, something that didn’t spark interest for me.

Everyone seemed to be specializing in something, and I just kept coming back to whole-body lifestyle habits, the boring basics. Which, let’s be honest, aren’t flashy, but they work.

It wasn’t until my own fear of menopause looming did I have another lightbulb moment.

I was 44 and knew that menopause was around the corner, but I was afraid.

Afraid of what was to come, afraid of the symptoms, afraid of the unknown. My mom never talked about her menopause experience, so I had no idea what to expect, no roadmap. I didn’t even realize I was already in perimenopause, what even was perimenopause?

I didn’t feel old enough. I didn’t feel like I was in midlife yet. That word didn’t feel like it fit me.

But instead of staying afraid, I dove in. I started reading everything I could get my hands on. I followed women’s health experts, binge-listened to podcasts, and the more I learned, the more I realized, this is where I’m supposed to be...

Coaching midlife women who are where I was.

Women who might not even realize they’re in perimenopause, and probably have been for years.

Women who think hot flashes and night sweats are the only signs to watch for, but have no idea that brain fog, forgetfulness, and shorter cycles are part of it too.

Women who are frustrated by stubborn weight gain, irritable for no reason, and wide awake at 3am wondering what the hell is going on.

It was at this point I knew my direction, my focus, my niche: midlife women.

I wanted to help those women. Women like me.

And my journey into coaching midlife women began.

My coaching is built around lifestyle -- around daily habits that busy women can easily stick with. Nothing extreme, I don’t believe in fad diets for long-term success. And while I think biohacking is cool and trendy, I’m not going to tell you to start cold plunging if you’re still waking up at 3am and skipping breakfast.

My clients need foundations, not flashy tricks.

I coach with empathy because I get it. I’m living it. I know what it feels like to be frustrated with your body, to feel tired for no reason, to feel like something’s off and not know what to do about it.

That’s why I created this blog — as an extension of the conversations I have with my clients. A place to share what I’m learning, what’s actually working, and what I wish more women knew. If you’re in midlife and trying to figure it all out, you’re not alone.

You’re not broken. You’re just in midlife. And I’m here to help you navigate it, one habit at a time.

xo Kariann