Our main objective here at the National Coach Academy is to enable aspiring coaches to reach their full professional potential. One of the most effective ways to educate students about the world of coaching is by offering them a window into the world of real, practicing coaches and showing them all the different ways coaches make a difference in the lives of their clients.
We hope today’s interview adds another insightful glimpse into the dynamic world of coaching.
Today we are interviewing Wendy Melo. Wendy is a Wellness Coach based in Palm Beach County, Florida.
NCA: Can you describe your coaching practice and the kinds of clients you typically work with?
Wendy: At present I am working telephonically and through video conference chat, coaching clients on healthy lifestyle change and commitment. I am helping out at Kurbo Inc. by WW as a Kurbo Coach outside of my own business initiatives in Holistic wellbeing education and coaching. Kurbo by WW is a weight management program based on 30 years of research at Stanford University, and has helped many kids and teens grasp healthier lifestyles by eating balanced whole food meals and getting daily physical activity.
The Kurbo program has been so successful, we are now also coaching adults through the corporate wellness initiatives of companies like Pepsico, Paychex, Abbott, IBM and others. Many of my clients are looking either to lose weight or maintain healthy eating and regular active lifestyles. The weekly accountability, encouragement and support go a long way for most people and the Kurbo program is a really simple and common sense approach to weight management.
NCA: What initially got you interested in this career path and what kind of degree or certifications did you need to complete, if any?
Wendy: I have been in the field of human service work since 1996. I was inspired to pursue an education in Natural Health to improve my own well-being while at the same time in the field of human service and social work recognized a need for life and health coaching in the mainstream. I began studying Natural health in 2001 at Clayton College of Natural Health, earning a B.Sc in Natural Health and life changing knowledge. My experience at CCNH was very positive, not only was I given top notch curriculum and books written by the very best in the field, I was also able to meet many of those authors and experts at the schools conferences. CCNH is no longer open but I believe there are now colleges and universities offering full educational programs in complementary and natural methods of healing.
In 2012 I partnered with the Wellness Inventory, entering their Whole Person (Holistic) coach and workshop facilitation training program based on the work of Dr. John Travis. Dr. Travis is considered the father of wellness as his work began in the 1960’s on the inspiration of a few other doctors taking a health model approach vs a disease model. His original whole person models and concepts are used in universities worldwide and by the US military.
In 2017 I so happily became one of the first to take and pass the NBC-HWC exam. Set forth by the ICHWC and NBME, a collaborative effort to set a standard in the field of wellness coaching with the NBC-HWC (Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach) designation. With this national certification a job task analysis was completed to define the knowledge, skills and educational requirements, ensuring that education and credentials in the field are met by those working and practicing as health and wellness coaches. At present there over 86 approved training programs for eligibility to sit for the national exam. These colleges, universites, and other wellness coach training providers are listed at https://nbhwc.org/approved-programs/
Enter the field for the joy it brings. Human beings are wired for connection and wellness coaching really provides that opportunity to connect with respectful and heart centered communication styles.
NCA: What is the most rewarding part of your career and on the flip side, what is the most challenging aspect of the work that you do?
Wendy: The appreciation and success of my clients are an extremely rewarding aspect of my career. I have had many tell me that our calls and video chats are what really helped them in achieving their goals, and that is just golden for any coach to hear. On the flip side when a client does not meet their desired goals it can be a challenge to keep in mind that the change is truly intrinsic and must come from the client, and that they may cycle through the stages of change before getting to their desired outcome. So practicing good emotional intelligence along with keeping up with my own personal health and well-being to build effective partnerships.
NCA: Can you think of a mentor who was most vital to your success as a coach? In what ways did this mentor help you to thrive in your career?
Wendy: I’d like to mention a few mentors from the Wellness Inventory training program. Bobbie Burdett who was a colleague of Dr Travis in the 1970’s and whose collaborative effort with him opened the very first wellness center where wellness coaching took its roots. Bobbie Burdett as well as Jim Strohecker CEO of Wellpeople.com and the Wellness Inventory program were my trainers at the time of my training in 2012. Oh and Marilena Minucci also a mentor at the Wellness Inventory who ran an amazing study program for the NBC-HWC exam in 2016. These 3 mentors have helped me in thriving in this field because of their amazing ability to connect and inspire the gift of coaching.
NCA: Finally, what advice would you give someone looking to get started in the career path that you chose?
Wendy: I would say to enter the field for the joy it brings. Human beings are wired for connection and wellness coaching really provides that opportunity to connect with respectful and heart centered communication styles. With wellness specific coaching I would say seek out proper education and credentials, as its becoming a popular choice, and as with health issues sometimes being serious it is important to understand proper scope of practice.
