We are delighted to share with you our interview “Questions and Answers with Sarah Anne Stewart, founder of Awesome Inside Out Movement”.
Carla MARTIN: Please introduce yourself for those who do not know you yet. Kindly tell us about your background and your business? How did you decide to create your business?
Sarah Anne STEWART: I realized that, like myself, people don’t always need more information about what to eat or what not to eat; we are inundated with so much nutrition content, yet most people are still struggling with how they feel. I started because I saw the need for a program that focused on the mind-body connection, self-love, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
As an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach (AADP), I am trained in both diet and lifestyle changes to help improve one’s health and overall well-being. It is a collaborative experience. Together, we look at different elements beyond food that might be impacting one’s health, and their relationship with their body, and find ways to bring those areas back into balance using holistic tools and practices, like meditation, journaling, breath-work, and movement.
CM: What was your path to the role you have now?
SAS: My passion for health started as a young teen. I witnessed my father cure cancer with alternative medicine and healing foods. At 15, however, I embarked on an almost ten-year journey in the modeling industry where eating disorders consumed my life. After leaving the industry and recovering my health, I set out to heal my relationship with food and my body. After experiencing success with the mindfulness tools and practices that I had discovered, it was only a matter of time before a good friend, who was a swimsuit model, asked me to help her. From there, my practice grew mainly from referrals, and then I was able to grow my coaching practice online.
CM: What does a typical working day look like for you?
SAS: I start my day with a workout or a morning meditation. Then my team and I debrief on priorities and projects for the day. The majority of my focus is on delivering content that will educate and inspire women to shift their relationship with food into an empowering one. In between, I work with clients, and I’m also preparing to launch my new podcast, Awesome Inside Out!
CM: Tell us what your success mindset is?
SAS: One of my husband’s business mantras is “fail fast.” Most people shy away from trying new things or up-leveling their careers because they’re afraid to fail, but failing is a part of the growth process! The point is to fail fast and learn so that you understand what works and what doesn’t.
I’ve realized that failing is not a stopping point; it’s a pivot point. If you can shift your attention to what is working and what you learned, then you can use your experience to propel you forward.
CM: What was your biggest challenge on the personal side also the business side?
SAS: I think the biggest challenge for any business, and what determines your success is consistency. I have learned that consistent effort is the only way to be successful as an entrepreneur. Consistently engage in activities that will generate visibility for you, spread your message, and share endless value with others. For me, this means showing up every day to do interviews, speaking engagements, podcasts, blog writing, social media posts, etc.
CM: For a young entrepreneur, what advice would you give?
SAS: Be willing to pivot! In my first attempts at creating a business, my services were primarily preventative; I helped women with the nutritional aspect of preventing chronic illness. I learned the hard way that prevention is not what most people are seeking. People didn’t need (and still don’t need) more nutritional advice. What people need help with is how to make these lifestyle changes stick and improve the way they feel!
So I made a pivot by doing some research. I created social media posts asking women who had recovered from eating disorders to share their stories with me. I wanted to know how it was that they healed their relationship with food, what was the missing link for them, and what they wished someone would help them with. The overwhelming amount of responses that I received helped me create a much-needed service around the emotional and spiritual aspect of weight loss, which is missing from most diet programs.
CM: With everything you have achieved, what would you say is your most significant achievement?
SAS: I’m just wrapping up editing for my first upcoming book! It will be published next fall by Hay House. Writing this was quite a journey, but I’m excited to leave my mark on the world of health and body positivity.
CM: What is your current business focus?
SAS: I’m getting ready to relaunch my new and improved eight-week course, Fire Your Diet, as well as my brand new 21-day meditation program for women who are prepared to upgrade their health: body, mind, and spirit.
CM: What Charity do you support?
SAS: I support Charity: Water, which is a nonprofit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries.
CM: Who inspires you today?
SAS: I’m surrounded by an inspirational group of women in business who I’m grateful to call my friends- Ashley Stahl, Libby Crow, Layla Martin, Alyssas Nobriga, Alexi Panos, Sahara Rose! They continuously inspire me to stretch beyond my limits and continue showing up in more significant ways.
CM: Do you have a secret talent?
SAS: I don’t know if this counts as a hidden talent, but I’m secretly a research nerd! I’m always keeping up to date with the latest in health and wellness.
CM: If you had the power to change just one thing in the world, what would it be?
SAS: When I look at the ocean of posts, advice on body image, and food, I wish I could wave a magic wand and get rid of the diet culture. I wish I could remind everyone that we all desire the same thing: love. Love for ourselves and love for each other.
Two out of three women struggle with their relationship with food and with their bodies. That’s a staggering percentage! As a workshop leader, I’ve asked attendees to close their eyes and raise their hands if they’ve ever had unhealthy and uncomfortable thoughts about food and their bodies… and I’ve seen every single hand go up. I have met women who claim they rarely ever think about their weight, and then, all of a sudden, their wedding rolls around and “wedding detoxes” and “bridal boot camps” take over. I strongly believe this impacts all women at some point in our lives.
If you’re navigating through your health journey and struggle with body image, remember that you are not alone. Struggles with body image and eating disorders do not discriminate. No matter our story, background, profession, education, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity, we face internal struggles, and we’re all striving to love others and ourselves.
CM: Thank you so much Sarah for your time and kindness to answer my questions.
www.sarahannestewart.com