Authority Magazine Editorial Staff · Follow
Published in · 13 min read · Jun 18, 2021
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Be encouraging and enthusiastic. I think of it as “high voltage” because that’s going to set the vibe for your meetings. I always kick it up a notch or two beyond my natural state when I’m working with someone, because it’s contagious. You get a lot more done that way.
The coaching industry is now tremendous. It is a 15 billion dollar industry. Many professionals have left their office jobs to become highly successful coaches. At the same time, not everyone who starts a coaching business sees success. What does someone starting a career as a life coach, wellness coach, or business coach need to know to turn it into a very successful and rewarding career?
In this interview series, called “Five Things You Need To Create a Highly Successful Career As a Life or Business Coach” we are interviewing experienced and successful life coaches, wellness coaches, fitness coaches, business and executive coaches and other forms of coaches who share the strategies you need to create a successful career as a life or business coach.
In this particular interview, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kellyann Petrucci.
Dr. Kellyann Petrucci, MS, ND is a naturopathic physician and certified nutrition consultant with over 20 years of clinical experience. While launching the bone broth revolution, Dr. Kellyann introduced the benefits of ancient nutrition into the modern-day balanced diet, aided by results-driven techniques such as intermittent fasting. Dr. Kellyann is an expert in gut health, weight loss, and natural anti-aging, and has served as a concierge doctor for celebrities in New York and Los Angeles. Dr. Kellyann Petrucci’s extensive line of health and wellness products include Collagen Bone Broth, several collagen-based powdered supplements, and BellaBiotics — a pre and probiotic that rejuvenates, protects, and restores skin from the inside out. In addition to her transformational products, Dr. Kellyann nourishes her audience with fresh, educational posts on TikTok, Instagram, and every week on the Digging In with Dr. Kellyann podcast, available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, and YouTube. Dr. Kellyann is a New York Times bestselling author with the latest edition of her book, Dr. Kellyann’s Bone Broth Diet, available in December 2021, and her newest line of liquid bone broth launching in Whole Foods nationwide later this year.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and what brought you to this particular career path?
I was always interested in medicine but when I hit my teens, it got personal. As I headed into puberty and started getting my periods, I suffered from excruciating cramps — I would literally be doubled over. These cramps were so severe that I had to stay home from school for at least five days every month. The doctors diagnosed me with endometriosis and said my only two options were constant birth control — 365 days a year on the pill, with no breaks — or surgery. And then they delivered the kicker — “You probably won’t be able to have children, either.” My mother and I went from doctor to doctor, but we kept hearing the same story. Then, one day, I experienced what I can only call a miracle. In my early twenties, I got into bodybuilding. In fact, here’s a bit of trivia: I was once Miss St. Louis! One day, my sponsor introduced me to a trainer. And — in an act that changed my entire life — that trainer put me on an anti-inflammatory diet that cut out certain foods like gluten. The very next month I had NO cramps. None. Gone forever. Oh, and by the way, I later had two beautiful sons. So that’s how I found my calling. Once I witnessed the power of natural healing in my own life, I became passionate about giving that gift to others. I studied at schools and programs around the world, culminating with an amazing opportunity to study biological medicine with Dr. Thomas Rau of Switzerland, one of the world’s leading physicians, through the Marion Institute in Massachusetts. Everything I learned there reinforced the lesson my own medical crisis had taught me — We have a tremendous power to heal, if we simply give our bodies what they need.
Eventually, I opened my own functional medicine clinic and I was talking about things nobody had even heard of back then — things like intermittent fasting, anti-inflammatory diets, gut health, and ancestral foods like bone broth. I also realized that I needed to share this information not just with a handful of patients, but with thousands of people who needed to lose weight and get healthy. So that’s when I wrote my Bone Broth Diet book, and started the bone broth revolution.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
First, you have to be bionic. What I mean by this is that you have to be incredibly resilient. Business will have its ups and downs and you have to be immune to all of them. For example, when I was trying to sell my first book, I went in through every possible channel and got rejected time and time again. I also heard some harsh critiques when I created the Bone Broth Diet because people said it wouldn’t work — that people wouldn’t drink anything as crazy as bone broth. Then, when it did work, and people loved the diet and lost weight like crazy on it, competitors who were well funded and better marketed than me started selling their own bone broth and completely stomped me. So I could have just said “forget it, they beat me,” but I didn’t. And now I have nine books and an incredibly successful product line.
Also, you need to be able to take the pressure. When I first started creating the DKA brand, the pressure was incredible. I had to figure out how much product to order, what each employee needed to do, how to get funding — I was putting out fires every single day. If you let the fires consume you, you’ll never make it through the week. You need to stay the course and keep telling yourself that what you’re doing is important, even if the odds at that moment don’t seem like they’re in your favor.
Finally, you have to get up in the morning feeling the possibilities because that energy is contagious. You need to believe in your vision and know that you can take the quantum leap and make that vision happen.
How have habits played a role in your success? Can you share some success habits that have helped you in your journey?
First, I’m really rote and routine about bedtime. You won’t be on your game unless you get good sleep — so be okay with being boring.
Also, I’m seriously careful about my alcohol intake. As you get more successful, this matters more and more. You can’t have co*cktails at every function because the bigger you get, the more functions there are.
Finally, I make stress reduction a daily habit. This is not optional, because if you constantly stress out, you’ll eventually burn out. It doesn’t matter what you do — meditation, journaling, yoga, whatever. Just pick one thing. For me, it’s Epsom salt baths.
This will be intuitive to you but it will be helpful to spell this out directly. Can you help explain a few reasons why it is so important to create good habits? Can you share a story or give some examples?
The things you do every day create your reality. For example, I’ve written nine books, and in order to make that happen, I had to be very habitual in my life. I had to create habits for writing time, work time, kid time, and exercise time. Having habits allowed me to create a pattern that worked for me instead of against me. If you don’t create good habits, your life controls you instead of you controlling it.
Speaking in general, what is the best way to develop good habits? Conversely, how can one stop bad habits?
The best way to develop a habit is to tag what you want to do onto something you already do every day. Think about it, why do you remember to take your vitamins? Because you take them with a meal. You can apply this strategy to any habit you want to create. For instance, say you’re too busy for long workouts, but you want to get more exercise. Get in the habit of doing 25 squats right after you brush your teeth in the morning. Then do fifteen minutes of exercise each night when you’re watching the nightly news. Easy. And by the end of the week, you’ve done 175 squats and you have the equivalent of three workouts under your belt all without taking more than a few minutes out of your schedule. Also, commit to practicing a new habit every day for at least a month. It’s all about creating nervous system pathways — the more you do it, the more you’re going to create those pathways.
When it comes to stopping bad habits, I’m big on mindfulness. That’s because you can’t take control over bad habits until you know what’s triggering them. For instance, just saying “I’m not going to overeat anymore” isn’t going to work. You need to identify the emotions that make you want to overeat. Are you lonely? Stressed? Tired? Then find a way to satisfy those needs. I learned this back when I was writing three books, raising two boys, running a medical practice, and doing TV appearances. I usually eat all the right foods, but I was reaching for carbs and junk instead. When I realized that I was using sugary, starchy foods to relieve my stress, I addressed the real problem and started cutting back on unnecessary commitments — something I call “strategizing my yesses.” And that was the end of my bad-food habit.
Finally, here’s a good trick for facing up to bad habits — have a litmus test. Ask yourself: “Is this bad habit worth it?” For instance, if you’re unhealthy, you lose power. So ask yourself if shortening your sleep, or drinking too much, or eating the wrong foods is worth that loss of power. It’s important to identify the trade-offs a bad habit is forcing you to make.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
My favorite quote is, “Always remember to know yourself, to be yourself, and to love yourself.” One of the most important things I’ve noticed in guiding people’s health and weight-loss transformations is it’s such a challenge to simply be who you are — especially in the age of social media when it’s all about creating a perfect image. To lead an authentic life, you need to stop trying to create that illusion and instead be brave enough to discover who you really are, bold enough to act on that knowledge and kind enough to love yourself no matter what the outcome is.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
One of the most interesting things I’m doing right now is a podcast called Digging In with Dr. Kellyann, in which I’m going in search of the best tools and practices to help us become slimmer, younger, and healthier. There are so many approaches out there — everything from acupuncture to cryotherapy to colonics — and people want to know what to try and what to avoid. So I’m testing every approach myself, and reporting on what I’m learning. It’s exciting… and fun… and sometimes a little scary!
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Many coaches are successful, but some are not very successful. From your experience or perspective, what are the main factors that distinguish successful coaches from unsuccessful ones? What are your “Five Things You Need To Create a Highly Successful Career As a Life or Business Coach”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
- Be truly passionate about elevating others. Many women come to me for mentorship, and one of my tenets is to help these women even if they surpass me. It’s a win for me to get them as far as they can go.
- Be willing to be completely present when you’re with your clients — no distractions. The most special gift you can give anyone is your time. Give them complete and true attention.
- Do your homework. Come prepared to every meeting. There’s nothing that inspires people more than seeing that the person they’re working with takes the time to understand who they are and what they’re trying to achieve. I know from personal experience that if I’m being interviewed by someone who hasn’t done their homework, the energy is far lower than if they come in with their guns loaded.
- Be encouraging and enthusiastic. I think of it as “high voltage” because that’s going to set the vibe for your meetings. I always kick it up a notch or two beyond my natural state when I’m working with someone, because it’s contagious. You get a lot more done that way.
- Know how to reset your clients when there’s been a setback. This is one of the most important life lessons they need to learn, because when life kicks them in the teeth — and it will — they can’t get stuck in their hurt, or they’ll fall and never get back up. So teach your clients this simple and powerful strategy: 1. Take some time to scream, cry, yell, kick the furniture, whatever. Let it all out. Then picture something you love (personally, I call up an image of my boys as babies, crawling all over me). Let the positive emotions flood your body. And then say: NEXT. 2. In the days that pass, let yourself think about your pain once a day and only once a day for ten minutes. Then, once again, think of something that fills you with joy… and say NEXT. This will propel you forward, rather than leaving you stuck in the past.
What are the most common mistakes you have seen coaches make when they start their business? What can be done to avoid those errors?
Many people don’t have their business model down so they get scattered and frustrated and it’s difficult for them to monetize their business. You have to have your systems down. The best way to do this is to reach out to someone who has a successful coaching business and get mentorship. Also, avoid taking on people who aren’t a good match for you. Make sure you work with people who match your values and your skillset.
Based on your experience and success, what are a few of the most important things a coach should know in order to create a Wow! Customer Experience? Please share a story or an example for each.
First, focus on making your clients feel safe, loved, and important, because those are our basic human needs. That’s the X factor in creating transformation.
Second, over-prepare. If I’m looking to partner with someone, I want to know all of their business stats ahead of time. If I’m meeting a new patient, I want to learn everything about them up front. People are impressed when they know that you can speak confidently about what’s important to them. There’s no such thing as too much information.
Finally, build a community. For instance, I have a Facebook community where people can help and support one another. In addition to helping them succeed, this community lets me know what their needs are. I take the time to read what they’re saying, and I design my programs and products with their feedback at the front of my mind.
Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business, and particularly in coaching. What are the best ways for a coach to find customers? Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?
- Butts in seats — the stickiest customers are the ones who see you live, so attend conferences and get on the speakers’ list whenever you can.
- Use books as a lead generator. Even offering a free ebook on your website will pull in people.
- Use social media. I particularly like platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which let people get to know you. But again, you need to be open and authentic. People will see through the hype.
Coaches are similar to startup founders who often work extremely long hours and it’s easy to end up burning the candle at both ends. What would you recommend to your fellow coaches about how to best take care of their physical and mental wellness when starting their business?
This goes back to the mindfulness I talked about earlier. Most people walk through their days numb, just going from thing to thing, and that’s a recipe for burnout. Instead, ask yourself every morning: “How am I feeling today? Tired? Dehydrated? Happy? Energized? Sad?”
Develop self-awareness. Again, this is a habit you can form and when you see that you’re not feeling your best, take a step back and figure out what you need. Maybe it’s a day off. Maybe it’s a better diet. Maybe it’s something as simple as a good night’s sleep. Then make that need a priority.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
One of the things I’m proudest of in my life is that I started the bone broth revolution. When I first started talking about bone broth, almost nobody was talking about it and there were no books and no products. I love educating people about this amazing healing food and making it more accessible to everyone. We’re now global, with my book out in nine countries, and my hope is to further expand this revolution.
We are blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I would love to meet Elon Musk. One of my gifts is that I’m a visionary. I was into Paleo, intermittent fasting, and ancestral foods before anyone else was and he’s one of the greatest visionaries of our era. I also love how he’s bullish and unstoppable. There’s a tremendous amount of personal growth that goes into building a big business, and he’s on the biggest hero journey of all.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
They can visit my website, drkellyann.com, where they’ll find loads of information on how to stay young, slim, and healthy. They can also join my community on Facebook, and follow me on Instagram @drkellyannpetrucci and other social media platforms.
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this. We wish you continued success and good health!
