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Meet Megan Olson of Skinny Fitalicious in Glendale

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Olson.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Seven years ago I lost 80 pounds by walking and changing my diet over the course of a year. Since I was a teenager, I was overweight. I tried every diet, working out and nothing ever kept the weight off. At the time I started walking, I was in a very unhappy place.

Hated my body, hated myself and hated my high-stress job. I was desperate to find myself and find something I loved. So, one day I started walking for ten minutes and soon it became 8,9, 10 miles. I did not do it to lose weight, but to make myself feel happy.

As a result, I lost 80 pounds and loved healthy food. I never dieted or restricted what I ate. I simply ate more vegetables, lean protein and watched portion sizes. The weight loss was a bonus. After losing weight, many people asked me how I did it, so I started my blog {Skinny Fitalicious} to share my experience with others.

Shortly after I started Skinny Fitalicious, I began to experience a serious of stress fractures and was diagnosed with osteopenia. I suffered from a range of odd symptoms: stomach pains, unexplained weight loss despite eating over 2500 calories daily, extreme fatigue, amenorrhea and unexplained iron deficiency anemia and B12 deficiency.

During this time, I saw multiple doctors across multiple specialties. I was passed around like a Thanksgiving turkey never getting answers. I knew something was seriously wrong and I was frustrated with the medical system for doing such a poor job of putting the pieces of the puzzle together in my mysterious symptoms.

After two years, I finally saw a naturopath who ran blood work and diagnosed me with an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s disease. She recommended removing gluten from my diet to reduce my antibodies. Within three months, my symptoms cleared up, my antibodies went down, and I began to feel like myself again.

I shared every step of my health battle on Skinny Fitalicious and was surprised by how the number of readers who connected to my story. This made me realize how many people, like me, were struggling to get answers to their health.

As a result, Skinny Fitalicious grew significantly. Through working with my naturopath, I learned about the power of nutrition. This and the fact that my readers were desperate for their own answers motivated me to quit my corporate consulting job and go back to school for two years to become a nutrition practitioner.

After graduating, I began my private practice under Skinny Fitalicious which quickly grew. Today I offer group coaching, sugar detox challenges, one-on-one coaching that specializes in weight loss and hormone balancing for women.

Last year I realized my clients and readers needed more than coaching to help them transition to a healthier lifestyle. As a result, I opened a second business, What To Eat Meal Plans with my business partner (a registered dietitian).

I never imaged when I started a little blog it would not only become a full-time job but also become what it has today.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road by any means. Running a business and building a brand while you’re going to school for a second degree later in life, in and of itself was extremely challenging. I’ve always been good at holding myself accountable to a routine and multi-tasking to get work done. However, as Skinny Fitalicious rapidly grew and the demand for my time to coach clients increased, I realized I could not do it alone. This was hard for me to accept, but I knew if I wanted to continue growing I had to do this.

Growing an online business also comes with scrutiny. When you put yourself out there, you open yourself up to both positive and negative feedback from readers and other bloggers. Teaching myself to not allow negative feedback to bring me down has been a learning curve. You want to please everyone, but you can’t. So, I remind myself constantly that for every person who doesn’t agree with me, there are 10 people that do.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Skinny Fitalicious – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Skinny Fitalicious provides meal plans, group coaching, 14-day sugar detox challenges and one-on-one individual coaching. It specializes in weight loss and hormone balancing for women. It also provides weight loss tips and gluten-free, low-calorie recipes made with real food ingredients.

What sets me apart from others is my personal experience with weight loss and personal health battles. I’ve walked in the shoes of many of my clients, which makes it easy for me to relate to them and their struggles. I also have a science-based education which most nutritionists do not have.

I am most proud of the integrity I have built as a brand and the dedicated following of readers. To this day, I have readers who have followed me from day one and I truly appreciate their support.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the heat, diversity and culture in Phoenix. I grew up in Green Bay, and the heat is definitely more my style than the cold. Winter in the desert is by far my favorite time of year! My least favorite thing about Phoenix is how people drive. Whenever I’m driving, I feel like I’m on a racetrack. It’s very stressful!

Pricing:

  • Group Coaching – $39.99 per month
  • 1 Hour Health Consult – $99.99
  • 3 Month Subscription Low-Calorie Meal Plan – $89.97 every 3 months
  • 4 Week Custom Meal Plan – $199.99

Contact Info:

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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