During the last 30+ years, we’ve certified over 130,000 health, nutrition, and fitness professionals. Each month, we recognize one of our distinguished graduates who are using what they have learned to inspire others and make a difference.
Meet our featured graduate for the month of October, Megan Seibel, a AFPA Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
How did you initially become interested in health and fitness?
I became interested in health and fitness in college when I was studying acting. We had a yoga class to help us get into our bodies as actors, and I fell in love! I was a dancer growing up, and so movement is second nature to me. I love the way it makes me feel! So, I started practicing yoga daily at 22 and became a certified yoga teacher at 25. I went on to do different modalities like pilates, barre, and dance fitness classes. At 26 years old, I had a health scare with cancer, and I started learning everything I could about nutrition, wellness, and healing. I became vegan overnight and continued to teach and take yoga regularly. After I became a mom, I found it difficult to attend classes, so I started using home fitness programs to work out and get back into shape as a busy mom. I fell in love with the online accountability groups that I was a part of and decided to start online fitness coaching. It felt like a natural progression in my journey, and I have been doing that for the past seven years.
What certification did you choose, and why did you choose AFPA?
I have a few different certifications from AFPA, but my first was the Holistic Nutrition certification. As a fitness coach, I wanted to further my knowledge about how to help clients and increase my knowledge of nutrition. I LOVED the program so much and learned a lot. I also have my Autoimmune and Gut Health Nutrition Certification, Plant-based Sports Nutrition Certification, and The Science of Eating the Rainbow Certification. I chose AFPA because it was affordable and credible and past students had a great experience! I also love that it is online and easy to access, learn, and complete as a very busy mom!
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What was your career like prior to becoming certified?
Prior to getting certified in Nutrition, I was only able to help people as a fitness coach virtually, and while that was great, I wanted to diversify my expertise and experience and be able to help people with nutrition! I knew from experience that nutrition is the key to healing the body and to living a fully healthy life, and I wanted to be able to help people in that way. Getting certified gave me the tools and confidence to expand my business and help more people.
What is your career like now?
Now my career is thriving as an online fitness coach and holistic nutritionist. I love what I do, and I feel like each year I am able to build my coaching business and wellness brand and help more people. I love learning and sharing knowledge and encouraging people to live healthy lifestyles. As a busy mom of two boys, staying healthy and helping others become healthy is very important to me! The future of my career as a nutritionist and wellness coach feels very bright and busy!
What are your favorite parts of your career?
My favorite parts of my career are coaching and helping people figure out how to eat better, make time for movement, and feel better! I love running my online wellness boot camps, making meal plans, and creating content for social media that educates and entertains! I love seeing my clients have success and shine bright in their health and life.
How has becoming certified with AFPA impacted your life?
Becoming certified with AFPA has impacted my life in so many ways. It gave me another way to earn money as a wellness professional. I was able to go from teaching yoga classes to leading virtual wellness boot camps and coaching people 1-1 and in a group setting. I feel like AFPA makes learning about nutrition and becoming the best fitness and health professional more accessible to busy people. It gave me the confidence to build my dream business!
Do you have any client success stories you would like to share?
I had a client come to me during the pandemic who was struggling with her nutrition and mindset and was wanting to get pregnant. We worked together for a month with 1-1 calls and meal plans and wellness coaching, and in a few months, she got pregnant and now has a baby girl!! That was a memorable success!
What advice do you give others thinking about becoming certified?
The money and time you will invest into your own knowledge and experience will be invaluable! Don’t let the fear of building a coaching business stop you from taking the first step and becoming a student of health and fitness first! I promise you that you will make a positive difference in someone’s life with your certification—even if it’s just you or your family member! Knowledge is power! I highly recommend getting certified!
To connect with Megan, follow her on Instagram for more information or visit her website to learn more.
