IAM003 – Health Coach Empowers People with Resources to Live a Healthy Gluten Free Life

Connie works closely with women newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance and other food allergies. She empowers them with coaching, resources, and support through a step by step process to help them feel less overwhelmed and back on their way to healthy and thriving. Her goal is to work with women in switching to a true gluten-free lifestyle with ease through developing healthy, and sustainable habits. Connie is a women’s empowerment leader, speaker, author and self-love expert. The founder of GlutenandFoodAllergySpecialist.com. She turned her own diagnosis of gluten intolerance, food allergies, thyroid,and celiac disease around by shifting to a true gluten-free lifestyle. “With 15+ year of varied experience, her life’s mission is to empower women in shifting to a true gluten-free lifestyle”

• CEO Hack: Exercise, meditation and coaching/support
• CEO Nugget: You know what the next step is if you tap into yourself and trust yourself
• CEO Defined: Tapping into intuition and how things make you feel aka a Heartfelt CEO

Instagram: @glutenandfoodallergyspecialist
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GlutenandFoodAllergySpecialist
Website: glutenandfoodallergyspecialist.com/

Transcription

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Outro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I am CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I have a special guest on the show today. I have Connie Curtis, from glutenandfoodallergyspecialist.com. It's awesome to have you here, Connie.

Connie Curtis 0:43

It's awesome to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:45

Great, great, great. Well, what I wanted to do was just give kind of a short introduction of Connie so you can learn a little bit more about like who she is, what she's done, and all the great things that she's accomplished. So Connie works closely with women newly diagnosed with gluten intolerance and other food allergies. She empowers them with coaching resources and support through a step-by-step process to help them feel less overwhelmed and back on their way to become healthy and thriving. Her goal is to work with women in switching to a true gluten-free lifestyle with ease through developing healthy and sustainable habits. Connie is a women's empowerment leader, speaker, author, and self-love expert, the founder of glutenandfoodallergyspecialist.com, she turned her own diagnosis of gluten intolerance, food allergies, thyroid, and celiac disease around by shifting to a true gluten-free lifestyle.

With over 15 years of varied experience, her life's mission is to empower women and shift to a true gluten-free lifestyle. Thank you so much again Connie for being here. But I wanted to give you the floor to see if there's anything additional you wanted to kind of tell us about your CEO story that we didn't kind of touch on in the intro.

[restrict paid=”true”]

Connie Curtis 2:00

Really, the thing that inspired me to start this business was like through my own journey like it. There's just so much information out there and a lot of it's incorrect. And taking the food out was a big piece of it for me as learning the day-to-day steps. But you know, also getting the right medical professional that knows what they're doing so and one thing I might just add is a little thing that my viewpoints a little different on it. And then what we've been told. Most of us have been told about like what I refer to as the traditional gluten free diet, which is taking out wheat, barley and rye. And that's not actually eating completely gluten-free. To eat actually completely gluten free is taking all grains out which a lot of people know as paleo. But what I encounter a lot of times and I can relate to it totally is women and other people just totally freak out like we've had it so ingrained in our head that we have to have grains in our diet to be healthy, which isn't true because it's not healthy for all of us and how a lot of them are being sourced now it's not healthy for any of us. So I'm a real big advocate around eating completely gluten free, but also eating healthy, organic and non GMO if that's possible for people.

So the only way I finally got healthy was by taking all the grains out. And it really blew my mind when I found out that you know, all grains had gluten. And that's not what we've been told so but that is one of the big things that made a huge difference for me, and finally getting healthy, some real stand for that and to educate people around it. Yeah, so that they can get healthy and live their life again. This can have a bigger impact than a lot of people think like it just doesn't make you sick. A lot of times, you know people have acute reactions when people hear about it all the time. But even for people that don't have it, the long-term effects can lead to things a lot, you know, that aren't great for your body like autoimmune diseases in you know, I would say anything that causes inflammation causes cancers, what I've learned a lot from, you know, health care professionals that I trust so, and we do have an epidemic of a lot of diseases in our communities now.

Gresham Harkless 4:14

Interesting, interesting. Well, obviously, it sucks that you had to go through that to develop your business. But I truly appreciate you being able to kind of see something or see that there's an issue and to create a solution for it to help out not only yourself, but a lot of other people that might have to deal with those specific diseases. So what products or services do you do to kind of help people out with it?

Connie Curtis 4:37

So I have to offer a couple of different ones for people to get started in you know where they're comfortable. So I have a book and I also offer coaching services. And I have a course you know that people can do on their own. So I have three different levels right now. And as everyone else you I'm working to expand the services and you know, other ways that I can reach more women and more people around this.

Gresham Harkless 5:07

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And I guess what do you feel like some of the things that make you unique as a as a CEO or as a business owner, your organization?

Connie Curtis 5:14

Well, I would say one of the things that makes me unique is my viewpoint on what's eating completely gluten free, because there's two different points of view mine. People that have this way. And then people say it's just wheat, barley, and rye. So I would say that definitely makes me unique. I have gotten haters over that. Say how my knee, my perspective is very unique in that I don't feel like I'm deprived or, have a lack of food to eat now. I feel like I eat better than I did before. And a bonus point, I don't get sick anymore. Because not great when you're eating something, even if you know, I have a lot of women and, and men some two that come to me. But you know, they talk about like, they feel they're deprived, because they can't eat that old food. But usually, there are ways you can sort of make something pretty similar to it. Because it's food is taste and texture. Woody Harrelson said that on a summit once is stuck with me, you know, and really, if you get some to that taste and texture that's really similar. Like, it's not that big a deal. I mean, our heads can make it a really big deal really is what you know, comes up.

So I really and the other thing that I really take a perspective, and this is not how you market yourself, because a lot of people don't get it up front, right, but a lot of light shifting to a new weight Ed they're doing really anything else new is like really working on the mindset about it. I know personally, I had to work through a lot of my own stories around eating and self-worth, self-care, and things like that. What probably a lot of people don't realize and I think is starting to become more awareness now is that those things do affect you taking care of yourself from what you eat to exercising, no to really anything we do. Right? So. And how you need to is like I see everything very connected, like our health, to the planet's health to, you know, the food source and like it's all connected. And like when you start shifting one area, usually it's just other areas.

Gresham Harkless 7:25

One of the next things I wanted to ask was just because we're on the I AM CEO podcast is just what CEO hack Do you have. And this could be like a book or an app or something that you use on maybe like a daily basis, that you feel helps you to kind of be successful as an entrepreneur or business owner.

Connie Curtis 7:41

You know, honestly, I would say the two things that really are like I just my day doesn't go and flow if I don't do these are exercising and meditation. Yeah, because they both exercising help you tap into how you're feeling and meditation really helps me tap into like, you know, taking actions, but just not taking those busy actions. Because a lot of things you'll do, I remember, before I started doing this, like, you'll just do those, you know, I don't know, it's posted all day, you know, do these things trying to connect people and in the beginning, you know, you may need to do that, but you, the more aware you can become of actions that are really beneficial to people and just, you know, I also find that helps me really tapping in myself and just being authentic about it.

Whereas before, sometimes if you're not relaxed and just into you go so into your head, you're trying to copy what other people are doing and you're not being yourself. So you're not really putting your true gifts out there for your people to find you or hear you. So those are my really my to-go twos. And the other thing I would say too is like, really, you know, I don't have a coach right now. But I've had a coach, like a big piece of my entrepreneur time. You know, because that's really, I've had to work on my mindset for my business, which most entrepreneurs know because if you don't use a stuck in this, I don't know, never Neverland or the rabbit hole and you can't get out of it again, because you don't have the support or anything around that.

So I would say and just really good support like online and offline, like this type of friends that you can go to like, and usually they're entrepreneurs because we have that commonality and we've all had to dig to a point in ourselves to get here or wherever you're at in your journey, right? So you know, you need those people that are going to lift you up and like share their opinions and vice but you know, that you can choose you know, it helps you find your own way. And those friends that give you a kick in the ass and the coach too, because you really do need that sometimes with the love of course but.

Gresham Harkless 10:01

We hope so. So we also know that those are all you know, great things they kind of keep in mind, you know, just to kind of help you be successful. So I wanted to ask you if you could provide maybe a CEO nugget, which might be a good kick in the ass. A big piece of advice that we can get, so that we can be better CEOs, entrepreneurs and business owners.

Connie Curtis 10:22

The biggest piece of advice I can give anyone out there, whether you're starting, your midway, or if you're away, is just a reminder that like, you know, you don't need someone to tell you the next step to do necessarily, like people may suggest things and coach, a really good coach will suggest something support you in that, but not tell you necessarily, right. Because you really do know, when you tap into yourself what the next step is for you and your business. I know, we all think, you know, in the beginning, I said that it sounds so corny, right? But it really is true, like, and once you really start doing that, things become a lot easier.

Like, you know, even in situations, you don't know how the hell you're gonna like what you're gonna do, like, you know, if you're gonna fall on your face, or like, you know, other things, like we have these things about, like the fear of running out of money. You know, I don't know, any game at a thing, right? Like, if you really tap into yourself, and like how people around you, but they know that you know, so like, and when you really start falling yourself things start falling into place like you can sort of look backwards and go, the little steps take you somewhere, right? And so that you go, which says, Oh, you had to know all these different steps before you could go jump, right? Yeah, so that would be my biggest advice, I would say, and learning to really trust yourself on those. I think that's the biggest thing for most people is really trusting yourself. And so I think that's a big part of being authentic, and trusting yourself.

Gresham Harkless 11:55

So let me ask you, then, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Connie Curtis 11:59

I think about what type of CEO I am like, I really started tapping into my passion and just following my intuition around it. Like, that's really started and really tapping into how things make me feel. Yeah, it's one of those things people say it's corny, but it's so true. Like, if you feel like you're successful, and you feel like, you know, I don't know, you're taking actions and it doesn't just mean in your business, right? Because one thing, one valuable thing I've learned is that not just one, but like, you know, it's not just your business life, your life, it's all formed together. And like a lot of people try and keep it all separate, but you really can't like if you try and keep it separate, doesn't flow. So, you know, the more fun and more joyful things you have. And that can be in your business, but outside your business to all affects your business and your life, how it's gonna go.

So I would call myself a heartfelt CEO now, like, I wouldn't have before but yeah, definitely following your heart, your passion, like to serve whoever your tribe is and finding them that's like, really what lights me up and, and the thing that really just lights me up, even more, is like, you know, like, I know, it's more than about food with people, for me with people. And when you start seeing that shift, like, can you imagine what our world would be like, I'm gonna start crying now. That's what really lights me up. And I learned that like when I was telling my coach one day, like, like, how we all are changing the world, and I can see it now even though things are messy, like the whole, you know, our government and things like that, you know, but like, if you focus on what you're doing like it really starts things to shift and I can see and feel things shifting, and that's another one of my gifts as my coach I've learned to really own is like, you know. You may think your your ripples, but they really become big. And I can say that like just from personal relationships as shifted, like things around my family have shifted and my business so like it's all interconnected.

Gresham Harkless 14:10

I love that definition. The heartfelt CEO, Connie I'm super appreciative for you taking some time out of your schedule to kind of speak with us. What I wanted to do was try to give you the floor to see if there's anything additional that you wanted to kind of tell our readers and our listeners, and secondly, just how people can kind of get a hold of you.

Connie Curtis 14:27

I know so many people say oh, there's no way I can be allergic to gluten or anything else but like if you just have these consider the normal like bloating, the foggy-headedness, the stress, and things like you know, or just not feeling like quiet let yourself sometimes like after eating or you know, it could be even like not right after eating just in general not feeling quite yourself. Don't blow it off, because I blew it off for years. So don't blow off things that just you know, we seem to say that in our normals society that you feel like this because of stress or whatever it is right that you hear over and over or depression, you know, a lot of symptoms that we all consider, well, that is considered normal out that we've color normal are not necessarily normal. There are ways our bodies are trying to tell us, hey, I need some help here.

Gresham Harkless 15:27

So I'm Connie, I'm super appreciative of everything that you've given to us. What's the best way for people to kind of get a hold of you?

Connie Curtis 15:35

Um, one of the best ways probably to get a hold of me is either through Facebook Messenger, and that's glutenandfoodallergyspecialist.com is my business page. And one of the places I really hang out on the most is probably Instagram, though, and that's glutenandfoodallergyspecialist.com. Besides my website, you can contact me there through Connie@glutenandfoodhouses.com

Gresham Harkless 16:01

Awesome, awesome, awesome. We'll have those links down in the show notes just in case anybody wants to follow up. Connie, thank you so much again for being awesome. And I truly appreciate everything you're doing.

Connie Curtis 16:11

Thank you so much for having me on. This is a lot of fun.

Outro 16:15

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO o podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I am CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless Thank you for listening

[/restrict]