Holistic Health Coach Meghan Swidler on Escaping Corporate & Turning Her Dreams Into REALITY

Hey everyone, welcome back to the arena. I'm MD joined here by Kobe and once again a really special guest that we can't wait to get into. Before that, love and appreciation to those that continue to follow.

What's going on guys? We have another guest here, another LA based guest. I feel like that's become a very common theme which tells me that I should be in la, not here. But in any event, we have Megan Swidler with us today. She is a holistic health coach, she is an author and she's a sought after speaker for Fortune 500 companies as well as top platforms. So. But I will pass it to Megan to the expert herself to provide an overview on kind of just who is Megan Swidler and how you got to where you are today.

Thank you so so much. Thanks so much for having me too. I'm so excited to be on today. And yeah, I'm Megan, also known as that plant based on Instagram. And yeah, I'm a holistic health and detoxification expert. I focus my practice on gut hormone skin health, cleansing and detoxification and cellular regeneration. So really allowing my clients to heal and regenerate from within. I work with men and women in my private practice and yeah, I'm the author of from within which is a book focused on gut health. It's right behind me in there, you can see. And I just finished writing my second book on cleansing and detoxification that's going to be launching in January which I'm very excited about. And yeah, I post a lot of content on LinkedIn and Instagram. And yeah, that's kind of the summary of me and what I do in terms of how I got to where I am. Well, it was a very non traditional path which hopefully a lot of people can resonate with. I was in, I went to Cornell in upstate New York and I was definitely a self proclaimed overachiever, very driven, had kind of painted the path for myself like going to Silicon Valley to work in tech, going to get my MBA at either Harvard or Stanford and then wanted to work in venture capital. And I had told myself like that was, that was my path and I had made that very crystal clear in my brain. And I had a lot of pressure around me like unknowingly I think like through, you know, parents and people in my community and my network, I feel like I had a lot of pressure to live up to certain people's expectations of me. And so I did go to Silicon Valley. I worked for a hypergrowth text venture backed hypergrowth tech startup, lived in San Francisco and New York, was really in that kind of hustle culture, working really hard, going out a bunch, traveling a bunch for work. And at the same time, when I graduated from college, I saw him, naturopath, who changed my life at the age of 2021. And I had gut hormone skin issues, you know, the whole gamut of issues. And he really kind of transformed my life. And I really set out to transform my life and really dug into holistic health and healing at that time. And over the years I just continued to read like books, go to listen to podcasts, go to events and really absorb any information that I could to, to excel that kind of part of my life. But I sort of pushed it to the side as like, oh, I can't do this as a profession. Because I had told myself, like, you're going to work for this hyper growth tech startup, you're going to go get your MBA and then you're going to go work in venture capital. I quit a. I quit the hyper growth tech startup in, in December 2020 and because I got that my dream venture capital, good job on paper. And I was like, wow, I don't have to go get my mba. I got the job that, you know, the MBA grads are applying for. And so I just skip that part. And I started that job and I felt this deep emptiness and sorrow and kind of despair and sadness and I was like, wow, I hit this milestone, like, why don't I feel good about it? And so, you know, long story short, I went through a little bit of an awakening and realized that I was living for everyone else's expectations of me and I wasn't living for myself. And so when I really kind of took a step back and tuned into what do I want to do? Like what legacy do I want to leave in the world? What impact do I want to make? It was just, it was just became so crystal clear, like wasn't even, it didn't even have to, you know, debate it. So I woke up the next day and quit that venture capital job without a plan of at all. I didn't, I didn't like work part time and do this stuff on the side. I literally just woke up and quit and started, went back to school and the rest is history. And that was probably, that was only. Yeah, that was like two, two years ago or two and a half years ago.

Now there's so much to unpack there. I don't know where I want to start. I guess I wrote a couple things down from what you said in one part is I just would love. And it sounded like you'd mentioned parents and maybe friends, but where did that original, like, dream path come from? And at what point did you kind of realize to what she had mentioned, like, I'm living for everyone other than myself. And then the other thing I'd like you to kind of elaborate on, because I think it's really important, as you mentioned, really tuning into yourself and figuring out, like, who really is Megan at her core. And I would just love for you to elaborate on, like, what that looked like. How are you able to do that? That kind of led to that quote unquote awakening?

Yeah, good question. So, yeah, I feel like, you know, just the environment I was. I was kind of, you know, the. The star child. I had already always been like the straight A student, the lead of the school play, like the captain of sports teams. And, um, I feel like as a child I was ingrained to think that I have to perform to be loved as a very young child. And so that just like, that was like the narrative in my head without me even realizing it. It was fully subconscious. And so when I became an adult, it was like, oh, you have to prove yourself to be loved. And going to an Ivy League school and having, you know, parent, one parent specifically, who unknowingly put a little, you know, put pressure on me without really realizing it. And just the environment that I was in where everyone was, like, getting corporate jobs and, you know, going to work in tech or finance or consulting or trying to go study to go back to business school. I'd created this narrative in my head that I think, you know, I don't think I realized it at the time, but in order to be loved or accepted, I have to follow this path. And so it was like, what's the best thing that I could do? It's like, work for a hypergrowth tech startup. It's work in venture capital. It's, you know, go. Go get my MBA at another Ivy League school. And so I just kind of, given that I'm such a planner and I'm so organized and I like to kind of make the unknown known. I just created this path for myself in my head and like, told myself that was kind of the path that I would follow and. And, yeah, the awakening that I had, yeah, I think it stemmed from me feeling again, that emptiness. So I started this job, which on paper was this, like, dream job. I think, like 500, 600 people applied and a lot of MBA grads. And so it Was like really for me at that time was a huge accomplishment because I had skipped the MBA step and got into that job. And the awakening really started from me feeling deeply unhappy and unfulfilled and kind of digging into why. And I actually had a very transformational coaching session with like a fear based coach. And he really, the net of that conversation was realizing I was living for one of my parents expectations of me instead of living for myself. And really that fear, like, fear, you know, usually we feel, you know, we feel fear around these leaps and we, we go the other direction, right, because we want to move away from fear. We don't want to feel fear. But he really taught me that fear should be the compass, discomfort should be the compass. So, you know, all those feelings I start to realize, like, oh, I'm. This is actually bringing me to where I want to go. And so, you know, that session really unlocked a lot for me. And then I had sit down conversations with one of my parents and you know, a few people in my life that I felt like unknowingly put a lot of pressure on me and realized through all of those conversations that they just wanted me to be happy. And they were so apologetic that they had put pressure on me and didn't want to put pressure on me and really just wanted me to be happy and fulfilled in my life. And when I realized that and I realized that I could just be loved for being me and they would accept me no matter what I did, it made it very easy for me to take the leap because it's always what I deeply wanted to do. I just never listened to it. I would like put, I would, you know, that inner voice that comes up and then you're like, like, oh, I want to. Maybe I should do a health coaching. You know, maybe I should do a program. I would be like, I'd push it to the side, I'd push it to the side. But the voice just kept getting louder and louder and louder. And at a certain point it was so blatantly obvious that I just had to listen to that. And I think, you know, having these conversations with people in my life that I felt like were putting pressure on me unknowingly, really allowed for that to happen because I realized in that moment that I didn't need to perform, I didn't need to work in tech or venture capital to be loved. Like I was just going to be loved for who I was. And they just wanted me to be happy at the end of the day. So yeah, it just, I just woke up and quit. Basically. There's.

There's a point I want to make before you. I assume you have a question. I do, but go ahead because I think it's a really important point and it's something that I'm experiencing as well, and I think it's very empowering, at least for me. But it's just around, like, I think it's really important to understand that especially with, like, parents and loved ones, they always. They want what's best for you. They just always don't know what's actually best for you. And in. That can look differently in all scenarios, but on paper it might look like. Or for an example, like, it might look like someone being like, what the heck are you doing, Megan? Like, you're leaving X salary to do what? And that's really out of that own individual sphere for you and protection for yourself. And then I think it. What it sounds like is once you have this conversation and you kind of open their eyes like, oh, okay, we've always wanted, like, what's best for you. We love you. It's just, I think oftentimes we just. People don't know what's best for, for us unless we, unless we share it, unless we're open about it.

Totally. And I think just generally, generationally, we were in different times, right? Like, our parents, you know, worked at one company for a long period of time and they didn't have, like, the creator led, sort of solopreneur entrepreneur model at that time. They didn't have social media. And so, like, I think there's part of it that was like, you know, there's a disconnect. Like they don't, they think oftentimes like, oh, you have to work a 9 to 5 job and with a stable income to, like, be successful. When in reality, in our world today, in 2023, going into 2024, you can be a solopreneur with any type of business, right? You could through social media, through courses, through books, through podcasts, through ebooks. And I think there was like a disconnect there where, like, I could see that vision for myself. But as you just said, you know, our parents just want what's best for us. And what they think is best for us is that stability and security of a 9 to 5 job with a stable paycheck and, and that kind of thing. So I think there's a bit of a. Yeah, a disconnect there. But now that I've, like, you know, now that I'm two years in, I think, you know, People around me understand it a little bit better.

Yeah, we always put a lot of pressure on like the older generation, you know, we can get pretty upset with like oh, they don't understand and they, you know, they don't get the Solopreneur model, etc. We also have a responsibility though to have empathy for where they're coming from and understanding that like just having a simple conversation, communication solved a lot of problems there. And ultimately what you found is that you want the same thing for yourself that your parents wanted for you. It's just a different vision as to how we're going to get there. So good on you and good on that coach and quite the transformation. I'm really excited about that. I'm curious though, in that transformation, talking about new and current, Megan, do you still consider yourself, because I know you mentioned self proclaimed overachiever early on, I'm just curious, do you still consider yourself an overachiever and also what other qualities of yourself did you find were actually innate to you that you carried with you from old state to new transform, transfer formed state? Megan?

Yeah, yeah, I definitely have gone through a big transformation. I've since I, you know, since I made took that leap of faith in the early, you know, early 2021, it's now the end of 2023, so two and a half years ago. I've done a lot of personal growth and self development work, whether it be, you know, having multiple different coaches, both life and business, going to do the Hoffman process in Northern California, studying Kabbalah. Kabbalah 1, Kabbalah 2, with, with a bunch of friends which has brought me into a whole other spiritual realm. And I've done every single personality test you can imagine, Human design, astrology, Myers Briggs, like I've done it all in the past two and a half years. So I've definitely transformed quite a bit. But as you just said, there are innate parts of me that I've, I've carried forward into the new me. I think it's just the way that I go about it. When I was in the corporate world I, you know, I've always been like a leader. I've always been an overachiever. I've always wanted excellence in every single area of my life since I was a very little kid and, but I think when I was in the corporate world and when I was misaligned, it led to very reactive behaviors, right? Like when everyone has like a good side which is their true essence, their true spiritual self and then sort of these reactive patterns that come up. And so at that time, that kind of the old me would be like, you know, like, speak before thinking or like, interrupt people or be bossy or authoritative. And it, you know, it didn't come off really well in a lot of situations, even though I had the best intent. And through a lot of the growth and transformation that I've done, especially in being a coach where I need to hold space for others, I've learned that there's just power in my presence and that I can lead with influence instead of authority and I can just, you know, listen more and observe more and speak, speak when it's applicable. And that has actually just allowed me to be a better leader. So the core qualities are still there, but the way in which maybe I deliver them are very different. And that's a result of all the work, the inner work that I've done and really developing awareness of my patterns and how to work through them and how to transform them into more positive behaviors. And yeah, I really, you know, encourage everyone who feels lost or confused to, you know, turn that back inward and do a, do work on yourself. Because the second you really dig into yourself and really shed through, you know, shed those negative patterns and step into your true essence, that's when like all the abundance comes.

I gotta say, I'm, I'm extremely impressed, Megan, just. But I want to touch on. You mentioned fear earlier and you had a fear based coach, which is really interesting to me and I would love. And anytime we talk about fear, anytime it gets brought up on this podcast, I, I'd love to at least chat about it for a little bit because I think it can be so telling about who we are as people. And so I would love to just hear you elaborate on your relationship with fear and like, how has it evolved over time? How did you look at it before for, you know, maybe in the corporate world, old Megan versus, you know, new Megan and how she, how her relationship with fear looks now.

Yeah, I think I, like, you know, a few years ago I would feel, you know, I was a per, you know, I probably still am a perfectionist to some degree, but I was like, I really needed to know everything. And so everything that was unknown was fearful, like, was brought up a lot of fear for me and, or like doubt or worry and all of those feelings. And I think at that time I associated myself with those emotions and feelings. Like, you know, but now I see them as like two totally different things. Like there's the soul and the ego. And I feel like the ego is the, you Know the part of you that's trying to keep you safe in a box. And so the fear comes up, the doubt comes up, the worry comes up to keep you almost like paralyzed. But now I'm able to feel the fear and do it anyway, if that makes sense. Because it's like I am not the fear. The fear is separate from me and I can still feel the fear and see it, but I am able to identify it. I'm able to feel it in my body, I'm able to process it and then I'm able to then still move forward. Whereas a lot of people just get paralyzed by those emotions. And my old self would get paralyzed by those emotions and not take action. It's not that you shouldn't feel all those things because you will. And when you're an entrepreneur, like I feel like people think, oh, you take a leap and it's like roses and butterflies. Like no, you're gonna feel like no matter how long you're an entrepreneur, like whether it's a year or 10 years or 20 years, you're gonna feel the fear, you're going to feel the doubt, you're going to feel the worry. As you kind of go through like say if you, as you take it to the next level, you will continue to feel new fear and discomfort. But it's just a matter of identifying it for what it is and moving through it and then still moving forward.

And then how important or how big of a role has coaching played in your life? Because I think it's, it's a really interesting and I think a really powerful industry that a lot of people just don't know about. And of course we have therapy, which is such a powerful tool. You know, backwards looking. Why are we the way we are? I mean you mentioned not feeling or feeling like you have to perform to be lovable. Like I'm assuming that came from, that stemmed from when you were a young child and like, you know, in terms of when you were given affection and attention and therapy is a great, great tool for that. But I'm just curious, like you mentioned having a business coach, a life coach, you know, fear based coach. What is coaching done for you?

Yeah, so I think, I don't know if you're familiar with the Hoffman process. It's probably one of the most transformational programs and that's really, I think it's a seven day sort of digital detox where they equate it to like eight or nine years of therapy. So that's where I really unraveled all Those you really kind of understand like why your negative patterns like come from the way that you were raised or the love that you received or didn't receive as a child or how you receive love. And that's a lot of like therapy work or like inner child work, which I think is really, really powerful in its own right. And so I think there's a place for that in everyone's life. And I think on the flip side, coaching has been really helpful for me to, to yeah, like take steps forward, I think with my business. You know, having a business coach for example, really allowed me to like see things differently with respect to my business and evolve my business in a certain way that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. And I think coaching is generally more forward thinking so versus kind of therapy is more retroactive. Looking at your childhood, looking at your past, I think coaching really allows you to take steps forward and to get support and accountability from someone else. So especially when you're in entrepreneur solopreneur and you don't have anyone holding you accountable, I think coaching can be really powerful because you have someone there who can, you know, regardless of, you know what, whatever type of coaching you feel like you need, you can have someone there to really support you in taking steps forward, which I think is super helpful. I'm a pretty self motivated, disciplined person. So when it comes to like health and wellness and well being and life stuff, I'm very like disciplined with my health and all these things. So I definitely didn't need a coach in that realm. But I think from a business standpoint it's been really helpful for me to have coaches. And then I think even group containers can be even more powerful in a different way because you have other people that are going through the same journey as you, maybe in a different way, but you're able to build connections with other people that are on the same journey. Journey and share, you know, share experiences, be vulnerable and learn from others around you as well. So I think one on one coaching is powerful in its own right. And then I think group coaching can also be powerful from a different respect because you have, you know, you can make friends and have people that are, that are alongside you through the journey.

Were you always open to the idea of coaching or did you try to do it yourself at first and then did you have to develop the humility the hard way? Like how did you end up seeking coaching for business?

Yeah, I think it was like I, you know, I had, you know, I'd only really done, I had only really Been in therapy, like, you know, when my parents just, just in moments of like crisis, you know. So like if I went one time I went through a breakup or yeah, my parents got divorced when I was like in my mid, I was like 14, 15, I went to therapy. But like I never really done any like self development work as a child. I really just had therapy in times of crisis, which I don't think is super helpful. It's helpful in those moments, but it's not helpful in the long term. But yeah, I think coaching really came about like once I had that one session with that coach that just really like opened the floodgates for me. And I think I'm. Because I am the type of person that just wants to continue to better myself. I just like went into like a rabbit hole of like human design, astrology, enneagram coaching. Like I'm, I'm that type of person that just wants to spend like all of my extra money investing in myself. So. And then also I think being in la, being in Venice, like being in my community that I'm in, I'm surrounded by people who are just motivated and on that same, you know, spiritual path to just reconnect with themselves, to better themselves, to improve themselves, to get feedback from others. And so I think because that's the community that I've surrounded myself with, it makes it especially easy to like really focus and dive in on that because that's what everyone around me prioritizes.

So I want to pivot into more of like the food topic because. And a lot of why I was excited to have the conversation with you is because I started to take more notice of like this idea of having a relationship with food. And it's a large part of your business and what you talk about,

you

know, it's just something I've been observing where you can tell quite a bit about somebody by their relationship with food and their behaviors with it. Some people are more wasteful with others that might be indicative of like financial background. Um, some people exercise more gluttony, right? And that might be indicative of maybe they need some, some self healing, right. Et cetera, et cetera. I'm just curious, like, let's go back through your story a little bit. In your transformation, how did your relationship with food evolve along with that?

Really, really good question. And you're so right. Just before I answer that question, like there's, you know, there's food, there's like what you eat and then there's the relation, your relationship with food, which is a Whole other thing, right. So I find in my practice, I think a lot of people come to me knowing, you know, partially like what they need to eat. It's not rocket science, like eat more whole unprocessed foods, minimize crowd, you know, crowd out processed, refined foods and all that jazz. But I think where people really struggle is their relationship with food. Food. And I think, you know, what I have people do in this realm is really look at the rest of their life. So like what imbalances do they have in other areas of their life? And then what needs are they not meeting and that they're replacing through the comfort of food? So it could be intimacy, it could be self love, it could be sleep, it could be career alignment, it could be a nurturing relationship, it could be family, friends, it could be every, anything, right? But really having people really unravel like where, like where the lack is in their life helps them identify like why they might have an imbalanced relationship with food. So it's interesting you asked the question because. Yeah, when I started my health journey and I was in the corporate world, my life was, I was, you know, starting to be health. I was diving into the cleansing sort of lifestyle and you know, really digging into all these alternative modalities of healing. And I was super like strict. I was like really like raw, vegan, super intense. Like wouldn't really had a lot of stress going out for dinner with friends and would eat before and not eat at a restaurant. Like I. There was so much stress around my relationship with food. It's like I was healthy on paper, like I was eating, you know, only whole foods. But my relationship with food suffered tremendously and created a lot of stress in my life. And what I've seen over the years, moving to la, finding alignment in my career, my community, my home environment, my spirituality, my creativity, my social life. Finding balance in all those areas and having my needs met in all those areas has unlocked a freedom with food that I think everyone really wants, which is of course I'm very healthy, but I really preach an 8020 lifestyle. So eat, you know, 80% whole foods and leave room for freedom and flexibility 20% of the time, whatever that means to you. So like I'm plant based, I eat animal protein, a little bit like fish here and there. But like when I go out to dinner, I'm not like freaking out if there's sugar in something or gluten or dairy, I don't eat those foods. But like when I go out to a meal or have a birthday cake, I'M not like freaking out about it because I know overall I'm still going to feel good. And that's kind of the journey that I bring my clients through. Like once we resolve their physical symptoms, it's getting to a place of being able to adopt that 8020 lifestyle, which is more sustainable in the long term. I think a lot of people come to me alternating between binge and restriction. So like during the week they're like super crazy healthy and on the weekend they drink and binge eat and then feel like shit on Sunday and do it all over again. And that's just really toxic. Both like, it's just, it's actually really bad for the body physically as well. Like the expansion and contraction of cells is like really harmful to go through that. Yo, yo. But it's also just bad for your well being. So you know, I try to bring people through that journey to get to the other side and I think I can really empathize and relate having been through it myself. And yeah, I think, you know, we can all, we can always help the best when we've gone through the experience ourselves. So. So yeah, and happy to answer any more questions you have about that.

No, yeah, I mean I think that's, it's something that we've, we've had forever in our lives which is this relationship with food. It's just not something that you learn about at all until I mean now in my late 20s where it's like what do you mean relationship with food? Right. And then you start to think about like there's the body positivity and like don't shame people for their, you know, their eating habits. But so I guess like how do you describe what an actual relationship with food is like from a definition standpoint?

Relationship with food from a definition standpoint. That's a really good question. Trying to figure this how I'm going to answer this question. I feel like, I feel like a relationship with food is, is really like. Yeah, your ex, your experience with food to put simply, like in a, in a day, in a day to day. Right. Like do you. There's kind of two ways of looking at it. I feel like oftentimes, you know, a lot of people in the world have a relationship with food that comes from a place of like lack and a lot of like restriction, deprivation, calorie counting, macro, macro counting. That's a very like imbalance and lack relationship with food. And we all want to get to a place of being. Having it come from more of a place of abundance. Right. Food is a. Our bodies. You know, your body is your home and you need to take care of it. And I think food should really be seen as a source of nourishment for the body. The body is like the vessel that we want to support for the rest of our lives. And so it's really about, you know, it's that experience with food and how you see food. And I think for most people it's getting from a, like getting from a place of lack and getting to a place of abundance and looking at it as fuel, nourishment, support for the body for what's kind of like carrying us forward.

Yeah, I mean, I'm like doing some reflecting as you're speaking. You know, I think about my relationship with, with food and it was definitely more previously like exactly what you just described, which is I would eat so clean on the week, during the week, and I would use it as a means to justify my actions on the weekend where I eat whatever I want, drink as much as I want, and, and then I would, there would be shame around that. And now I think about how it's evolved in really living more of that, you know, living more of a balanced and eating more of a balanced diet and you just, just not feeling like I have to be so super clean during the week and if, and then also not. Well now my relationship with, with alcohol and, and just I think actually to your point, as I'm thinking out loud. So forgive, forgive me for the jumbled thoughts, but as I've really embraced who I am and loved myself more, I don't feel the need to like, like binge eat and just like stuff my face with everything that, you know, tastes good. Because I, I love myself. Like I don't. I view food more as like a way to nourish yourself.

Yeah, that's what I was just gonna. I was. It's so funny that you said that. I was just gonna add like I. What I see is a relationship with food has a direct correlation with your relationship with yourself. So when you love yourself, your entire being, like physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and you really care about your body, which is again the home. I like to say your body is your home that you have for the rest of your life. Just like you change the oil on your car and you deep clean your house, if you're pouring trash into your body, that just is a sign that you don't really love yourself. And I think when you do love yourself, which is what you said, you really deeply feel that you have self love. And self worth and self confidence. You want to nourish that vessel in the right way. And of course, maybe it's eating a donut or a piece of pizza or pasta, because that's going to make you happy and fulfilled in that given moment. But it's not coming from that, like, negative place of like, oh, I restricted all week, so I'm going to go binge on all this food, which is very much like a different way of looking at it. So again, I think it's about kind of. And this applies to all areas of our life. Right. Getting out of a place of lack and into a place of abundance. And I think that's how I try to bring my clients through that journey when it comes to their relationship with food.

Yeah, I think that's. I think that's really smart. Like, let's get you. Where are you at mentally? Where you at spiritually? First you. And then let's address, like, the actual topic of food itself. I think that it's very, very, very smart. So I have. There's one thing you said in one of your Instagram. Yes, I did look through your Instagram, someone called not stalking research, and you said, which. Which I really align with this. But helping others is the only way to live a life of purpose and meaning. And I would love for you to just elaborate on that. My guess is that hasn't always been your view, you know, but I'm just curious where that comes from and what that means to you.

Yeah, so it's. So I'm so great. I mean, I'm so grateful. I just did an IG live like, two hours ago with a client of mine, and I, like, changed her life. And she was like, I want to do an IG live with you so everyone on your platform can hear, like, how you changed my life. And I'm just so grateful that I am in a place where that's my job, where I can help others through, like, my knowledge and my gifts and help others transform their lives. And it's something I always deeply wanted in the corporate world. I would always be like, oh, I like, I know I'm, like, making an impact, sort of, but I want to, like, help someone, you know, directly. And I never really felt that in the corporate world. So, yeah, I'm just taking a moment to be very grateful for being able to do that every day. But, yeah, I think, like, being of service and helping others is. And I don't know if you know Kabbalah, but I've been really deep into, like, my Spiritual practice with Kabbalah. So I'll probably use that lens is you're, you know, when, when you, there's like when you come from a giving place, which is giving without expecting anything in return, which is what you just said. Helping others like you are connecting more to the light and love in the world. And the more that you do that, the more that that comes back to you. So the more that you can embody love and light and abundance and come from a giving place, the more that that abundance will come back to you in all other areas of your life. And so for me, that's like what life is about. Like I think yeah, a lot of people try to. There's like I, I'm not sure if you've heard of this framework. It's like the do have be versus Be be do have. So a lot of people like think like I need to do all the things, like I need to work the corporate job, like get a promotion, like have the boyfriend do the thing so I can have success, wealth and then I'll be happy. But that it doesn't work that way. It's actually you need to embody the quality. So you need to be abundance, love, light, happy. And then you will do the things that are most aligned and then you will have all that abundance in the end. And so for me, that helping like get coming from a giving place and helping others each and every day and just embodying that love and light each and every day is what is going to allow for all that abundance to come into my life eventually. So that's why I think it's so important.

There's actually a really strong parallel with the concept in atomic habits, which is like a lot of people, they try to achieve a certain identity, but they focus on the behaviors associated with getting to that identity. But you just described in a different way was like you need to adopt that identity first as like a lifestyle almost. And that will take care of your behaviors and your habits 100%.

Like I think. And that's why I think like inner work and coaching and therapy and, and personality tests and Hoffman process and all of this stuff to like really like shed all the trauma and really get to your true self. Which is for everyone, like love, light, abundance, freedom to get to that place really unlocks like if you feel your best self and you're so authentic to who you are and you're coming from a giving place whenever you can, you will attract the right community, you will attract the right friends, you will attract the right job you will opportunities that you can't even imagine bond behind beyond your wildest dreams will come into your life in every single respect. And I think it should be easy. But for a lot of people, life is so hard. But when you actually just take a step back and do the inner work, life will feel easy. And that's how it should be.

The concept is simple. It's challenging to do. It requires a lot of honesty and courage. And I think it's easier to just look the other way and push out, push whatever it is you're struggling with down. But once you, once you do the work and again, it's never ending. Like, especially for someone like yourself who constantly invested in personal development, like the work is never ending. But once you kind of get the basic framework down of life and like a life of love and gratitude and all those things you mentioned, it's quite simple. It's just hard to take that, that initial step.

Yeah.

But once you commit yourself, at least for me, I'm speaking for my personal experience. But once you commit to that, that life, you'll never go back. Like I would never go back to living the life that I was living. Because it's so in. There's challenges in both ways. Like, it's challenging to suffer in silence and suffer in your head. It's also challenging to live the most authentic life for yourself. Like that, that requires vulnerability and courage and all these things that can be challenging at times. But I'd rather that, because I'm a much, much better and whole individual, that in that route.

Yes, I like, I like to say choose your hard so the hard can be upfront, which is doing the work now at a younger age. Or it's going to be 20 times harder down the line when you're completely misaligned at a late age and realize that you kind of missed the boat. And the same thing applies with your health. Right. Like, it's hard to eat healthy and to make choices and to bring food to an airport or to go to a different restaurant with healthier choices or to not binge eat, but it's a lot harder to suffer from illness down the line. And so it's like it applies to everything. It's not like it isn't hard. It is hard, but it's just a matter of, like, when you want it to be hard. Right. Like, I think for me, I'd much rather do the work now and live a life of, like, purpose and meaning and feel happy and fulfilled the rest of my life than wake up one day and be like, oh, my God, like, what just happened?

Yeah, I love this. Yeah. I mean, I want to go back to your gratitude for the way that you serve your clients. I want to share my own gratitude for what your business aims to accomplish. I think it's solving a very real problem, which is probably why it's successful. But I'm curious, you know, in your client facing experience for your business, what are some of the key challenges maybe at, like, a trend level that you're noticing with your clients, that you're helping them with? Like, what are some of the biggest obstacles to what Kobe alluded to that makes something in terms of a simple concept really hard to execute?

Would you say, like, just. Do you. Do you mean, like, physical challenges that people are experiencing or just like, challenges they. That people have kind of getting from point A to point B?

Yeah. Just in terms of, like, helping your clients get better, have you noticed, like, a trend in what is, like, a frequent problem or challenge that they're facing that you find that you're really helpful in helping them kind of grow out of?

Yeah, I mean, a lot of. A lot of my clients come to me with very acute, like, physical issues. Right. So as I mentioned before, a lot of gut issues with women, a lot of hormone imbalances, women going off the pill or wanting to go off the pill and really struggling through that experience. Skin issues, energy issues and so on and so forth, and I think. And then relationship with food. So we just talked about that. That's a huge, huge problem in today's world because we're just, you know, completely surrounded by diet culture. And again, this lack mindset around food that gets really, like, ingrained into someone's being. And so unraveling that is very difficult and challenging. And yeah, I think. I think the question. The question you asked was around kind of the biggest challenges. Like, I feel. I feel like clients really, you know, there's. There's. There's struggles along the way to get to the end goal. Like, when you're cleansing the vessel and the body and you're uplift, you're kind of unraveling all these, you know, all of this toxicity and acidity in the body and getting it out, there will be physical symptoms that come up. And so, like, a lot of people will feel resistance in that moment because they feel more pain or they get more acne or they feel worse for a temporary period. But I, like, always like to say the symptoms are the cure. Like, you have to feel the symptoms and you have to get rid of all the buildup in the body to get to the other side. And so there's oftentimes a lot of resistance there. And so that's kind of the biggest challenge that comes up. And I think I really have to, like, build trust so that they really. So that my clients really trust me and trust the process, even though it might be difficult in the moment, you

know, so maybe that's. Maybe that goes to what I'm about to ask, which I guess is a chance to. To brag, if you will, but. But it's not bragging, but, like, what. What. What is your gift? You mentioned you had, like, you wanted to share your gift. What. What is your gift, Megan?

Yeah, I think. I think from, like, a practitioner lens, just to get more specific. Like, a lot of practitioners focus on food and supplements, and, you know, if they have. People have skin issues, like, eat this, don't eat this, or take this supplement, don't take. The same with gut, same with hormone. And that's kind of the narrative that's in our world today. And then in Western medicine, it's even worse, where they're just prescribing medication. But the inputs are important, but the outputs are way more important. So my practice focuses a lot on cleansing. Cleansing colonics, enemas, liver cleansing, liver flushes, tons of things, to really get the toxicity and acidity out of the way and really to allow the body to heal and regenerate from within. The body is built to be perfect. It's built to be in balance, but it. We just get in our own way. And we unfortunately live in a world in which all of our bodies are overwhelmed with a toxic sort of burden that it wasn't meant to. That our bodies were not meant to live with. And so my goal through my practice is to get all of that out of the way so that your body can really heal and regenerate itself from within. And again, the body is its own healer. I'm not healing my clients. I'm just giving the knowledge and the, you know, the tools that I have to allow them to heal themselves. And so that's really my gift. And, like, what I see as, like, my zone of genius, because not many people are thinking about things in this way. And it's, like, so profound, and there's so many people to help in the world, and it's, like, my life's mission to just make this a reality and to help as many people as possible. And I think my second gift and this lends into, like, my book writing is I've always been, like, very. I've always loved writing. I've always been very good. I think about things in a very structured, organized way. I'm very, very, as I said, like, pretty. Pretty type A in that way. And I think, as a result, I'm very good at synthesizing information from all these different sources. And so that's what kind of led me to write my first book. It was like, I know all these things are in different books or, like, in my head or through client experiences. And I wanted one place where this. To live in a very structured, organized way. And so that's why I'm so passionate about writing and why I've now. I'm now launching my second book is I just want to be able to give people the information that they need in a way that's digestible, consumable, and achievable. And I think I'm really good at doing it, and I love doing it. So that's kind of a gift that will, I'm sure, keep. I'll keep on giving. I'm sure there's another. I already have an idea for a third book, so I think it's just gonna keep happening.

And how has your relationship, like, actually, I guess, more broadly, how have your relationships evolved with people? Not food. Yeah, yeah, we already. We already touched on food. Yes. With people. Like, with. With your family, with friends. I'm just curious, like, I think for myself, it's like my family described me as the new mat in the sense of, like, just how different that I become. And I think our stories are very similar in that way. And I'm just curious how your relationships have evolved.

Yeah, my relationships have evolved. They have, Yeah. I think growth, you know, growth and, you know, this personal growth and development work. What happens is, again, as you said, you transform quite dramatically in a very short period of time. And I found that for myself, like, the. The me that quit venture capital job in the middle of 21, 2021, is not the same me that exists today. I don't even recognize that person if I think about myself at that time. And so as a result, I think relationships have changed. I went through a huge period of shedding a lot of friends and places and things, and it was. It was very uncomfortable and felt really lonely for a period of time as I was kind of going inward and doing all this work on myself. But I think the beauty is that through the darkness, there is light. So on the other side of that was, you know, I have a beautiful, incredible, nourishing community of friends that are super, super, super aligned. My relationships with closest friends who have, you know, come, come along with me through that journey are even closer. My relationships with my family members are a lot closer. And I think just because I know myself better and I'm like embodying the truer version of myself and staying authentic to who I am, I'm attracting the, the people in my life that are meant to be in my life. But yeah, I think it's, I think that, you know, losing friends or shedding relationships is like a very painful and arduous process. And I just want to remind everyone listening that it is totally normal if you're going through a lot of transition in your life. And yeah, I think it's. It's okay, right? Like everyone goes through it and I think it's okay. And I think it actually just is a sign of growth. It's. There's no, like, it's not like I, you know, you know, I wish well upon anyone that I'm not friends with anymore. But it's just that we took different paths and that's, that's totally okay, you know?

Yeah, that is okay. Do you have a vision for what's next for Megan, personally, as to where you're trying to get to?

Yeah, yes, definitely. Definitely a forward thinking person. And yeah, I just, I really want to help as many people live more happier, you know, happier, healthier, more meaningful lives at scale. And I feel really comfortable spe. You know, it's interesting, like I get a lot of value out of my one on one coaching and I get a lot of energy from supporting my clients, but I get 10x more energy from like speaking to a room of a thousand people. So that's already sort of started. I've done a couple workshops at Soho House in la. I'm doing one at Spring Place. I've done some workshops for aloe yoga. I've done an ig live for them. So I'm really starting to kind of evolve my business into doing more like workshops and master classes with companies, with brands, with, you know, local like membership clubs and want to bring that like worldwide. And yeah, I think, I think my one on one coaching will always be a part of my business, but I see my business evolving into so much more. So again, events and panels and master classes, probably writing more books and then I'm sure launching some sort of physical product at some point.

Yeah, and I'm sure plenty more that you can't even envision.

And investing.

Yeah, and investing.

All right. Very, very like Obsessed with like food and beverage. The food and beverage space. Now is not the best time with the economy, but like, at a certain point I see that being a huge part of my life and it will be a very full circle mom for me because I came from quite a venture capital job. But I know it's going to come back in some way.

Yeah, that's awesome. Megan, we have three questions to wrap up here, but first of all, thank you so much for coming on, sharing your wisdom, your journey. Very relatable for me. So the first question is either the best piece of advice that you've ever been given or just like your favorite quote.

My favorite quote, I'm trying to think,

can I give you one and see how it lands.

No, I have, I have it.

I'm going to give it anyway after

because I think the best piece of advice I've ever been given is actually my daily affirmation is I, you know, just context. I used to be so fixated on the results. Like, I didn't, I didn't, you know, I wanted to make the unknown known. So I was so fixated on what is the result going to be. And that results in paralysis with taking action. So the best piece of advice I've ever been given, and that's my affirmation, I actually write it down every day, is take spiritually aligned action and let the universe take care of the results. Because when you take action and it's aligned with what you feel called to do, you don't have to think about the results. The results will happen. It may not happen in the timing that you're planning for, but they will happen in divine timing. And you just have to know, have trust and certainty in the process. And that's a lot about what Kabbalah is about is having trust and certainty and everything that's kind of unfolding around you. And so every single day I just wake up and focus on the things that I need to do to take action towards my vision, knowing that it will all kind of take shape as it should. So that's an affirmation that I live by. And it's something that I actually was like an affirmation that a coach gave me last year

that landed with me, the one I was going to. And maybe you've heard it before, but because I had read that what you had wrote around helping others is the only way to live a life of purpose and meaning. The quote that's really stuck with me lately is the meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

Yeah. I just posted that on Social the other day.

Oh, did you? Yeah, There you go.

I love the one that you had shared, though. Just really focusing on, like, what you can control and do and then letting kind of the world around you deliver the results.

Yeah. And another one just, like, in that vein is like, what is meant for you will find you is something I really love. Because it's like, again, if you just focus on you and go inward and really embody who you're meant to be, everything that's meant to you will find you.

I love that. That's probably my favorite one. What's meant to be will be any. So second question. We could go down a, quote, rabbit hole. The second question is, if you could have dinner with anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

This is. No one's gonna, like, know who this is, but it's someone named Arnold Ehrett. He's. He wrote a book in the 1920s called Mucusless Diet healing system, which is the foundation, one of the most. He was probably the most influential person in, like, the cleansing and detoxification world. I've read the book, like, seven times, and he's, like, a pioneer of the kind of approach and philosophy to food that I have. I just finished reading it, I think, for the sixth time. And he's someone I really, really would love to meet. And that might not hit for anyone because no one knows who that is, but it's true to just what came up for me.

People either have an answer right away or they take some, like, two minutes. I will say that's the first. The first we've had probably recorded probably 55 shows at this point. It's the first time we've gotten that answer. But it's a good.

It's all.

Again, it's intrinsic to the individual, and that's. That's what's important.

Yeah.

The last question is just, what do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? That kind of thing?

Everything that I preach and practice with my, you know, my followers, my clients, is kind of like what I enjoy doing. I spend a lot of time with my community. My friends in L. A. Are truly like family. We don't drink. We don't really go out to. No one drinks. I don't drink. No one goes out to dinner. We all just. We have potlucks. We have, like, cozy dinners. We cook together. We go on hikes. We go. You know, we went to Palm Desert for the weekend as a group. We went to Big Bear as a group, so we do a lot of stuff together. And usually either when it's when I'm alone or with them, usually it revolves around, like, cooking, going to the farmer's market, eating delicious food. I hike a crazy amount. I hike like, I'm probably hiking right after this podcast. I hike, like, five days a week. I do hot yoga. I spend a lot of time in nature. I spend a lot of time at the beach. I just do things that make me feel good. And, yeah, that's kind of how I spend. Spend my time. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Love that.

Well, thank you so much, Megan. Once more, this was such a great conversation.

Yeah. Maybe that makes you want to move to LA.