Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill and Jenna.
Hi Jill and Jenna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We both have dealt with health struggles over the years, but especially in the past ten years. These problems all had one thing in common: Our poor gut health. Our combined struggles looked like crippling anxiety, constantly getting viruses, bloating, nausea/vomiting, all of which were “unexplained.” As we got into college, our health problems only worsened. We were both athletic girls, had a busy social life, did well in school but were struggling so deeply with our health (mental and physical). It wasn’t until we found the world of functional/holistic health and went to an integrative practitioner (someone who sees the body as a whole and addresses health through nutrition, lifestyle and supplement changes) did we realize that our digestive system was to blame. Once we did the work to heal our digestive system, problems that we didn’t realize were related started to disappear. What we realized on the other side of this was how difficult it is today to understand gut health and how to make positive changes. We decided we wanted to create a platform to help guide others with similar struggles and goals.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been a smooth road. Anyone who has attempted to start their own business knows how difficult the process can be. It comes with a lot of failure and frustration. What has kept us going is the people who reach out with positive notes alluding to how much we have helped them and impacted their lives. Putting yourself out there on social media is never easy, especially when you have to be vulnerable about things like stomach issues and acne. Our goal has just been to stay true to who we are and that has been a guiding light for the two of us.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Together we share a social media account @guttalkgirls on both Instagram and Tiktok. We also have a podcast, Gut Talk with Jill and Jenna, that we launched in December. We specialize in gut health, helping others understand it in a more “digestible” way. We are most proud of staying true to who we are, being vulnerable and having the ability to connect to thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of people all over the world. What sets us apart is that we are sisters (our superpower), both who have had our own struggles and have built this awesome platform.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Jenna took a major risk by quitting her corporate (consistent) job to start doing social media and to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. This risk was centered around the fact that she went from having a stable income to no income at all. Jenna made this decision because she believed in herself and what she was going to offer. She knew starting social media was a massive risk, but she was also informed enough to know that social media had the potential to be a huge opportunity for her, both professionally and financially. It has been a year and a half since she made that risk, and it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made. Was it hard? Extremely. But, she’s learned that taking risks like the big one I made can be worth it if you stay consistent, don’t give up and push through the hard times.
Contact Info:
- Email: jillandjenna@keepinfitreal.com
- Website: guttalkgirls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guttalkgirls/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gut_talk_girls
Image Credits
Jill and Jenna
