Today we’d like to introduce you to Cortney Zieky.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
What inspired my journey as a health coach?
I’ve been a health and fitness enthusiast my entire life. Long before “wellness” became an industry I was out there researching the latest diet trends, trying new supplements, experimenting with different forms of self-care + recovery, expanding my workouts and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
I grew up as a competitive dancer and cheerleader, and have always loved exercise. In college I became a certified Pilates instructor, and now I teach Barre3. Daily movement inspires me to care for myself and simply makes me feel good!
Motherhood pushed me to expand my knowledge of nutrition. The notion of nourishing my children in the best way possible, with “real food” was so inspiring. I devoured health blogs, cooked my way through plant based cookbooks, attended health expositions, demonstrations and workshops, I simply fell in love with my health driven lifestyle.
Friends asked how I was able to convince our children to eat so healthy? They asked how I was able to make just one family dinner for all four of us to enjoy? They asked how I had so many healthy, fun recipe ideas? They asked how I was able to make time for my fitness routine and nutrition, given our busy family schedule….I shared what I knew with my circle and they started to see success of their own.
After a couple of years, I started to wonder if this could be a business? Everyone who knew me encouraged me. I decided to become a certified health coach and embarked upon an 18 month certification program. Upon graduating in April 2020, in the middle of a pandemic, I started to work as a health coach, virtually guiding clients towards integrating sustainable healthy habits, movement and self-care into their lifestyle.
Coaching clients virtually was not how I initially thought my business would grow, but it’s been the best thing ever!! I am able to coach women all over the country, from the comfort of their own home. Together we design a sustainable nutrition & movement routine, we re-frame challenges and celebrate successes!!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I graduated from my health coach certification program in April 2020. I was ready to jump start my business, but our world was in the height of the pandemic. Everything was shut down. I felt defeated, like I had made a huge mistake, and this was certainly not the time where people would be interested in hiring a health coach.
Thankfully I was wrong!! My first few clients that hired me during the spring and summer of 2020 needed me now more than any other time in their lives. Juggling parenthood, work, SANITY and meeting their health goals felt impossible. I was able to help them hold it all together. I was able to remind them to take time for themselves. I was able to provide a nutrition program that allowed for them to nourish their body so they could feel their best, given the stressful circumstance.
I believe it also saved me. In a period of time where we spent more time at home than ever I had found my purpose. Working as a health coach has fueled my soul in bigger ways than I could have imagined.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Beyond working as a health coach and a barre3 instructor, I also blog for AustinMoms. It’s an amazing platform that provides tips around motherhood, marriage, food, fitness, friendship as well as highlighting local events + local favorites.
Giving back to our community is also really important. As a family we support Partnerships for Children and we are really proud of all the good we’ve been able to be a part of through our alliance.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Austin! As a foodie, I find our ATX restaurants so innovative and inspiring. Our farmers markets are simply amazing. We love supporting our local farmers and shopping seasonally and sustainably.
I also enjoy how accessible fitness is in our city. We have countless hike, bike and running trails. There are free yoga classes offered in almost every segment. We have an array of boutique fitness and you can sign up for a race of some sort almost every single month.
Many of our citizens take physical, mental and spiritual health seriously, and it shows.
The only negative about Austin is our traffic and roadway system. I know I’m not alone with this complaint
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@happydinneratx.com
- Website: www.happydinneratx.com
- Instagram: @happydinneratx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happydinneratx
Image Credits
Rebecca Dyan Photography
