We had the good fortune of connecting with Caroline Fausel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a child, I was sick very frequently. I had stomachaches so often I stopped letting my parents know. These digestive issues persisted into my adult life. I found the love of my life in college, and immediately after graduating, we got married! We moved to Savannah, Georgia. The “Plan” was for Chaz to finish medical school, and maybe 8-10 years later start our family. God had other plans! Six weeks later we were pregnant with our sweet Ella Rae. I was working as a graphic designer at a web design and development firm, and I planned to go back to work full time when she was born…

Again, this “Plan” got interrupted when Ella Rae was born early, at just 30 weeks gestation (out of 40). She was born rapidly in the ER, and she stayed in the NICU for 5 weeks. I say that Ella Rae is the reason I’m now living the life of my dreams! Her neonatologist told me there was no way that she could go to daycare during flu and RSV season as a premature baby, so the amazing company I was working for let me work from home. My entrepreneurial drive started immediately. In addition to my web design job, I started doing freelance graphic design. I also started creating custom wedding invitations.

My husband and I had been near-vegan for almost 5 years when it was time to feed Ella Rae solids… And I had a complete nutritional crisis! It was one thing to be making that choice for myself, but I didn’t feel like it was the best choice for my premature baby who we needed to ensure was growing properly. I had always loved health and nutrition, so I went back to the drawing board… This was 2013, the time of the Paleo diet’s earliest rumblings. The concept intrigued me so much that I read every book I could on the subject. We decided to go from near-Vegan to Paleo overnight, just trying it for 30 days. The results were outstanding. I had the first stomachache-free days of my life! We shed excess weight, felt amazing, and had more energy than ever before!

Back in these days, there weren’t many recipes that followed this way of eating… So I used my love of cooking and started creating my own! With my expertise in graphic design and web development, I created a brand and a website and voila! I had my very own blog!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My goal is and always has been to help people be the healthiest versions of themselves, so they can live their purpose with vitality and longevity. The journey definitely isn’t one straight line to the top… The world of being a content creator has so many variables that are outside of your control like Google updates and the social media algorithm creation and subsequent changes. What started as a fun hobby so I could keep track of my own recipes for myself has blossomed into a lovely community of like-minded people, a website with hundreds of recipes, a cookbook, and a nonfiction book that comes out in January called “A Simply Healthy Life.”

My desire to help people be healthy quickly went beyond creating healthy recipes and resources. I went to school to become a board certified health coach, and now I’m in school to further my education to be a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.

One of my core beliefs that I shout from the mountaintops because I want everyone to know is that healing is possible. It is more possible than you might realize to feel your best. To fall asleep quickly, sleep soundly, and wake up feeling refreshed! To have sustained energy throughout the day. To be active enough to keep up with your kids. You can, and should, live the live of your dreams feeling your best. And I can help you get there!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in the Southeast in Nashville, so living in Denver, Colorado for the last six years has been a dream! It is such a unique city and state. There is so much to do in Denver. If I could give you an itinerary for a week, I would definitely have you spend some time in the city and then go explore the mountains, too, no matter the season! I’m going to share my favorite family-friendly things to do since I have kiddos! Start your day off at Snooze, an A.M. Eatery. There are tons of locations, but it could be fun to go to the Union Station location and you can see all the trains and explore this historic building.

Now you’re all fueled up for an amazing day! We have so many amazing museums and places to explore that are magical for kiddos! Our very favorite place is the Children’s Museum! We’ve been to a lot of children’s museums, and it’s the best we’ve ever been to. After your visit to the children’s museum, stay parked there (it’s free!), and walk to the Denver Aquarium! After the aquarium, snag your car and drive right down the road to the REI flagship store. You might need to pick some things up for your time in the mountains, but even if you don’t, it’s worth the visit. It’s MASSIVE and so fun to explore! It even has a little play area in the kids section with a big tree and a slide! While you’re there, you can walk along the river that runs through downtown.

For lunch, make reservations at Babe’s Tea Room. You can get high tea or order a la carte. There are so many different kinds of tea, along with scones, macarons, tea sandwiches, and entrees. It is absolutely delicious. We are gluten free and they have lots of options. One of my favorite healthy places for dinner is Root Down – they have great salads, small plates, and entrees and they have lots of allergy-friendly or dietary-specific options.

Other museums and activities we love that you could explore during your time in Denver are the Denver Zoo, the Nature and Science museum, and the Botanic Gardens. If you love sports we have so many sports teams you could see, depending on the season. Catch a game if you can! Denver fans are the best and it’s always high energy. If you’re in Denver in the summer, be sure to check out Elitches theme park and Water World water park!

Then head to the mountains! In the winter, we love skiing at Keystone! If you have time to book in advance, getting an Epic Pass can save you a lot in comparison to walking up and buying day passes. And you could stay in Summit County and ski Keystone, Breckenridge, and Vail all from the same hotel! In the spring, go admire the wildflowers, and the fall the yellow aspens. In summer, there are thousands of hiking trails to explore, or you could even tackle one of Colorado’s many 14’ers. One of our favorite adventures is white water rafting- I can’t suggest it enough!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband has been blindly supportive of my entrepreneurial journey every single step of the way. He listens attentively and empathetically to all of the struggles. He is so good at seeing the bigger picture and helps me choose those small steps that lead me there. He is my biggest fan, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without him!

Website: https://oliveyouwhole.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/oliveyouwhole

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oliveyouwhole

Image Credits
Food Photography : Becky Winkler
Headshot in the pink shirt: Larry Tankson
Other headshots and family shots: Amanda Proudfit

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.