We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Mara Fox and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Stephanie Mara, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
Do the things that scare you. Having your own business constantly shines a mirror back at yourself around all the things you’re also personally working through and healing from. Every time a fear has come up in my business, I sit with it for a period of time, knowing that at some point I have to do the thing I’m scared of doing. What I have witnessed over and over again, is that when I have done the thing that I was scared of the fear is gone. Embracing fear as a part of the experience of building a business has been crucial to continue to grow in my work and within myself. By accepting that fear is going to be a part of this journey, you get to put the power back in you that you’re making all the business decisions and not your fear.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The work I do lights me up. I’m a Somatic Nutritional Counselor and Mentor that supports women, coaches, and wellness professionals in feeling empowered and satiated in their relationship with their food, body, and business to cultivate more confidence and create the life they desire to be living. In my work, I teach individuals Somatic Eating™ tools to guide themselves into a relaxation response where they can feel more connected with their body and have more satisfying eating experiences. I truly believe that all the answers we’re looking for reside within our body. There is so much external noise in the nutrition world that makes it very difficult for an individual to discover what uniquely works for their system. I have been there too, completely confused as to what, when, and how to eat and move my body with so much conflicting guidance. This is where Somatic Eating™ comes in. An individual might need to first work through past wounds and traumas to be able to more clearly interpret their body’s messages in what satiates them physically and emotionally. I’m currently in the beginnings of writing my book on Somatic Eating™ and very excited to share this work more in the world. I have also found that health coaches and wellness professionals who feel inspired to support others around their relationship with their food and body image may hold themselves back from putting their wisdom and insights out into the world as they’re still healing their own relationship with their food and body. I’m passionate about supporting coaches and wellness professionals finally find more peace in their body so that they can then spend all that time that was filled with worries about what to eat and how they look be nourished by the work they feel inspired to do. One of the simplest and most important pieces of guidance I have received on this journey is to just keep showing up. Consistency is key. So no matter who is or is not listening to your message, you just keep speaking up when you believe in the message you have to share and that what you have to offer is going to make a difference in the world. To those in my Mentorship for Coaches and Wellness Professionals, I often guide them to enter into a sense of play in their work. Sometimes we have to keep throwing darts at a dartboard until something sticks. It can take a lot of experimentation and showing up again and again and allowing the growth and evolution of a business to be a bit messy at times and trust that something beautiful is eventually going to come out of all of those explorations.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a friend was visiting me in Denver, a day would probably start out with breakfast at Olive & Finch followed by a yoga class at The Freyja Project. After yoga, we would grab lunch at Root Down and then walk around the Denver Botanic Gardens in the afternoon, which is my favorite place in all of Denver. Then we would get dinner at El Five. Other places I would want to bring them would include getting a tea at Wash Perk and walking around Wash Park. Taking a stroll around Cheesman Park and walking around Cherry Creek. Going to the Denver Art Museum and walking around the 16th street mall and Larimer Street.
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?
I’m extremely grateful for my educational experiences at Naropa University where I received my Masters Degree in Body Psychotherapy. Every teacher, every supervisor, every person I met made a huge impact in my life. Additionally, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all the support from the therapists and health professionals I have worked with. They guided me and held a safe space for me to explore my inner world so I could do the same for others. Lastly, my husband has been the person who has been my biggest cheerleader, wanting me to step into my power, and believing in me. I hope that everyone has someone in their life or finds someone that sees how amazing they are just as they are.
Website: https://www.stephaniemara.com/
Instagram: @_stephaniemara, https://www.instagram.com/_stephaniemara/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephmara/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_stephaniemara
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephaniemarafox
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stephanie-mara-fox-denver
Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/satiated-podcast/id1494607245
Image Credits
Richard Cummings for the yoga shots Cynthia Fox for the nature shots