How Valeria Hernandez built her conscious health coaching business, all while avoiding creative burnout |

Learn how wellness trainer as well as Creator Fellowship winner Valeria Hernandez is creating a successful online business encouraging women to adopt the benefits of plant-based food that reflect their culture.

In the time that Valeria Hernandez faced obstacles with her physical health, she realized the benefits of intuitive eating and the benefits of plant-based diets. Determined to incorporate this wisdom to traditional recipes, Valeria started crafting authentic Mexican meals using ingredients that are vegan.

The present day, Valeria shares those discoveries through VegiVale , a plant-based health coaching business that aids clients in eating more tasty fruits and vegetables, enjoy the cultural foods they love, and live energized lives.

However, Valeria's journey as a creator wasn't always smooth .

In the process, Valeria faced a toxic hustle culture in the online space and felt pressured to follow the crowds regardless of her own instincts that was pulling her in a different direction. Valeria also learned to change her mindset from employee to decision-making entrepreneur, balancing a growing company with her regular 9-5 schedule.

Through tackling these challenges that Valeria was able to sculpt her dream business, create an environment that is sustainable for her work and life, and create her own unique path.

Here's how Valeria has inspired women to embrace plant-based foods that honor their culture -- and building an organization for coaching that is rooted in authentic values along the way.

The first steps to get started with wellness

In the beginning, she lived in a place in which she had no friends. Following her graduation from college and moving into a full-time job, Valeria was lonely. She was physically not feeling well too. Valeria had been following an all-vegan diet for several years and struggled to find satisfying and satisfying meals.

"I was just a little flimsy about that it was a vegan thing. I resorted to eating fries with salad in the dining halls at my college which often didn't allow me to get my nutrition. It was not surprising that I wasn't feeling great."

In search of a solution to deal with both issues all at once, Valeria found connections within the vegan community. The health coach she hired was who was a specialist in veganism and learned about the types of things she required to eat to stay healthy, satisfy her nutritional needs as well as feel better throughout the day. .

The lessons her coach given her resulted in an 180deg change. Motivated, Valeria become a health coach in order to help people lead their lives to the best possible standard.

Valeria began coaching through an organization that was a part of a network marketing However, she was not happy with the way that it focused on weight loss and dieting. It was difficult for her to be confined by the approach of one-to-many coaching, and stressed by the constant pressure to amass additional clients.

Valeria was aspired to provide the perfect, personalized experience to her customers that would give her more freedom. Then, 2020 happened.

In the midst of global turmoil, Valeria decided that it was time to do things in her own style.

First few clients to be found

Then Valeria realized she could turn to her existing connections to gain experience and help her develop the business idea.

The first step was to Valeria utilized contacts she'd established via networks marketing. These individuals already knew her coaching style and were interested in a high-touch, one-on-one experience.

Following that, Valeria reached out to her circle of friends she had met through the school system, in her community as well as family connections and also to friends from the same circle.

Initially, it was nerve-wracking when she discussed her business idea with "real-life" acquaintances and beloved ones. But, they ended up being the biggest supporters of her.

Since then, her company grew. "I started one-on one coaching, and I truly liked it" she tells us.

"I've pivoted a couple of different ways in my business, but my main passion is still helping people to eat more plant-based foods. My goal is not to make anyone change to a vegan diet. A majority of my clients aren't even vegetarians However, my focus is on helping people eat more plants and listen to their body."

The option of niche-seating

Once she had her first clients under her belt, Valeria had a better idea of how she wanted her firm to look like. Next, she needed to identify her audience. However, the idea of narrowing her clienteleas well as the pool of potential customers -- seemed daunting at first.

"It's tempting to want to design something to please everyone to help as many people as is possible."

In the present, Valeria believes that serving an area of expertise is part of what makes her brand stand out. Her decision was to concentrate on providing services to women of color since she saw that many of them had the same problems she experienced firsthand.

"I thought this might be an extremely cool group of people that I serve because, as a Latina I can understand the struggles they're experiencing. I'm able to address particular issues they might be having difficulty with, that other people would not."

Valeria designed her program to help women from different backgrounds to incorporate their ethnic cuisines in their food choices.

"I help them reconnect to their traditional foods, as it is often believed that food choices aren't healthy but that's not always accurate," Valeria elaborates. "That mindset comes from eating habits and white supremacy, so getting rid of it by helping people with their health is my goal."

"There seven billion people in the world. When you try to help everybody and speak to everybody, you're really speaking to no one. This is a lot stronger in the event that you concentrate only a select group of people that you've developed a relationship with... as they know that you are talking specifically to the people they are talking to."

Using for a streamlined, simplified business

After solidifying her business concept and identifying her target audience, Valeria turned to to create her virtual home base. Her current offerings include fitness coaching sessions and a cookbook online of plants-based Mexican dishes on her site.

Being a customer, Valeria knew making different logins on different platforms to get access to one creator's work was frustrating. She was not willing to put her customers through the same process.

" helps on the entrepreneur's side and also on the client's side. [Customers] have one login, and are able to use every product they have purchased directly from me."

Valeria is also clear that you don't need to employ the same tools as six-or seven-figure entrepreneurs when you're first starting out. Utilizing these expensive programs won't ensure that you'll get similar results. Likewise, keeping up with hefty costs can put you under an unnecessary burden.

" can really help streamline things. I'm all about simplicities particularly at this point of my career."

Help for fellow creators and entrepreneurs!

When asked what tips she would give to aspiring entrepreneurs, Valeria said that that you listen to your gut, discover the balance between work and life, make a decision, and prioritize both mental and physical health.

Be aware of your own voice and go with what you feel is natural

Through her experience building VegiVale , Valeria learned that having your own style is what makes your company unique.

"Put your blinders in because it's easy to take a look at what everybody other people are doing. If you see one hundred people doing this one thing it's likely that you'll be tempted to follow suit," she remarks. "It's absolutely natural to compare .... But the beautiful thing about being a creator is the fact that you are one of a one of a kind. Nobody else can accomplish what you do in the way you do it."

"The wonderful part about being a writer is the fact that you're unique of an kind. There is no one else who can achieve exactly what you are doing, the way that you execute it."

"Even though there are thousands of health experts on the market, I'm sure the moment I speak that it is going to be received differently in comparison to someone else saying the same thing. Our words will be heard by various groups of people. If you attempt to conform to the norm, you'll lose that unique voice."

This, Valeria explains, is your special sauce as a creator.

Valeria also encourages entrepreneurs to accept what they feel comfortable with, even if that means taking a different approach than others within your industry. "Everyone's on TikTok today," she points out, "There are so many health professionals on the platform, and I felt as if I was missing out. After I joined the platform, I felt like I was missing out but it wasn't my kind of vibe."

For Valeria, this format felt more authentic and enjoyable.

"I can't say everything I want to say in fifteen to 60 seconds, but newsletters have stood up to the tests of time. I want something more time-bound if I'm planning spend time and energy on it. If I listened to the people, I would do TikTok without noticing that it's difficult for me and I'm not a fan of the experience."

That's not to say you should brush aside anychallenge that you face in your work If something is causing you feel like you're dragging your feet you should think about alternatives.

Establish a healthy work-life balance

However, many entrepreneurs get caught in the mistake of working too hard.

    Sometimes, a toxic hustle culture can be the cause.    

In the days of network marketing, Valeria always felt pressured to be productive and find more clients. Her schedule was full of work in the evenings after her work hours and miss out on quality time with loved ones.

But hustling 24/7 didn't get the desired results and Valeria's mental condition deteriorated due to her absence from the people she loved and her family.

    Other times, creators overwork because they're passionate.    

"Creators have a higher risk of being harmed since we enjoy our work. We tend to blur the line between passion and overworking as well as life and the creation of content. If you're truly passionate about your work and your vision is clear, it's hard to let go."

Valeria's advice: Take charge of your schedule and structure your business in order to provide you with the time and flexibility you need.

"I have seen so many entrepreneurs and creators who have quit their day jobs and then re-create that same structure for their own business," Valeria says. "Why should you make that decision? Why would you only take two days off during the week during the week on Saturday and Sunday? Wouldn't it be counterproductive?"

The power is yours, and you can:

Take days off when needed.

Reduce your hours and not feel guilty.

Decide to take less clients, so that you can have more free time.

Create attainable goals in a time-bound, realistic plan.

Don't follow the rules simply because you're familiar with it.

"Don't ignore what's important," Valeria reminds fellow creators. "You are a person outside of the internet."

Trust yourself when making big decisions

Early in her business, Valeria struggled to make important decision. She now realizes that listening to her intuition and committing is critical for moving forward.

"The method you work in a nine-to-five job differs from the way you work as an entrepreneur" she explains.

"In an ordinary job There are deadlines, assignments as well as steps. But there is a person who will guide you. In entrepreneurship, it's all yours. It's your turn to make the calls and making choices, and you must be confident about the decisions you make."

This can be quite a burden for a new creator. If she's having trouble deciding, Valeria reminds herself that "not making a choice is inherently a choice." This helps her make up her mind , and then execute an action plan.

Make sure you are taking care of your mental and physical well-being

Finally, Valeria emphasizes how important it is to take good care of your health. Through her entire journey, Valeria noticed that when she wasn't feeling good emotionally or physically the business was affected. When she felt great, her business thrived.

To ensure that wellness is at the forefront, Valeria follows the same guidelines she offers her coaching clients. "How do I convince my clients to rest for at least eight hours each night, drink fluids, and consume their greens when I'm not?" she says.

"I always think, 'if I was my own customer how would I instruct myself to act in this particular situation""

What's the next step for VegiVale?

Valeria has helped numerous women from diverse backgrounds live healthier lives through her VegiVale's content  program, publications and newsletter  as well as through her newsletter, and we are sure this is just the beginning.

"With the assistance of my virtual assistant we're currently developing a course which will launch at the end of this year. It's still in the infant stage at present, however I'd be unable to develop it without her assistance," Valeria notes.

Through embracing her distinctive voice, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, making tough decisions, and putting health first, Valeria built a freeing and fun online business. With a strong foundation, the sky's the limit. We can't wait to see what she comes up with in the future!