How Rosie Bank Became a Successful Health Coach in Silicon Valley

Meet Rosie Bank. As an Advanced Certified Rolfer and Iyengar yoga instructor, Rosie has been guiding people to live with more freedom, joy, health and abundance for the past several decades. When Rosie discovered Integrative Nutrition, she quickly found a new mission in life through Health Coaching, which makes her living, breathing proof that you’re never done growing or learning and it’s truly never too late to pursue your passions and start a second career.

We loved catching up with her recently and know you’ll love everything she’s up to. Here’s her story…

What were you doing prior to enrolling at Integrative Nutrition?
Formerly a Rolfer (body-oriented therapist) and yoga teacher, I have always loved helping others to live more successfully in their bodies. Nutrition became an important part of my life in 1999 and I began studying and taking courses. I had been on the brink of degenerative disease with a debilitating eating disorder and through the discovery of proper nutrition and lifestyle changes, underwent a staggering health transformation and lasting healing. So, I had an enormous desire to give back. I just knew that others could become free the way I had, and I craved having the skills to lead others to find this lasting transformation.

What led you to explore the Health Coach Training Program?
I have always been interested in the science of nutrition, but I was confused about the many different approaches. I wanted to become a better advocate and guide for my clients by being able to provide them with more resources. I also longed to take my passions, talents and craft to the next level. Since I had retired from Rolfing and yoga, I followed my intuition which led me to a reinvention of myself through Health Coaching.

How did your life change after enrolling in Integrative Nutrition?
The concept of bio-individuality gave me a newfound ability to guide others without the restriction of teaching just one dietary theory. This was exactly what I was looking for. Now, doors have opened for me as a result of what I learned and by who I became by going through Integrative Nutrition. In fact, my new book, Health Matters, will be published in June of 2016. There is no way I could have written that book prior to my Integrative Nutrition training. This book is, in part, a tribute to the freedom I feel by no longer being constrained to one theory or practice. Also, I am teaching a course at a local junior college entitled Unleash Your Health. Again, with this Health Coaching certification under my belt, I keep reaching to new heights with my clients and students, and their transformations are the validation I’ve longed for.

Which topics and modules were most beneficial to you?
I loved the lessons on coaching and how to be present for others. I was inspired by the health advocates and experts who spoke at the school and their work gave me great ideas how to move out in the world. I loved all of the science of nutrition, and I read some of the supplementary books that were discussed in the modules. The teachers who discussed the environmental impact of farming practices influenced my understanding of the meat and agriculture industries. Most importantly, I learned how to guide others to becoming more attuned to their choices and less restricted by dogma.

What are you up to now?
As a Health Coach, I love teaching people to get their bodies to love them back. I do this through health coaching individuals and groups, writing for my blog, public speaking, and of course, through my upcoming book. My specialty is working with busy professionals whose health is not yet on the same level as their career success. I show them how to close this gap. I continually share simple distinctions that make a difference in their total health, weight, and energy levels. My book, Health Matters, is a guide for others to “go sane” around food and get the relief that they desire.

What makes you and your practice or product unique?
Three things: First, my experience as a Rolfer and yoga teacher which pre-dates my health coaching practice prepared me to be very confident, happy and relaxed in working with groups and individuals. Next my own story, and how I hauled myself from the brink of degenerative disease and a debilitating eating disorder to astonishingly good health. This enables me to be 100% compassionate with my clients and incapable of judging anyone ever. And last, the degree to which I have invested in my personal development. My work is heart-centered and nothing is more important than that.

How do you help your clients be successful? 
There is a student in my class, she is a beautiful soul who needed a loving and encouraging hand to get out of the rut she was in with food, lack of sleep, too much weight and not enough energy. She has jumped in with both feet. She immediately chose to replace soda with water and make sleep a priority. She works out with her kids and has inspired her entire family to make better choices. I love her dedication plus how much she is enjoying this journey of transformation. She is a joy to work with and appears to be glowing each week when I see her. She is why I do this. Any coach should know that not everyone is ready to work at this level but finding those who do make it so worthwhile.

What do you love about your work?
What I love most, what makes the tears come to my eyes, is the completion I feel bringing all these pieces together. Being a Rolfer and yoga teacher for 39 years, overcoming an eating disorder, my spiritual practice, training at IIN and now being able to help people to the level I dreamed about, being generously compensated for such honest work, and the opportunity to write a book that I believe will touch lives and raise spirits. I give thanks daily for all of this.

Is there a need for Health Coaches where you live?
I live in Silicon Valley, a busy, densely populated area of Northern California. Many people have what I like to call the "too busy bug” and haven't learned to make time for themselves. Since, Integrative Nutrition emphasizes Primary Food (and all the components of your life that feed you that aren’t food), being able to help busy professionals gain a perspective that balances work success and health success is a great service to provide here. Health is a popular topic, and everyone wants to think that they "eat healthy." I have met a lot of people who can benefit from simple strategies that can have a lifetime of positive impact.

Connect with Rosie:
On her website
On Facebook
On Twitter