Nancy Essebag-Christie: How Motherhood & Healing Led Her to Health Coaching

Motherhood has a way of changing everything. After navigating ovarian cysts, miscarriage, fertility treatments, hormonal imbalances, and burnout, I reached a turning point where I knew I could no longer ignore my health and wellbeing. During the COVID lockdown, I began prioritizing nutrition, stress management, and lifestyle changes, ultimately conceiving my second daughter naturally and reshaping the way I viewed wellness. I didn’t want to keep pushing through exhaustion—I wanted to step into work that felt aligned with my values and purpose. That’s where IIN made all the difference.

The Health Coach Training Program^™, along with the Hormone Health Course and Coaching Intensive Practicum, gave me a foundation in holistic health while helping me build the confidence to launch my coaching practice. Today, as the founder of Health Coach Mama and co-founder of HOT For Hormones, I support women through hormone health, motherhood, burnout, and life transitions

Q&A: The Beginning

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR SHIFT FROM DIGITAL MARKETING INTO HEALTH COACHING—AND HOW DID YOUR OWN FERTILITY AND HORMONAL JOURNEY SHAPE THAT PATH?
A: For years, I worked in digital marketing and communications and was building a successful career on paper, but deep down, something felt off. I moved from job to job, never feeling truly fulfilled. At the same time, my own health journey became impossible to ignore. In my early 20s, I underwent two separate surgeries to remove ovarian cysts and later found myself navigating miscarriage, fertility treatments, hormonal imbalances, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with feeling disconnected from your own body.

Not once did a doctor ask me what I was eating, how I was sleeping, how much alcohol or caffeine I was consuming, or what my daily stress levels looked like. At the time, I would have failed every question. During the COVID lockdown, while the world slowed down, I finally prioritized my health. In what felt like a full-circle moment, I conceived my second daughter naturally, and that experience became a major turning point. It showed me how deeply nutrition, stress management, lifestyle habits, and body literacy can impact overall health.

That chapter forced me to reevaluate everything. I left my corporate career to study integrative nutrition full-time and became a certified health coach, later completing additional training in hormone health, earning my board certification, and continuing my education in naturopathy and functional wellness. What started as a personal healing journey evolved into a true calling: helping women better understand their bodies and feel supported through major life transitions.

HOW DID BECOMING A MOTHER INFLUENCE YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON HEALTH AND WELLBEING?
A: Oh my… in so many ways. Motherhood cracked me open in the best and hardest ways. It brought a level of vulnerability and insecurity I didn’t expect, and it constantly pushed me to grow. Before kids, improving my health felt very personal. Now it feels bigger than me because I have two little girls watching my every move.

It’s definitely a balance. I want to teach them healthy habits without creating fear around food or rigid thinking, especially because that is something I experienced growing up. I want them to understand how movement can shift their mood, why rest matters, and how to breathe through anxious or overwhelming moments.

My 5-year-old daughter, April, was recently on a playdate and started showing her friend and her friend’s mom breathing exercises, and I had one of those quiet moments where I thought, okay… maybe I’m doing something right. When we slow down and actually listen to what our bodies need, the answers are often closer than we think.

Q&A: Discovering Health Coaching

HOW DOES HEALTH COACHING SUPPORT WOMEN JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD, CAREER, AND PERSONAL WELLBEING?
A: Every woman’s experience with health coaching is different, which is exactly why I value 1:1 coaching so much. There’s no one-size-fits-all plan when you’re juggling motherhood, a career, relationships, and your own wellbeing. I think there’s still a huge pressure, especially in North America, that women should be able to do it all effortlessly, while living in systems that often don’t fully support the reality of being a mom, partner, caregiver, and employee all at once.

A big part of my work is helping women recognize that pressure, unpack the guilt, insecurities, or patterns that may be keeping them stuck, and create space for themselves again without feeling selfish for doing it. I work with many women in their 50s who are only discovering “me time” close to or after retirement, and the transformation is incredible. My goal is to help younger women realize this sooner. Health coaching isn’t about overhauling your life overnight… it’s about small, sustainable habits that build over time. You start feeling 20% better, then 30%, then 50%, and before you know it, those habits become part of your identity and empower every area of your life.

WHY IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH SO IMPORTANT WHEN SUPPORTING WOMEN THROUGH DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES?
A: A holistic approach is so important because many women are taught to view health through a very narrow lens, usually the number on the scale, grams of protein, or how many steps they hit in a day. Those things can have value, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle. I always tell clients: you can eat all the kale in the world, but if your stress is through the roof, your relationships feel draining, your career feels misaligned, or you’ve lost your sense of purpose, your body will often reflect that imbalance.

Our bodies function like an orchestra… everything is connected. Hormones respond to stress, grief, burnout, poor sleep, and emotional strain just as much as they respond to nutrition. And for many women, there’s also the guilt of admitting they want an identity outside of motherhood. Sometimes the hardest part of health coaching isn’t following nutrition guidelines; it’s doing the deeper introspective work and being honest about what isn’t working. But once women begin building small routines that support their whole life (not just their diet or movement goals), the results can be so powerful.

Q&A: IIN Experience & Entrepreneurship

WHAT STOOD OUT MOST TO YOU ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE IIN PROGRAM?
A: I honestly didn’t expect to feel such a strong sense of community in a fully virtual program, but that was one of the best parts. I built genuine friendships and mentorships with classmates I still stay connected with today, and we continue to support each other in business and life.

HOW DID IIN SUPPORT YOU IN STEPPING INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP?
A: The practical resources made a huge difference. Beyond nutrition education, IIN gave me tools that helped me actually launch a business—things like client forms, checklists, and resources I needed to start my practice with more confidence. That support really expanded through the intensive practicum extension as well.

Q&A: Client Work & Transformation

TELL US ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH HEALTH COACH MAMA AND THE WOMEN YOU SUPPORT.
A: I work with women anywhere from their 20s to their 70s, so the experience really varies across different life stages. Many of my clients are looking to feel good in their bodies again. The common denominator is that many of these women have often sought alternative solutions because they didn’t feel confident in the level of care they were receiving elsewhere. They felt rushed, unheard, or were handed a plan without the support needed to actually implement it in a way that sticks long-term.

A big part of my role is giving women the space to be heard while also holding them accountable as they move through behavior change. Many of my clients are also working alongside medical doctors and other practitioners, and I love that collaborative approach because it allows us to support their healing journey from multiple angles.

WHAT ARE YOUR CLIENTS TYPICALLY NAVIGATING WHEN THEY FIRST COME TO YOU?
A: Many clients come to me feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, and disconnected from their bodies. They’re often navigating hormone imbalances, weight struggles, gut issues, burnout, or perimenopause/menopause symptoms. A lot of them have tried multiple approaches, received conflicting advice, or felt rushed through appointments without really being heard.

They usually have some idea of what they “should” be doing, but they’re struggling to make those habits fit into real life in a sustainable way. Many are balancing careers, motherhood, relationships, and stress, and they want support, accountability, and a plan that feels realistic and 100% tailored to them.

Q&A: Hormones, Healing, & Deeper Transformation

MANY WOMEN COME TO YOU FOR WEIGHT LOSS—WHAT DEEPER SHIFTS TEND TO UNFOLD THROUGH YOUR WORK TOGETHER?
A: Many women initially come to me wanting weight loss, but the deeper work often has very little to do with the number on the scale. We uncover things like emotional eating, body image struggles, unrealistic standards, disordered eating patterns, and a lot of confusion from years of conflicting nutrition advice.

Sometimes the biggest breakthrough comes from recognizing when additional support is needed. That might mean encouraging a client to see a therapist after years of disordered eating patterns or helping someone explore options like menopause hormone therapy with their doctor when appropriate. We also spend a lot of time identifying patterns that no longer serve them as they age, especially around blood sugar balance and stress.

WHY IS RECONNECTING WITH THE BODY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF HORMONAL HEALTH?
A: So many women are disconnected from their body’s signals because, quite honestly, these are things we should have learned in school or from our mothers, but we didn’t. We weren’t taught how to understand our cycles, regulate stress, recognize burnout, support blood sugar balance, or notice how food, sleep, and emotions impact our hormones. Instead, many women spend years overriding hunger cues, normalizing exhaustion, and pushing through symptoms.

I also remind clients that our emotional health matters more than we think. Just to throw out an example, chronic stress and unresolved trauma can significantly impact the thyroid through the nervous and immune systems and can even contribute to autoimmune diseases. And it really makes you ask: how can we treat an imbalance like this with meds alone when we know the root cause may also involve unprocessed emotions, chronic stress, and deeper lifestyle patterns that need attention too?

Q&A: Motherhood, Self-Care, & Coaching Philosophy

MOTHERS OFTEN PUT THEMSELVES LAST—HOW DO YOU HELP WOMEN PRIORITIZE THEIR HEALTH WITHOUT GUILT?
A: I think a lot of women are intimidated by the idea of prioritizing their health because they picture it as this massive commitment, almost like adding a third full-time job to an already overwhelming schedule. And that mindset alone can keep people stuck. The reality is, it doesn’t have to look that way.

Sometimes prioritizing your health is five minutes of breathwork while you’re stuck in traffic, a 20-minute YouTube workout before the kids wake up, pouring yourself a bath before bed, or simply asking for help. Small moments matter. I remind moms that if you don’t feel good in your own skin, it’s really hard to be fully present and engaged with your children.

WHAT’S ONE LESSON MOTHERHOOD HAS TAUGHT YOU THAT NOW SHAPES HOW YOU SUPPORT YOUR CLIENTS?
A: I always joke that I named my practice Health Coach Mama because I’m everyone’s mama, but honestly, there’s some truth to that. My clients quickly start to feel like family, and motherhood has taught me that so much of healing and parenting comes back to love, patience, and learning when to pause.

Q&A: Practical Insights & Growth

WHAT’S ONE SIMPLE, SUPPORTIVE HABIT YOU RECOMMEND FOR BUSY MOMS?
A: Honestly, go outside, breathe fresh air, and get sunlight every single day, no matter the weather. It sounds so simple, but it’s one of the most underrated wellness tools we have. Whether it’s a quick walk during lunch, standing on your porch with your morning coffee, or getting outside while your kids play, that small habit can help regulate your nervous system, boost your mood, and give you a moment to realign with yourself before jumping back into your mama to-do list.

HOW CAN HEALTH COACHES BETTER SUPPORT MOTHERS WHO FEEL DEPLETED OR OVERWHELMED?
A: That’s a really good question because I think many mothers don’t need another rigid plan; they need someone to truly listen without judgment. A lot of moms are carrying invisible mental loads and feel depleted because they’re constantly meeting everyone else’s needs before their own. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do as health coaches is help them feel seen and remind them that their exhaustion is often a signal, not a personal failure. And sometimes that process takes a few intro sessions just to unpack what’s really going on, and that’s completely okay. Don’t rush the process.

Q&A: Reflection & Living the Work

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR?
A: The most meaningful part of this journey has been hearing women’s stories. Over the past year alone, I’ve had 78 one-on-one conversations with women, and every single one has trusted me with deeply personal parts of their lives. What’s been really special is that through their stories, I’ve learned so much about myself too.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEY NEED TO MAKE A CHANGE BUT DOESN’T KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN?
A: There is never a perfect time to start. You already did something for yourself today by showing up to this meeting, and that matters. You’ve already created momentum. What is one thing we can do this week to help you feel a little better and keep that momentum going? 

WHAT DOES “NOURISH, HEAL, THRIVE” LOOK LIKE IN YOUR REAL, DAY-TO-DAY LIFE?
A: It looks very imperfect and very natural. Some days it’s a strength workout, meal prepping, and no screens before bed. Other days it’s ordering Uber Eats, surviving on less sleep because my kids kept me up and reminding myself that perfection was never the goal. It’s coming back to the habits that make me feel grounded, eating whole foods, moving my body daily, getting outside daily.... It also means giving myself grace during chaotic weeks. If I find myself stress-eating at the fridge at night or falling into old habits/thought patterns that don’t serve me, I don’t let one moment derail my entire week. I wake up the next morning, pull out my “tools” and get back to the basics. 

Q&A: Fun Favorites

BEST DECISION YOU EVER MADE IN YOUR CAREER OR PERSONAL LIFE?
A: Following my dreams of pursuing a career in health and wellness.

A BOOK OR PODCAST YOU’D RECOMMEND TO THE IIN COMMUNITY?
A: That’s a tough one, but honestly Mel Robbins has been my virtual bestie through a lot of this process. I love how real and relatable she is. I’m not going crazy—hehe.

WHAT ARTIST DO YOU FIND YOURSELF PLAYING MOST OFTEN?
A: Teddy Swims, mostly because my mom group chat and I are seeing him in concert this October and I’m really excited. I love any excuse to change up the routine, get together in person and have fun without kids around.