The Editor of the Month for September is long-time writer and supporter Gillian Hood-Gabrielson, Founder and President of Healthier Outcomes. WE are delighted to share her story with our readers.
When did you first discover you enjoyed writing?
I actually discovered that I was good at writing in junior high school. I even received a writing award my senior year in high school and had the writing class requirement waived in college because of my writing skill. The funny thing is that I never liked writing, it felt like pulling teeth. I guess it was a good thing that it came easily! However, since I have found my passion – helping others overcome emotional overeating, find their motivation to become more active, and start living life to the fullest, I love writing for the first time ever.
What are your favorite topics to write about?
I love writing about topics that I have personal experience with, and that I work with my clients on as well. These are mainly intuitive eating (a non-diet approach to overcoming emotional overeating and ending the diet craziness), self-acceptance, overcoming the diet mentality and getting your life back, activity and exercise motivation, and learning how to live fully in the present instead of waiting to be the “perfect” weight or until other aspects of life are just right. Empowering and inspiring others to live life now and showing that they are not alone are very fulfilling to me.
What do you enjoy about writing for WE Magazine for Women?
I love writing for WE for many reasons. First, it is exciting to be in the company of so many amazing writers and to share information and inspiration with so many incredible readers of the magazine. I am also passionate about encouraging women in business. To reach so many female entrepreneurs thanks to WE Magazine is an opportunity for which I am truly grateful. I believe that the health of your business is impacted by your personal health and wellness. This means female entrepreneurs get multiple benefits by taking care of themselves and their health which is my favorite kind of multitasking.
What projects are you currently working on?
I am writing a couple of series of reports right now – one on all aspects of stress and how to deal with it, and another on the steps to overcome emotional overeating and ending dieting. I have wanted to create reports on these steps that go into great detail and also give practical ways to apply each step to your own personal situation. Many people have asked for this and I am carving out the time to finally write them.
I am also working on a wellness membership program that will support women in achieving their health and wellness goals and finding the solutions to the obstacles that get in the way of them really getting what they want in life. This has been a dream of mine for years and it’s very exciting to be able to work on it and I hope to launch it within a few months. While I love one-on-one and group coaching, there are many women who cannot or don’t want to have this kind of support and a membership group will better meet their needs. It’s important to me to be able to reach those that want the support in the various ways that will best fit their schedule, budget and learning styles.
What’s next for you?
I’m setting up a new blog and creating my plan for it. My old blog has been sadly neglected so I decided to start fresh and I can’t wait to roll it out soon. I also plan on starting a free teleseminar series because I really miss speaking, it’s really fun and it’s another way to get my message out there. The more people I can reach, the more that will hear, possibly for the first time, that there is a better solution than dieting and deprivation.
Another plan for the future is to create a series of live and virtual retreats for those that would like an intensive learning experience. I also want to use these retreats as a way to raise money to support a few of my favorite non-profit organizations that work with women on recovering from eating disorders and tirelessly create campaigns to raise awareness of how and where eating disorders start.
Tell us about the services/products you offer.
I offer one-on-one coaching for women who emotionally overeat or are always on a diet. I teach them how to eat what they really want, without guilt or shame, and still lose weight, if that is a goal they want to achieve. We also usually cover increasing activity, improving self-esteem, engaging in self-care and generally living life again. The approach I use is often referred to as “intuitive eating”, but each my work with each client is very personalized to their needs and desires.
I also offer small group coaching programs a few times a year. I limit the number of participants to no more than 12 so everyone gets the attention and help they need. For some people, the group experience is very helpful, it’s important to know you aren’t alone in your struggles. I also find that the participants support of each other is really beneficial.
Finally, I have a few self-study products available for download. They include Four Weeks to a New You (four audio programs and study guide), Grow Your Business, Not Your Waistline (audio and study guide) and two reports – The Truth About Burning Body Fat and The Five Steps to Breaking Out of Diet Prison.
What do you do for fun/relaxation?
My husband and I are huge country music fans so we like to go to as many concerts as possible. We also love to travel to Nashville during the big country music festival they have every June. I love animals and I’m lucky to have two cats, one dog and three birds that I get to spend time with. When I am able, I also like to volunteer for animal rescue groups, especially those that work with exotic birds. In addition, I love to read, mainly about history or even historical fiction. I must confess that it’s also fun for me to read books about business and overcoming emotional overeating.
How can our readers contact you?
My website is Healthier Outcomes. To keep up with what I am doing and the latest information on overcoming emotional overeating, improving health, and even occasional information for entrepreneurs, anyone is free to subscribe to my newsletter and receive my report, “Six Steps to Guilt-Free Eating”.
I can be reached by telephone at 866-650-6464. My direct email address is Gillian@HealthierOutcomes.com. I am also available on Skype at ID gillianhood.
Thank you, Gillian for being such a valuable part of our team! I am delighted we are connected and appreciate all the great content you share with our audience of readers.
