Q: As a Lifestyle Coach, can you share with our audience the services you provide? 
MK: Like any coach I offer support and accountability. But my niche is habit change. I don’t hand my clients a nutrition guide, calorie tracker, workout program, and send them on their way. We partner together to tweak their current habits, so they are aligned with their health goals. Together we figure out what works with their lives all while considering what they love and what kind of life demands they face on a day to day basis. If I can take what they love and incorporate that, its less like work and more like life. I want health to be who they are not just what they do. The tools my clients learn with me are not just helpful while we work together, but well after they “graduate” from 1 on 1 coaching.  

Q: What are some of the reasons why women will reach out to you for your services?
MK: Weight loss. Age more gracefully. Gain energy. Get out of pain, particularly joint and mobility pain. Gain strength. Gain physical independence (especially with age). Eliminate the need for lifestyle disease medication. Clients wanting to avoid the health issues their parents have. 

Q: Do you see people of all ages?  
MK: Yes, I currently have a range from 23 to 72. Men and Women. And couples too!

Q: What is your coaching philosophy for success?
MK: GRACE and GRATITUDE always and with everything. We WILL NOT keep healthy changes in our lives long enough to create healthy habits if we can not allow ourselves to first suck at it (that’s the grace part), and pat ourselves on the back for the small victories (that’s the gratitude part). If we are only beating ourselves up, then the first time we slip, we shy away instead of persevering. If we don’t practice gratitude for what our bodies are capable of doing today, then no matter what goals we reach we won’t know, or even see, what there is to give gratitude for when “we’ve arrived”. 

Q: How do you know if a client is right for your service?
MK: If I have a client willing to get vulnerable with me, then we will make HUGE strides quickly. Two ways that clients show me this. 1) They open up about much more than just their nutrition and fitness. They open up about relationships and past traumas. They are willing to show me how they have come to this place of needing help. 2) They admit their challenges from week to week. I don’t want Sunday school answers. I need the good, bad, and ugly. That’s where the magic happens. Change is inevitable if they are willing to talk about the hard stuff. 

Q: How has Covid-19 affected your business?
MK: Yes! Went 100% virtual. 1:1 coaching client, plus virtual training clients, and virtual workshops.

Q: If we interviewed all your clients … what is “one” common word that comes up when they describe working with you?  
MK: Motivating! No matter what kind of week a client has had, I hear this word the most. They always leave motivated and ready to tackle the week! My favorite thing is to inspire people to want better… And it truly does seep its way into my relationship with my clients. They have no idea they inspire and motivate me just the same! This job is a dream. I get to help people do exactly what they want to do! And I am honored to continue to excite them about their dream over and over again!

Q: Can you tell us how you achieve your work life balance?
MK: Oh gosh. Intentionality is a must here. When my husband is off the clock, I get off the clock. It’s a house rule we’ve come to love. LOL and hate, but it works for us. 

Q: What’s one lesson you’ve learned in your career that you can share with our audience?
MK: The starting line is never where you think it is. Back up a few steps… there, that’s the real starting line. You can’t see it on your own. GET. A. COACH. Seriously. We don’t quit on our goals because we don’t want them. We quit because our expectations are skewed. We make it too hard, then we are too hard on ourselves. I redirect my clients slightly and add grace. That’s the recipe for success! 

Three Things About Michelle Katz

1. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to and why? 
Oh goodness. I’d go back to 1998. When I was 11. I’d talk some love into that girl. I’d talk self-compassion into that girl.  

2. What would you sing at Karaoke night?
I’m a HUGE Sara Bareilles fan. Gravity is my all time favorite to sing of hers! City is a runner up tho! 

3. Do you have any hobbies?
I LOVE to lift. Can’t get enough. Getting and feeling strong is too empowering not to partake of! Me and my husband geek out on it. We go to the gym together on our days off… You’ll find us at the gym on a Saturday night!