In this episode, I am sharing my career’s journey from traditional dietetics to specializing in women’s health, as well as how my own health challenges sparked a passion for holistic approaches. I discuss how I am choosing to balance life as an entrepreneur, mother, and my social media presence, along with my favorite lab tests and my favorite resources for continuous learning.
What we cover:
Instant HTMA Professional Course For Practitioners use code HORMONEHEALINGRD for $100 off
List of books:
Mineral books
Hormone books
Stress/Nervous System books
Thyroid books
Fertility books
General books
Links/Resources:
Join the Patreon
Master Your Minerals Course
Learn more about working 1:1 with our team
Apply to work 1:1 with our team
Free Resources:
Free Healthy Period Starter Guide
Mineral Imbalance Quiz
Mineral Training
Thyroid Mineral Training
Feminine Periodical (monthly newsletter)
Listen Now
Amanda Montalvo [00:00:01]:
Welcome to the Are You Menstrual podcast, where we dive deep into all things women’s health to support you on your healing journey. I’m Amanda Montalvo, functional and integrative dietitian, also known as the Hormone healing Rd. If you enjoyed this podcast and you want to keep learning, check out the podcast Patreon, where I share a bonus episode with additional downloadable resources. Each week. You can go to patreon.com, hormonehealingrd or check out the link in the show notes. All right, we are finally at the episode where I’m sharing how I got to where I am today as far as my career path goes. I get this question. I mean, at least like three times a day in my DM’s, and it’s one of those things where I’m like, it’s a pretty loaded question.
Amanda Montalvo [00:00:48]:
So I decided to finally make a podcast episode about it. I felt like it would be really boring, but people, I did a poll on Instagram. People wanted to hear it. So I’m like, all right, here it is. So I’m going to get into, like, how it all got started, what I did for functional training. I’ll share all the trainings for the most part of what I’ve done, I’m not going to share ones I didn’t like because I don’t want to say anything negative about, you know, certain programs and stuff. And then I’ll talk about hair test starting my business, how to, like, tips for continuing education, like all that fun stuff. So let’s get into where this all started.
Amanda Montalvo [00:01:23]:
So I was originally, I was in school to become a dietitian at the University of Connecticut. They have a really great, oh, my gosh, how do they, how do they say it’s like a combined program where you don’t have to do an internship after you do it while you’re going to school. It’s like nursing school. So your second two years, you’re not only taking your dietetic classes, but you’re also doing all of your clinical hours as well, or at least most of them. And so I was going through that program. It’s like, it’s very traditional. So I often have people ask how you got through it. It’s mostly because it was very research based.
Amanda Montalvo [00:02:01]:
I had, most of my professors were active and had their own research labs going at the time that we were able to participate in. And that’s what really sparked my interest for, like, learning how to read research, write a research article, like, all that stuff. And so that was really helpful and is something that I’m incredibly grateful for to this day because that allowed me to just, like, have a new appreciation for that. And also I, because they were heavily involved in doing research, they were not as far behind from, like, a nutrition science perspective. Most, I feel like most programs are really far behind because they’re not as up in the research, whereas, like, you know, one of my labs that I worked in focused on high protein diets, which you don’t hear a lot about, but in how they increase calcium absorption in the gut, which was really cool. I was involved in a low carb study for, like, Atkins, and then I did a few with, like, athletes, and they tested different, like, post workout shakes and, like, whey protein casein, different types of post workout nutrition and how that impacted, like, recovery and their performance and stuff. It was really cool. So that’s, like, more my traditional background.
Amanda Montalvo [00:03:17]:
I had a huge interest in just health and helping people, especially when it comes to, like, athletics. Like, I wanted to do sports nutrition. That was, like, my goal. And then I was in dietetic. I was like, mid diet. Yeah, no, I was in the program. Yeah. Because I remember doing clinicals and having really bad acne.
Amanda Montalvo [00:03:37]:
I was in the program. I think I was about 20. And I decided to come off the pill because I’m, like, going through all this stuff. Like, at the time, I was doing crossfit. I was introduced to paleo. I just started becoming much more, like, less conventional, more holistic. And I was like, why am I taking birth control? I also learned what it was doing to my body. I was like, oh, my gosh, I’m not ovulating or anything.
Amanda Montalvo [00:04:02]:
And I was dealing with some mental health stuff at the time. And I was like, could the pill be contributing? And I was researching it. I was like, okay, it can, so I’m going to try coming off. My doctor was like, you’re fine. You’re good. Like, you’re healthy. You’re going to be. It’s not going to be a problem, basically.
Amanda Montalvo [00:04:16]:
And then I came off the pill and my whole life changed. I was so mad at the time, but, like, now looking back, it’s like, all happened for a reason, of course. But I came off the pill. I didn’t get my period back right away. It took almost a year, and I gained weight pretty quickly, and which I see all the time in practice, like, it gaining an extreme amount of weight in a short period of time. That was definitely me. My skin got really, really bad, and I already had bad acne. So my skin was like, incredibly, like, painful.
Amanda Montalvo [00:04:48]:
Like, mentally, for me, it was just, you know, you feel very, very self conscious, and it’s like, I was 20. I already felt self conscious enough, so that was really rough. And I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. They’re like, yeah, you have all the symptoms. Like, I had hair loss. My acne was really bad. I was cold all the time. Kind of like, classic I was doing.
Amanda Montalvo [00:05:07]:
I was definitely a little constipated, although they said that my bowel movements were normal. I was like, but they changed. Like, they were like this, and now they’re like this. So, basically, I have all this stuff happen to me. No one’s helping me at all. My doctor put me on thyroid medication, and it made my hair worse, which, like, 20 year old girl making her hair fall out, like, that’s obviously very traumatizing. And so that was like, okay. I was like, I thought that was gonna be solving my problems.
Amanda Montalvo [00:05:35]:
I’m like, it’s okay. I have hypothyroidism. Kind of like, whatever. And then it didn’t work. I felt worse. And I’m like, oh, my gosh. These people don’t know what’s wrong with me. They do not know what’s happening.
Amanda Montalvo [00:05:44]:
They’re telling me it’s not from the pill. They keep asking me what I’m eating. They’re assuming that I’m drinking a lot because I’m young. Even though at this time, I was a college athlete doing crossfit, taking incredibly good care of myself, I did not drink. I’m like, what are you talking about? But they, like, didn’t believe me. And so it was this whole thing. No one could help me. I decided to.
Amanda Montalvo [00:06:10]:
So, of course, I’m researching all this stuff on my own. It’s taking up so much of my time and making me very angry, as I am learning all these things about what the pill does to your body, what can happen when you come off, which, like, we didn’t have instagram back then, or we probably did, but no one was sharing, like, educational content like they are now. There weren’t books on hormones and birth control and all that stuff. There was that book taking charge of your fertility. And that really helped me and taught me a lot. That’s how. That’s what I use for birth control, fertility awareness. I’ve used that ever since I came off the pill.
Amanda Montalvo [00:06:43]:
I did get the copper id briefly. That’s in a separate podcast. But basically, my own health issues led to me having to put all my energy and research into women’s health. And I shifted from sports nutrition to focusing on that because it was basically all I had time for. And I was like, man, no one knows this stuff. And the more I started to talk with other women about it, the more I’m like, okay, so they’re going through these things, too. They’re just not talking about it. So.
Amanda Montalvo [00:07:11]:
And I think it’s different too, like, in, like, that, like, college athlete atmosphere. Like, I, you know, everyone’s a little. They’re just, like, a different group, but not wanting to, like, admit certain things. So that was where it all started for me. And then I. So I’m finishing up school, continuing to learn as much as I can. I’m super into, like, paleo and, like, crossfit at this time, not. I was definitely, like, super inflamed and, like, it wasn’t a good fit.
Amanda Montalvo [00:07:42]:
But I’m grateful for the knowledge that I gained from that, both of those experiences. I’m going to paleo conventions, learning as much as I can about, like, functional medicine while I was still in school. And then I finish school, I get my rd, and I’m like, okay, what can I do from here to have, like, get trained in this stuff? I was, like, looking at naturopathic school, looking at med school, and I’m like, well, I really still want to focus on food. So I was looking at, like, functional nutrition trainings, and that’s kind of what led me to the next trainings I did. Before I dig into those, I just want to preface this with, there is no one perfect training. I cannot tell you how many people ask, what training should I do? Which I’m always like, I don’t know you. It depends so much on, like, what’s going to work for you and your lifestyle, what your goals are. What are your circumstances? Are you single and young, or are you married with children? That’s going to impact what program makes the most sense for you? How do you want to work with people? What capacity do you want to work with people in? What do you want to help them with? These are all really important things to consider.
Amanda Montalvo [00:08:51]:
I knew. I was like, I want to eventually do, like, lab testing and stuff with people. I worked with a couple of functional medicine doctors and stuff, and I was like, they barely even explained the lab to you. So then I’m, like, researching these labs, and I’m like, this is so interesting. I want to learn how to do this. And I learned that if you have a medical license, you can do that. So that’s why I was very happy that I went and got my RD. But it doesn’t mean that everyone needs to go get their RD.
Amanda Montalvo [00:09:17]:
You can consider CN’s program. I have. My head nutritionist is a CN’s. I know many other CN’s cnses and it’s also a great program. It is still like, it’s not perfect, but no program is. I do think that people should have a formal education if they’re going to do lab testing with people. That is my opinion. You have to do like certain continuing education.
Amanda Montalvo [00:09:43]:
It’s just like, it’s just a little bit harder. So I think people take a little more seriously. But I also know a lot of really amazing ntps that do functional testing that I would trust and I recommend them clients. So it’s like, it just depends. But if for me personally I feel better having the medical license, it just allows me to easily set up accounts with labs, do certain things for billing insurance. We don’t accept insurance, but we make super bills for insurance that often cover a large portion. People can use their HSA with us. So I don’t know all the legalities.
Amanda Montalvo [00:10:19]:
Maybe people can do that with ntps as well. I don’t know. But I do think that the NTP program is a great one. So nutritional association program is a great one. So those are things to consider. I do not go that path. So I can’t answer questions about those. I get a lot of questions about them and I’m like, well I’m not.
Amanda Montalvo [00:10:39]:
I’m not one, so I don’t. I’m like, you should really ask someone that is. Cause it’s really hard for me to like give my opinion other than from the experience I have with people that I’ve worked with. So that just prefaces everything else that I’ve done. Just because I’ve done these doesn’t mean that you have to do all these programs. But this is just kind of like the path that I took. You have to also remember that this was over a decade ago. This was a very long time ago.
Amanda Montalvo [00:11:05]:
So like if. If I was doing it now, I don’t know exactly what I would do. But the first program I did, I wanted to do an accredited program through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to start. I don’t even know if it’s around anymore because I did this over twelve years ago. I don’t even know the name. I didn’t know I was going to be having to share this information with people years later. But it wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t amazing. It was very evidence based, but it was still much more conventional.
Amanda Montalvo [00:11:34]:
But they definitely took into account, like, how the liver actually functions, how digestion actually occurs, the gut bacteria, microbiome, immune system, like leaky gut, all those things. So it was a really great introduction at the time, but I was like, okay. It just left me wanting a lot more. It definitely wasn’t meant to be like a game changer. I just was like, how can I start to dip my toes into this? And then I knew I wanted to do functional lab testing because again, I was very nerdy with that aspect of my own care when I was getting help, when I was going through my own health journey. So I was like, I found the functional diagnostic nutrition program. And I was like, I’m going to do this because they specifically teach you five lab tests how to use them with clients, how to interpret them, and they go through, like, nutrition, lifestyle supplement protocols for them. So I was like, okay, this is going to be really helpful.
Amanda Montalvo [00:12:26]:
And I do. You can do this program. Previously you could do it at even if you didn’t have a nutrition background. Like, you had to have no background to do this. I don’t know if that’s still the same, but I think people should have training if they’re going to do lab tests with people. I just think it’s important for understanding, like, physiologically, how everything works. You don’t get everything in that program, which, like, you shouldn’t expect to, right? We can’t learn everything from one program, but it was a really great program for myself. I enjoyed it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:12:59]:
I do not use all those labs. I also did this program eight years ago, maybe even more. Like, it could, it could have been like ten years ago. I don’t know. I think I was like, I lived in Mississippi, so at least nine years ago, so that’s like, how I remember stuff. What state did I live in? So probably like nine years ago. So I don’t know if it’s like, what it’s like now. I don’t know who is teaching it now.
Amanda Montalvo [00:13:27]:
I don’t know what labs they cover now. It could have changed, so please keep that in mind. But I know people that still, still go through it and they have a good experience if you’re, if you’re wondering if it’s a good fit. I mean, I would try to talk to someone that’s done it recently, and they also, like, if you contact them, they’ll try to connect you with someone. Like, that’s what I did. I talked to, they’re like, oh, here, this person will share their experience because it was still, like somewhat new, like when I did it. So I think it’s great. I still think you should have your RD, CN’s, NTP, some sort of nutrition background if you’re going to do it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:14:00]:
And I also did advanced programs from them. After that, I did their blood chemistry program to better understand, like, what is, what are the optional ranges for blood work versus, like, conventional ranges. And then I did their advanced stress and sex hormone training, which was great. That helped me understand the dutch test. So they don’t. I don’t know if they teach the dutch test in their program now, but at the time they didn’t. So those were two really great trainings from them. And I still, when people ask me, I do recommend FDN, but I do think you should have a better background first.
Amanda Montalvo [00:14:32]:
Otherwise it could be extremely overwhelming. Also, like, the thing with that program is they recommend doing all the labs with every client. I would never do that. I think you need to individualize your care. Like, I do hair testing with every client. But then from there we do labs based on what that person needs. Like, what do we need to help them? And then we gather that information through specific labs if we even need to. So that’s something to consider is like, they do teach you a specific way, but every program, you have to, like, go through it with an open mind, take what is helpful.
Amanda Montalvo [00:15:08]:
Cause I do. I still do. Like, I mean, I’m in a course right now. I’m always taking a course. So when people ask me, like, what training did I do? I’m like, I did all of them and I’m still doing them, which is how I think practitioners should be. You should always be learning and expanding your knowledge. You never know everything. And, like, the more information you learn, the more you’re like, man, I know nothing.
Amanda Montalvo [00:15:30]:
I’m still constantly taking stuff. And I’ll talk about some of the recent ones I’ve taken, but I go through programs all the time. And there’s times where I’m like, man, I wish I didn’t pay for this. And then there’s times where I’m like, okay, this was really helpful. This was helpful. This. I’m going to leave. So I think if you go, if you enter a program with that in your mind, you’ll always gain a ton from every experience.
Amanda Montalvo [00:15:51]:
You have other trainings that I went on to do. I did the RCP program, root cause protocol program. I’ll talk about HTMA as well in a second. Like, separate, but that was a big one that I did. That’s like a very in depth training. I also did the quantum fertility program to learn more about, like, quantum health and that view on fertility. Very helpful. Great program.
Amanda Montalvo [00:16:16]:
I’m still in the functional mental health practitioner program. It’s a, it’s a dense one. And then I did do this body smart mind nervous system training. It’s not a practitioner program, but it’s one that I did for my own health, but also so that I can learn techniques and stuff and things to help clients with their nervous system. Again, I’ve done other functional trainings. I did not love certain ones, like, and I wouldn’t recommend that people spend their money on them, so I’m not going to mention them. If you’re wondering if I did them, you can reach out to me and I’ll let you know. So that’s like, the majority of, like, the bigger trainings that I’ve done.
Amanda Montalvo [00:16:49]:
I’m doing some really big ones now, but I’ll go through the HDMA first. So I go through all these functional trainings. I’m, like, learning stuff, learning functional testing. I’m adding on this with my client work. So it’s very, like, nutrition focused, very like, I mean, I researched everything, read a million books, and I’ll share some books as well. And then I was going through my own health journey. I did all the functional testing, but I didn’t, I didn’t find hair testing until I lived in Texas. So that was like, eight years ago.
Amanda Montalvo [00:17:24]:
It was like after I’d already gone through the FDN program, and I was. I had the copper IUD. No, I had gotten it taken out, but I was still having all these issues. And so one of my colleagues mentors was like, hey, you should do a hair test. And I was like, should I? And I didn’t know a ton about it. And I was like, are those even, like, real? You know? And he was like, no, it’s amazing. I do it with every client that I work with in my practice. He was very pro hair test.
Amanda Montalvo [00:17:51]:
And, like, at that time, no one was really, like, talking about hair testing. FTN didn’t cover it really at all. And so it was something where I was like, eh, I don’t know. So then I do it. I get my results back and he interprets it for me, and I’m like, oh, my gosh, this is me to a t. I had a calcium shell. I had high copper. It was all of my symptoms and issues that weren’t, like, they showed up on other labs, but in, like, different ways, and.
Amanda Montalvo [00:18:18]:
But they showed up exactly as they were on this test. And it was, like, for me, it was, like, life changing. And so I was like, oh, my gosh. And it’s such an inexpensive test. Shows you. The last three months, I was obsessed. And so I’ve done a lot of HDMA trainings. I’m doing another one right now, but I’m not all the way through it, but it has been good so far.
Amanda Montalvo [00:18:38]:
So when I wrap it up, and I think she’s making another one, like a level two. So when I wrap it up, I’ll let you guys know if I recommend it. But I did the HDMA expert program with Kendra Perry. Great program. It’s not like the one that I typically recommend. There’s a program called the Instant HDMA professional training that I recommend for practitioners because it has all these helpful resources and it’s really simple to go through, and they have an app that helps you interpret and stuff. And when you’re first starting out, it’s like, I wish I had that. So I usually recommend instant HDMA professional training for people that reach out to me.
Amanda Montalvo [00:19:18]:
I do have a link that I’ll share and a coupon code. That’s the one I recommend for practitioners. My coupon code is hormone healing RD, and I’ll put the link for that in the show notes. So I did the HDMA expert program. I did do the instant HMA professional training recently because I was going to make a practitioner course, and then I was like, I’m having a baby soon, and I really, really, really want to do this fertility program. And it just, like, was not the best time. So I recommend this program instead because I went through it. I love it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:19:50]:
My dietitians have gone through it, love it, use the resources in it like they actually do. So I highly recommend that I went through the mineral mastery training, HDMA professional training from the Malta Institute, and then that root cause protocol program from Morley Robbins that I would. I would not really call that an HDMA training. I would just more call that, like, it’s more just a method of practicing. Like, root cause protocol is a method that you would apply to working with your clients when it comes to, like, nutrition supplements and then, like, minerals, but you don’t get a huge, deep understanding of hair testing. I already had that when I went into that program, so I didn’t really care because I wasn’t looking for that. I was looking for, how do I understand? Like, this full Monty panel and blood work, compare that to hair testing, and then just to really grasp these greater concepts, like the iron recycling system, dangerous with vitamin D, why copper and vitamin A, like how they interact and all that stuff. So I think that is a great program, but if you are looking to learn HDMA, you will probably be sad at the end because it’s not quite, it’s not like an HDMA interpretation where you’re going to learn everything about every aspect of the test, that you would get an instant HDMA professional training.
Amanda Montalvo [00:21:09]:
So I went through, did all these functionalities. Trainings got like, my standard functional lab testing didn’t help me enough. I still had estrogen dominance, still had all my, like, acne symptoms. At this point, I had regained my cycle and I had improved a lot of my symptoms. My acne was much better. But it was like, I was like, I am doing all the things for my health, all of them, and going above and beyond, being very extra when it came to my health, something that I feel like I do not do now. I’m much more simplified, and I wasn’t seeing the result. This is like every client that comes to see us as well.
Amanda Montalvo [00:21:43]:
And then that’s when hair testing really changed my perspective on how I practice. And so I think it’s. I just think it’s a great tool for every practitioner. I wish I had it from the beginning. I really, really do. I think I could have helped people more, but it’s okay. I had it like eight. I had it like four years in, so it’s.
Amanda Montalvo [00:22:03]:
It’s not like the end of the world, but that’s kind of how I got into HDMA and that really shift and changed my view on things, and they’ve evolved over the years, as I talked about in the previous episode. So I had a lot. So that’s like, those are my trainings. I’m also. I’m going through a fertility training right now, or I’m about to start it in June. I’m going through another hair testing course right now because I’m trying to learn more about kids hair mineral testing. And so I’ll share more and stuff in the future with, like, how I enjoy these programs. And I also add them to a page on my website.
Amanda Montalvo [00:22:39]:
On the about me page, if you scroll down, it lists, like, the trainings that I’ve done that I can remember. I add all recent ones. It’s just really hard to remember, like ten years ago, you know? So that’s kind of like all the path that I took to get here as far as like education. There’s a million books mixed in. A million. I have a list here. I’m not going to read them all because that would probably make me want to die if I were listening to this podcast. But I will put them somewhere.
Amanda Montalvo [00:23:07]:
I’ll put them on the website, the blog that goes. Because I always use like all of the text in the description of the podcast. I can try, I can see if we can fit these. I’ll either put them in the description of this episode or I always have a blog post for every podcast episode if you’re looking for like the transcript and all that stuff. So I’ll put those somewhere. But I have them. I have like ten mineral books, four hormone books, three stress and nervous system books, two thyroid, four fertility, and three like general nutrition. So that’s like when people ask me about like continuing education, I mean, I’m a course person.
Amanda Montalvo [00:23:46]:
I really like courses. I learn really well, like visual and audio. So that just works for me. I also love having books, especially if I’m trying to learn something quickly and like, it’s like piqued my interest and I want like a really good resource I can like dig into right now. So I think it’s really important to read, read, read as much as you can. It’s incredibly helpful. I’ll put the books that I recommend are the ones that like, I typically recommend in here. And then like, again, when you do the trainings, it’s like even if you do a great one, like say you go through like an RD program or a CN’s program and then you get your FDN and maybe you get your master’s in like functional nutrition too.
Amanda Montalvo [00:24:33]:
It’s like you’re still going to end. That would be a beautiful path, right? You would have a great, great educational background, but you still don’t really know anything until you start working with clients and you’re still going to work with someone and be like, oh my gosh, I did all this schooling and I don’t know this and I have to go research it. So I would just try not to be so hard on yourself if you are trying to make a career in this field of like, oh my God, I had to pick the perfect program. I have to do this Xyz because she did this or he did this. Try to just do the path that works for you, works for your lifestyle, works for your circumstances, and then just because you’re going to have plenty of time to take a lot more courses, read more books, read more studies and perfect your craft. So that’s just a little encouragement because when people reach out to me, I’m like, you guys sound so stressed, and I don’t want you to be. This should be fun. This should be something that like, lights you up inside and makes you want to get out of bed every day.
Amanda Montalvo [00:25:29]:
So there’s my pep talk. Other thing about continuing education that I did not enough people do. Signing up for pubmed alerts. Most convenient thing ever. I do that so every, and you can like, choose how frequent you get them, but you make a pubmed account, it’s free. You go in and you can set up like, searches and like save them. And then like, for me, every Sunday I get like certain research articles sent to me based on save searches that I have. And so that way it’s like, I don’t, I mean, I’m always on Pubmed anyway, but it’s nice to like, have stuff sent to me.
Amanda Montalvo [00:26:07]:
So even when I’m not necessarily thinking about it, I know. Okay, Sunday, if Eliana’s like napping or if I’m up breastfeeding or something, it’s like all like just read research articles and it’s really nice and it lights up my brain, makes me think about things differently, and it keeps me like, up to date. So sign up for PubMed alerts. Just that it’s a great way to be nerdy and not have to, like, think about it. So that’s like education, continuing ed ideas, ways to stay up to date on research. If you’re listening to this episode and wondering if you may have a mineral imbalance, you can head to the description of this podcast or my website, hormonehealingrd.com, and take my mineral imbalance quiz. It will give you a rating of low, moderate, or high risk based on your answers to questions mostly related to symptoms that you may be having. And from there, you can take my free mineral training.
Amanda Montalvo [00:27:01]:
That is really where I recommend everyone start with supporting their minerals. It’s going to walk you through three ways you can start doing this at home. Today I got a lot of questions about starting my business and like, how I started it. Did I work another job at the same time? Oh, yes. I can’t even like, describe how insane I was at the time. Like, so I finished. So I already know in school I want to go the functional route, right? A lot of people don’t know that right away. I’m like, I want to go the functional route, but I didn’t have money.
Amanda Montalvo [00:27:34]:
My parents absolutely did not have money to help me. And I was dating my now husband at the time. We’re broke at this point in our lives. We’re young. We’re just trying to make it by. I’m just starting my career. So I did a bunch of clinical jobs, and I had a job up until 2019 and when I had my business. So it’s like I, so I’m working.
Amanda Montalvo [00:27:57]:
I’m working in gyms, doing nutrition consulting, and then, and I’m like, kind of. And I was working at a private practice, too, and I was doing clinical jobs, and I was a competitive crossfitter. So, guys, I wasn’t healthy. All right? I was trying to be, but I was also trying to follow my dreams in many different aspects of, like, athletics and then also business. It was a crazy time when I think back because I feel like I do a lot of things now, even though. But I’m like, I have pared back so much. So, yes, I worked other jobs. Oh, I worked, like, a full time clinical job forever, literally until 2019.
Amanda Montalvo [00:28:37]:
So. And that was a huge, I was so stressed to quit that consistent income. I was incredibly stressed about it. But I was like, I cannot grow this business and work with more people if I don’t quit this other job. And it was taking a huge toll on my health. It’s like being an entrepreneur, even when you’re, like, a health entrepreneur, I’m like, it’s like, the least healthy thing ever. I think you can do it healthfully. Like, be healthy and happy and balanced, but it takes so much mindfulness.
Amanda Montalvo [00:29:09]:
And I was really young at the time. Like, I mean, I’m doing all this when I was in, like, my mid twenties, just got married, and I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just like, I have to make money to pay my bills. My husband joined the military and took a pay cut to join the military. And so I was like, there was no option there to not work because we needed the money. And so, yeah, it just, it was a crazy time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I learned so much, and it made me who I am today. But I don’t know anyone who’s, like, started a business and hasn’t had to work another job at the same time.
Amanda Montalvo [00:29:46]:
So that’s kind of how it all started. And, like, I did it on social media. I did one on one in person for a very long time. And then 2019, my husband deployed to Afghanistan, and he was gone for nine months. And I was like, this is my time to just put my head down and do as much work as I possibly can on my business and get as many clients as I can and gain all the experience because he was gone and I had all the time in the world. So that’s what I did. Quit my job, went headfirst into social media, started getting clients started, like a signature program, and it all just kind of evolved from there. But I was doing, like, hair testing and stool testing and gut testing and all that fun stuff.
Amanda Montalvo [00:30:31]:
And then it just, like, kept evolving, kept evolving. Eventually, I did results reviews for hair tests. Those blew up. I was always at a waitlist. Then I made the masterminerals course because I can’t do any more reviews. And then from there, like, things, like, really grew. And now it’s like we have a one on one practice with other nutritionists that work for me. I like to stay with me because we’re so collaborative.
Amanda Montalvo [00:30:58]:
And then now we’re making this nurture your fertility program, which is going to be, like, separate from hormone healing RD, and that’s going to be really special. We have a podcast. It’s, like, beautiful. So it’s been a lot of work to get here, and I compromised my health for a really long time. I think that’s why I had a hard time getting pregnant with Eliana at first. But now I’ve learned and I’ve learned and grown a lot, and I don’t need to do everything to the extreme now, which is nice. So that’s how I started my business, got to where I am today. That’s the education that I did.
Amanda Montalvo [00:31:30]:
And I got a lot of questions around, how do I balance having a business, being a mom? Do I have help? Do I have a nanny? Do we use any? Like, did they go to daycare? Childcare, whatever. I did try a nanny for about five months, and it made me completely miserable. I missed Eliana so much. It was, like, hurting me inside, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I just could not do it. So it was something that I felt like I had to do. And, you know, everyone, you know, you’re pregnant, they’re like, well, have you. What are you going to do for childcare? You need to look for an 80 now or you need to find a daycare now, because it’s really hard to find good childcare, and you’re going to need it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:32:12]:
You know, it was like this immediately stressful thing, and I was like, oh, I’m like, I don’t even know what I’m going to do. I don’t know what I’m going to want to do. And I was like, okay, well, we’ll do a nanny, because I couldn’t imagine not being with her. And it was one of those things where I didn’t. I was like, I looked after I had her. It was like this whole thing. I couldn’t find someone. So I’m like, I’ll just wait and I’ll just try to do as much work as I can while she’s sleeping.
Amanda Montalvo [00:32:36]:
My husband had just deployed. She was like, two and a half months. And I was like, I can figure this out, you know, he’s not home, so I can work whenever she’s sleeping, which is a lot when they’re little. So I actually was able to get a lot of work done when she was younger. And then as she got older and she was taking less naps, I was like, oh, my gosh, I need help. I don’t know how I’m going to do this. And again, I had those voices in my head of, like, you’re going to need help, blah, blah. Like, you need to find good childcare.
Amanda Montalvo [00:33:02]:
I should have looked for nanny years ago, basically. It was so stressful, it was ridiculous. And I do think moms need help, but I think you had to find what works for you. So we tried. I tried this nanny for five months. She was amazing. She was perfect. But I just couldn’t do it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:33:18]:
It, like, was not good for my health. Eliana didn’t like it. It was really terrible. And she was just at my house, so it was rough. So I decided, we can’t do this anymore. And then I found out I was pregnant with Amaya. It was like the first cycle of us not preventing pregnancy, because we decided we’re ready to have another baby. And so I make this decision.
Amanda Montalvo [00:33:40]:
I get pregnant with Amaya and I’m like, well, it’s now or never. I got to figure out how I’m going to make this work, right? So I just would. I get up early before Eliana in work, in the morning, before she got up, and then I would work during her nap, and then I would work a little bit when my husband got home, and that was like, I ended up. I mean, I got a decent amount done and I would work on the weekends a lot, too. And then that worked for a while. Then my husband deployed again. He deployed multiple times, but then, like, the most recent deployment, he was gone for four months. So again, I’m, like, taking care of Eliana.
Amanda Montalvo [00:34:14]:
She was not the best napper. She got older, but I made it work and it was really really hard. I did not have help in Florida. Here in North Carolina, my mom comes every two weeks. Did you guys want all these details? Hope so. I think a lot of you do want all the details, which makes me laugh. So I basically, that’s my work schedule. Morning nap, when my husband gets home from work, rinse and repeat every day.
Amanda Montalvo [00:34:44]:
Weekends I can. I still typically only work during her nap because I don’t like being away from her a ton. Now, if she doesn’t nap, we do quiet time, and she plays for 90 minutes to 2 hours, and she knows mommy’s working, and she still will come and talk to me and all that stuff. And it’s fine, though. I just, like, redirect her and she plays. So that’s how I make it work. Now, having a maya makes it harder, but it’s fine. I still basically do the same routine.
Amanda Montalvo [00:35:11]:
I just like. Even before recording this podcast, I’m like, she won’t go to sleep, and she’s fussy, and I had to be walking on my treadmill desk to get anything done. I’m like, I can’t record a podcast like this, so what am I going to do? And you can immediately jump to, I can’t do it. You know, this is so hard, blah, blah, blah. But then. And I do that for a second, and then I’m like, well, got to get it done because Eliana needs me. This is the time I have got to figure it out. And it’s made me a better mom.
Amanda Montalvo [00:35:42]:
It’s made me a better person in general. It is very hard, is not for the faint of heart. And a lot of. I know plenty of people that are like, I do not know how you do it. I would be miserable. But, like, for me, I. Whenever I’m not working, I’m, like, doing fun stuff, doing fulfilling things, doing fun stuff with my kids. And so whenever that stops and I get a chance to work, I’m happy to work, and I look forward to it, so I don’t think I could just take care of them.
Amanda Montalvo [00:36:11]:
Not that that’s not a huge job. It obviously is. My work is like a break. That’s how I view it. And I know not everyone agrees with that, and some people say it’s not healthy. I personally like, when I get to work, I’m like, it’s like a break, you know, like, Eliana’s sleeping or my husband’s with her, and am I usually sleeping on me? And it’s awesome. And I get to do something that I love for me, that works it ends up being about three to 4 hours a day now with Amaya, too. I used to get to work a little bit more with Eliana, but it’s about 25 hours a week.
Amanda Montalvo [00:36:42]:
I typically work every weekend for the most part. I do take some time off. I try to be mindful of that, but I usually have projects and stuff. I had some people ask me, oh, are you taking time off for maternity leave? I’m like, I don’t really work that much. I’m only working 3 hours a day. So I took about a month off of for when I had Amaya. I worked a little bit before a month, but it was like, fun stuff. It’s like, it’s like when I get to, like, research and create and, like, do that kind of thing, like, it’s fulfilling to me.
Amanda Montalvo [00:37:12]:
So, like, I like having that for myself. If it were, I would not force myself to do work I didn’t like during that first month. But then after that, I was, like, back in the swing of things. I’m having meetings with my team members, like, and I’m happy. I’m happy to do it. So for me, that works. The childcare situation works for us. My mom comes every two weeks.
Amanda Montalvo [00:37:33]:
This is when I cried when I recorded this the first time. My mom comes every two weeks, and typically if I’m in North Carolina, because she’s two and a half hour drive from here, and she stays the night, so she comes at like 11:00 a.m. for day one, and then she leaves when Eliana goes down for her nap or does quiet time, day two. So it ends up being about 24 hours, and it’s great. Like, she comes, Eliana blazes past me, jumps on Mima. I don’t exist, and I can go work, and she has so much fun with my mom, and my mom has so much fun with her, and I can feel really good about it, and they get that time together. So when I have that time, I do. I plan stuff specifically for those days, and we’ll.
Amanda Montalvo [00:38:19]:
And you know, I touch base with my mom every month. I’m like, hey, here’s what I have going on. Can you come these days? If not, I work around her schedule. Well, mima’s it. She is the end all, be all. So when my husband loves her, it’s like, amazing. When she comes, it’s so fun. I would have her live with us in a heartbeat if my dad would allow it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:38:38]:
But basically, that’s how I make it work. My mom comes every two weeks for a day it’s phenomenal. I work during naps and sleep times the other days, if I have a project or something I need to get done and I need extra time, I’ll do it on a weekend when my husband’s not working. Is it a lot? Is it hard? Yes. Do I think that other people would like to do that? Probably not. But I know some moms that do, and then I know plenty of moms that their kids go to daycare or they have a nanny, or they do a nanny share, or they have family that watches them every day, which I’m like, that is amazing. I still don’t think I would want to do that. I love my mom, and Eliana probably would, but I would miss her too much.
Amanda Montalvo [00:39:20]:
But I would love all of us to hang out every day. That would be fun. But, yeah, so that’s like, that’s how I get it all done. I could not have done this. I could not have. I don’t think I could have built my business the same that way. But, I mean, I’m just in a different stage, so it’s like, depending on what phase of your business you’re in. I was just chatting with someone online, though, and she’s like, she sees one on one clients and she has one kid, and she only sees them three days a week, which is still a lot exhausting, but she sees them three days a week.
Amanda Montalvo [00:39:50]:
Like, back to back calls. Three days a week is a lot. If you don’t work one on one people, it is a lot. And then she has, like, the other days, she doesn’t, and she has. I think she’s got childcare during that time frame when she’s doing the calls and stuff, and we were talking back and forth, and it’s like, yeah, like, that’s all you really have time for. I mean, it’s really hard to do one on one and create content, have a podcast and do business. Like, that’s why I don’t see clients face to face anymore. And I have people that work for me and I mentor them and I help with their programs and protocols, like, outside of the sessions, because I’m like, I can’t do the FaceTime, but I could do it in between all the time with my kids and during naps and all that kind of stuff.
Amanda Montalvo [00:40:33]:
So that’s how we make it all work. And then if I have, like, a program running, then it’s like, I’ll have my husband take certain days off from work and so that I can get extra time to work in. So it all works out. We’re doing it right now while they’re little, because that’s what works for us. Because we. And we can do this. A lot of people can’t. A lot of people don’t have a choice.
Amanda Montalvo [00:40:52]:
They have to send their kids to daycare or they have to have some form of childcare. And I feel so hard for those families because I don’t think I could do it. But if you’re in a position where you’re a mom and you’re trying to have a business and you feel like you have to do things a certain way, just like all my other advice, like, think outside the box, find a way that works for you. If you don’t want to not be around your kids, find a way to make that work. How could you offer your service differently? What could you do differently? And get creative. And then when it’s really, really, really hard, just remind yourself that you can do hard things. I tell myself that at least once a day, it’s okay to do hard things, Amanda. It’s okay to do hard things.
Amanda Montalvo [00:41:34]:
It makes you a better person. It makes you more resilient. And I know that this season is not forever. When they’re this little and they need me so much. I’m really trying to be mindful of that and enjoy it, no matter how hard it is. So that those are, like, the biggest things people ask, like starting a business, being a mom. I don’t know. Cause I haven’t done it and I can’t even imagine because I worked like a psycho when I started my business.
Amanda Montalvo [00:42:00]:
So I don’t know. But I feel like. I mean, when you’re a mom, you know exactly what’s important and what’s not, so that’s also really nice. You get a lot of clarity, but, yeah, I just think it’s important to, like, get help, but, like, help where you want it. Maybe you. Instead of paying for childcare, you pay for someone to help you in your business. That’s what I do. Because I don’t want to be away from my kids.
Amanda Montalvo [00:42:21]:
A lot of people don’t think about it that way. They feel like it has to be them in their business. And I’m like, it kind of has to be you for your kids, for me, for my life. Don’t. I feel like moms take things very personally, as I’ve learned online, so I am never shaming someone for their choices. I thought I was going to be the mom that had a nanny that worked full time, and I can’t do it. So I also never thought I’d bed share, you know, so it’s like you don’t know until you become a mom what you’re going to be like. And I think that’s important to keep in mind, especially women that are like, preparing.
Amanda Montalvo [00:42:54]:
Maybe you’re pregnant. You’re like, how can I prepare my business and stuff? I would say just have an open mind and don’t be afraid to like, try something that you think might work, even if other people aren’t doing it. Or if someone tells you it’s a bad idea, like if it feels right for you, like, follow that intuition because moms have an incredible intuition if you can listen to it and hear it. But obviously it’s very important to have help. I’m so grateful to have my mom. This is like when I started crying before. I feel I had to get that out. Apparently I needed a good cry, but it’s like I choose.
Amanda Montalvo [00:43:28]:
You have to choose your hard. I choose to so not be away from my kids as much. Am I tired at the end of the day? You bet. I am exhausted at the end of most days. But I have fun. I do things that fill my cup and I always find a balance and I always eat enough and take care of myself and do those basic things. It is amazing how resilient you can be if you take care of yourself. On a foundational level, I do not compromise those, especially so that I can be a really good mom for them.
Amanda Montalvo [00:43:58]:
So that helps me. And I, like, I pour this time into them and maybe I’m sacrificing like growth in my business, maybe I’m definitely making less money, but like, I don’t. For me, it is worth it. For me personally, it is worth it because all that is going to be. I would regret it later in life if I didn’t do it. And, you know, like, it’s like, like the way, like I light up when I talk about my mom and how I’m like, I would like my mom to live with us and like, I would. I’d talk to my mom all the time. I hope that I have that with my girls.
Amanda Montalvo [00:44:35]:
I know that I will, like, when they’re older, but like that’s why you do it, you know? So just. It’s so important to think about those things and not just like do something because someone tells you that you should. And I feel like especially, I mean, if you have a few kids, you know that, right? But if you are planning on becoming a mom or you’re pregnant, right? Now and you’re trying to wrap your brain around everything. Just don’t listen to other people. That’s, like, my best advice for, like, new moms. I’m like, just don’t listen to anyone. Like, only listen to your intuition, because everyone’s kid is different. Like, every baby is different.
Amanda Montalvo [00:45:11]:
Amaya is completely different from Eliana. Like, you cannot take advice from other people. Unfortunately, like, some stuff you can, but just don’t stress yourself out so much. Trying to do what other people are doing in business, in life, being a mom, all the things, and I, and I. And that’s it. That’ll wrap up the business and motherhood section. You guys won’t hear me have the good cry. I decided to take that out, but I know you’d all appreciate it and probably send me really nice messages, but that’s how I do it, and that’s my advice for moms that are trying to figure it out.
Amanda Montalvo [00:45:44]:
Last thing, social media. I got a lot of questions around, like, social media growth and how I got started on social media. And did I always know that I would. That I would have an online business? I would say for the online business piece, I did always want an online business, and this was before they were even a thing. It was like, even when I was in college, I was like, I want to be able to work for myself and do what I want to do and not have to be on anyone’s schedule. I knew I wanted that, and I was very fascinated with the online business world. And so I did always know that. I didn’t know that I was going to do it through social media until I got on instagram.
Amanda Montalvo [00:46:31]:
And I was like, man, this is a really cool place to connect with other people, and I love to educate. And so it just kind of happened where I would be educating, sharing things I’m learning. And my account started to grow. I started helping more women, and then that, like, speeds up that growth process as well. But, yeah, that’s like, I mean, that’s like, how I got into it. I just, like, genuinely wanted to, like, share what I was learning. And then the things, like, my clients were learning, you know, about their bodies, which was always so fun, and I always enjoyed social media. I think that it’s what you make it.
Amanda Montalvo [00:47:07]:
Like. I had a lot of questions around, like, how do you balance social media with, like, not spending too much time on there, not feeling like you’re always on your phone? And then I had a lot of questions on, like, comparison and, like, how do you not let having a business on social media stress you out because it does stress a lot of people out. And I think for a while it really stressed me out. And then I’m like, it’s more just that you feel like you have to, like, do what everyone’s doing or, like, you know, when, like, reels came about, I was like, oh, I like the traditional posts. I like making these really cool, informational, educational posts that people can, like, swipe through and learn from. And you have, like, a detailed caption and it’s like, I enjoyed that. So when reels came out, I was like, I’m not dancing in front of the camera and doing that sort of thing. And, you know, it does stunt your growth and stuff.
Amanda Montalvo [00:47:59]:
But I just, like, think it’s so important to be true to yourself and do what you feel comfortable doing and not doing something because it’s a trend or you feel like you should, or, like, you’re feeling like, if I. Out of fear. I think when you make decisions out of fear in any aspect of your life, but especially, like, business, too, it’s just, it’s never gonna be good. It’s not gonna be good for you, it’s not gonna be good for anyone else, and it’s not gonna help you achieve your goals. So I definitely had a hard time with comparison for a while, but I was finally just like, like, I’m not going to be on my phone except for to, like, work. So I would just, I don’t have a personal Instagram account. I just don’t want one. I don’t want to have to go on there and check stuff.
Amanda Montalvo [00:48:44]:
I’d rather just have my business one. If I want to connect with someone personally, I will send them a text or give them a call. So that’s, like, what I prefer. I would say, like, it took a while to get there because I felt like I needed to be in the know and, like, what is, what are other people in my field doing? What should I be doing next? And it was one of those things where I’m like, I think that hinders you more than anything. And I think if what I’ve learned, and I had this conversation, I feel like it was just like, a couple weeks ago with my husband, and I was like, it’s like, you just have to do what works. And, like, just because someone says, like, this strategy is working for them on Instagram with, like, sales or things like that, it doesn’t matter, because if it’s not true to you and your business and, like, how you work with people, it’s not going to actually help you. So I do what I know and I do what I think helps and serves my community online. And I think if you can keep that perspective, you will not stress yourself out with social media also put limits for yourself.
Amanda Montalvo [00:49:48]:
I don’t personally do this. I don’t really want to go on Instagram. Like, I like to go on, check it. Respond to questions I get from people, respond to my comments and I look at funny parenting reels because Instagram has finally realized that that’s the content I like to look at is like mom and parenting stuff because they give me such a good laugh. And I like, I need to start sharing them in my stories like once a week because I get, I have a collection of really funny parenting reels and me and my husband just send them back and forth to each other online. So it’s like if I’m not doing that, but then like if I’m not working on there, then I look at parenting rules, I save them to a folder and I send them all to my husband and we laugh. But like, I just think people take it a little too seriously. Social media is supposed to be a fun place.
Amanda Montalvo [00:50:38]:
It’s supposed to be a place where you are adding something and you’re serving people. And so that’s what I focus on. I don’t focus on other people. That’s a really easy way to not compare is to just make that not part of what you’re using it for and just getting really clear on like, what am I doing on here? You know, I think I always try to create to before I consume something. So if I find myself scrolling on social media, I’m like, okay, well, what am I adding to this conversation? Am I responding to people that are commenting on my posts? Do I have people asking me questions in my dm’s that I could be? I usually refer everything to email, but I do answer all those emails. My va helps me, but it’s like we respond to everything. So I’m like, am I being of service or am I just like doom scrolling and making myself stressed because I’m not doing all the things I see other people doing or the neck the new thing for like whatever change to the algorithm that has happened. So that is my kind of like advice for social media.
Amanda Montalvo [00:51:43]:
And I feel like it’s not super specific, it’s not like set a timer for 30 minutes. And I know some people need that, but I just think it’s like, how are you approaching it? You know, it doesn’t have to be that complex. Same thing with your business. Like, you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing. I think you need to find, like, the capacity that you want to support someone that is healthy for them, it’s healthy for you, and then you can, like, you find a balance and it makes you unique so you’re not just like another carbon copy of every other account out there. So I think it just, like, people know when they come to your account, like, oh, she’s like, doing, like, a trend for a real. And if you do that stuff, like, it’s no, not like, no shade. I’m just, I don’t personally like doing that stuff, but some people do, and they’re really funny and they have great accounts, but, like, that’s their personality.
Amanda Montalvo [00:52:33]:
So when they do it, it works for them. But I sometimes I see stuff and I’m like, I don’t really feel like you wanted to be here doing this, you know? So it’s just like, evaluate that. If you want to do all the trendy stuff, do it. Like, that could really work for you, but if you don’t, don’t feel like you have to. And if you find yourself scrolling and taking a lot of information in online, make a rule for yourself. Like, if you are not adding something to the conversation, doesn’t mean you have to go and make content if you don’t want to. But you should probably get offline because you could probably be doing something more enjoyable with your time. So make Instagram or any social, whatever social media you choose, use.
Amanda Montalvo [00:53:13]:
Make it what you want. You don’t have to follow the trends. Do what’s true to you. And more followers doesn’t mean more money, it doesn’t mean more success, and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re helping more people. I know plenty of smaller accounts that, like, I have colleagues that make well over a million dollars a year, and they have, like, a fifth of the followers that I have, maybe less. So it’s not all about that. It’s about, like, the kind of impact that you want to have and, like, honoring that and showing up and doing that every day. So that’s my social media advice.
Amanda Montalvo [00:53:51]:
Don’t take it so seriously. Don’t. If you’re doom scrolling, get off and you just have to make it work for you. Like, I have a ton of free resources in other places because I don’t want all my stuff to just be social media, you know? Like, I have a ton of stuff on my website, got free trainings. Like, so many podcasts like, so many other things. Like, that’s part of why I created the podcast, because I’m like, I’m sick of just sharing on social. Like, I wanted a more, like a deeper format because that’s what I do better with. And so I honored that.
Amanda Montalvo [00:54:22]:
Could I, if I posted more on social media and put way more attention there, could that grow my account? Yeah, but, like, would I be as happy and fulfilled? No. So you have to find that balance for yourself. And I think I used to take business, like, way too seriously and put so much pressure on myself. And then, you know, you become a mom and everything changes. But it’s just one of those things where I’ve just learned that you have keep it unique to yourself. Like, always go back to, like, how did you start this thing? If it really worked for you, it made you happy, stay there. You don’t have to do things a certain way because other people do. And, I mean, I feel like that’s like, all I’ve got for business, social media.
Amanda Montalvo [00:55:03]:
When someone asked about GI maps, because I talked about the Dutch, the advanced dutch course, and I talked about all the HDMA courses. So Gi maps, I don’t know if they use that test now. In FDN, I learned a different stool test through FDN, but I mean, they were very similar. So when I started doing GI maps, because that’s my preferred lab tests for stool testing and gut, I used, I still used all the information that I learned from FDN, but it’s from diagnostic solutions labs and most labs that you’re going to be ordering from. This is what I tell a lot of dietitians, too, that reach out to me. Most of those labs have a bunch of trainings, like once a month they’ll do something. But, like, for example, if I have a stool test, I’m doing a lot of stuff on kids now because I’m trying to get better at that and, like, really hone my skills so I can help a lot of the moms that we help with their children, too. And like, if I’m looking for something, I will search on diagnostic solutions website to see if they’ve done a training on it, and I almost always find one.
Amanda Montalvo [00:56:10]:
So most companies like that, they’re gonna have an abundance of resources for you as well, and they do consult with you if you need to go through a test. I did those so much in the beginning, so I could, even though I did the programs, I still wanted to really make sure I was understanding everything. And I usually had questions and so you can schedule a call if you’re a provider and you have an account with them and they go through the test with you and you give them information on your client. It’s a great learning experience. But I still think people should be doing the. The online, the workshops and stuff, too, just because that’s like, there’s gonna be so much information that you can’t always get from a call. But that’s. So that’s the only thing that I did not cover that you guys had asked.
Amanda Montalvo [00:56:56]:
But yeah, that’s like the training that I went through that I’ll put the list of books somewhere, either in the description, if there’s room, or in the blog post for this on hormonehealingrd.com dot. You can always find the blog for the podcast episodes. And man, I can’t believe I broke down so much when I talked about business and motherhood. But my kids changed my life. They really did. And they changed my business and how I look at my business and how I help people, all for the better. So if you are a mom starting a business and you’re having a hard time, I get it. It’s just you got to figure out what works for you and it does not have to look like it does for anyone else.
Amanda Montalvo [00:57:39]:
Even if you’re not a mom and you’re trying to make a business, like, just think out of the box. Like, I remember when I did those results reviews, no one was doing results reviews for tests, and now everyone does them. And then I made that course of, like, how to interpret your hair tests. And, like, now there’s other courses on how to do that in other lab tests. So it’s like, if you have a good idea and it’s unique, I mean, just if in your gut is telling you to do it, just. Just do it. So many people. I worked with a business coach at the time.
Amanda Montalvo [00:58:09]:
She told me not to focus on that master minerals course. And if I had listened to her, I mean, where would I even be right now, you know? So listen to your gut. Yes, I surprised I didn’t get any business coaching questions, but I did do. I tried to do that for a while, but honestly, I just felt like it was taking me further away from my. My intuition on what I think I should do for my business. And it was hurting more than it was helping. Can they help some people? Yes. But for me, it was like, I was like, I feel like this is, again, I almost did not make master your minerals because of that.
Amanda Montalvo [00:58:46]:
And I think about that now, and I’m like, man, I wouldn’t be able to stay home with my children right now if I didn’t do that. So that’s pretty much it. Will I edit out any of that crying? I don’t. No. We will see. But thank you guys for listening. I hope that this answers a lot of your questions on career path. And if you’re, like, considering things, trying to figure out what to do, I hope it helps you navigate those.
Amanda Montalvo [00:59:13]:
But also, trust yourself is the most important thing, especially if you’re starting a business. You can start practicing that right now. So the next episode, I’m going to get into Amaya’s birth story, and then we have a postpartum episode and we’ve got histamine ones coming up. Lots of fun stuff this season, so I hope you enjoy and that this was helpful. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Rumenstrol podcast. If you want to support my work, please leave a review and let me know how you like the episode. This lets me know, like, what you guys want more of, less of. I read every single one and I appreciate them more than you know.
Amanda Montalvo [00:59:50]:
If you want to keep learning, you can get access access to the bonus episode and additional resources on patreon.com hormonehealingrd. I’d love to have you in there. Thanks again and I will see you in the next episode.
