We had the good fortune of connecting with Kai Christianson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Kai, tell us a little about yourself, what is KaiZen, and where did you come up with the idea to start your own business?

My name is Kai, short for Kailee, and I was born and raised in Alaska and am a certified online Holistic Health Coach. Throughout my studies as a Health Coach, I came across a Japanese philosophy called Kaizen, which means “making small incremental changes that lead to big changes”. (Kai) means change, and (Zen) means good. Small changes are the key to this philosophy, which I will explain later after giving some insight into my own experience with change.

I personally used to operate from the “all in or all out” effort mentality that I picked up over a decade of high-level youth competitive sports, such as gymnastics and soccer. Growing up a competitive athlete on a typical Western Diet, I seemed to struggle with simple things that others around me didn’t. I dealt with hormone imbalances resulting in extreme highs and lows. Anxiety and depression that leaked into all areas of my life; relationships, career, and my mental well-being. When I set goals, they were often high level or indirect aspirations for where I wanted to be. They always seemed to escape my reach, because they were too large with no road map on how to get there. I’m’ all in. In my adult years, this led me to burn out and have feelings of shame as to “why I couldn’t keep up.” I’m all out.

The missing puzzle was the direct small changes that could continue to be SUSTAINABLE. In today’s climate people want results fast. Often people look for the quick answer or fastest means to an end without considering the journey. I knew I didn’t want to create just another quick fix like I’ve seen so many other approaches in the health and wellness space. This mental shift became the foundation for everything I did going forward.

Rather than having an ultimate end goal be my primary focus, I mapped out the small goals and considered the impact that it had on my primary goal. As I began to do this, with the Kaizen philosophy in mind, my large goals that were once unattainable began to fall like dominos. The philosophy works and I am intent on helping anyone achieve their goals through its process.

Being that my name is Kai and during this time I seemed to be finding my “zen”, KaiZen seemed like it was the perfect name. It not only became the foundation for my life, but quickly became the vision for the foundation of the business I wanted to cultivate. That’s where I got the idea to begin health coaching. It’s also where the name of my business comes in, Kaizen Wellness for You. “Shifting your inner thoughts and behaviors through small, sustainable lifestyle changes.”

How did you get into health coaching?

The Kaizen philosophy made me set out on a personal quest of improvement. I had to change what was going with my thought process internally in order to achieve anything externally. So, I started working with coaches, therapists, and personal trainers. I started reading self-help books and did everything in my power to heal from the inside out, but didn’t seem to get anywhere with the tools. I was overwhelmed.

One day, I was watching “Marie TV”, Marie Forleo’s Youtube Channel, and she spoke about her journey starting out as a Holistic Health Coach. This is when I had my huuuge “aha” moment. “YES,” this is what I want to do!

I’ve always had a love for all things health and nutrition and landing on this moment felt like this was my next path. I had already been doing a lot of research on health and wellness over the past few years, so I decided to finalize it by furthering my education and seeking certification. The education I received while getting certified strengthened my previous understanding of health and wellness and allowed me to envision how I would use these skills in the future.

What should our readers know about your business?

Kaizen Wellness for You helps women from all over the country create healthy sustainable lifestyle changes by shifting their inner thoughts and behaviors for good. Going through my own trials and tribulations of depression, anxiety, hormone imbalances, excessive weight gain, tarnished relationships, and family death made me feel like I had an experience that could help others. Furthermore my years of nutrition, coaching studies, and certifications gave me the knowledge and experience most women my age don’t have. This gives me an edge in understanding what generation Z and upcoming professionals are going through.

As a certified Holistic Health Coach, I’ve studied for years and have figured out what works, what does not work, and more importantly, what actually sticks! There are SO many health courses out there that will sell you on “quick fix”, like how to lose 10 pounds in a month, but that isn’t SUSTAINABLE. What I teach is the FUNDAMENTAL, tangible tools and knowledge that build a base of comfort that is widely overlooked. When small and simple changes are made to a busy lifestyle, amazing things tend to change. These proven strategies make it easy for any client to get the results they desire.

What is a philosophy that you preach to your members?

One of the biggest things we teach here is that together, we go farther. I am here to help you personally find changes that fit within your individualistic lifestyle. For a long time during my early failures, I tried to do EVERYTHING on my own. This made it difficult for change to stick and the same problems showed up over and over again. I lacked the confidence to discuss these issues with others, and instead let them simmer and fester.

I see many new clients who have been looking for a support coach or a therapist for a long time that they can trust. They’re sick and tired of where they are at and want to make change, but don’t know how. While trying to do it alone, they typically find themselves in the same place they were the year before. Much like I was! I took a leap when I invested in a coach or therapist for the first time, which gave me a trusted partner that was comfortable with not only helping me grow, but picking me up when I needed it most.

Kaizen Wellness for You isn’t about me and my journey… It’s about YOU! What YOU need, what works for YOU, specific to your genetic makeup, and who YOU are as an individual. Health and growth is not a one-size-fits-all or teaching one thing to everyone. Anyone who is telling you that is just asking you to sign up for a monthly fee to access their catch-all suggestions and content.

That’s not what’s sustainable… It’s about understanding yourself on a deeper level, trusting yourself, learning what works and what does not work for you, creating lasting change, and understanding the knowledge to take with you for the rest of your life. Having an expert nearby to guide you until you feel comfortable doing it on your own was the piece that I was missing that I hope to provide to others. It changes the way you cultivate your life, for the rest of your life, and the small changes we make together will solidify and help interpret each new phase you go through in the future. No matter where life takes you, you’ll be able to walk away with the lasting changes you’ve always desired.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love, and encouragement of others. Is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

There are quite a few people who have helped me in the journey that has gotten me to where I am today, both personally and professionally. I’d love to dedicate my shoutouts to these incredible and impactful individuals; Kim Evans, Amanda Goolsby, the Magnetic Business Mastermind, and my dad.

My first shoutout is to my Therapist and Coach, Kim Evans. She’s been a foundation for me since day one. Before I started my business, she helped get my mental health in check which catapulted me to get clarity on my business, and ultimately sustain it as I was in the building phases. I didn’t have any professional and respectable influences in my life during that time, and she was someone I could confide in and trust dearly.

The second person would be my mentor, Amanda Goolsby. From the moment we met she saw the highest version of me and believed in me before I did. She took me under her wing and exposed me to a new idea of being, living, and what real wealth looks like from an aligned place. She exposed me to everything from high-vibe gatherings, to successful entrepreneurs, to countless health and wellness modalities that I still integrate into my life now. The biggest part about her was not only what she would teach me, but more about the life she would live. The leadership she emulated and the life she created for herself continues to be one of my largest drivers for a life I could create myself.

Third, would be the two coaches that I hired to start my business from the ground up, which helped me land my first clientele, Anette Sky Oran and Felicia Romero with the Magnetic Business Mastermind. It was the all-in-one kick starter I didn’t know I needed! It was the #1 thing that got my practice out into the world helping women from all over the country.

Lastly, would be my Dad, Todd Christianson. Any time I would come to him and tell him about my aspirations for my business and myself for what I needed in order to get there, he was fully on board and supported me in the process. He was a huge part of the starting blocks in order to make everything possible. He was also the first person who I had a company with at 19 years old and gave me the entrepreneurial bug that ultimately led to my desire in running my own separate health coaching business.

All of these people helped in the process that ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. Now being able to look back and see how much support and love I had doesn’t surprise me on how I was able to turn my life around. Everybody needs help and support for their goals. Let Kaizen help you get on the right path forward. Follow Kaizen wellness on Instagram at @thekaichristianson or contact Kai Christianson personally at kaizenyouwellness@gmail.com!

Instagram: @thekaichristianson

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaileechristianson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaichristianson1/

Image Credits
James Lee With James Lee Media

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