Meet Toshiana Sommers | Registered Nurse & Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

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

Hi Toshiana, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?

Balance has been something I have always chased. I grew up with small business owner parents who worked seven days a week. As much as I cherish and appreciate their hard-earned livelihood, I wanted better for myself- and so did they.

I started my first job as a registered nurse in 2020. Although three days on and four days off was an amazing schedule, it still wasn’t enough rest for those 36 hours I spent in the hospital fighting an epidemic and poor staffing.

I left my job in 2021 to pursue travel nursing for better pay, better ratios, and the freedom to work when I wanted. Now, a normal schedule for me looks like three months on, two months off. I thought more time off meant more balance but I still suffered from severe burnout during my three 12-hour shifts at the hospital.

Recently, my outlook on balance has changed during my personal endeavors of becoming a holistic health coach. After realizing that I struggle with obsessive perfectionism and the crave to always be doing something, I know now that most of my stress and burnout are self-inflicted. I was resistant to giving my mind and body intentional, uninterrupted rest because I put so much pressure on myself to get things done and to feel accomplished- at work and outside of work. In the long term, this hustle mentality and constant pressure to be perfect turned into anger and exhaustion.

Balance isn’t having more time off. You can have all the time off in the world and still be unhappy. I have found that work-life balance means: finding a purposeful career, resolving childhood trauma, regulating the nervous system, loving and serving other people, being surrounded by community, and most importantly, letting go and trusting in God.

Balance is a daily choice, not an end goal.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

I am the CEO and founder of Organic Nurse RN. It started as a blog in 2021 to promote holistic public health and is now a health transformation hub for the common person.

Organic Nurse RN is a website with educational blog posts, resources, and 1:1 coaching opportunities for people looking to take control of their health, sustainably lose weight, have more energy, manage their stress, and prevent disease.

What sets me apart from other companies, is that I take a collaborative and holistic approach. I believe each person is their own health expert—it is my role to teach you how to access that intuition and motivate you on your journey towards becoming your happiest, healthiest self. To do this, we need to focus on nourishing all aspects of health; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy. There is so much work behind owning and running your own business that nobody tells you about. From imposter syndrome to liability insurance… And I’m just getting started!!!

The best advice I received was to not do it alone. I have so many helpers, advisors, and supporters that keep me going and I am so grateful for them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

First, I would start the day with hot yoga at radi8 in Arcadia. Then get coffee next door at Lola Coffee, pick up some grass-fed steak and local eggs from Arcadia Meat Market, and make breakfast at home. Spend the afternoon walking down Roosevelt Street and exploring the shops. Maybe grab some kratom mocktails at Lacuna Kava bar and then hike camelback for sunset.

The next couple of days I would be sure to take them to Papago Park, the botanical gardens, superstition mountains, Tempe Lake, and Screamery for ice cream.

And definitely take a 2-day trip to Sedona and hike cathedral rock, do the broken arrow pink jeep tour, shop at Tlaquepaque, and see the McDonalds with the blue arch.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
God and His will for me. My parents for making me who I am today. My Aunt Lorraine Biondi-Austin for fueling my passion for health at a young age. Sue D’Alessio for being my mentor. The Institute for Integrative Nutrition for my giving me a profound transformation. My boyfriend, Nick, for showing me how to let go and choose love. 

Website: https://www.organicnursern.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organicnursern/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toshiana-sommers-2790161a4/

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