Meet Erin Smandych | Health Coach & Private Chef

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

Hi Erin, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor for my personal success has been in giving myself permission to let go of the shoulds and opening up to doing things in a way that works for me. There are so many experts out there telling you how you should be running your business, what you need to focus on, how you need to show up, etc. when the reality is that the path to success is going to be unique to the individual. Of course, there are so many things that I have learned from a variety of mentors, but the way those tools have become the most useful is in applying them to my own unique way of showing up. The less I’ve tried to force my business and the way I work to look a certain way, the easier it has been to grow into new opportunities and build something I genuinely love.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a private chef and health coach, and I absolutely love the variety of incredible clients I get to work with. On the private chef side, I specialize in creating menus for high-achieving clients like media personalities, executives, and athletes that not only optimize their performance but are also meals that they truly LOVE to eat. On the coaching side, I help women heal their relationship with food and overcome toxic dieting patterns so that they can create health on their own terms from a healthy, intuitive perspective.

What I’m most proud of in my business is that I often fill a role for my clients that they didn’t believe was possible. With my private chef work, my clients are typically accustomed to bland, meal-prep style meals, and bringing joy back to their meals alongside their dietary requirements is something that sets me apart from the people they are used to working with. On the coaching side, I work with clients who believe that they will always struggle around food, or that they can’t possibly achieve their health goals from a place that feels organic and natural, and being able to show them that they can absolutely heal their old patterns and do a 180 on how they approach food and health is beyond fulfilling.

The variety of clients and projects I take on goes against what works for a lot of people. In the beginning, I felt a lot of pressure to pick a lane, to focus on one type of work or client, and I thought I was doing something wrong by having such a dynamic schedule. But what I’ve learned is that forcing myself into a box simply doesn’t work and that I thrive most when I can jump around between different dynamics. I definitely don’t think that approach is right for everyone, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that doing things the way you think you are supposed to will only stifle your growth. It was once I embraced the fact that I wanted to be able to have multiple aspects to my business that success began to flow far more easily.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m all about the food, so a restaurant tour would be on the itinerary for sure! Enjoying good food in good company is one of my favourite ways to spend time, and I love being able to share that with those I love. Is there anything better than long conversations spent over delicious meals?

I think the most memorable times are found in shared experiences, so whether that is going for long exploration walks, people watching in cafes, or seeing local sites, as long as the activity is tailored to who I am with and we are sharing that together, it will always be a great time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents played such a huge role in where I am now. They showed me so much support and encouragement when I decided to leave a very stable corporate job to start my own business, and I don’t think I would’ve had the courage to take the leap without that. I’d also like to shout out one of my first mentors, Cara Rice, who was an incredible influence when I was first getting started. She not only showed me the ropes of getting things off of the ground (both on the strategic and mindset side of things) but also opened me up to what was possible in the entrepreneurial space, which was massively motivating.

Website: erinsmandych.com

Instagram: @erinsmandych

Linkedin: Erin Smandych

Facebook: @erinsmandychnutrition

Image Credits
Elizabeth Mywaart