Industry leaders are making significant strides in transforming the health and wellness sector through innovative strategies and visionary thinking. Coaches in this field offer personalized guidance that integrates physical health, mental well-being and lifestyle management. This holistic approach ensures clients achieve sustainable and meaningful results.
By adopting this comprehensive perspective, leaders can create tailored experiences that align with each client’s unique requirements and aspirations. This individualized focus empowers clients to take charge of their health journey, fostering lasting change and overall well-being.
Catryn Becker, the Founder of Optimize We, exemplifies this approach by emphasizing the interconnectedness of mind, body, heart, and spirit. She focuses on building strong relationships through client-centered strategies and incorporates evidence-based practices informed by the latest research in health and wellness.
She employs a variety of effective strategies, including organizing immersive retreats that blend physical activities with mindfulness practices and thought-provoking workshops. She develops comprehensive wellness programs tailored to suit women in different stages of life. Additionally, she collaborates with organizations to offer wellness coaching in corporate environments, promoting a culture of health within workplaces.
A New Vision for Health and Purpose
Her vision for the future includes making health and wellness coaching accessible to all. By leveraging technology, she aims to broaden her reach and foster a nationwide movement toward improved health and well-being. This forward-thinking approach aspires to inspire sustainable lifestyle changes, empowering individuals to take charge of their health.
Connecting Environmental Engineering with Wellness
At first glance, Catryn’s shift from environmental engineering to holistic wellness may seem unrelated. However, she believes these fields are deeply connected. Initially inspired to improve the physical environment, she later realized that the ‘world’ also includes our inner landscapes—our thoughts and emotions.
In founding Optimize We, she aims to engineer the mind, optimizing ways of thinking, behaving and interacting. This transition feels natural to her, as both disciplines focus on enhancing systems—whether it’s the environment or the individual mind.
Driven by an inner calling and a profound sense of purpose, her decision to pivot into wellness was rooted in a significant intuition that she continues to trust and follow.
A Testament to Possibility and Growth
Interestingly, both experiences highlight the importance of being open to opportunities, even when they come unexpectedly. For instance, Catryn’s second Guinness World Record, which involved participating in the largest group bird call at a Nature Fest, was a completely spontaneous moment.
She and her family had no idea they would be part of a world record attempt that day; they were simply seeking a fun, relaxing outing. However, life sometimes nudges individuals in unexpected directions and when one says yes without overthinking it, wonderful things can happen. For Catryn, that moment served as a testament to the power of embracing life’s little surprises, trusting one’s instincts and allowing oneself to be in the flow of possibility.
In contrast, Catryn’s first record was much more intentional. As a high school student, she was part of a STEM-focused group that worked tirelessly to build the world’s largest operable electric guitar. This project taught her the importance of collaboration, persistence and dreaming big. Many individuals hesitate to chase their big dreams, believing such achievements are for ‘other people.’
However, achieving this record reinforced for Catryn the idea that everyone is capable of extraordinary things if they give themselves permission to dream and put in the work. Both records symbolize for her the significance of saying yes to opportunities and trusting that, even if the outcome is uncertain, the experience itself is invaluable.
A Unique Approach to Wellness Coaching
Aromatherapy, Feng Shui and meditation are tools that Catryn employs to create a holistic approach to wellness. Aromatherapy draws on principles of chemistry, while Feng Shui utilizes energy flow concepts akin to those found in physics.
Catryn’s engineering background enables her to apply these concepts practically. By combining these tools with business strategy, she assists clients in looking beneath the surface, uncovering new perspectives and unlocking solutions that foster profound, lasting change.
A Journey Beyond Limitations
A common misconception is that success must come through struggle. Catryn helps clients redefine success, demonstrating that ‘hard work’ can also encompass emotional and mental resilience.
Many high-achieving women tend to set safe, achievable goals; however, she encourages them to dream bigger and to overcome societal expectations and limiting beliefs. By shifting their mindset, clients can unlock their full potential and break free from these limitations.
Wellness Practices Aligning with Scientific Principles
While not everyone requires a background like Catryn’s, she believes that technical expertise can play a significant role in bridging the gap for those who are skeptical of alternative wellness practices.
Many individuals are more receptive to new concepts when they can see how these practices align with established scientific principles such as biology, chemistry, or physics. Her ability to ground wellness in technical terms helps build trust and opens the door for clients to explore practices they might otherwise dismiss.
The Power of Positivity in Transformational Leadership
Catryn resonates greatly with the CliftonStrengths system, particularly with her top traits of ‘Positivity’ and ‘Empathy,’ which significantly shape her leadership style and interactions. Her natural positivity draws people in, inspiring and motivating them to pursue their dreams.
Many clients note that her energy fosters a safe environment where they feel empowered to dream bigger and step beyond their limits. She recognizes that positivity is not about avoiding challenges or denying imperfections; rather, it involves focusing on potential growth and solutions in every situation.
At the same time, Catryn is mindful of ‘toxic positivity,’ where individuals attempt to remain upbeat at the expense of acknowledging genuine emotions. Her empathy allows her to be present with others in their pain, fear, or uncertainty, validating their feelings and facilitating emotional processing before moving forward.
She believes that honoring the full range of emotions is essential for true healing and growth, ultimately leading individuals back to a more positive, empowered state. This balance of positivity and empathy creates a nurturing and inspiring leadership style, enabling her to guide others compassionately through their challenges.
Unlocking Your Potential through Holistic Wellness
For Catryn, holistic wellness involves considering the whole person—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. She emphasizes that focusing solely on one or two aspects can lead to an incomplete understanding of health. For instance, someone may excel in physical fitness but still feel unfulfilled if they neglect their emotional or spiritual needs.
In her programs, she defines wellness through four pillars: physical well-being, conscious mental well-being, subconscious emotional well-being, and spiritual well-being. The physical aspect includes nutrition, exercise and sleep, while mental wellness involves conscious thoughts and affirmations. Emotional wellness addresses subconscious beliefs that influence feelings and behaviors.
Catryn also emphasizes spiritual connection, which may not be religious but focuses on a sense of purpose or connection to the universe. For success-driven individuals, nurturing all four elements is crucial. By embracing holistic wellness, they can unlock their full potential, thriving both professionally and personally.
The Power of Stepping Away
Catryn focuses on retreats because they create real, rapid transformation in ways that online courses or weekly coaching often can’t achieve. Through her retreats, clients experience quantum leaps—major life shifts—thanks to the immersive nature of the experience, which removes them from their daily routines.
True transformation occurs when individuals step away from the daily grind, allowing space for deep personal work. While self-paced courses require a high level of dedication to see results, Catryn’s retreats make it easy to see results by providing the structure and focus necessary for meaningful breakthroughs in a short time, making them a more effective use of energy and commitment.
Connecting with Emotional Health
Catryn’s approach transcends the traditional focus on disease, aiming instead for freedom. She guides clients from heartbreak to marriage, loneliness to family and scarcity to prosperity. While physical wellness is an important aspect, she believes that true transformation requires addressing emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.
These areas are interconnected; for instance, physical symptoms may arise from unresolved emotional trauma or limiting beliefs. By addressing the root causes and working holistically, she helps clients achieve deep, lasting transformation across all aspects of their lives.
The Importance of Rituals in Daily Life
Catryn views life not as a quest for work-life balance but as a symphony, where different priorities—work, family and self-care—take the lead at various times. To maintain harmony, she follows wellness rituals that ground her.
Prioritizing sleep, she has a nightly routine with a 9:30 PM alarm to wind down, ensuring she wakes at 5 AM refreshed. Physical activity is essential, whether through yoga, strength training, or walking.
Catryn collaborates with holistic practitioners, including acupuncturists and energy healers, supporting her ongoing growth and evolution in her wellness journey.
Empowering Guests through Effective Storytelling
Storytelling serves as the bridge between information and inspiration for Catryn. One of the principles she draws upon is the hero’s journey, a universal narrative arc that resonates deeply with human experience. This approach enables audiences to connect emotionally and intellectually with the message. When speaking, she aims to create a space where the audience can see themselves in the story, making the experience both personal and impactful.
As a podcast host, Catryn’s goal is to shine a spotlight on others. She strives to craft an environment where her guests feel empowered to share their journeys, lessons and wisdom. Through storytelling, she effectively brings complex ideas to life, allowing listeners to engage with the topics on an enhanced level.
