I teach people to be Naturally Slender by helping them change the way they think about themselves, food and exercise. As a result, weight loss actually becomes easy.

EDUCATION | I have a BA from UVA, MBA from London Business School, and I'm working on a PHD in Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies. In addition, I'm a Certified Life Coach, Certified Master Practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), a Certified Hypnotherapist, and a Certified Destination Coach.

HOW TO GET STARTED | I would recommend that they become clear about what they passionately care about. I really cared about helping people develop their soul's gifts, and I really cared about freeing them from the tyranny of self-criticism and the weight struggle (that I know so well). I found Neuro Linguistic Programming, without knowing what I was going to do with it. Then, when I was studying, I had the epiphany of how I was going to create my profession. My advice to others is to follow your heart's song. Follow your passion. Find what excites you and develop that without concern for the marketplace. The only way you are going to make it is if you have that passion, that drive, that mission that will keep you going when things get tough. I tried to quit multiple times because it was very difficult to make a living for several years, but I couldn't because of my passion.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Passion, Authenticity and Intuition

how I got started | I studied NLP, Hypnohtherapy and Coaching to get started. I then created my own program I call the "Renee Method" using the very best techniques for weight loss. I also started with a vision, a dream, and a passion to teach people to end their weight struggle for good and become Naturally Slender. I dreamed that weight loss didn't have to be a struggle, that it could be natural and easy to be slim like it is for so many people around the world. Now my dream is a reality. It's incredibly fulfilling.

why this job?| I struggled with my weight and Binge Eating Disorder for many years. When I found myself in a career and health crisis (I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for a total of 4.5 years) in 2000, I realized I was ignoring my life's purpose and in the wrong career for the wrong reasons. So I quit my job with IBM and began studying what really fascinated me - human motivation and transformation. I then began applying what I had learned to my own weight and body image issues and was astounded by the results. It was then that I had the epiphany that this was my life's work.

why I love this job!| Even more exciting than helping people with weight loss, is having them discover, develop, and love the rest of their lives. I love most when my clients and listeners tell me how they have rediscovered their creativity, or found new passion in their relationship or career, in addition to easily losing weight. That rocks! My mission in life is big, and it is my work: to eradicate the weight struggle from the planet and enable others to share their souls gifts.

my typical day| I have client days and non-client days. On a typical client day, I would work with clients by phone or in person from about 8:00 am to 6:00 pm with a lunch break. My sessions are 50 minutes long and I do 10 minute phone check ins as well. On a non-client day, I start around 8:00 and I stop around 6. I plan and record my weekly podcast show "Inside Out Weight Loss" (at www.personallifemedia.com/iowl), blog, respond to emails from clients and listeners, do business developement, and take care of myself by having a session with my own coaches, and working out! Oh and I go to school, and study. After work, it's family time- I have two kids.

what they are | The main challenge for me was creating a viable business and marketing myself. I hated self-promotion and wasn't very good at it, even though I worked very hard. I was embarrassed by my passion because it was so big, and so out of the main-stream. I didn't want people to think I was crazy! In retrospect, I would hire a business coach right off the bat to get some outside expertise. When I finally hired a coach, it helped me tremendously. I started out by learning how to articulate my passion to others. I became boldly authentic and when I did, my business transformed.

all about growth | Clearly there is a huge demand for weight loss that works for a lifetime. In fact, I think everyone who struggles with their weight would want to end the struggle for good and be Naturally Slender if they knew it was possible. But most people have no idea that it is possible, so that's the challenge, which I am meeting through my free podcast, which has over 1,000,000 downloads to date. People are hungry for this! Many people want to be Coaches and help others, and many, many people need that help. If you're work is truly aligned with your passion and your talents and skills, and you are persistent, the sky's the limit.

my website| http://mindforbody.com