Karla Salinari on helping women heal their relationship with food through her work as a Holistic Health Coach

Describe your business in a few words?

I am a Holistic Health Coach who helps women heal unhealthy relationships around food by learning to eat with purpose, fall in love with foods that love you back and love and accept their bodies at every stage of the journey.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I felt that my community needed nutrition advice from a Health Coach that was relatable and understood their health struggles b/c I too have experienced the same struggles. I am Latina and work mostly with women in the Latin community. We speak the same language in every sense of the word and that is something that I know my clients value a lot.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

Finance.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes, I always knew I wanted to give back to my community and be of service in some type of way. This is the best way I know how and it's been amazing helping so many women heal their relationship with food and their own body image.

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

I started writing a blog 4 years ago where I shared healthy, Latin-inspired recipes and nutrition advice with women in my immediate circle. Slowly, the word got out and I grew a small following. I then opened a business IG account and started posting daily which really helped me grow my following even further. IG has been great for me to grow my business - it's where I get most of my clients from. 

We always learn the most from our mistakes, share a time with us that you made a mistake or had a challenging time in business and what you learned from it?

When I first started posting on IG I didn't have a plan and didn't understand how the algorithm worked. I worked on putting out really valuable content that was never seen. I then started to learn the ins and outs of IG and using the platform in a smart way to scale my business and it worked but I definitely struggled at the beginning.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

Being able to help so many women in the Latin community through 1:1 coaching, classes and local Television (Telemundo and NBC).

When hiring for your team, what is your go-to interview question? Please share any hiring tips you can share from your experience?

I need my team to believe in my work just as much as I do. I have so many ideas and plans for the future and when you have a team that shares your vision and believes in you that's a win for me.

How has your business or industry been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?

It has not been impacted very much, to be honest. I am a Holistic Health coach and I help people get healthy and understand how to use food as medicine which we can all benefit from especially during these times. The only part of my business that changed was my in person cooking classes and workshops but I've successfully moved those to virtual.

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I have a Bilingual Plant-Based cookbook coming out at the end of the year. I'm also working on my bi-weekly segments on Telemundo and NBC.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned in 2020?

To "roll with it", accept change and pivot.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting your business?

Growth happens organically and not overnight. Also, to stay consistent and continue to come from a place of service and love.

How have you managed to stay grounded this year?

My meditation practice and taking it one day at a time.

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

Yes, but you have to stay focused on your goals. Setting up a schedule and making sure that I stick to it as best I can is key. This allows me to stay focused and not waste time. I'm a wife and a mom to a 6yr old who demands a lot of my attention + homeschooling which isn't easy so coming up with a schedule that I can follow allows me to balance work and home life.

What's something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

That I still work a 9-5pm job in Finance at the same time I have been able to scale my business. It hasn't been easy to do both but it can be done if you're organized and focused.

What are your top 3 tips to stay productive each day?

My AM spiritual practice and exercise schedule is not negotiable - it helps me stay focused and aligned with my purpose.  

Scheduling out your day is key to staying organized and focused. 

Keeping a list of to-do's and future plans is also very helpful.

What does being an Entreprenista mean to you?

Being able to serve and give back to my community.