Wholesome Nutrition by Kim
In her mid-thirties, Kim Sandman, who had never participated in any sports of any kind, picked up three… biking, tennis and running. At that time, she was working as a nurse, teaching female patients how to manage Gestational Diabetes during pregnancy. Seeing a direct correlation between the foods women ate and how that food immediately affected their blood sugar levels, energy and health, Kim began diving into how nutrition could help support her active lifestyle. She was also very motivated as a mother to find ways to help her youngest daughter minimize the impact of epilepsy and her cognitive disability.
In 2019, Kim combined her passion for health, her passion for teaching, and her passion for caregiving to launch her health coaching business. Certified as a Whole30 coach, she was inspired and fueled by the changes she experienced in her own life as well as in the lives of her patients. Knowing that Whole30 is intended as a health reset and seeing the desire of her clients to further enhance their health, Kim decided to expand her expertise. She became certified as an Integrative Health Coach, with a certificate in Hormone Health Coaching to focus on Metabolic Health and holistic wellness.
The INTERVIEW
Q: First things first... what is the name of your business and how did you choose it?
A: Wholesome Nutrition by Kim. Raised on a farm in Nebraska, I lived a truly wholesome life growing up. I was taught the importance of quality and was raised eating farm to table before it was trendy. As a parent, a nurse and someone who lives an active lifestyle, I see what a vital role wholesome, nutrient dense foods make in our lives. I wanted the name of my business to reflect my beliefs in the importance of wholesome nutrition.
Q: What excites you about the community of Women-Owned Wednesdays?
A: Being a female entrepreneur, I know the commitment, dedication, resilience, innovation, courage, and determination that it takes to build and maintain a business. Women-Owned Wednesdays showcases women who are willing to break barriers and stereotypes, proving that women can succeed and excel in entrepreneurship, inspiring others to follow suit.
Q: Where did the idea for Wholesome Nutrition by Kim come from?
A: Working as a nurse, coaching patients to better health, I decided that I wanted to expand my reach to more people. It has always been important to me to be as present as possible for my daughters. I knew that if I wanted to have a flexible schedule where I could be available to them, the best way to have that was to start my own business and be my own boss. This was an incredibly scary leap of faith, but I had some amazing friends who encouraged me.
Q: What was your mission when starting out?
A: My mission was to help people feel empowered to take back control of their health. The landscape of nutrition is so confusing, and there is so much misinformation out there. People will often set a goal, motivated to make positive changes, but when surrounded by misinformation, false advertising and so many contradicting voices out there, we give up and go back to what we have always been doing, because it is what we know. I believe that as a health coach, I can block out the noise, provide a clear roadmap and empower my clients to give them agency over their health.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: I am inspired by my daughters. They have both faced adversity of different kinds. I am inspired by their tenacity, perseverance, and the joy that they bring to each day. Bekah and Malia inspire me to keep moving forward, to go outside my comfort zone, to dream big and to be willing to live life big and with passion.
Q: How do you start your day and make it productive?
A: I start every morning with a cup of coffee on my patio or in my office. I love the solitude of this time of day. It allows me an opportunity to reflect on the blessings I have. Once my coffee is finished, I sit down and write down 3 things that I have to get done before my head hits the pillow at night. During the day, I'm often juggling client calls with writing coaching courses, researching, networking, studying, and balancing my duties as a mom. When I know I have a lot of different priorities on a given day, I set a timer so that I stay on task with the job at hand. It’s so easy for me to get distracted when I am trying to find ways that I can help my clients with the challenges they are facing. To stay on task and focused, having the timer go off after 30 or 60 minutes is a great reminder to shift my focus, knowing that I can come back when I have a chance.
Q: What have been the most important factors that you have learned with the success of your business?
A: I have learned that people need each other. We were created to be connected and in community together. As an entrepreneur it's easy to fall into the mindset that I have to do everything independently. I have learned that when I partner with others, ask for guidance, help or expertise from someone else, that's when things flow more easily. I have also learned the importance of showing up exactly as I am. I have learned to be transparent, authentic and that it is ok to be vulnerable. People need to feel connected and feel like they are seen. I believe that because I show up, authentically, flaws and all, my clients see that they also don't have to be perfect.
Q: What have you failed at recently and how did you overcome it?
A: It's hard for me to think of my mistakes or missed marks as failures. When something doesn't go as planned, I appreciate the growth that comes from that missed opportunity or from that failure. I have trained for 3 marathons where I didn’t cross the finish line. That is a really disheartening experience. Each one of those experiences has reminded me that a setback isn’t a failure. Some people have said “oh, how disappointing to have invested all that time for nothing.” I look at it very differently though. Each one of those training seasons brought me closer to my friends who I trained with. I also kept myself in great shape, learned about perseverance and tenacity, and learned that a failed completion doesn’t define me.
Q: What advice would you give your 17-year old self?
A: Dream big. Don't settle for what seems like the right thing to do or do things that you believe others want you to do. I’d tell 17-year-old Kim, go after that audacious dream. Life is filled with amazing opportunities just waiting for you. I believe the universe wants us to succeed and rejoices when we are living our best lives.
Q: What are your favorite online resources for your business?
A: I follow Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Will Cole. I am also inspired by other health coaches who I follow on Instagram. I am inspired by James Clear, who wrote Atomic Habits, and have learned so much from Brene Brown. Since I believe in evidenced based practices, I often go to the website, PubMed as a resource.
Q: What keeps you going and growing your business?
A: I am so inspired by my clients who continue to show up for themselves. When someone tells me during our weekly calls that they have succeeded in their goal, or that they have stopped experiencing a symptom that has plagued them for years, my passion is fueled by their success. I know that so many of the health conditions that have a negative impact on our bodies can be changed with a healthy, nutrient dense, whole food diet. My passion is to teach as many people as possible that they can have agency over their health. I believe that when we are burdened by health problems, we simply are not able to live life to the degree we desire. One of my clients said it so well tonight “we become enslaved by our bodies. I want to be free of my limitations.” This is what gets me out of bed every day. The desire to help others live their life unburdened by health problems that can be prevented.
Q: Share what you do daily/weekly to include personal development in your life for growth?
A: I journal, pray, exercise, and spend time in nature every day. I listen to podcasts on business development, nutrition, entrepreneurship, and wellness. I also fuel by body with healthy foods. Relationships are also an important part of my personal development, so I am intentional about setting aside time for my family and friends.
Q: What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, build and grow a brand or a business today?
A: Find someone who has gone before you and ask them to walk with you on your journey. I would also say take that leap. It is scary, but it is an amazing adventure. Don’t wait for there to be a right time. Just take the leap.
Q: What do you do to unwind and take time away from your business?
A: I spend time in nature. I live close to some amazing trails, so I will often unwind on my bike or running or hiking. I also prioritize time with my daughters and my friends. I love to travel, so I always try to have a trip on the calendar to give me something to look forward to!
Q: What is your motto or mantra that you live by?
A: The answer is always no unless you ask. If you want something, go for it! I also believe in the work hard play, hard mentality.
Q: What vision do you have for yourself in the near future, personally or professionally?
A: I see myself partnering with physicians and wellness providers to expand ways that I can share my knowledge of how to prevent chronic health issues through nutrition. I also see myself leading large groups of people through wellness challenges to show how simple it can really be to live a healthy, vibrant life of longevity.
Q: How do you support other women-owned businesses?
A: I intentionally seek out women-owned businesses and support them as a consumer. I love to refer my clients to other women entrepreneurs
Women-Owned VIBES
My guilty pleasure is: High quality dark chocolate and Manhattans. Not necessarily together, but I love both! I also really love a decadent French pastry with cappuccino. And… binge watching Suits.
Best time management tip: Tackle the most disliked task first. Once you get that out of the way, everything else falls into place! I also find that I can sometimes focus better when I am doing work at a coffee shop. There is something about the busy hum that helps me to not get distracted when I'm working.
The best book I've read in the past year: I listened to The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self by Michael Easter. It really made me think about ways that I can step out of my comfort zone to grow, both personally and as an entrepreneur.
My most listen-to podcast, song or artist is: I absolutely love music. I often have it on in the background. My girls and I listen to a lot of Taylor Swift, but what I listen to varies based on my mood and if I need to be energized or relaxed. I listen to The School of Greatness Podcast by Lewis Howes, We Can Do Hard Things by Glennon Doyle, The Doctors Farmacy by Mark Hyman, Huberman Lab and . . . I devour podcasts that help me grow.
Greatest gift I have ever received: My girls. I struggled with infertility for years before I became a mom. I believe that my girls are truly my gifts from God. A silly gift that I loved was my Christmas gift from a friend last year. She gave me a Christmas ornament of Rip from Yellowstone. I have hung that ornament in different rooms all year, and it makes me smile.
Three things that I cannot live without: Coffee, nature, and relationships.
The coolest person I've ever met is: –I’m so boring! I wish I could name some fun celebrity or Pulitzer Prize winner. In college I worked for an amazing woman, Kathe Lyons Oleson. She was a beautiful mentor to me, and when I am thinking “that seems like too much work” or “I’m not sure I will succeed at that” I think of Kathe. She truly inspired me.
Lake, Mountains, Beach? Yes, please! I love them all. I love the peace of a lake, the grounding that I feel when I'm in the mountains and the power of the ocean. If I really must choose one, I choose the mountains. I think I may be cheating though, because I’m imagining a mountain with a lake at the base of it.
Quality I cherish most in a friend is: Authenticity. I have so much respect for people who don't pretend to be someone they aren't. My closest friends are all genuine and honest and I have a deep respect for that. I saw a shirt recently that said, “Be authentic, not perfect” and I absolutely love that!
The title of my autobiography would be: Never Say Never, whenever I have… the universe says, "game on lady" and proves me wrong every time.