Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathlyn Carney.
Hi Kathlyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into wellness really started unexpectedly back in 2018. One of my best friends from high school, Trish, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at just 23 years old. It totally rocked me. I felt this deep need to help, so I just dove headfirst into research—looking up everything I could find on PubMed and through trusted experts about cancer-fighting foods. I ended up putting together this huge document for her. That was really my first glimpse into how powerful nutrition can be – I learned that there are foods to help support your immune system, herbs that can help you manage stress, and so much more.
Around that same time, my mom and one of my college roommates were also trying to heal from their chronic conditions, and we started sharing tips with each other. It opened my eyes to how much of an impact our food and environment have on how we feel. I started noticing how many everyday products—our food, cookware, cleaning supplies, personal care products—can actually contain some pretty harmful stuff. It was honestly overwhelming at first, but I just took it one step at a time.
I slowly started shifting my diet – adding more fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, herbs, and adaptogens. I also cut out processed foods with artificial flavors, MSG, and canola oil, and started swapping out plastic containers and aluminum cookware for safer alternatives. The changes I felt were wild. My energy skyrocketed. My mood stabilized. My skin cleared. These symptoms I had just lived with for years… they disappeared.
That’s what really lit the fire in me. I ended up writing and publishing my first book, We Can’t Change What We Don’t Know – How I Started to Think of Food as Medicine, in 2019, because I just felt this strong urge to share what I had learned over the last 2 years. It became so clear to me that food is medicine, and I wanted to keep learning, so I went on to pursue a master’s degree in nutrition education in 2020.
But then COVID hit—and with that, I started to understand how much stress plays into our health, in addition to our nutrition and environment. I went through a really tough time: high stress, catching COVID twice, getting off birth control after a decade, and dealing with some brutal hormonal symptoms. Shortly after, I was diagnosed with PCOS after experiencing many of the same symptoms that I had before: fatigue, weight gain, acne, and anxiousness. And I remember thinking, Wait… I thought I had this health thing figured out. But it was a total wake-up call.
It made me realize that health isn’t just about food and using clean products. We have to look at stress, lifestyle, emotional well-being—the whole picture. That’s when I really leaned into yoga and meditation, which eventually led me to become a certified yoga teacher and ThetaHealer. These practices, combined with everything I knew about nutrition, helped me start to feel like myself again.
I felt this strong pull to start sharing what I was learning in real-time, so I launched the Connecting the Dots podcast to make these insights more accessible. I brought on top health experts to dive into the nitty-gritty of the wellness world in a way that felt approachable and actionable.
After I finished my master’s in nutrition at American University, I officially launched my practice, Kathlyn Carney Wellness LLC. I wanted to create a space where people could get truly holistic support—something that looked at not just the physical, but also emotional and environmental health. And during that first year and a half, I had the honor of being mentored by some of the top nutritionists in the field while I worked toward my CNS and health coaching certifications. That support was huge in helping me offer my clients the most up-to-date and impactful guidance.
Now that I am a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Nested Health Coach, I work with clients one on one at KCW who are managing chronic illness, preparing for pregnancy, dealing with postpartum, experiencing irregular gut symptoms, or just trying to feel their best and prevent disease. It’s been such a rewarding journey—and it’s still unfolding!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I actually giggled when I saw this question—because, wow, there have definitely been a few bumps along the way. I’ve already mentioned one of the biggest: my best friend’s gut-wrenching cancer diagnosis. That was such a pivotal moment for me. In the beginning, my wellness journey was really rooted in fear—fear of getting sick myself and fear of not doing enough for my health. For a while, fear was what kept me going. But over time, I realized I couldn’t live like that forever. I had to learn how to trust myself, lean into my faith, and come from a place of empowerment instead.
Another big challenge was deciding to leave my full-time job as a teacher. I took a pay cut and switched to part-time work so I could go back to school for my master’s in nutrition education. And honestly, it was tough. A lot of my friends were hitting these exciting milestones—big promotions, climbing the career ladder—and there I was, starting all over again. I was happy for them, of course, but I couldn’t help wondering if I’d made a huge mistake. I kept thinking, Am I falling behind? Am I messing up the timeline I had in my head?
Looking back, it makes me a little sad that I spent so much time caught up in comparison—trying to stay “on track,” whatever that even means. But I’ve since learned that I’m the only one in charge of my life and my timeline. Our paths are all so different, and comparison really is the biggest thief of joy.
And as I said before, 2020 brought a whole new layer of stress. I had felt so good for the previous couple of years and thought I had everything figured out. But then I was diagnosed with PCOS, and it was a big wake-up call. I realized my lifestyle—constantly pushing, constantly doing— and living in fear were actually keeping me in a state of chronic stress and making it harder for my body to heal. It was humbling, especially after I had just written a book on wellness! I’ve joked that I should probably write a second one called We Can’t Change What We Don’t Know: How I Learned Stress Reduction is Key.
When I ran some labs to discover the root cause of my PCOS, I found that my cortisol was super high, and it all clicked. My go-go-go mindset and the underlying fear that had driven me for so long were taking a real toll on my health. That was a turning point for me. I had to determine what my priorities were—my health, my relationships, my clients—and realize that I couldn’t truly show up for any of them if I didn’t slow down and address the stress and emotional weight I was carrying.
Starting my own business came with its own set of challenges, too. When I launched Kathlyn Carney Wellness, I had so many questions. How do I even set up an LLC? How do I find clients? How do I market myself as someone brand new in the industry? How do I price my services? And maybe the biggest one—how do I motivate people to make real, lasting changes in their health? There was (and still is!) so much more to running a business than I ever imagined.
For the first two years in business, I definitely undercharged (especially as someone with 2 master’s degrees, 3 certifications, and amazing supervision experience). Part of it was imposter syndrome—I felt like I needed more experience—and part of it was my background. I was a teacher in Title 1 schools before this, and I carried a lot of guilt about raising my prices. I wanted to be accessible. But eventually, I realized I couldn’t keep serving from an empty cup. I was stressing about bills every month, and that wasn’t sustainable—especially when stress was the very thing I was trying to reduce (and help my clients do the same).
So yeah, this journey has been anything but smooth or linear. But I’ve learned so much in the past seven years. I’m definitely a trial-and-error kind of person—I’ve made my fair share of mistakes—but I’ve also had so many amazing, exciting wins along the way. And those moments are what keep me going, especially during the hard stuff.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m the founder of Kathlyn Carney Wellness – a nutrition counseling and health coaching business. I am a team of one at KCW as a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS), trauma-informed health coach, and yoga teacher—and I’m here to support people in feeling truly well, not just checking boxes or following one-size-fits-all advice. I work with clients on-one-on and also offer group wellness workshops and yoga classes and support with events!
At the heart of my work is a personalized, holistic approach. I combine science-backed strategies with compassionate coaching to help clients get to the root of their symptoms—whether that’s fatigue, acne, hormonal imbalances, gut issues, or even unexplained infertility. We don’t just focus on food (although we definitely talk a lot about nourishment!)—we also look at stress, sleep, toxin exposure, mindset, and movement. My work is all about creating sustainable habits that feel good, make sense for your life, and actually make a difference in how you feel day-to-day.
What really sets my practice apart is how deeply individualized it is. Every client gets a completely customized protocol that’s based on their symptoms, goals, diagnoses, preferences, and budget. No cookie-cutter protocols here. We spend real time together in sessions ranging from 30-90 minutes talking through test results, adjusting protocols, celebrating wins, and troubleshooting challenges. I know that so many people are craving more time, more attention, and more personalization from their providers, and that’s exactly what I’m proud to offer.
Brand-wise, I’m especially proud of the education and support I’ve built around my work—as a former teacher, I am always looking for new ways to teach clients about how their bodies work or evidenced based practices that make real impacts on their health. Outside of working with clients one-on-one, I also host workshops for companies, schools, and other organizations to provide them with nutrition and lifestyle education. These workshops are completely customizable to the audience – based on their needs. I’ve done stress management workshops for educators, nutrition workshops for an organization of vegetarians, and heart disease prevention workshop for older employees at a small business! I love being able to meet the needs of my community and reach a larger audience. And it’s even more exciting when people from these workshops are inspired to work together one-on-one!
If you’re wondering what kinds of one-on-one services I offer, I have a few different packages based on where someone is in their health journey. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed with chronic symptoms, trying to prepare for pregnancy, navigating a diagnosis like PCOS or insulin resistance, or just want to feel more energized and aligned in your daily life—there’s a path forward that we can create together. Some clients are looking for foundational support like balanced meals, stress management, and better sleep, while others need deeper interventions like functional testing, menstrual cycle tracking, or gut healing. Wherever you’re starting from, I’ll meet you there.
My mission is to take the mental load off your plate and help you figure out what actually works for you—so you can feel better, think clearer, and move through life with more ease, joy, and energy.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If I could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out, it would be this: just go for it. If you’ve got the vision and the passion, you will figure the rest out as you go. Don’t wait for the perfect time because I don’t think there ever really is a perfect time to start a new business. Things might get a little scrappy at times—that’s totally normal. Honestly, that’s where a lot of the learning (and growth) happens. I think when you accept that it might be messy and that mistakes are part of the process, it takes away some of that fear of “not being good enough” or “not ready yet.” That fear can really keep you stuck longer than necessary.
Whether you’re starting a business, a health journey, or anything new—it requires commitment and faith in yourself. And yes, that’s way easier said than done. But you have to trust yourself and surround yourself with people who believe in you and lean on them when things feel overwhelming. If there’s a voice inside telling you this is what you’re meant to do—listen to it. Your intuition is usually spot on.
I also wish I had known how much patience it would take. Building a business—or really, building anything worthwhile—takes time. We see a lot of overnight success stories on social media, but what we don’t see are the years of work behind the scenes. It takes time to build trust, get consistent results, and grow your network. In my first year, I put so much pressure on myself to hit these big milestones right away, and when I didn’t, I felt like a failure. But the truth is, I accomplished and learned so much in my first year of business, and I did eventually reach those goals… just not on the timeline I originally imagined. I feel like that is becoming a theme of this interview – ditching the timelines that I created in my head or that society has created for us.
So anyways, trust yourself and practice patience as you begin on your journey. Celebrate every win, even the small ones. Progress is still progress, whether you’re sprinting or walking. Every step forward matters and will get you to your destination in perfect timing.
Pricing:
- Holistic Wellness Package: $3,333
- Nutrition Focused Package: $2,222
- Foundations Package: $888
- Payment plans available
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kathlyncarney.com/services/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathlyncarneywellness/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathlyn-carney
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@connectingthedots.podcast
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@connectingthedotspodcast
