Recently, I have had several people want to know more about the school I went to for certification for holistic health coaching. The name of the school is The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). Having had numerous conversations with others about the school I decided to compile the most common questions with my personal answers just in case you wanted to learn more.

If after reading this you are interested in attending the school you can receive a $500 Gratitude Tuition Scholarship by mentioning my name. This is good from November 1 – 15, 2010. In addition to the $500 off tuition, IIN will also make a donation to one of the following organizations on your behalf: Healthy Child Healthy World, Farm Sanctuary and Food Fight.

However, if you miss the November 15^th cut off for the $500 Gratitude Tuition Scholarship just know that IIN often has great discounts for new students that are referred by a graduate. It is isn’t 100% of the time but you never know so mention my name and see if there is a promotion going on at that time.

Here are the most common questions that I get asked:

What led me to the program?

I had been staying home with my two daughters for several years and prior to that had been working in training and development in the corporate world. While I really loved being a stay at home mom, I came to a point where I felt it was a good time to start working again. There was one problem; I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I felt this burning desire to reinvent myself with a new career but was not sure what direction I wanted to go. I had plenty of ideas but nothing really felt like it was the right next move. So I hired my own holistic health coach to help me sort it all out. While working with her, I realized this is exactly what I want to do – I want to do what she is doing with me.

It felt so right and made so much sense. I loved my job in training and development; I loved educating and inspiring others and I loved learning new things regarding health and wellness. I have always been a strong proponent for personal development and attending IIN would put all of this together. Not to mention that the world-renowned expert guest teachers were very impressive and I had read many of their books. To me it was the perfect match!

Your schooling was in New York City and now it is distance learning . . . what do you think about that?

At the time when I attended IIN, they only offered live classes, however if distance learning was offered at that time I know that I would have chosen distance learning. With that said, I absolutely loved the live classes. I love to travel, so going to New York on the weekends for class was an added bonus. Although I have not personally taken the distance learning program, I have had the opportunity to receive a lot of the materials including the iPod that is used for the classes. The distance learning program is a wonderful program. I have encouraged other IIN distance learners to make an extra effort to reach out on the online education forum that IIN provides so that they can connect with fellow students. I believe that this is a key part to the program, especially for distance learners . . . making connections with fellow students. IIN gives you everything you need but it is up to you to take advantage of it and to do what they suggest.

I also know that IIN can reach more people having a distance learning program and as a result have a bigger impact on the world. They have had students from 50 states and 60 countries represented and I personally think that is AWESOME!

What did you like about IIN?

Well, I didn’t just like this school, I LOVED it! Not only did I learn more and expand my knowledge on health and wellness, I learned more about myself too! Let’s face it the teachers alone are an impressive bunch to learn from and the founder Joshua Rosenthal is fantastic. While Joshua teaches the majority of the classes the guest teachers were an added bonus – they are experts in their field of study. You can check out the list of guest teachers here.

I can’t even count how many times I was inspired to tears. It was an amazing journey and I truly loved every minute of it. I learned about many dietary theories and I learned them in a way that made sense. The concept of bio-individuality was a breakthrough for me. It means that everyone is different therefore we all need to eat differently. This applies to every part of our lives though – what might work for one will not work for all. I use this in my life every day . . . really I do!  I also believe that even if I didn’t start my own practice and I just went to IIN for me it was worth every penny! It truly is transforming in so many ways.

Did you get clients while in school and is it true you can pay off your school before you graduate?

Yes, I did have clients before I graduated and yes you can pay off school before graduation. However, it is up to you to stay motivated to do the things to get clients and pay off your tuition. IIN gives you all the tools for your business, all the tips to get started and all the support you need but they can’t do it for you. You have to be motivated to step out there and share your knowledge and expertise with the world.  I know many friends that had their school paid off by graduation day; I however was a few months behind but did have it paid off shortly after graduation. The key is to get out there and follow the steps that IIN gives you. Without, the encouragement of IIN and fellow students it would have taken me a lot longer to start my business. But, I stepped out there and did it and I love it!

What can I do with this certification?

This one is up to you. During the program you will be exposed to graduates that have done many different things after graduating IIN. I decided to move forward with lifestyle coaching with a holistic view. But, there are so many options for you as to what direction you go as you will be inspired in so many ways. For instance, there are graduates that started businesses with products they created whether it is raw chocolate bars, gluten free snacks or gluten free baking mixes. I have friends that have cooking classes, others who have written books, some that do corporate wellness . . . the list is endless. It basically depends on what feels good to you as you go through school.

What do you love about your work?

I love what I do! It is so rewarding and inspiring to work with others and see how they begin to connect with who they are at this point in their life. I love to see how excited someone gets when they reach a goal that they have had for themselves for a long time and because they had a little extra support from me they can finally say they have reached it. I am just as excited for them as they are. It is great to introduce people to new foods and recipes and when they try it they really like it and even better when they start making it themselves. I love to write my Wellness Tips with Carrie as it is one of my favorite things to do.

I hear on a weekly basis how something I have said or done has impacted another person’s life in a positive way and that is pure joy for me. I truly feel that this is my calling in life . . . and I am forever thankful for Joshua Rosenthal and IIN.

How can I learn more about IIN?

You can give me a call, send me an e-mail or better yet visit IIN’s website www.integrativenutrition.com/and contact the school directly. They have plenty of opportunities for you to participate in a webinar to learn more as well. While I know the school is not for everyone it was the perfect fit for me so if you think you are interested check it out more and see if it might be the perfect fit for you too!