How starting my own business compares to my recovery from an eating disorder and how I can help you recover too.
In early 2022, I decided to do a big, scary thing and set the wheels in motion to change my career. I signed up for my coaching course and took every opportunity I had to study in-between my full-time job and caring for my two small children.
As my certification grew closer, I gradually reduced my hours (and pay!) at my stable, dependable job, to invest further time in learning my new craft. By August 2023, I certified as an eating disorder recovery coach and was ready to start my own business.
I’ve noticed many parallels in my entrepreneurial and my eating disorder recovery journey. Here they are:
1. It takes time
I’d love to say that setting up a business is quick, but it wasn’t for me. Sure, the registration process takes a few moments, but you have to decide the business name, draft your company documents, obtain legal and financial advice, register with various bodies, find suitable software, purchase insurance, build a website, agree your branding…- the list goes on. And just when you think you’ve sorted it all out, another requirement comes up! I’m still surprised by how long administrative tasks take me.
Patience is not my virtue, but it is one I got a lot of practice in during my eating disorder recovery. Because recovery isn’t immediate, I forced myself to appreciate the smallest of changes in the long journey. Although I didn’t have a predetermined checklist of tasks to complete, I learned to celebrate the small wins along the way.
Anything worth doing takes time, and there is a real sense of pride when you accomplish a goal that has involved multiple seemingly insignificant baby steps, over and over again.
2. There’s an upfront investment
I couldn’t start my business without becoming certified (in fact, my training doesn’t allow coaches to take payment until they are certified) *
And you can’t just become a CCI eating disorder recovery coach. I embarked on a year-long certification programme, a supervised internship, scenario-based assignments and a final exam. Anything less would have felt inadequate. It wasn’t just time that I invested- I had to spend money to pay for my training, as well as energy. I also sacrificed spending time with my loved ones in exchange for setting up my business.
In the same way, you can’t just become recovered without investing in practical, behavioural changes. Recovery can be painful when you dig into your past, recognise your triggers, challenge your thoughts, and practice new strategies. It can be exhausting and easy to think, “this is too hard,” or “it’s not worth it,” but the truth is, we need to invest in ourselves and use action to instigate change.
3. The unknown is scary
During my eating disorder days, I felt tempted to stay in my disordered world. It wasn’t fun, but at least I knew what it was like. It took courage to step out to a new way of living without my go-to coping mechanisms.
In the same way, it has been scary to step out and establish myself in an industry I am very new to. Especially when I have over 15 years’ experience in my old industry. I really do enjoy both my (very different) streams of work, and it’s been scary becoming my own (part-time) boss, and making my own business decisions. At times, it feels like a more sensible decision to go back to my original job full-time, but just because something feels scary, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. Maybe I am meant to work in two different industries for a while.
4. Others have been there first
When setting up my business, I took refuge in knowing that there were other CCI coaches who have paved the way. I found it really beneficial to reach out to more seasoned coaches and ask as many questions as I could. I took their advice on how to find clients and manage my business. It was also nice to know my reservations were understood. Along the process, I turned down offers for better paid jobs in the industry I am moving out of. I’ve doubted, feared and second guessed my abilities, and I’ve relied on others who have been there before to keep me motivated.
When it comes to eating disorder recovery, finding someone who is further along in the journey is SO helpful. You can ask questions, learn from them, and have hope that it will all work out in the end. Unfortunately, in my own recovery journey, I didn’t know anyone personally who was recovered or who I could speak to. I know it would have been easier if I’d had access to a recovered person, and it’s part of the reason I’ve decided to set up my coaching business. So others suffering wouldn’t have to face recovery alone.
5. The end goal is worth it.
I’m not at the end of my small business journey – in fact, I’ve only just started. I’m so fortunate to do a job I love two days a week and work with some fantastic clients who are committed to improving their own relationships with their bodies.
I’m also really grateful for my second (old) job which has supported my transition from full-timer to part-timer. I am still figuring out the balance, but I trust that the timing will be right and it will all work out.
After all, my eating disorder recovery certainly worked out. And it was 100% worth all the time, money, energy and fears.
If you resonated with any of the above and would like to chat further about recovery from anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, ARFID and/or any other disordered eating behaviours, book a free discovery call with me to see if coaching would be an appropriate offering. I provide in-person and/or virtual support to anyone struggling with an eating disorder and seeking recovery.
* If you are looking at other eating disorder recovery coaches, I encourage you to ask them about their training (how long it was, what did it involve, was there a supervised internship etc), as the coaching industry is still an unregulated territory. The Carolyn Costin Institute website has a full listing of coaches who have undertaken the same extensive training as me, and the training comes from an expert in the ED field.
