The Power and Purpose of Health Coaching

An Interview with Rumbidzai Mukori, the CEO of Fully Enrich

Rumbi is a Registered Nutritionist with over 10 years of experience who is based in Zimbabwe. The founder of Fully Enrich specialises in personalised coaching. This insightful conversation with Rumbi explains the need for not only a nutritionist, but a coach who will nurture your specific needs and help you reach your goals. 

What inspired you to get into this line of work?

My greatest inspiration will forever be my father who is a doctor. I just love the way that he makes an impact in the lives of many people. The passion that he has for what he does will forever be the greatest inspiration to me. 

Another reason why I’m so inspired and passionate about what I do is because I love helping people. Whenever people are able to give a testimonial that their life has improved, that is the greatest inspiration that I could possibly ask for in my line of work, which is why I knew that it’s not enough to just be a nutritionist. I need to be a coach. I want to make sure that the people I work with are people who I’m able to impact just like my father has as a medical doctor.

And another inspiration for me is also my late friend, Thola Banda, who was very passionate about getting nutrition into the media to give people a better understanding about the importance of nutrition, especially here in Zimbabwe. 

What are some of the challenges in your field?

The way a scientist and an entrepreneur think are different.  With the line of work that I’m in as a nutritionist and as a coach, you need to have the basics in terms of understanding how to be able to do your pricing. You need understanding of how to be able to close the deal, and understanding of how to get the right clients. Here in Zimbabwe, we don’t really have a specific way of pricing, which is a challenge.  If I was to be practicing from America, we would be charging close to $150 to $200 per hour. In the economy here in Zimbabwe, it doesn’t make sense to charge those prices when it comes to nutrition services as people expect them to be free or priced cheaply.

Another challenge is making people appreciate the fact that I’m not just a nutritionist, I’m also a coach.

I’m not just going to give you a meal plan.

I’m going to help you to make the changes that you need in order to get results that are going to last.

It can take a much longer time for me to close the sale and also be able to ensure that they get value for their money. 

Lacking knowledge about social media is another challenge, for example being able to actually market myself in a way that is competitive. Many of us nutritionists in Zimbabwe are providing services that are really making an impact in the lives of people but we are not being recognised as much as we actually should. 

What can a client expect from your personalised coaching?

Think of it as having someone who is going to walk the journey with you.  I am going to commit myself to actually being there to help you to achieve and  reach the goal that you want in a simple way, without you having to stress about it. I will provide the solutions and you just have to make sure you follow through and what we agreed to do. 

Whenever a client comes to us, they can expect to find a friend. Clients can expect to find someone who will understand them and actually take the time to connect with them. Coaching hasn’t got to be anything complicated, if it is, I’m doing something wrong. But if it’s simple, then we are definitely gonna get results. 

From your coaching experience, what would you say are common problems when it comes to diet? 

One would be complexity – most of the diets that we have are so complicated.

Another one is the amount of time that’s needed for preparation. You don’t want something that’s going to take a lot of time. 

Another problem is the diet not working. This can be because you’ve downloaded it from the internet, or you’ve asked your friend for a diet and they have given you what they use and what helps them but won’t work for you. 

Also the fact that life happens. Life is not as simple as a meal plan. We need to look at things like, for example as women, are you going through your menstrual cycles? If you are, you’re not going to want to eat certain things. Or maybe you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant. That’s why I always tell my clients that you do not use the same diet for the rest of your life because the body goes through different phases. Every phase that your body goes through has a different diet plan.

Another problem is cravings which are a very normal part of the diet. However, it’s important that you know when and what you should be eating. Cravings are actually a really good thing. It’s a sign that your body is lacking nutrients. You then have to make sure you add more of these into your diet, which is why I was saying coaching works. A coach is going to be advising you on the right foods based on how you feel. And you will not be feeling horrible nor guilty because you’re experiencing those cravings.

A common problem is also emotions. There are always going to be emotional ups and down, whenever it comes to following a particular diet. Sometimes it can be in the form of your family not being as supportive as you’d want them to be. Sometimes it can be you who needs to go through a cycle of behavioral change if you are struggling to accept a new diet. This is why coaching is so important, because you need someone who can be emotionally supportive. 

Is there anything you wish you would have known when starting out?

Keep it simple

I remember I had almost 10 different packages that I was trying to market and it didn’t give me the results that I wanted. As a result, I was quite frustrated because I wasn’t making as much as I wanted to make financially. I was also feeling continuously drained. 

Network to do better

I found that once you start networking, and reaching out to people who do have the services that you don’t have, you are able to do much better. You’re able to get faster results. You’re actually able to be more impactful. 

Pricing matters

Another thing that I wish I’d known is that pricing is so important. When I started, I had that mindset of if they pay me or they don’t, it doesn’t matter. Yet I had bills to pay and it’s something that I wanted to pursue as my career.

It is important to find the right market

Find people who actually value you and appreciate what you do. We can be so busy trying to get out there that we just take on any client. Yet sometimes these clients either don’t pay, or they’re gonna be a problem in the future when it comes to commitment to the program. 

If you had to choose one tip to give to those who want to improve their eating habits, what would it be? 

Find a professional to work with you, who actually understands you, who takes time to get to know where you currently are. Research has shown, the best diet plan is a personalized diet plan and they actually say that the more personalized it is, the better results you will achieve.

Research has also shown when it comes to diabetes, that there is a 55% to 60% improvement in terms of the blood sugar levels, from someone who’s working with a coach or was working with a professional as compared to someone who’s just doing things from the internet.

 You’ll save yourself a lot of time, a lot of money, and as for your health, you won’t be experimenting and you will definitely know that this person is committed to making sure you get the desired results.

Closing

This interview was fully packed with enriching information and insight into why we should all take the next step in terms of our health and diet. Our three key takeaways from this interview include:

1. Personalised coaching is much more effective than just having a diet plan as you receive accountability throughout the journey. You also get a diet plan that can be tailored to the season you are in as the body goes through different phases.
2. When you have the right Nutritionist and Health Coach, life is made easier. This is because their expertise allows them to understand what your body needs. They validate the rollercoaster of emotions you go through when changing your diet and support you through it.
3. Businesses like Fully Enrich need more respect. This line of work deserves to be supported and well-paid because it has the power to change long-standing medical issues, balance hormones and improve weight problems. Having a health coach has the power to change your life!

In closing she wanted to let everyone know:

‘If you feel like you need to have a free consultation, reach us at (263) 775 923 563. We will have a chat with you and walk this journey with you. You are not alone.’

Rumbidzai Mukori