Authentic Wellness with Missy Propper

Fuzz Martin: 00:00:09

Happy spring, y'all. I hope you're enjoying the warmer weather, the sunshine, and a giant box of 24 hour non drowsy Claritin. Just kidding. But kind of not. My trees are trying to kill me and get my lawn pregnant. My name is Fuzz Martin and this is a show about positive things in life. But since there are so many positive things in life I've narrowed the focus down to those occurring here in Washington County, Wisconsin. This week, Missy Propper of Authentic Wellness on North Main Street in downtown West Bend joins me to talk about her amazing health and wellness journey, taking the leap into becoming an entrepreneur, and how you can take steps to make yourself feel great in your body since you have to live there every single day. With that, here are 15 minutes on authentic wellness with Missy Proper on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. Missy, thank you so much for joining me and coming into the studio today. It's good to see you.

Missy Propper: 00:01:15

Well, thanks for having me.

Fuzz Martin: 00:01:16

So can we start and have you share with us what inspired you to transform your life? and eventually start Authentic Wellness.

Missy Propper: 00:01:26

Absolutely. It started about 10 years ago, actually. I was in my early forties and professionally, I was doing exceptionally well. I was the director of operations for a manufacturing facility. Really everything was career path wise. It was on point. But physically and kind of personally, I was very unhealthy. I was extremely overweight. I was tired all of the time, and I was diagnosed that I had pre diabetes. So I really needed to think about making some changes, some significant changes. So I started out, I did what everybody does, and I joined a gym, and it was great. And I started losing weight, and I started, you know, meeting people and feeling really awesome. And then it kind of plateaued, like I was going and I was working out really hard, but I wasn't really seeing results and my body wasn't changing. So I went to the doctor and I said, this is what I'm doing and I'm stuck. And the advice I was given was eat more vegetables and cut your calories. I've heard that before. It did not work, right? It was just, it wasn't enough. And so I was kind of frustrated, and I thought, I'm going to figure this out. And so I just dove into it, and I just started immersing myself in understanding what, what was, what I was putting in my body, how was that impacting how my body was showing up for me? What did I need to understand about gut health? What did I need to understand about nutrition? What did I need to understand about all of the missing pieces to kind of put everything in sync? And so in doing this, I was able to lose 100 pounds, which I have kept off for 10 years. I'm very proud of that. But as I was going through it, I would frequently say, I really wish I had someone that could walk this with me. I wish I had someone that already knew the answers. You know, explain to me what gut health is. Explain to me how nutrition really is impacting my body. And what am I supposed to eat? And you know, somebody that on the days I wanted to throw in the towel would be like, no, Missy, keep going. You've got this, right? So as I was going through the process, I frequently said, I wish I had somebody helping me. I had always wanted to own my own business. I had always wanted to work for myself. And so I saw this as an opportunity. And so I went back to school and I formally learned how to Nutrition was impacting my body from, you know, I already knew from experience, but I was formally understanding and filling in all the details. I learned about holistic health. I learned about life balance and all of these things. And so I got my certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And in 2018, I opened Authentic Wellness, and I have not looked back since. It has been the most amazing thing that I think I've ever done.

Fuzz Martin: 00:04:34

Well, and you got to start with a great case study. Yes, right? Getting yourself, right? Exactly. So, and now you get to work with people here in the community, and you're working with people in the community. Mostly people in West Bend in this area, I assume, right?

Missy Propper: 00:04:45

Primarily, yeah. So my, so my one on one coaching services, uh, typically are folks in kind of the Washington County area. Okay. I do online coaching as well. So I have worked with people as far as Texas, Chicago, into Minnesota. I had a client in North Carolina. So I have worked with people outside of West Bend, but primarily, yeah.

Fuzz Martin: 00:05:07

Primarily in the area, sure. So can you describe some of the Principles or philosophies that guide you in authentic wellness now that you, you know, you've had this training and you've gone through this yourself. How, you know, what kind of philosophies are you bringing to people?

Missy Propper: 00:05:23

Yeah, absolutely. So I would say the first thing is it's not a diet. I hate the word diet. It's really a lifestyle, right? How do we find balance in everything that we're doing? So, One of the things that was always so frustrating for me was if you were following a program, as soon as you finished the program, or you stopped doing the program, or you fell off the wagon of the program, it was always like an in or an out, or you were failing or you were winning, and there was no in between. And so for me, It's a lifestyle. It's about balance. It's about, I say, the 80/20 rule, right? So 80 percent of the time, you're making awesome, spot on, amazing choices for yourself, and you're allowing yourself that 20 percent of the time to really enjoy life and the things that you enjoy. And that, for me, is a sustainable approach because a lifestyle is something that we want to sustain, right? And so, for me, that's the first thing, I think, is that it's a lifestyle. The second thing is Everybody's at a different place. Sure. And so meeting everybody where they are at, you know, I might have, you know, a goal for myself, but that's not necessarily the other person's goal, right? So, so really meeting people where they're at, understanding and listening, you know, what is it that they want to accomplish? Maybe it's just that they just want to get up and get moving and get walking and they have some joint pain or they don't have a lot of energy and they just really want to. Oh, I really want this, go ahead. Okay. So for me, to be an effective coach, I need to meet people where they're at and really be their advocate to help them accomplish their goals.

Fuzz Martin: 00:07:15

Sure. Let's talk about that for a second. Okay. So when, Somebody first starts working with you in that first maybe one on one session. How, how does that start? What does that one on one session

Missy Propper: 00:07:24

look like? Yeah, so initially I ask people to write goals, right? So, give me one month, three month, and six month goals. I am a goals person. I like little mini goals because I feel like the more we have goals and we accomplish them, that's how you get momentum. That's how you feel like you're continuing to move forward. And those goals are going to come from that person, right? So it's going to help me to start seeing where's their mindset at? What are the things that they want to accomplish? So we, we start with goals. So we sit down and we review their goals, and then based on their goals, that determines our program, right? So whatever it is that they want to achieve, we're going to look at nutrition, we're going to look at movement, and we're going to look at how they're managing stress, anxiety, all of the other pieces of their life, because that's all part of it too.

Fuzz Martin: 00:08:13

Great.

Missy Propper: 00:08:13

Mm hmm.

Fuzz Martin: 00:08:14

So I have some friends, I believe, who've worked with your food tolerance and sensitivity testing services. Can you talk about what that process is, what kind of things you find out from that, and then how that kind of develops a unique plan for your clients.

Missy Propper: 00:08:31

Yes, absolutely. So, that is my number one selling, uh, service. It is fabulous. They raved about it, by the way. They did. Well, they're pretty great. So, um, I know who So, we know who we're talking about. Okay. I won't out them on here. Yes. Yes. They're great. So the, the food sensitivity and intolerance test, we take a little hair sample, so we don't have to draw blood. We just take a little hair sample. And what that tells us is each person's unique body, tolerances, right? So it's going to show up, it's going to give us a report and it's going to say, these are all of the things that you're exposing your body to or putting in your body that are causing not work properly or have some kind of results, right? So it could be bloating. It could be poor digestion. It could be eczema. It could be a skin rash. It could be migraines. It could be all different kinds of things. But it's, it's a test that's going to tell us what are those things that are not working for you? And Oh my gosh, when you have that information, that's so empowering, right, because if you're trying to make changes in your body and you get a list that says, these are the things that don't put these in your body or don't expose yourself to these, you're, you're, you're empowered with tools and knowledge to make steps forward, right? The thing that oftentimes I think catches people off guard, actually, there's two things with the test. So the first thing is. Oftentimes, it's a healthy food, right? So, so for me, I, when I took the test first, cause I do everything myself first, I'm always my own guinea pig. One of the things that showed up for me was salmon. And I eat salmon like other people eat chicken, right? So I love salmon and I had had headaches. For years, like terrible, terrible headaches, never, ever, ever would have made the connection. But I had this test done, took salmon out of my diet for 30 days. My headaches within three days were gone. And then on day 31, I was missing my salmon. So I reintroduced it. Within 20 minutes, I had the worst headache. And so I never in a million years, and I have so many people that have that experience where they'll say, Oh my gosh, it could be pepper. It could be. I mean, who knows? Lots of different things, but it's an incredible tool. It tests for not only food. It also tests for environmental toxins. Chemicals, additives, preservatives, heavy metals, uh, animals.

Fuzz Martin: 00:10:59

All from a piece of hair. All

Missy Propper: 00:11:00

from a piece of hair. Wow. Isn't that crazy? I know. It's really cool. And so yeah, it's, it's so great. So when paired with my one on one coaching program, we're unstoppable, right? Because you know, the things specifically for that person that are causing them to struggle, and then, you know, we put together a great coaching program and we focus on solid, awesome nutrition. It's unstoppable. It's unstoppable.

Fuzz Martin: 00:11:22

Excellent. So, next question for you is, what is reflexology?

Missy Propper: 00:11:27

Oh, yes. It's so cool. Yeah, so one of the things I learned when I started health coaching was I would, I would have people come in and they'd say, Missy, I am a stress eater. I am an emotional eater. And I wanted to be able to offer some services that would help people manage stress differently. or do something different to help their body kind of rest and reset. So, I got three certifications. The first one was reflexology. So reflexology is based on the premise that you have pressure points in your hands and your feet. And when you apply pressure to those pressure points, it sends increased circulation through your central nervous system that's mapped all the way to different areas in your body. So with reflexology, it's a 50 minute, it feels like an amazing foot massage, but actually what we're doing is we're sending increased circulation throughout all of our All of different areas of your body, and we're releasing and letting go of some of the places where you might be holding on to tension or you might just have different things in your body that you need to reset or let go. Sure, OK,

Fuzz Martin: 00:12:37

and then can you help me pronounce is it Reiki?

Missy Propper: 00:12:41

It's Reiki. Yeah, Reiki. You did it.

Fuzz Martin: 00:12:45

and what is it?

Missy Propper: 00:12:46

Yes, so Reiki is it's energy work, right? So a Reiki is based off the premise that you have seven different chakras or energy centers in your body. So a Reiki session, for me, what I do is I walk people into a really nice, uh, space. guided meditation, right? So we start with that and we get people in a nice, soothing, meditative state where you're just relaxed and you're kind of letting yourself go and you're letting yourself just naturally breathe. And then with Reiki, you hold your hands. There are seven different places where I hold my hands that are connected with those energy centers in the body. And what that does is just kind of opens up that energy and helps people release and let go. I started offering Reiki, I had a good friend of mine that was diagnosed with breast cancer. And so when she would go through her chemotherapy treatments, Um, she would be, you know, really tense and not feeling so great, so I would go to her house and I would give her Reiki sessions. And it was, it's very healing, it's very calming, and it just helps people kind of rest and reset. Sure.

Fuzz Martin: 00:13:54

So, the Reflexology, the, the one on one coaching, the Reiki, all these are, are these all, do all patients, or all, I guess, clients, have? Do a number of these things, or is it kind of tailored to, you know, what they want, or do they, some just do one of these, or how does that work?

Missy Propper: 00:14:14

So some people just do one, right? So I have people that come just for reflexology. So those people come every four to six weeks, I'll see them, we'll do reflexology, and they're on their way. Some people just come for Reiki. I do offer for folks when I do a one on one coaching program. If they want to have one of their sessions be a Reiki session or reflexology session, by all means, we're going to do that. Because for me, my goal in a one on one coaching program is I want people to see that health really is holistic and there are a lot of different tools and different things that you can do to incorporate into your own habits to create this balance.

Fuzz Martin: 00:14:53

Sure.

Missy Propper: 00:14:53

Yeah.

Fuzz Martin: 00:14:54

So, you have a podcast, called This Is Me at 50. Is it better than this podcast?

Missy Propper: 00:15:00

I don't know if it's better, but I'm, I'm trying. You're like the, you're like the gold star. Oh, stop, stop.

Fuzz Martin: 00:15:06

I know. What is your, what is the podcast about? I know, uh, uh, obviously there's something in the title, uh, but, uh, please let us, uh,

Missy Propper: 00:15:14

So that was a goal of mine was to to start a podcast. So my podcast is really focused primarily for women between the ages of kind of early 40s through about mid 50s and we talk about Perimenopause into menopause and that life transition and how that impacts our body and how that impacts our health and our hormones. And really, I use myself as an example often because I don't want for people to ever feel like they're alone. And I interview local practitioners and people that offer different services and things that can help women. So it's really just a Focused on helping women gracefully go through and enter that next season of life.

Fuzz Martin: 00:15:59

Perfect. So what is one of the most common misconceptions that you encounter about health and wellness that you try to correct in your coaching, when you're working with a client?

Missy Propper: 00:16:12

Ah, it's all the fads, all the fad diets, right? All of these, you know, the keto, low carb, no carb, all of the, all of the things that People see little, little tibbits and little snippets on TikTok and, you know, they'll come in and they'll say, well, I'm making everything with cottage cheese now, that's gotta be healthy, right? Is that a thing now? It is a thing, everything, oh my goodness. So it's, it's really, I think, helping people understand that there's no quick fix, that it's really a lifestyle and it's lifestyle choices and all of these. you know, promises for in three days you're gonna, you know, change completely and all of it. No, no, you're not. And, and you don't want that for yourself, right? What you really want is you want to invest in your own well being and you really want to have a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Fuzz Martin: 00:17:07

Sure. Do you have a favorite or most rewarding, and obviously you have an amazing success story yourself, but do you have a favorite or most rewarding success story from a client?

Missy Propper: 00:17:18

Oh, gosh. So many Fuzz. So many. That's actually, that's my favorite part. That's because I love people. I love people. And you know, the, the, Every day, I think that is one of the most rewarding parts of my job, is I have people come in and they'll say, Missy, I feel amazing. I feel amazing. I'm showing up differently. I went, I was able to go to the park and play with my kids and not be winded and not have to sit. I was able to, you know, my bloating's down. I can actually fit in this dress. And I went to this event this weekend with my husband and I felt beautiful. I have All of these, I mean, just every day is just so great. So, I don't know if I have one in particular,

Fuzz Martin: 00:18:02

You just obviously love what you're doing. I love what I'm doing, yeah. What is next for Authentic Wellness? What kind of, are there new programs or services that you're looking into? Anything that you're, or you just, uh,

Missy Propper: 00:18:15

Keep on keeping on. But I, one of the things that I started a couple of years ago in COVID and then continued through the year of construction downtown, was I developed a really great corporate wellness program. And so I am really enjoying that. It has been a wonderful. I'm really excited about the partnership between myself and different corporations where I'm able to come in and offer lunch and learns and kind of interactive workshops that are a little, a little snapshot in time, right? But it's a great way for employers to offer their employees something to invest in their health and well being. It promotes great culture. It promotes great employee well being, right? And happy employees. And for me, it's fun because I'm able to reach even more people and impact my community.

Fuzz Martin: 00:19:03

Great. finally, for those who might be interested in starting their own wellness journey, uh, what's the first step that you would recommend to take if they want to reach out to you or get in touch and begin their journey with us? Oh, absolutely.

Missy Propper: 00:19:16

I do, I have my website, right? So you can always go to my website, AuthenticWellness.net. Has a little bit of my story on there. It has my podcast on there. Has all my services. And there's a place, there's a button on there, actually in multiple places, where you can reserve a session. I start with consultations. So you can book a consultation right there. I'm also, obviously, an online coach. All the social media platforms. And so you can find me on Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn. Um, I'm not a TikToker. I really want to be. I'm not, I'm really terrible at reels. I don't, um, and just, you know, schedule, schedule a time to chat. And I just love to talk with people and see if there's a way that I can support them in their journey.

Fuzz Martin: 00:19:58

Perfect. Authentic wellness. net.

Missy Propper: 00:20:00

Authentic wellness. net.

Fuzz Martin: 00:20:02

Perfect. Missy, thanks so much for coming in.

Missy Propper: 00:20:04

Thank you so much.

Fuzz Martin: 00:20:06

Thank you again to Missy Prober of Authentic Wellness for joining me on this week's episode of Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz. It's always amazing to hear stories like hers. And if you have a story that you think would be amazing for me to hear, And share? I would love for you to tell me about it. Send me an email. Let's make it happen. FifteenWithFuzz at gmail. com. Spell out the word fifteen. FifteenWithFuzz at gmail. com. Or go to fuzz. cc slash guest. That is fuzz. cc slash guest. If you enjoyed the show, follow it. If you listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Or any other podcast player, hit the follow or subscribe button. You can also listen at fifteenwithfuzz com. New episodes come out on Tuesdays. Next week, we talk with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County. And with that, I will talk to you next time, right here on Fifteen Minutes with Fuzz.