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Jeni Wrightson
Certified Holistic Health Coach
Glorious Morning Wellness
November 16, 2015

Raise your hand if you feel like it's taking you a long time to find your happy place in the good food movement. You are not alone. Jeni's keep-it-real storytelling reminds us that sometimes our paths to the 'perfect job' are more of a rough slog than an 'aha' moment. It took her over a decade to navigate the complexities of our common culture and realize that good food and simple living are what make life worthwhile. Now she's devoting her time and energy to helping others find their way with Glorious Morning Wellness

When did you know that you wanted to work in food? 

My relationship with food has been a long and adventurous one. I grew up in a holistic / homeopathic family that always turned to natural remedies and always ate organic. I loved to eat as a child! I started working at a local apple orchard when I was 12 and would spend every Fall filling up on cider donuts and fresh apples (I also ate a turnover or two).

Then, at 15 I was introduced to the modeling world. At first it sounded super fun and like a total adventure, but ultimately the experience rocked my world, and not for the best. I lost my natural connection to my inner voice and no longer ate what I loved. Instead I started eating foods that would help me reach a certain body type (thinner, thinner, thinner). I even went vegan/vegetarian for 7 years (this might not sound all that crazy, but I was always known for my love of hot dogs and burgers, so it really was a radical and ill-advised plan).

My poor health choices ultimately led me down an unfulfilling path, and something major had to change. I realized a few years back that I had to reclaim my relationship with food to correct the situation. I didn't want to just buy vegetables from the supermarket - I wanted to KNOW my food. I have spent the last 3 years, with my incredible partner, doing just that - growing and knowing our food. We grew 85% of our food this Summer. We also have a hive of bees, five Icelandic sheep, and nine chickens. Next year we hope to be even closer to food self sufficiency.

How did you get your current good food job?

Once my relationship to food changed (and it did) I began to LOVE cooking and preparing healthy meals. I realized I wanted to do something to help others to have a healthier connection to food. It's not about calories or carbohydrates or fats - it's about counting colors and flavors and eating REAL food. I did a little research about how to become involved in the nutrition/health/fitness world. I didn't want to be a nutritionist and just talk about food properties, and I didn't want to be a personal trainer and solely help people lean up. I wanted people to love themselves and use food as a way to honor their lives and their uniqueness. That's when my boyfriend suggested I look into the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. When I did, I knew instantly it was my purpose.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

My life has been an incredible laboratory test. I formed hypothoses about what I thought would make me the happiest version of myself - some of them were right on, and some of them were so wrong. Most importantly it taught me that I am the only one who truly knows what it feels like to live in this body. I know which foods make me feel strong and which foods don't serve my higher self. I think it's important for each person to realize this about themselves, too. Ignore the diet hype and all the conflicting noise you hear in the media about what your body needs? and definitely lose the food guilt, it's a waste of time! If you ate an entire box of cookies, and then felt like $hit, think of it as a failed experiment in the laboratory of your body and move on. Try to make a mental note of it and avoid making the same choice in the future.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

The greatest obstacle in pursuing this job would have to be the anxiety of letting go of who I thought I was and appreciating who I had become. Once I separated my own voice and needs out from all the haze in my brain, it all became clear. To be alive and well is such a blessing, and choosing good foods is a way of honoring this gift. Once I admitted to myself that I was only half living, I never wanted to quit.

I still have bad days - I'm a modern woman constantly bombarded by media trying to get me on the negative self-talk bandwagon, after all. There seems to be a constant pressure to "fix" something else about myself. But against their better wishes, I only find it more motivating to share the good food love with others.

Name one positive thing that a former employer taught you that you continue to appreciate?

This story comes from a nanny job I had right out of college. Each night when the Mother got home we would sit for a moment and have tea and discuss everything openly - work-related or personal. This ritual created an incredibly honest working environment. In the year that I worked for that family, I never missed a single day, because it was such a supportive and open place to be. I also learned how to ask for a raise. Her humanity was so admirable and I hope to emulate such open communication lines with clients and future employees.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

I think the greatest opportunity in food right now is to know your farmer, maker and chef. I love the community of young farmers around here that are so passionate about their foods - it's infectious and admirable. When your food has a real identity and a beautiful life it adds so much positivity to this world.

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

Barter/Trade of goods. This past summer we traded eggs for asparagus, honey for mushrooms, tomatoes for meat ? it's so much more gratifying to hold a thing of true value - something that nourishes you beyond what a dollar can. I think food trades represent abundance in a way that money can't.

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