Today we’d like to introduce you to Donovan Stewart.
Hi Donovan, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
As I embarked on my college journey, I was uncertain about my career path. However, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to support and enhance the performance of athletes. This passion led me to graduate from CUNY, Queens College, with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition & Exercise Science, initially intending to become a college Track & Field Coach. However, life had other plans. I was a Personal Trainer in one of New York City’s most luxurious gyms. Within three months, I became one of the gym’s top trainers. My goal was always to connect people through fitness, which led me to establish a run club on Wall Street. The club wasn’t just about getting fit or running faster; it was about fostering connections among gym-goers. Eventually, I left New York City to become a founding coach at a new luxury gym in Los Angeles, CA. I rebuilt my business and once again became one of the top coaches in the state. I continued to bring people together, this time through coaching classes and creating communal experiences in the gym.
As my reputation grew, I was invited to participate in emotional intelligence leadership training. This experience deepened my understanding of myself and enhanced my ability to serve others. My coaching style has always centered on elevating people’s physical abilities. However, I soon realized that my approach also boosted people’s confidence in their everyday lives. I used my leadership training to elevate my coaching, helping people achieve various goals, from running marathons to starting businesses.
Despite these successes, I felt something was missing. I grew disillusioned with the fitness industry’s focus on profit over wellness. This led me to leave the commercial fitness space and venture into the tech industry, working for a fitness wearables company. I also became an assistant track and field coach at a D3 College, where I could apply my fitness and mindset knowledge to help college athletes. My job in tech allowed me to travel through Asia, where I observed different cultural perspectives on fitness and life. This experience profoundly influenced my worldview. Upon returning to the US, I relocated from LA to Charleston, SC, to be closer to family as I contemplated my next steps.
I was laid off from my tech job while visiting my grandmother in Summerville. This unexpected turn of events allowed me to reflect on my life. I remembered the hundreds of lives I had changed through my fitness and mindset coaching and asked myself, “Can I fulfill my dream of starting a business? Do I have what it takes to be a business owner and help people live their dream life, as I have been doing?” Following a period of introspection, I founded Mind & Flow Coaching Solutions. Now, I empower individuals virtually and in person to discover their purpose, pursue their dreams, and realize their ambitions since childhood. I guide people in overcoming past challenges through emotional intelligence coaching and help them attain physical goals that may have once seemed unattainable. My life experiences have given me a deep understanding of pain and the transformative beauty that can emerge from it. We all deserve to be the protagonists of our own stories. We can achieve anything we set our minds to when we take control of our narratives. My role as a coach is to guide people on this self-authorship journey.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey has been far from smooth, filled with twists and turns, yet always progressing forward. I’ve faced numerous challenges along the way. An act of bullying cost me the vision in my right eye. I’ve experienced the pain of job termination and the heartbreak of a broken engagement. Living alone in California, I had to create my own “family.” My coaching business has seen several iterations, each restart due to relocation and a nagging sense of something missing. I’ve grappled with depression, losing myself for months at a time. Anxiety attacks left me paralyzed, too scared to take action in my life. Despite these hardships, I wouldn’t wish for an easy path. The physical and emotional pain I’ve endured has become a powerful tool in my coaching arsenal. I use these experiences to uplift my clients, helping them transform into the best versions of themselves.
I appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Mind & Flow?
At Mind & Flow, we specialize in guiding individuals toward their authentic selves through a unique blend of mindset and fitness coaching. Our approach utilizes emotional intelligence training to help clients discover their true selves, acknowledge their challenges, and unearth the best traits that life experiences may have obscured. What sets us apart is our empathetic approach. Having personally experienced trauma, we understand the physical and emotional pains that humans can endure. We focus on understanding the individual before crafting a personalized plan to help them achieve their physical and life goals. These could range from traveling, finding the perfect partner, starting a business, and running a marathon to unlocking hidden confidence. We take pride in our flexible coaching model, offering in-person and virtual sessions. This allows us to work with individuals in South Carolina and clients as far away as California. Our only limitation is time to support people. Everyone is entitled to two free mindset coaching sessions with us – discovery and planning sessions. In these two sessions, we can understand who you are and start creating a plan for you. This plan will encompass fitness and mental training, enabling you to fit in all areas of your life. And the best part? It’s 100% personalized to your life experiences!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the seasons! Coming from California, I’m used to dry heat and somewhat colder weather. Being here, I’ve experienced Fall and a true Winter. It’s a great reminder of how things can change in just a few months, and those changes are significant! I also love the coffee shops here; I enjoy trying out new cafés and venturing to new areas in the city. I don’t like that the snakes blend very well with nature when trail running. I always see a snake at the last moment, and my fear scares them that much more!
Pricing:
- 1 Discovery Session + 1 Planning/Strategy Session = $0
- Fitness Only Coaching Available
- Mindset Only Coaching Available
- Fitness + Mindset Coaching Available
- Run Only Coaching Available
Contact Info:
- Website: donovanwill.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donovan_will_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donovan-will/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Donovanwill
