Today we’d like to introduce you to Martha Kester.
Martha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Getting to where I am today has taken many years. It started in college which is over 20 years now. I started running my freshman year and this turned into an interest in aerobics. After college, I really had no idea what I wanted to do with my life so I went on to graduate school and earned my Master’s in Public Administration. During my time in graduate school, I ran my first marathon and this got me interested in personal training. I became a full-time trainer after graduation. I then moved to New Jersey to live with my college roommate and at that time best friend. My weekly running mileage increased and as a trainer, I lived in the gym. Over the next five years, I ran several marathons. I also developed athletic bulimia and eventually due to how I was eating hypoglycemia. I was not healthy at all but at the time I didn’t see this. At age 29, I graduated with another Master’s and this time in teaching. My boyfriend ended up breaking up with me and so I moved home to Beaufort, SC, with the intent of eventually moving to Raleigh, NC. During my first run back at home, I developed hip bursitis which took a few months to heal, and then after jumping back into running I got a stress fracture in my left foot. I moved to Raleigh and got a teaching job. I only lasted a year and a half in Raleigh. I was miserable. I was injured and lost and lonely. I gained 30 pounds and was depressed. I moved home in 2009 and have been here ever since. I got a teaching job and eventually worked myself out of my depression and bulimia. I taught in Beaufort for 8 years and over the 8 years, I dealt with many injuries keeping me from running. I was bloated every afternoon and exhausted. I also developed a rash on both legs that was very painful. I taught yoga at the local Y three days a week and helped the office ladies at school with yoga and weights two days a week. One day one of the ladies said, “Martha, you light up when you work with us that we don’t see in the classroom.” I knew then that I needed to walk away and pursue my passion for health. A year later, in 2017, I was a certified health coach.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road getting here was not smooth but I am thankful for that. It was the challenges that got me to walk away from teaching. Once I walked away my health improved. The rash on my legs disappeared and I am not bloated anymore. I am also getting 7-8 hours of sleep every night. I haven’t deal with nearly the many injuries I did while teaching too. When I became a coach, I was living alone and I told myself in three years if this isn’t working, I will go back to teaching. While getting my business up and running I taught 20 classes around town from yoga to Pilates to weights. A year later I met my future husband which I am thankful for. We got married in June of 2021 and with his income, I am able to continue to pursue coaching.
As you know, we’re big fans of PAUSE Wellness Company. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a board-certified health and wellness coach and PAUSE is my formula for living a healthier life. I have a passion for helping others find sleep and ease digestive stress through the elimination diet. What sets me apart is my background both personal and career-wise. I bring to my coaching 8 years of teaching, my yoga experience plus my experience with stress, lack of sleep, athletic bulimia, hypoglycemia, depression, and my journey with Hoshimotos. I rebranded after getting married this past June and am really proud of my name PAUSE. I love that it is an acronym, a formula for healthier living but the word in itself- Pause- is a great reminder to slow down, breathe and listen to your bodies and God.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would tell someone just starting out to find a business coach or someone in PR marketing that you trust to help you get your name out there and start building your email list.
Contact Info:
- Email: martha@pausewellnesscompany.com
- Website: pausewellnesscompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pausewellnessco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pausewellnesscompany
Image Credits
Betty Laurent Photography
Mindflint
