I know what you’re thinking…Eat Your Career is a really weird name.

I get it, I understand. But if you’re curious to know where it came from and what it means, this video is for you.

The article below summarizes the video.

First, a little background: When I was in my mid-20s, I was really interested in wellness and nutrition, and particularly how food could impact mood…so after doing some study on my own, I decided to take a two-year training program to become a certified nutritionist. I never actually worked in the field, beyond the work I did through my course and short part-time gig working as a receptionist at a wellness center.

But, my love for food and wellness and my interest in the bigger concept of what it means to really be nourished, have always stuck with me.

Fast-forward to 2009: At this point, I was now in my 30s and transitioning my career from financial services administration into professional development training and coaching. I was starting to see a link, through my own experience and the experiences of my clients, between work and wellness. More specifically, it was very clear to me that, when people aren’t happy at work, they tend to become unwell in other areas of life.

Think about it: when you’re struggling through the workday, feeling unfulfilled and frustrated, you come home at the end of the day and it’s easy to fall into bad habits. You make easy decisions rather than smart ones. You take comfort in food and maybe a bit too much wine. You might even take your frustrations out on your loved ones, zone out with mindless tv, or numb your feelings with online shopping. It’s almost like you’re filling some kind of void that’s been opened up throughout the day. You can feel anxious, depressed and stressed even when you’re not actually at work.

Your experience at work can really impact all areas of life. It doesn’t have to, but it often does.

On the other hand, when you’re feeling fulfilled at work, you’re much more likely to come home at the end of the day and continue taking care of yourself. You might still be tired, but you’re also satisfied. Proud. Nourished. And that makes everything in life easier. You have more capacity to deal with everything else going on—the people in your life and the challenges that inevitably arise.

As a career coach and a professional development trainer, I firmly believe that work can and should be a nourishing and enriching experience. Work should add value to your life, not subtract it. It should build you up, not tear you down. It should feel satisfying, like a hearty, well-balanced, home cooked meal. It shouldn’t leave you feeling empty inside and hungry for something different.

Of course, work isn’t the ONLY important thing in life, and it’s not necessarily the MOST important thing.

It’s just one aspect of creating a fulfilling life. Most of us crave a sense of meaning, purpose, and contribution. That’s what nourishing work provides, and (of course) you may find these things in other areas of life too.

So, back to 2009: All of this was running through my mind as I’m considering starting a new website for my coaching and training business. That’s when I spontaneously came up with the name Eat Your Career in, of all places, the shower.

I got out of the shower, put on my robe, and called a friend of mine to tell him the quirky name I had come up with. To my surprise, he loved it, so I ran with it.

Yes, I asked exactly one person to share feedback on the name before I committed to it. In hindsight, I probably should have done a little more research.

I realize that a lot of people don’t understand the name and even once they do, they don’t like it.

I get that. In fact, a few years ago, I got an email from a complete stranger and the message had one sentence: It said: Your website name is stupid.

Thankfully, there are many, many more people who tell me they get it…they appreciate the concept and find the name intriguing and memorable.

So, that’s the story of Eat Your Career.

My goal, as a trainer and coach, is and has always been, to help you figure out what career nourishment really looks like for you—because it’s different for everyone—and to help you achieve it. I do that through my training programs, on-demand courses, and various resources like my books.

Regardless of how you feel about the name, I hope you find my website and the information I share here useful.

The name has been around for more than a decade now, so (for better or worse) it’s here to stay.

If you don’t like it, that’s totally okay. But…you don’t have to send me an email about it. Instead, let’s just stay friends and next time I have a quirky idea, I promise I’ll run it past more people.