#2: REAL BALANCED: FROM POLITICS TO FULL TIME FOOD BLOGGER

We are Rachel Bellotti and Jenell Riesner, co-hosts of the TRUE NORTH COLLECTIVE PODCAST, exploring everyday people fearlessly finding and living their true north.

We have met so many interesting people from all walks of life living fascinating and inspiring lives whose stories aren’t being told. This season we are excited to connect with and celebrate the untold stories of everyday people from Sheboygan, WI, to Santa Monica, CA, who are living their true north and inspiring each of us to do the same.

Today we’re welcoming Sara Nelson from the Real Balanced Blog! Sara has been a colleague, classmate, and friend since 2003. Today she is kicking ass as a full time blogger and finding her way to better health through a ketogenic diet. We chat with Sara about her journey creating her blog and how she went from thinking about running for office to food blogging.

*note: this episode includes explicit language appropriate for those ages 16+

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Sara’s Blog Real Balanced: https://realbalanced.com/
• SPIRE Fitness: spire-fitness.com
• The Well-fed Women Podcast http://paleoforwomen.com/category/podcast/
• The Whole30: https://whole30.com/
• 1 Percent x Infinity = Growth: https://medium.com/@ryansheffer/1-percent-x-infinity-growth-b9c80e365ca8
• Intro music from Jukedeck - create your own at http://jukedeck.com

3 KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. When starting a new endeavor, the first step is to START! You won’t be perfect right away and that’s ok. Take it one day at a time and give yourself space to grow and learn.  
2. Be authentic. Not only will it help you grow your business, it will be more natural for you and make life feel a little lighter.
3. You journey to better health is all about what is going to work for you. You have to experiment and still live your life. Don’t stress about it. Continue to take steps forward, even if they are small or you slip up. Allow yourself to enjoy life and be healthy. It’s a balance.

TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

• [3:42} Sara’s Introduction
• [7:00] Social Media driving fitness and health
• [9:12] Sara’s blogging journey
• [23:01]  Keto, Sugar-Free, how did you get there?
• [33:20] Why a blog Sara?
• [37:40] Not letting nutrition overwhelm you
• [45:50] Being authentic with your followers
• [49:20] Advice to get your blog/project rolling
• [55:00] Getting through working for/by yourself and feeling lonely
• [01:01:34] Connect with Sara at https://realbalanced.com/
• [1:02:00] Thank you for listening + reach out on our website if inspired