Hi Brooke,

I am trying to narrow down my niche.

In 2011, I suffered from severe cystic acne. What made the whole situation more interesting was because at that same time, I was going through school to become a nutritionist. I was about 1/2 way through my program, had lost a ton of weight, had totally overhauled my diet and felt AMAZING. I later discovered (after trying EVERYTHING under the sun except managing my mind, and learning how to unconditionally love and care for myself) that my my stress levels were off the charts and it was only after I started practicing self-compassion and being aware of (and changing) my self-critical thoughts that my skin got better.

I realized that you can eat all the kale, drink all the green smoothies you want and downward dog until the cows come home but if you have a “toxic mind” health and happiness will continue to elude you. I wanted to share this message with the world, but I got caught up in the world of online marketing and totally lost my way.

I recently got involved with Beautycounter (not sure if you know about them but its a direct sales business whose mission is to get safer beautycare and personal care products into the hands of everyone). Very up my alley considering what I went through with my skin and how careful I am with what I put on it.

However, I’m struggling with really nailing down my niche. I really want to work with people on their mind, help them manage stress, practice self-care, and learn to live and eat in a way that nourishes them from the inside out (because as I learned, it’s a holistic approach, and for those who are doing the diet and exercise part, it comes down to the mental/emotional piece), but who should I focus on? This is what I’ve come up with – is it specific enough?

– 30 something professional women
– struggling with cystic acne (or should I say “skin issues”)
– suffering emotionally because of it
– have tried the conventional approach and it hasn’t worked
– want to find out if there is a mental/emotional component to their cystic acne/skin issue that they have not addressed

Thanks a million!

-S