Julie Herbel- Leach

I attribute my success to having the knowledge that I can share with someone else who's willing to make lifestyle and behavioral changes and use some lab tests to improve their own health. Being a part of that process and seeing them get healthier, experience better health, become happier, more productive, have better relationships - all kinds of good things happen when people feel better. That's what I love. One moment that really hit me was at a conference in Miami when one of my FDN trainees came up to me after dinner. I had worked with her on her labs and her DRESS program through her training until she graduated, but we hadn't met in person because we didn't do Zoom videos back then. She introduced herself and said, 'I am alive today because of you, and I have a daughter.' That was so amazing. But you know, it was her willingness to follow what works. That's the difficult part - so many people don't know what they need, and they get stuck in that cycle of trial and error because they're having chronic symptoms and don't feel well. We have a great, amazing program that helps people break out of that cycle.

The best career advice I’ve received came through mentorship within the functional and holistic health community—especially from leaders who emphasized education, collaboration, and service. Their guidance taught me that sharing knowledge and lifting other practitioners is just as important as the work I do with my own clients.

I would encourage young women to trust their passion for helping others and stay open to learning beyond traditional healthcare models. Pursue continued education, seek strong mentors, and embrace personalized, whole-body approaches that honor how interconnected our health truly is.

The opportunities are endless because every being has stress, and stress is always a part of our life. It comes in a lot of different forms, and the compounding effects of this stress on the body lead to those chronic symptoms and conditions. That can present some challenges, though, because that's where a lot of our heads are - in the medical model of 'take this to treat this.' We don't have aspirin deficiencies. The body is an amazing organism, and it is perfectly designed to function perfectly. We just need to get the right way of assessing what's going on with the body and then apply natural, non-specific, holistic protocols to support the body's innate healing. I've been watching this industry grow over the years, definitely. We've had a lot of extra stress lately, but more and more people are becoming aware because we're able to reach more people today through technology, through platforms like Instagram and those kinds of things. People are becoming more aware that there is an alternative to the medical model. There are natural solutions, and they're realizing that what works for one person doesn't work for another. We can get very specific today rather than someone going to take a diet pill - there are alternatives that maybe we didn't know about before, and more and more people are coming on board with that.

I love to be outside. My body and my spirit is filled when I spend time outdoors, oftentimes moving my body. Sometimes it's being alone, other times it's with groups, exercising. I've been an avid outdoors person for all my life, really. I was born on a farm in Montana - I was born in the dirt. In my work, what's most rewarding is being a part of having the knowledge that I can share with someone else who's willing to make lifestyle and behavioral changes to improve their own health. I love being part of that process and seeing them get healthier, experience better health, become happier and more productive with better relationships. My vision is to reach as many people as possible and teach them how to naturally heal their bodies, to understand their body and heal their body naturally and non-specifically, outside of the medical model. I want to expose this service, this approach, to as many people as possible. I don't need to be in the spotlight - I want that to be in the spotlight.