Her Story
About Kemichelle
Kemichelle Taylor is a Weight Management and Wellness Consultant, motivational speaker, current author, founder of The Healthy Living Journey, and owner of Naturally Fit 4 Life, Inc. Her passion for health and wellness grew from her own transformative journey, which began in 2002 when she weighed 389 pounds and was warned about the potential risk of diabetes. By shifting her focus from simply losing weight to achieving overall health and wellness, Kem successfully transformed her lifestyle and lost more than 200 pounds (naturally - no pills, diets, or surgeries). Her remarkable journey was featured in USA Today, inspiring her to dedicate her career to helping others pursue healthier lives. With more than two decades of experience in the health and wellness field, Kem has worked as a personal trainer, lifestyle coach, weight management and wellness consultant, and fitness and wellness specialist. She has developed individualized fitness programs, senior wellness initiatives, corporate wellness policies, and community health programs designed to help people overcome barriers and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Auburn University and a master's degree in recreation therapy from the University of South Alabama, complemented by professional training in personal fitness and lifestyle coaching. Her areas of expertise include weight management, healthy lifestyle programs, and obesity and diabetes prevention. Kem has also made an impact through community outreach and education, including contributing to a $50,000 grant for a Summer Kids Fitness Program focused on fitness and diabetes and obesity prevention. She has worked with clients from diverse backgrounds, including older adults and individuals facing significant health challenges, emphasizing personalized guidance, encouragement, and holistic wellness. Today, she continues her work through Naturally Fit 4 Life, Inc., while developing a book about her personal journey and serving as a motivational speaker. Her mission remains centered on using her experiences and expertise to inspire others to make healthier choices and create lasting change.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kemichelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to faith, resilience, purpose, and a commitment to helping others. After experiencing significant personal losses, I learned the importance of balancing work with personal life and using my experiences to inspire others, set meaningful goals, and stay motivated.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"When you change your mind, you change your life". When I graduated from Auburn University with my hard-earned engineering degree, I was ready to take on the world, or at least I thought I was. My first "real" job was in a very small town at a textile mill with people and a company who were not ready for change. As their first (woman of color) quality control manager, I was met at the door with restrictions and limitations that, quite frankly, made it impossible to do the job I was eager to accept in the first place. One day while sitting outside on break, I saw myself literally at a beautiful beach enjoying the sun, walking in the hot sands, and embracing the ocean waves instead of the dreary, depressing, wooded-area that was actually in my view. I made my decision in that moment that the beautiful beach scene was actually apart of who I am and where I come from. I can actually drive to a beach now in less than an hour and it is truly my happy place. This is why I know it is true: "when you change your mind, you change your life".
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
"When life serves you lemons, make lemonade". At a time when there were very few "wellness" credential organizations, no structured programs for natural weight management, limited healthy lifestyle educational resources, no social media or apps, Kem decided to create a lane where one did not exist. Utilizing professional research/data from global case studies, personal experiences, clients' documented results, and working with others in the field helped her to create a solid foundation for a natural healthy living journey - not only for herself, but for everyone willing to take the first step. Her advice is to follow your heart and your dreams, the way you see it. And if no one has ever done it before, well, that is your opportunity! Always make lemonade from the lemons of life.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges in the field right now have to do with the instant "AI" mindset of today, the hurried pace of life, and the ability that social media provides to anyone with a phone to be anything they want to be in an instant. This can be very misleading for those who are seeking honest answers and services from reliable sources in this industry. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to keep your skillset(s) sharpened, to provide honest and reliable services consistently, and to show your clients, through your interactions, that you genuinely care. These simple but very effective steps will definitely help to set your services apart from the masses and can also open up opportunities in unexpected ways.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, respect, faith and truth are the hallmark of everything I do in life. I walk in honesty, integrity, and truth because I live the adage "do unto others as you will have them do unto you". I give honesty and respect to myself first, and then to others whether it is received or not. Faith has carried me in every phase of my life even when I could not carry myself - a true testimony. And, truth never fails. These are values that have been strengthened throughout my journey and that has helped me to evolve into a beautiful work-personal life balance that has truly improved my quality of life.
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