Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Foster.
Hi Kara, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Sure. I spent a decade in corporate change management and years as a part-time CrossFit trainer. The industries are different, but the skill synergies were obvious. Teaching people to facilitate their own success was really energizing to me and so in 2016, I opened More Life & Health LLC to partner with men and women to do that with their health and wellness.. Health coaching wasn’t yet a well-established profession and the thought of a health coach being part of someone’s healthcare team was even more foreign. A deep dive into functional medicine resonated wildly with the nutrition-and-lifestyle medicine I’d been raised on and offered an evidence-based alternative to the traditional medical care system that seemed to be failing my clients. This approach transformed my health coaching as well as the results my clients were seeing. Today, I get excited about partnering with ambitious female professionals to crush their health goals and take charge of the future in a whole new way.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It hasn’t been smooth or straight! When I ventured out as a self-employed “health coach” almost a decade ago, the role was very nebulous existing somewhere between a life coach, a nutritionist, and a personal trainer. Even I had a tough time articulating the unique role of a health coach in someone’s health journey. Achieving board certification through the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) helped., Thanks toa partnership they developed with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) in 2016/2017, the role was finally accredited and that did open some new doors with clients and for other interesting collaboration opportunities. Creating clarity about the value of my role for the average health seeker or licensed medical provider is still a work in progress. A coach guides a person to greater agency, self-reliance, and leadership. When it comes to health and wellness care, people want to feel like they can cut through the online health “clutter” and partner with health partners who are invested in them not only getting but staying well, so instead of telling people what I do, I typically share testimonials of what others have achieved through our work together or try to pique their curiosity by asking questions their licensed providers aren’t asking today.
I thought specializing in functional medicine would help to bring more clarity and credibility in the early days but, even with the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine right in my back yard, this approach just wasn’t established enough in the healthcare market — and certainly not in the Midwest! It fell under “holistic medicine” and for many, including the allopathic medical community, that implied more hocus pocus than evidence-based solutions, unqualified practitioners, unnecessary lab testing, and higher prices since insurance wouldn’t cover it. Thanks in large part to the nation becoming sick and tired of seeing no obvious market solution to feeling sick and tired, this is changing. Many of those who connect with me today are already doing a lot of the right things and see the potential for a functional approach to help them explore areas they’re missing and connect dots they’re not.
And let’s not forget that all of this professional growth is rooted in entrepreneurship – not a space I feel at all at home in by the way! I was passionate about the impact this work would have on others, but I wasn’t fully prepared to cut off a consistent corporate income to try and build a business. The marketing, technology, social media, pricing — whew! That remains the hardest part of this gig but there’s little that can replace watching a client have an a-ha! moment that will forever change how they manage their own health and wellness. For that reason, I’ve learned to appreciate the challenges.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
More Life & Health LLC is a virtual, functional medicine health coaching practice offering professional women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s the chance to reclaim the healthy energy, resilience, and body confidence they crave. I KNOW the world is waiting for something only the healthiest version of them can deliver, and I want to make sure nobody misses out—especially them!
After a decade in corporate change management and years as a CrossFit trainer, I saw an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. Opening More Life & Health LLC in 2016, finally, connected my business expertise with a passion for wellness. Functional medicine science then transformed my approach and provided a natural, intuitive path to helping ambitious 45+ females feel as powerful as the life they’re building.
My clients come to me struggling to achieve lasting health results despite success in other areas of their life. It’s typically not about a lack of research or discipline but rather what’s being overlooked.
→ Unrealistic expectations –classic for born achievers.
→ Scope creep — trying “everything” means mastering nothing.
→ Missed opportunities that they can’t see themselves
→ The costs of going it solo when health providers aren’t “providing” much support or counsel.
They need a more reliable system and that’s what I provide.
→ A FUNCTIONAL APPROACH to balance the body naturally—without chasing symptoms.
→ A ROADMAP that shows you where to start, what’s next, and how to measure progress.
→ A PERSONALIZED HEALTH PLAN to Reset, Refortify, and Recalibrate—with exactly what you need and without all the “extras” you don’t.
→ A TRUE PARTNER who celebrates wins, course corrects missteps, and helps them take control.
But let’s get something straight. I don’t buy into today’s “functional medicine” — which is why I don’t consider myself your typical functional health practitioner.
There’s simply nothing functional about:
→ One-size-fits-all treatment plans.
→ Biohacking your way out of poor choices.
→ Expensive supplements from “experts” who don’t know you.
→ Fancy tests that distract from getting back to basics.
→ Timelines that don’t deliver.
Busy, burned-out women don’t have time for that. They need a health partner who can help them hit the two hardest milestones ahead: where to start and what to do next. More Life & Health is ready.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Women can learn more about how to work with me here:
https://www.karafostermlh.com/work-with-me
Women ready to get started can book a free HealthyFit Consult and complete an application here:
https://www.karafostermlh.com/book-a-call
And those “just doing research” (I know them because I’m one of them) can grab a resource here to support their health journey until their ready to connect: https://www.karafostermlh.com/resources
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.karafostermlh.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morelifeandhealth
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karafostermlh/
