Hi there and welcome to The Wholistic Picture! My full name is Jessica Leigh Hatheway, but everyone calls me Jess. My professional background these days includes being a Certified Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, Personal Trainer, Holistic Nutritionist and Prenatal & Postnatal Fitness Specialist. I have a background in both Culinary and Pastry Arts, a Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management, am a group fitness instructor and creative multi-passionate entrepreneur. You could say I wear many hats ;) BUT this was not always how I thought my journey would go, nor would I have ever thought at this time in my life I would have the opportunity to have this business, this COMMUNITY and share my journey with all of you!

Growing up I lived a very happy and blessed life (and still am humbled by that life today). My parents have been happily married for over 35 years. We have always been extremely close knit and we also lived a pretty healthy lifestyle. I had been active my whole childhood between competitive dance, cheerleading and general childhood activity. When I was growing up I always had an entrepreneurial mindset and was always a big dreamer with non-stop ideas flowing into my brain at all times. When my original vision to be a marine biologist that swam with dolphins every day (saddened by the realization that very few marine biologists live that life) fell through, I started on a new venture of wanting to open a cake decorating business and decided that culinary and pastry art's school mixed with a background in business management was going to be the way to go.

During my college years, like most I started into my diet culture mindset, I gained a bit of weight. However, what most people don't tell you is that the normal "freshman 15" when you go to culinary school actually turns into more like the "freshman 30". Not that I ever felt extremely overweight, but any drastic weight gain such as that can take a toll on your mind and body in many ways. To be honest, my opinion about my body didn't ever drastically change. I didn't really feel bad about the way I looked. What more so began to affect me was the fact that I was not as active as I used to be which started to affect my mental state after some time. That coupled with an unhealthy relationship and some other life events sent me into a deep spiral of anxiety, depression and in the darkest of times, suicidal thoughts.

My journey has been very much so an internal one. Through my college years of riding the roller coaster that is anxiety and depression, I began to seek out alternative ways to overcome this new obstacle I was presented with. After plenty of research and diving into the world of alternative medicine, I made the decision to ween off of my medications (with physician and medical professional guidance of course). I went head first into the two common things I kept seeing over and over again that were proven to help with anxiety and depression throughout my research, fitness and nutrition...and so began my absolute LOVE for both.

*Please note: I do not condone or advise stopping any medications without the guidance of your medical professional. This decision is a very personal one and should not be taken lightly. Please advise your doctor before modifying any medications, as this is my own personal journey and should not be construed as guidance for doing such. Now where were we...

After experiencing the affects of fitness and nutrition on my own mental and physical health, I began to want to share that feeling with others. While still in college I started as an online health and fitness coach. By the end of my junior year, I started to realize, with only one semester left before graduation, that my heart was no longer in hospitality management, but I made the decision to stick it out anyways. 

Once I graduated I knew that fitness and health was where I wanted to be. With putting that new vision out into the world an opportunity arose at a family friend's new fitness boxing gym to be their front desk manager. It was not long after that I was not only managing, but also teaching classes as well. And the rest is pretty much history! From there I began my journey working towards the certifications that I have now to further expand my knowledge on fitness and nutrition. 

My vision for fitness and nutrition has evolved over the years. It has become a deep passion for helping women to become more self aware, educated and empowered to create not only a wellness lifestyle that works for their unique selves, but a LIFE that they absolutely LOVE.

Your wellness should not be an area of stress in your life, it should be an area of salvation, an area of thriving, an area of joy. THAT is the mission for The Wholistic Picture. I have been in your shoes, I have done the diet culture, I have done the obsessive workouts, I have done the body shaming of myself...it is not fun, it had destroyed my mindset many times. The way that I view wellness is so much more well rounded, sustainable and HAPPY now. It is not an area of stress for me anymore, and I love helping other women feel the same way!

It's time now to share my years of experience with you, my Wholistic Picture Sisterhood. It is absolutely amazing how a healthier lifestyle, and more so a better mindset, can change your life. I cannot wait to get started working with you so you and your family can feel the difference for years to come! Let's get started <3