When Ileka Falette decided to swap her engineer's role for that of a wellness coach, she didn't just change careers—she transformed lives, starting with her own when she lost over 120 pounds. Her journey, revealed in this latest episode, is a masterclass in resilience and self-worth, laced with the tenacity to redefine personal health and professional success, and Ileka discusses the profound influence that early support, education, and unshakable self-belief can have on shaping the adults we become.
Ileka's narrative is more than a weight loss success story; it's a revelation of the profound nature of personal health and a passion to coach and help others. Her expertise, once utilized for corporate efficiency, now streamlines the path for wellness professionals eager to amplify their reach and efficacy, proving that the right strategy can turn personal growth into a ripple effect of positive change.
Ileka's transition isn't simply a tale of adapting and overcoming—it's a blueprint for anyone contemplating the leap into their own pursuit of dreams.
Connect with Ileka:
Episode 73's Affirmation:
I avoid comparing myself to others, because I value who I am.
Click here to connect with Alethea Felton!
CALL TO ACTION:
STEP 1: Subscribe now to The Power Transformation Podcast so you don't miss an episode! New episodes are released every Wednesday and it is on ALL podcast platforms.
STEP 2: Then, leave a rating and write review on Apple Podcasts, and then share with as many people as you know. I absolutely love reading your feedback, and the reviews help others find my podcast.
NOTE: Your feedback helps me be of greater service to you so please subscribe, rate, and review.
Thanks for being a part of The Power Transformation Podcast community!
When Ileka Falette decided to swap her engineer's role for that of a wellness coach, she didn't just change careers—she transformed lives, starting with her own when she lost over 120 pounds. Her journey, revealed in this latest episode, is a masterclass in resilience and self-worth, laced with the tenacity to redefine personal health and professional success, and Ileka discusses the profound influence that early support, education, and unshakable self-belief can have on shaping the adults we become.
Ileka's narrative is more than a weight loss success story; it's a revelation of the profound nature of personal health and a passion to coach and help others. Her expertise, once utilized for corporate efficiency, now streamlines the path for wellness professionals eager to amplify their reach and efficacy, proving that the right strategy can turn personal growth into a ripple effect of positive change.
Ileka's transition isn't simply a tale of adapting and overcoming—it's a blueprint for anyone contemplating the leap into their own pursuit of dreams.
Connect with Ileka:
Episode 73's Affirmation:
I avoid comparing myself to others, because I value who I am.
Click here to connect with Alethea Felton!
CALL TO ACTION:
STEP 1: Subscribe now to The Power Transformation Podcast so you don't miss an episode! New episodes are released every Wednesday and it is on ALL podcast platforms.
STEP 2: Then, leave a rating and write review on Apple Podcasts, and then share with as many people as you know. I absolutely love reading your feedback, and the reviews help others find my podcast.
NOTE: Your feedback helps me be of greater service to you so please subscribe, rate, and review.
Thanks for being a part of The Power Transformation Podcast community!
Have you ever faced a challenge that seemed hopeless? Yet you think that you have the power to change your life for the better, no matter the obstacles you face? Well, if so, then you're in the right place. I'm your host, alethea Felton, and welcome to the Power Transformation Podcast, where we explore the incredible true stories of people who have overcome adversity and created meaningful lives. So prepare to be inspired, equipped and empowered, for the time is now to create your power transformation. Hey y'all, welcome to another episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. I am so thrilled that you decided to listen to this podcast today, and, for all of you who have been with me since the beginning, I thank you for still being a part of this Power Transformation community. And for any of you who came later on, or this is your first time listening, I welcome you. I encourage you to please subscribe, follow, share, leave a five-star rating and become a part of this community. It's absolutely free just to listen to these episodes, and there are so many more things coming down the road.
Alethea:I always begin with an affirmation, and our guest today, this affirmation, definitely suits her. But I start with this affirmation. You say it aloud after I say it. Here it is. I avoid comparing myself to others because I value who I am. I am so excited to have this pro, this expert, on the Power Transformation Podcast. It is none other than Ileka Follett, and she is a business strategist for wellness professionals, but she's a lot more than that. She likes to keep her titles under wrap, but this woman has so much experience in a lot of different areas and there's a personal connection that I have with her too that I will talk about later on, but I just want to welcome you to the Power Transformation Podcast, Ileka, welcome.
Ileka:Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here and then be having this conversation with you. This is so much fun.
Alethea:It really is and y'all, she knows me by my nickname LeeLee, that's my nickname. So it's OK, girl, if you end up calling me that. You know she does not call me Alethea. But it's OK if during it, you happen to say LeeLee, I'm not going to be upset and I will explain that more, you all. But we want to jump into this interview and I always like to start with something lighthearted, because what you have to share you have quite a powerful story and I want you to be able to share that as well as how you continue to move forward and just your journey as a whole is so loaded. But prior to that, let's kind of start off on a more lighthearted note. Random question, nothing to make you uncomfortable, but if you can think about all of the teachers that you had throughout your life teachers, professors, anybody who's had some type of a teaching role in your life which teacher stands out to you the most as your favorite and what is your reasoning for them being your favorite teacher?
Ileka:Oh, so it's so funny because there's actually two teachers that immediately popped in my head Okay, go ahead. The first one is my aunt. She was our first teacher, so she actually was a teacher, right, but what she would do is she was an elementary school teacher when I was born and she would bring her what she was doing in her classrooms home and teach it to us. Wow, so we were learning, and then we were teaching each other and we were always learning and growing, and also she always fought for us. That's what it was, that's what was so important.
Ileka:So when I was five years old, I went from going to a predominantly Black school right, that was in like a really, really urban area moved to the suburbs for first grade to go to a school that where there were four black kids in the whole school me, my sister and the two kids across the street. So that was it Right. And so I got there and there was a lot of assumptions that I that I wasn't smart enough, that I wasn't able to do things, and you know, because of where the school that I'd come from and I never forget my aunt went to the school cause they had, they were trying to put me back in kindergarten, even though I was six years old and ready for first grade. My aunt went to the school and said what makes you want to put her in kindergarten? And they were like well, she did you text her? No, but okay, well, let's test her right now. So she had them like test me by pointing out letters, pointing out numbers, adding, subtracting, all the things that a second grader would be able to do, and I'm moving in the first grade.
Ileka:And then she taught them a lesson, said do not assume that a child can't do something because of where they came from. You know, look at that person individually and you could see the light, and you could see where they could actually go. And so that was game changing for me as a, you know, as a six year old. I remember the moment, which is so wild, you know. So that was incredible. And then my, my second teacher was Mr Phillips. He's still. He's still here, and he and I, we still talk like on each other's birthdays.
Alethea:Oh wonderful, I like hearing that.
Ileka:Yeah, he was my teacher in 11th grade and I was always kind of a competitive kid and so so when I was in like eighth grade or something, I wanted to be in a higher math class.
Ileka:I wanted to be in a grade ahead math and they wouldn't put me in it because, you know, I was again, it was for four black kids. It was a pretty, there were some racial issues there. But then we got to 11th grade and I told him I said, mr Phillips, I want to take two math classes, I want to take this one and I want to take the grade ahead math class. And he was like I believe you can do it. And so he's like and I teach these two math classes back to back, so I'm going to. So we talked to the counselor and he let me take both math, go and head to lunch during the second class so you can get some of that, some free time and that time back. So he just and just constantly like we just he just supported me and allowed me to believe that I could do it and probably part of why I became an engineer.
Alethea:Wow, and from both aspects of it, from your aunt as well as mr phillips you had someone who not only believed in you but advocated for you and knew in your capability and saw so much in you and that is so important to have and I'm so glad you had those two people and I'm sure others, but those particularly who pour into you how wonderful is that. That's a great way to start because it also ties in with how you help people and you advocate for people and we'll get into that. But this next question is a loaded one, but it's a standard question that I ask all of my guests, but you take it any way that you want to go. Who is Ileka Falette?
Ileka:When I think of it, when someone asks me who is Ileka Fallette, the first thing that comes for me is someone that loves. And my kids come in. So I think I'm a mom I love, I have four children and they are my heart, right. And then, of course, my husband, um, who is just. He is just an angel placed on earth by God, like just so incredible. And so I love my family so much.
Ileka:Um, I was literally just on the phone prior the phone prior to prior to starting with one of my aunts and just letting her know that we get to be, we get to love each other as a family, right. We get to what, no matter what's happening, we get to love each other. So when I think of me, love is a big part of it. And also I want other people to win. That's a big piece in me, like I want, like there's something in me that wants people to win. I want, like I'm going to always be rooting for you, always be cheering you on, always be trying to connect you to the right people. That's going to help you, you know, get to whatever goal. That's a big part of me.
Alethea:And then also, just I'm really smart you know I'm a smart girl, you better say it.
Ileka:And and like I am and I own that like and I don't even necessarily just mean like book smarts or street smarts, like there's different types of smart, but I am someone that I observe, I see what's happening and I lean into what's the best way to allow us to move forward.
Alethea:I see exactly what you are saying by that and, before we go even deeper into the talk, I want to bring up this question for you, or it's more of a statement. You said earlier that you are an engineer. I knew that, but I want you to tell the audience up front where you earned your engineering degree from, specifically during undergrad.
Ileka:Yes, well, my, of course. I will tell that my, my bachelor's of science and industrial engineering and my master's of science in industrial engineering came from the prestigious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, aggie Pride. That's where I went to school.
Alethea:Yes, indeed, and I say that because I have relatives I have an aunt and an uncle specifically. Then I have lots of friends, more than I've counted, lots of friends who are proud A&T graduates, and I wanted to put that up front because that is something I want people to know that I am interviewing someone who is a proud graduate from that esteemed distinguished school, hbcu, and so, yes, I wanted to bring up that, but you are an engineer by trade and training. However, girl, your life has taken so many twists and turns to even be to the point where you are now as this business strategist for wellness professionals, and I am a wellness pro and everything like that. But y'all I have something funny to say is she already knows this, but when I asked her to be on the podcast, I have so many different pages of people who follow me or I follow them, or just people I know, and I'm not the kind of a person who goes on people's pages scoping them out.
Alethea:So when I invited her, I did so because of her transformative story. I didn't even have a clue to the fact she had morphed and evolved and transitioned into something even more than where she started. So we are going to talk about that. But I want to go back to the beginning, to lead up to how you even got into this role. How do you go from engineering to wellness? Take us to the early beginnings of what prompted your wellness journey.
Ileka:Yes, definitely. So we can go back to about eight years ago. Eight years ago I had been in corporate America for close to 20 years as a business strategist and a process improvement program manager, project certified project manager, certified Lean Six Sigma, all of these different things right, which all lean into industrial engineering. So that foundation is the foundation for what I was doing and I, you know, been working at these companies and I actually really enjoyed what I did. I didn I, you know, been working at these companies and I actually really enjoyed what I did. I didn't always enjoy the bureaucracy of the companies, but that's what I was doing.
Ileka:But I and I had found myself well over 300 pounds as a mom of four you know who's, you know thriving in their career and you know doing, you know working in their career a lot, and then also being a mom. I just wasn't taking care of myself and I'd always had weight issues since I was eight years old. So I started my first diet at eight, right, and, and had been on diets for 30 years. So it wasn't anything new for me and and I, at in my 37th year, I remember I said enough is enough, I've got to make a change. This is not okay and something's got to give. Something has to give because it got to the point where where I couldn't like run after my kids, I couldn't go outside and play with them. Like run after my kids, I couldn't go outside and play with them. My knees hurt too bad, you know. I had so much inflammation in my knees and arthritis in my knees. My back was bothering my feet, I had plantar fasciitis in both feet, like all of these different things, and it just wasn't okay. And so I knew something had to give and so I started.
Ileka:I started exercising again and I had been a basketball player in college and all through high school, middle school, my whole life, right, but I'd always I'd been an overweight basketball player. So when I stopped playing basketball, I gained even more weight because now I wasn't getting the activity in and I knew I had to do more than just like walking, because the body has muscle memory. Because the body has muscle memory. When I tried to walk like other people did, like people were like oh, just go out and start walking, you'll lose weight. I was walking, I could walk five miles. Nothing was happening. So I was like I think I have to do something heavier. So I started like doing like workout tapes and things like that. And then I started.
Ileka:I met some friends in my neighborhood and we started exercising together. So we began going to the gym together and stuff like that. And then after a while it was just me going. They weren't going as much. They I'd be like, hey, we're on our way, and they'd be like, oh, I got to cancel, I can't come today, whatever.
Ileka:So I was like at this point I've got to keep going, like I had to find my true motivation and why. And, to be honest, it was my daughter. I had three sons and then a baby girl. You know she's nine now, but at the time she was a baby, right, and I knew that if I continued down this path, then so would she, and I didn't want her to experience those things. So I began exercising, got consistent with it, and then I began shifting my eating. I realized that my body did not like carbs, especially processed foods Right, but my body didn't like sugar and it didn't like like those white carbs right, bread and gluten and things like that. So one of my friends was talking about keto. I didn't really understand what it was completely, but I was like I'll try it. You know, I at that point I was like I'll try anything. I tried pretty much everything already, so why not this you?
Alethea:know, yeah, exactly.
Ileka:Right, so for me, it was I started eating. I started eating keto, but this is before. Keep in mind, this is before keto was a thing.
Alethea:Exactly.
Ileka:Because it got real popular at one point Right, exactly Right. So this is when you couldn't go to the store and see something that said keto on it. So all we knew was we ate meat from animals and we ate vegetables, and that was it. Right. We weren't throwing a bunch of extra butter and things. I would put a little bit of butter in my coffee. That tastes amazing.
Ileka:I know people can't believe it, but so I was doing that. I was, you know, I'd have ensuring I was getting enough fat, but I wasn't being excessive with my fat. I wasn't out here. I was, you know, I'd have ensuring I was getting enough fat, but I wasn't being excessive with my fat. I wasn't out here eating, like you know, trying to find fat to eat, right, but I was really sticking to let me eat meat from animals and vegetables. And so, doing that, I saw the weight start falling off and then, because I was exercising, I realized I wasn't like and I was focusing on protein. I realized that I wasn't have. I didn't have as much like loose skin as a lot of people I would see who's also losing weight on keto, and so that's when I re I saw like what I was doing that was different. Um, and then, while doing that, I ended up losing 120 pounds.
Alethea:And then, while doing that, I ended up losing 120 pounds. Wow, 120 pounds. Now let me pause you here and I'm going to have you pick up from there. I want to kind of backtrack just a little bit During the time when you reached your peak and you knew something had to give. And then you looked around, you looked at your daughter. You saw that this lifestyle just was not sustainable. Tell me about the emotional journey that you experienced from being this heavier person, this practically morbidly obese person, to now losing 120 pounds. How do you emotionally adjust to that?
Ileka:Yeah, so I remember knowing for a fact, when I was overweight, that there were opportunities that I'd missed out on because of my weight, whether it be at work, there were people getting promotions over me, even though it was like a clear consensus that I was better at my job than they were, you know. So these things were happening, people were making more money than me, all of these things, and so that was already an issue. That was already something that was really bothering me, right, and then I had created a belief that I had to stay at this one company, that I couldn't leave the company because nobody was going to hire someone of my size. The things that were affecting that were in my brain. These are the stories I was telling myself and believing. And then, just the, I remember there was a day when I took all the kids to the doctors so four kids, to mind you, and they're all under the age of eight, right.
Ileka:And so we're going into the doctor's office and they would always give us the big room, right, because you know it's four of them. So we walk in. You know three of the three boys would sit over here. So we walk in. You know three of the three boys would sit over here and then I had the baby in the stroller and the doctor came in and she wanted to work with my daughter first. So she does the examination on her. She's about, I think she's about 18 months old, no-transcript, and you know we need to move her to from whole milk to skim milk and not eating this and not eating that. And I said, let me stop you right there. I said first of all, because see what the doctor did was in my mind, right, the doctor looked at me and said oh, you guys are eating crap food because you're overweight and now your kids are going to be overweight. But what the doctor didn't know is that we ate 99% organic. At the time my kids did not even drink milk. We drank almond milk and they ate no candy or anything like that.
Ileka:So she was already prejudging and pre-assuming and also she wasn't gauging the fact that my daughter was a little taller. You know, I mean I'm, I'm almost six feet tall, you know that. So you know. Of course the audience doesn't know that, but I'm nearly six feet tall. So my daughter is going to be a little taller. And she was looking at the chart, but then she was also in her mind had a number that she should be at and she wasn't. Even it's not like she was at the hundredth percentile. She was at like 78, at 78th percentile. And wait, why are we talking about that? She's tracking out. You know, that's not. She's still in that store, still relatively normal. So I didn't like the conversation. But then I also had a flashback to when I was a kid, when I was eight years old, in the doctor's office and you know my mom had me and my two sisters in there and the doctor says that I'm overweight and I need to see a nutritionist and all this other stuff, and my sisters were laughing because you know, we're kids, right?
Ileka:The doctor said you're fat, you know, and I thought I don't want my daughter to go through that wow and I knew that I had to change.
Ileka:In order for them to see me different and in order for them to even honestly even review the charts and stuff without without um being so subjective, like yeah, to objectively review the charts, they had to look and see that they couldn't look at me and say, well, she's overweight, so her kids are probably going to, she's probably feeding them candy all the time. So once they, once I, you know, I realized that, if I, you know, really looked at myself and what I was doing, because, even though we were eating organic, I was still eating. We were still eating tons of like. I was eating bread and I was eating things that my body didn't like. So it didn't matter, you know, and I was, I was probably eating a little more than I should have. So I knew that something had to, had to change, because I could not allow my daughter to experience what I had gone through.
Ileka:I didn't want my daughter to be on diets from the time she was two years old, you know, and always you know, having to try, go to, you know, Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig, and this and that and the third which I had tried, all of those things. I didn't want that for her. So I knew that now I had to make a change. I couldn't, I couldn't let her go through the same thing that I went through.
Alethea:And one thing that you said that's really key, that I hope that the listeners pick up on, is the fact that you shared about how you had to learn what worked best for your body, and sometimes I've seen in this industry or just over the years that people sometimes think it's a one-size-fits-all approach to any type of eating, that oh, if you eat this way, then everything's going to be okay, or if you do that or this.
Alethea:But you've got to find what works best for your body and your lifestyle, and while a lot of these different types of lifestyles have benefits keto might work for one person, just like being vegan might work for someone else, and then others Mediterranean diet lifestyle may be best the whole point is really learning your body and finding what suits you. Now one question that I do have for you and I'll preface this with anyone listening to say I am not going to say I am anti this form of losing weight, because I know people within my own family friends who have had this way. But were you ever approached and if so, tell me about this or how had a doctor ever approached you about bariatric surgery? Was it ever a consideration and what was your personal rationale for not wanting to go that route, especially when you said you would try Jenny Craig, weight Watchers and so many other programs.
Ileka:Yeah. So, um yeah, I had one doctor asked me one time and I meet, I shut him down so quickly that it was never asked again. Um cause, here's the thing for me I knew by the time, I knew at that time I was never going to do weight loss surgery. And this is a for me thing, and here's the reason I don't. I don't knock anyone who's done it but I've had so many different.
Ileka:I had four C-sections, I've had um, I've had a hemangioma removed from my colon and four inches of my colon removed at one point in my life. I've had hernia repair. I've had, you know, I mean tonsils like my tonsils are taken out. That's not good, but I've had so many different surgeries for different reasons that I didn't want to be cut again. And also I knew from having those other surgeries that every time I had something, there was always some sort of side effect with the surgery. And so then when I connected, like I had, I had something. There was always some sort of side effect with the surgery.
Ileka:And so then when I connected, like I had, I had family and folks that I know had had it before and they always most of them had some sort of side effect. They couldn't eat certain things or their bodies would get sick, they weren't being, they weren't able to. The food, the nutrients in the food, wasn't being absorbed all the way, like all of these different things, and I thought I don't want to create something else that is affecting the way that I live, you know. So I knew that it wasn't something that I ever wanted to do and, just like you said, different things are for different people, right, and so what I always tell people is, especially if you're working with a health coach or working on, you know, figuring out what is right for you, Get some tests done.
Alethea:Yes.
Ileka:Everything from positivity tests to cortisone level tests, like understanding what your body is doing, because when you get the test done, then you can see what works for your body. Like I know my body is sensitive to gluten, you know, and so that I need to. And. And the sensitivity test versus the allergy test.
Alethea:Yes.
Ileka:Because you'll go to the doctor and they'll give you an allergy test. Well, you're not allergic to gluten, you're not allergic to dairy, so you can. So then you're thinking, oh, I can eat gluten and dairy, but every time you eat it your stomach bloats. That allergy test isn't testing for that. You know, you've got there's, there's actual tests out there, that test for what we can do and what we should be doing and the best ways to eat for our bodies. But that's what. And if you're, if you're looking to connect with someone, connect with someone that's going to be able to at least refer you to certain tests, so then you can create the way of eating, the way of nourishing your body, based on what your body actually needs. Versus, you lost weight on keto, so I can lose weight on keto. That's right. You can lose weight on keto, you know?
Alethea:yeah, right, just because she didn't know me, you did it, you could do, and I so appreciate you saying that, because I did a post on social media a couple of years ago about that, as you know and my audience knows, is that I have Western medicine doctors as well as naturopathic, and my naturopathic doctor, who also has Western medicine training, she's really big on the food sensitivity test, as how you have said, because sometimes people think that if you have a particular allergy, that all allergens or sensitivities manifest in the same way, and if so, one.
Alethea:One key fact is that we really shouldn't feel sluggish and tired and exhausted after we eat and when we do, then that means there's something you're eating that's causing your body to have some type of a reaction that is adverse, or even something as simple as belching. Allergens and sensitivities don't necessarily have to show up in rashes or hives, and that's why people like you, who's a wellness pro in this field, just like I am, must educate the masses on this, because people are living day by day, thinking they're okay and could really have something to eat that's detrimental. Now, in terms of your mental state during this time, how, alika, did you keep your tenacity, perseverance, endurance, how did you keep yourself talking positively and speaking life as you were on this journey towards removing the 120 pounds, but also in that maintenance phase, what were you telling yourself that kept you moving forward?
Ileka:You know, it's funny because and I often share this, especially on my YouTube channel, I share it a lot where it's like when losing the weight is actually and it sounds crazy, but losing the weight is actually easier than maintaining it. Because, yeah, because what happens is when you're losing the weight, you have such a strong why. You have this target you're working to get to, and maybe it's because you want to be healthier, you want to be an example for your kids, you want to be there for your kids, you want to get off of medications, even if it's for you want to be cute for your wedding or somebody else's wedding, right? Or a vacation, whatever it is. You have this strong why and so you are pushing toward it and you're going for it. Right, it's going to work this time and you don't care what happens, because this why has gotten so strong. And I think it's so important to have that strong why and push toward it. But here's the thing when you hit your goal or get close to your goal, it doesn't matter what your why is. It's not going to be strong enough to get you to stay there. It doesn't matter if your why is life and death. If you gain five pounds, you will die. You'll still be like I'm going to try, I'm going to see how this clothes don't work, like you're still going to be trying to have this pizza, right, like because the trauma or whatever it is that's connected to the weight that is still in control. So, until you're able to really lean into, what is it that's causing this weight to gained back 50 pounds, right, because there's still something that's holding onto it.
Ileka:And so, for me, what I did was I went. I had my strong why. I want to be there for my kids, I want to be stronger for them, I want to set a great example for them, cause I never had any health issues no real ones Like I had. Like my knees were hurting and stuff like that, but I didn't have, like, high blood pressure or anything like that, right. So my why was always I want to be able to move better and spend more and hang out with my kids and play with my kids and be vibrant while they were still young. But when I, when I lost the weight, I saw myself starting to, you know, one pound, two pound here and there, five pounds, 10 pounds, right, and gaining it, and I realized what is going on Like why couldn't I stay, as you know, as dedicated and disciplined after I lost the weight? What's happening, and that's when I realized it's because the weight was connected to something for me.
Ileka:So I had to look and see what it was connected to, and for me it was about being seen so as a child. That first diet, when I was eight years old, well, I had to write down everything I ate and put it on this thing, and then I had certain foods at the house that were only for me because I was on this diet, right, and things I had to do. And my mom, my parents, had four kids. There were four of us, so my mom paid more attention to me during this time. I was that middle child who was kind of like eh, you know, nobody really noticed you, right? So I always wanted to be noticed and so when I was on that diet she paid attention. So then we were off the diet, we were regular.
Alethea:But here again, Ooh, we're going to try this other diet, so now we're trying the cabbage soup diet, right?
Ileka:Uh-huh, yep, me and my mom doing it together, or we're working out to some. Uh, to, oh, what was it? But burn? Um? Oh, I forgot what it's called, but it was something. Burn that fat or burn. It was some sort of tapes that were out Talking about like walking tapes, buns of steel, oh, buns of steel, Buns of steel yes, okay. Buns of steel. So we were doing buns of steel together, and so we're doing these different things, and every time I was on some sort of diet, we were on it together and we would be losing the weight together and I was being seen.
Ileka:I was being noticed. So the craziest part is that when I, um, when I lost the weight, I had this YouTube channel and I was out here sharing and people weren't watching, right, and so then I had, then I think something in me said well, if you gain some weight again, then you're, you'll be seen, and it wasn't like I said that at the forefront, like, yeah, this is exactly what you should do, you know.
Ileka:But it's something that I, like my body, gained some weight back at about a year and a half later, I think it was. I'd had the YouTube channel for a while, but it was like it was like mediocre level, maybe like 8,000 people, right, 8,000 followers or something like that I gained. What did I gain? Like, I think I gained like 30 pounds back. It was the end of 2018. Might've been 40 or 50 pounds, I don't remember.
Ileka:And then I showed how I lost 30 pounds in 30 days and here came a ton of followers in, right, and so my brain was given the story and it was cemented in my head Well, when you, when you gain weight, you were seen. It was like I was proving myself right again and I was living in that story. So I didn't actually release that story until 2019 is when I had to finally say this is not why you're seen. You know you are who you are and you've got to let go of that story, step out of that story of when you gain weight, you're seen. And so when I did that, it allowed me to sustain my results, that's amazing.
Alethea:That is absolutely amazing. And, like I talked with you offline, I've pretty much maintained my weight, but I've gotten what I consider a fluffy, and so I need to tone up some more. I've gotten a little fluffy, but I have to tone up. But I think everything you say is absolutely key is the mind plays such an important role in our wellness journeys as a whole.
Alethea:And once we make up our minds to do what we have to do, I think for me it's more of when I'm in so many transitions and with my schedule changing now as a full time entrepreneur and I don't have to tell you it's a huge adjustment from just dabbling in it or part time into going full out and just changing and moving and everything else. So I know, of course, what I need to do and I've been making those small incremental changes. But you know, one key question for you that I want to segue into is how do you go, alika, from living this lifestyle yourself to saying I want to help people? So let's first start with how you transition into being this wellness coach. How did that happen? And I know that time is getting biased, but I don't want to rush it. I want you to really talk about what sparked you to say I want to help others on their journeys.
Ileka:Yeah, where, where that came from was really, um, uh, I had I I'd lost my job. Actually, we had, they had massive. I'd left the big company, gone to a smaller company and, um, and after being there for about a year and a half, there they had they laid off half the company. They never had layoffs before, but they just weren't winning businesses consulting firm. They weren't winning business and they laid off half the company. And I was the last one let go.
Ileka:So I remember I was, I'd already lost all the weight and I'd been talking for a long time about like doing a podcast or something, had been talking for a long time about like doing a podcast or something. Right, and my husband we were actually on our 10th it was the day that my last day of work was our 10th anniversary Okay, and so I went and we went to Hawaii and while we were in Hawaii I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and he turned to me and he said, why don't you just do that podcast thing you've been talking about? And I was like I don't know how to do a podcast, but maybe like a YouTube channel maybe. And he's like, yeah, do it, why not? So that's what I did. I came back and I started a YouTube channel that September and you know, as I was doing the YouTube channel and I was just sharing like what I was doing, sharing meals, what I eat in a day, sharing family stuff, you know how we're being healthy for the kids, where I'm, where I'm grocery shopping, what types of foods I'm getting, that sort of thing and people began watching and I was sharing my, my journey and then and I'd helped my mom lose some weight and you know some a couple of my aunts and cousins and things like that and then I ended up getting a.
Ileka:You know, someone reached out to me on I think it was Instagram, and said, hey, would you coach me? And I was like I don't even know what that is Like. I've done leadership coaching and executive coaching. But what do you mean? Wait, wait a minute.
Alethea:Wait, wait a minute. That's so funny the way that you said it, because it's so amazing how blessings will come our way. You just say I don't even know what that is that is the realest thing.
Ileka:I don't even know what that is. That is the realest thing.
Alethea:I love hearing that Y'all you can do anything. You never know the way your life will turn out.
Ileka:Go ahead.
Alethea:That's funny.
Ileka:I was like I didn't know what it is. And she's telling me. She's like, well, you know, you just show me how to do it, show me how to eat like this, and, you know, maybe put some together, some exercises, and so.
Alethea:I was building your whole program for you.
Ileka:Right, I was at the gym and a friend of mine or someone I met there, she was like, yeah, I'm a, I'm a Keto coach. And I was like, oh, and she's? She's like, yeah, I just, you know, put together some meal plans and tell them what to eat. And I was like, oh, I can do that. But I was like mine is going to include workouts though, because my people are people who want to work out. They're going to need to work out as a part of it. Like eating isn't going to be enough for people who come to me. I already know it. And I was already like showing my workouts and stuff on online. So so that's what I started.
Ileka:I started putting together meal plans for folks and and then add it and adding workouts to it and when to work out and what workouts to do, and then setting up, like you know, calls for accountability, cause I was like I was like I've had these little workout plans and stuff and not done. So how? How do we ensure that you do them Right? So they had to check off and say that they did it and then it. Then it just the first person that I helped the first part, my first client lost over a hundred pounds.
Alethea:Wow.
Ileka:In a year, Wonderful yeah. So I was like oh, I can do this.
Alethea:You know, that's right, that's right.
Ileka:And it continued to happen. But what I realized while I was doing it was I was getting overwhelmed because I didn't know what I was doing. I knew how to help someone lose weight, but I didn't know how to run that business. And because I knew how to run, you know how to do things at IBM and I knew how to work at a small firm and what had to happen, but my brain wasn't connecting it to my own business and I'd not run an online business before, so I didn't know what that meant. You know, I didn't know much about marketing or anything, not realizing that hello, building a YouTube channel of 35,000 followers, that's marketing. I had to have marketed to do that, you know. But I didn't get that Right. So I, um, I hired a coach and you know he started. I hired a coach and you know he started. He showed me how to you know how to bring on more clients how to scale, but the overwhelm was still there.
Ileka:It was like was he a wellness coach or business coach? He? Was he coached wellness coaches, he coached fitness coaches.
Alethea:OK, I see.
Ileka:So because I got my, my, um, I was certified personal trainer by then and, um, he showed us like he did a really great job at showing us how to, how to make money in this business right In this industry, and it was awesome, um, but at the same time we were so burnt out, I was like so tired. I was on calls at you know 9 pm with potential clients I mean it was, it was me person to my right of me right are 27. You know, I've got four kids.
Ileka:They, you know, just just got graduated from college. I'm like we're, we're not the same. I'm like so this, this program, is a great program, but it's not for me in my life at this time. And so that's when I realized I had to do something different, so I needed to. I thought if I could save this fortune 500 company that I worked at for 16 years I was able to save them millions through process improvement and, you know, really creating creating more lean processes and doing project management then I could do the same for Keto Mommy Makeover, which was what my company was called.
Alethea:That's right yeah.
Ileka:So I had to lean into that and look at how I could cut my day in half, how I could, you know, create more with less time, how I could take the time that I wanted to dedicate to my business not the time that I had to dedicate time that I wanted to dedicate and how I could use that to still continue and sustain the revenue that this man taught me how to make without burning out, without being burnt out, and so that was one of the things that I really, really leaned into and it began to work out. And then, shortly thereafter, other coaches that were in that same program as me started coming to me asking how I was doing it, how I was getting my time back, because they how to sustain revenue, how to, how to, um, how to streamline their processes really so that they're able to, you know, work less, make more and live more.
Alethea:and feel better you know.
Ileka:So it was like, how do you create all of this together? And so that's what I began leaning into and it it really, really helped and worked out no-transcript.
Alethea:Let me ask this question on the back end, so let me kind of so I I was going to have you speak directly to a person who wants to kind of get on this journey of trying to get their wellness and health right. But let me ask you this Now you've gone from having this experience of being an athlete but yet always being plus size, larger, and then you get to a point where you gain a lot of weight, morbid obesity. Your life is at the line. Then you look at your children and say I want to live for them, I don't want them down this path. You go on this health journey, all these tosses and turns. You're now wellness coaching, but now you are and this was the part that fascinated me you are a business strategist for wellness professionals. How did that shift and pivot come, and what caused you to say now I want to take this to even the next level in helping other wellness professionals with their businesses?
Ileka:You know, it happened through leaning into what my mission was and what my purpose was around this business and I realized that I wanted to make an impact and by help, and I wanted people to feel good. So what I realized is that I was leaning into my ego a bit much by being a wellness coach, because now I get to help you, you know, lose weight or shift your mindset and all these different things, and I was real proud of it, right, mm hmm. But what was ego was the endorphins and the joy I got was real proud of it, right, but what was ego was the endorphins and the joy I got in that piece of it, right, I got to look at the fact that me, I'm helping people on their journey. Let's say I could help 200 women a year lose weight, feel better, have more energy, you know, start leaning into their life goals and stuff in that way. Right, that would be awesome If I did this for 10 years.
Ileka:That's 2000 women helped, right, 2000 women changed and shifted.
Ileka:But if I were able to help 200 wellness professionals a year and each of those wellness professionals were able to help 2000 women over the next 10 years, and I mean, I can't even do those numbers right now and I'm a whole engineer, but you know, it's like literally I'm helping.
Ileka:I'm leaning into 4 million people, people 4 million people impacted versus the 2,000 over 10 years and that's where I realized the shift needed to happen. Yes, it feels good to help someone achieve their goals, their wellness goals, and to start seeing themselves differently and have more confidence. But when I looked at my zone of genius, my zone of genius and my gift is process improvement, productivity improvement and business strategy so I get to work in my zone of genius and have an even greater impact. And yes, it's still a little bit of ego, right, but it also leans into a much larger impact when I'm working with wellness professionals. When I'm working with wellness professionals because when they get seen, when more of their ideal clients see them, that means they have a bigger impact, which means that it's exponential for me.
Ileka:And that's my club.
Alethea:How has your journey affected the people closest to you, those who knew you as one way those years ago and now see you now? How has your lifestyle and your transformation affected others?
Ileka:You know it's so funny. And two is one most of my friends. They love me so much that I'll show them a picture of me from, say, 2015 or something. And I had one friend it was so funny we were at my son's um karate class and we were just talking and I was like I showed and she's she. We saw each other the entire time I was losing weight, so, um, so I pulled up a picture, for whatever reason, of me from like 2015 and she's like, she's like, oh, I didn't know you back then. And I was like, uh, you know, we've known each other since 2012.
Ileka:Oh, my goodness, are you serious yes, she just assumed that she, like you, don't. Even when you, when you care about someone many times you have gotten so you're used to them it's like you see them and you don't.
Ileka:sometimes you don't see the size, you don't see those unhealthy pieces you just see, love, you know, and so there's that piece of it. And then there's folks who, like in my family, who would see me maybe a month or two months apart and see a huge difference in my size month or two months apart and see a huge difference in my size, and they would say things like they basically would try and shift you know, like see what they could do to you know, improve their health. They would even ask for tips or ask questions and I would always, you know, willingly help. Of course, after a while what I realized is that you know, as much as I love my family, they don't listen to me.
Alethea:That's right.
Ileka:So what I began doing is yes, so I began connecting them with others.
Alethea:That's why I started laughing is because I yeah, I already knew, and, too, as much as we love our kinfolk, part of the goal of this is to have consistently paying clients as well.
Ileka:So right, exactly, but that's because if folks don't pay, they don't pay attention, right? So it's like you'll sit there. You're sitting there chasing them down the way you do, because it starts to feel like you care more than they do and you don't want that. You know you want people. People should be caring about their health. That's when you know that they're ready to actually make a transition, when they care about the thing that they say they're going to do.
Alethea:Wow, what would you say to a person who is a wellness professional and they might be stuck, or they may be in a rut and they might even be a bit discouraged and wanting to even get off of this entrepreneurial path? What would you say to them?
Ileka:I would say look at why you started and why it's important to you, because what happens is we get into this space where we've been doing this a long time and sometimes it can feel like, oh my goodness, I don't want to do it anymore. Clients may not be coming in the way you thought, or maybe you're working with people and they're just they aren't getting the transformation because they aren't doing the thing, they aren't being consistent or being disciplined or sticking to it, they aren't showing up for calls, and it starts to feel like you're spending more time marketing and selling than you are delivering, which is the thing that you want it to be doing. You want to be coaching people, you want to be helping people, and yet all your time is spent on sales calls or marketing calls or, you know, doing webinars or whatever it is. And so in that moment, I often tell people look at what you're doing and how you're doing doing it.
Ileka:Align with either a coach or some sort of program that's going to get you in front of the right audiences and show you how to continue to do it. That's going to allow you to reduce the time spent doing those things that you don't love as much. Because when we do a bunch of stuff that we don't enjoy or we don't love, what happens is we get burnt out because everything seems like it's taking forever. Everything seems like it takes more of our time. It takes our energy. It takes more energy to do the thing that you don't enjoy than it does to do the thing that you do enjoy. So look at what that means for you and find a way to lean more into the things that you enjoy, and it may mean outsourcing the things that you don't love in order to be successful in your business.
Alethea:That's very valuable, valuable advice and going back to the root and the heart of why you got started and the people that you helped initially. What would you say to a person who's probably struggling with their weight, or they've been yo-yo dieting for years and they just don't know what to do, or that they may think they are too old or they can change it on their own, but need extra help and are getting a bit discouraged? How would you uplift them?
Ileka:I would say, especially when it comes to your health. You know, get an idea of why you want to do it and also decide to enjoy the journey versus just the outcome. Many times we're so focused on that outcome that it feels like a chore. Right, oh, I got to get up and work out again because I got to lose this weight by this date and it's like, don't allow it to be a chore. You know who? It's not a chore to my mom and her friends walking in the mall. You know my dad getting on the bike and riding his bike through the neighborhoods or through the or around the lake in the park. Right, it doesn't feel like a chore because they're doing something, they enjoy so and they're enjoying the journey. And when we get to enjoy the journey, then now the outcomes just become like a bonus, Like, oh, I've got more energy, oh, I've lost some weight, I'm enjoying my 10 mile bike ride every morning, you know. So enjoy that journey.
Alethea:You spoke earlier about your husband and we're coming to some closing questions about your husband. And we're coming to some closing questions. We spoke earlier about your husband. How has your husband been a key part of your journey, of your inspiration and keeping you moving forward on this?
Ileka:He has. He's just been a really great supporter. He believes in me, he trusts me and he, he knows what we need and he does it. You know, he just has my back a hundred percent, especially in business, you know it's. It's a difference when, when folks, when someone really believes in you. So we are a partnership. We're together on this journey.
Alethea:That's right, and I think, and the reason I ask that is because for anything you're going to do well, it takes a good support system and everything of that nature. So this is what I like to do is I truly appreciate your time today and all of the wisdom nuggets you have dropped, and what I'd like you to do as we close out please let people know how they can connect with you.
Ileka:Okay, great. Yes, definitely reach out to me. You can either go to ilekafalette. com or you can find me on Instagram or Facebook at Ileka Falette. And yeah, let's connect. You can always DM me, ask any questions, and I'm always here.
Alethea:Thank you so much, Ileka. This has been very encouraging and I hope and pray the best for you. I'm so glad you are in my life and we are definitely going to keep in touch for some future collaborations as well. Thank you so much. It was such a joy having Alika here today with me on this episode. There's so much you can learn from her and please follow her journey. She is so insightful, a wealth of knowledge and just overall good people, as we say in the South.
Alethea:Again, I invite you to join me for yet another episode of the Power Transformation Podcast. Episodes are released every Wednesday and I value you and what we're going to do to close this out. We're going to say the affirmation again. I'll say it once and you repeat it and let this resonate with you throughout the week and every day of your life. I avoid comparing myself to others because I value who I am, others, because I value who I am. If you enjoyed today's show, then you don't want to miss an episode, so follow the Power Transformation Podcast on Apple Podcasts, spotify or wherever you usually listen, and remember to rate and review. I also invite you to connect with me on social media at Alethea Felton, that's at A-L-E-T-H-E-A-F-E-L-T-O-N. Until next time, remember to be good to yourself and to others.