We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful McKenna Garrison. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with McKenna below.
Hi McKenna, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
I believe resiliency largely stems from the personal experiences we’ve been faced with. As a child, it was subconsciously the only option I knew. As an adult, it’s an active choice. I was born with a kidney deformity & dysfunction that put me on antibiotics for the first two years of my life. I had to grow up pretty fast with regular doctor appointments, unpleasant scans, tests, and a few surgeries by the age of 10. As a child, I didn’t know the whole picture. I knew I didn’t always feel good, but I also had plenty of days where I felt like any other young girl. My parents did their best to make me feel like a normal child, which taught me that while hard days are coming, so are the joyful ones. The ones that make us laugh, smile, and feel hopeful.
As I grew, my kidneys stabilized but the years of medications took a toll. Mysterious symptoms started which led to countless doctor appointments that I often left feeling like no one truly heard me. It’s been 7 years since those started which have evolved to an auto-immune condition, strange diagnoses, and osteopenia at 25. I’ve tried hundreds of things to understand why it feels like my body is at war with me. Frankly, it’s exhausting, and if you had asked me this question a few years ago, I’m not sure I’d have a great answer for you. But it was recently when my health took a turn that resiliency became an active choice, as a means to enjoy life.
An emergency surgery left me sedentary for the summer, the worst time to sit still… But, it was the moments of stillness that I finally let myself experience the essence of life. I paused long enough to feel the sun on my face, a book in my hand, the birds singing in the background, & when I could, my legs moving beneath me. I listened to music, I called friends, I discovered new hobbies. I enjoyed simple things that reminded me I am here. I GET to have these sensations that bring a moment of happiness in my life. A second when the pain has disappeared and I feel calm. Those moments keep me going, because, despite the hard times, I know a better feeling is coming.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Professionally, I’m the founder of Back to Basics, an online Health & Wellness platform dedicated to helping others feel nourished and better connected to their bodies.
In university, I studied Kinesiology and became a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) post graduation. I had learned a lot about the human body but I knew a big piece was missing. I went on to study Holistic Nutrition, graduating with my certification in 2021. I loved learning about movement but, nutrition is what really stole my heart. It was the perfect blend of science & creativity.
But before I was ready to practice, I spent a year living in Spain where my idea of what it meant to feel healthy in my body changed drastically. I learned that feeling well goes far beyond food and movement, though both are very important. I slowly realized the importance of human connection in our lives and that nourishment is truly a unique puzzle for each of us.
For a long time, I restricted food and had a pretty bad relationship with it. Because of that experience and the effects it had on my health, I look at foods a little differently now, as a tool to nourish and heal our bodies yes, but also an opportunity to satisfy and inspire us.
Today, I work with clients who have experienced many conditions, such as Hashimoto’s, Breast Cancer, SIBO, Uterine Fibroids, and more. Talking with my clients and seeing their success is easily the best part of my job. Additionally, I’m a recipe developer, sharing weekly recipes on my blog, many of which are personalized to clients. But the thing that surprises people the most is my love of sourdough. I joined the baking craze a few years ago but mostly because I was desperate to heal my relationship with food. Bread was a food I restricted for years and sourdough helped me overcome that. I share sourdough recipes, guides, and baking schedules on my website for others to enjoy too.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1) Always ask. Whether it’s a question for a doctor, or you’re wanting to work with someone, reach out. Be intentional with it, be kind, and be open. I’d say about 85% of the opportunities I’ve taken came from a cold email I sent. The worst they’ll say is no, but if you don’t ask, you’re already saying no to yourself.
2) Consistency. Show up every day, but don’t run yourself into the ground. As I say with clients, it’s the small steps done consistently that form habits, and those habits, have the capability to change our lives.
3) Have 2-3 people who will always be in your corner. When I was in the darkest days of my health journey, it was my partner who reminded me why I needed to keep going. When I was stuck in my business, it was my best friend who answered my voice message and told me that this was part of the journey. We aren’t meant to do it alone.
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone who desperately wants to feel better, who has tried many things, seen many practitioners, and still feels stuck. Someone who needs an advocate in their corner to help them become their best advocate. They’re a person who wants to make lifelong, sustainable changes and learn the why behind what we do together. They understand that those don’t happen overnight but they’re ready to start the journey. Most importantly, they’re open, they’re kind, and they know that together, we’re a team.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.btbwithmckenna.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btb.mckenna/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554902832706
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/btbwithmckenna/
Image Credits
McKenna Garrison, Hailey Aitkins Photography
