“It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.”
-Miles Davis

Curiosity, compassion and connection. When I think back on the personal and professional chapters of my life, those are the qualities that I’ve always tried to bring to any situation. And there have been many chapters. I spent my twenties as an actor in New York City (and waiting a lot of tables, if I’m honest), where I witnessed firsthand the struggle that any creative person in pursuit of an artistic life experiences. In my thirties, I became a public school teacher in underserved communities in Brooklyn. In my forties, I relocated to Austin and transitioned into the role of Education Specialist. This role allowed me to identify overarching challenges in the system, facilitate workshops to address those issues and guide new teachers working in complex classrooms.

Now, in my fifties, I’ve drawn on all of my past professional experience to expand my client base, helping people from all walks of life step into healthier, happier, more authentic versions of themselves as a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach specializing in Lifestyle Transformation. 

“If you don’t like the road you’re walking on, start paving another one.”
- Dolly Parton

This work resonates deeply with me. Over the past two decades, I’ve experienced major transformations in my own health, wellness and professional life being on the receiving end of coaching, counseling and mentorship. These positive changes never would have happened without the compassionate, sure-handed guidance and humor of those on the road before me. 

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed unless it is faced.”
-James Baldwin

After completing the dual Health and Life Coach certification program with the prestigious Health Coach Institute, I continued my education with HCI and ISSA’s Pathway Program (an NBHWC approved program). As a result, I have a well-rounded perspective and being a coach who can see the interconnectedness between “health” and “life” goals brings so much more richness and value to the coaching process. This work fuels me like nothing else. My clients comment on better health, greater clarity and implementation of personal and professional goals, more confidence, and increased well-being. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to do this work, that clients honor me with their stories and that I get to witness their transformations. I hope to be a witness to your transformation as well. 

Jen Russell, NBC-HWC

National Board Certified
Health and Wellness Coach
Austin, TX