How My Beautiful Business Rebrand Mirrors What You Can Expect on the Intuitive Eating Journey
Surprise! I’ve rebranded my business, Elizabeth Harris Nutrition and Wellness!
As you may have already noticed, I’ve got a beautiful new look thanks to Lena Designs Studio. To be honest, though, there’s so much more to this rebrand than what meets your eye—which is why I’m so excited to tell you the story (and show you the Intuitive Eating parallels) behind it.
When you go through any rebrand, your first thought is about how fun it will be to roll out new colors and a new logo. Once I got into the process, though, I realized that those things are like the cover of a book. Equal parts integral and fun, but the pages inside are what really tell the story.
Throughout the rebranding process, I answered thought-provoking questions from my brand strategist about the mission, vision, and values behind my company. As I dug deeper and deeper to answer those questions, sat with the rebranding process, and reflected on my personal and professional journey to get to this point, I realized that this rebrand mirrors the life-changing work I do with my clients in so many ways.
I launched my business nearly 4 years ago with a mission…
I wanted to help people lead happier, healthier lives with helpful nutrition and supportive habits.
Initially, I assumed that I would have to, at least in part, focus on weight loss. Not only is that what I believed people wanted, but I was also trained in a weight-centric model of health that emphasized calories, portion sizes, the body mass index as a proxy for health, and a very prescriptive version of nutrition education.
Very quickly, however, I realized something.
I realized the harms of putting weight loss front and center
People could be making all sorts of helpful changes to their nutrition, exercise, and health habits, but if the number on the scale didn’t change or if it didn’t change as quickly as they’d like, they’d often get frustrated, consider giving up, and say things like, “Elizabeth, it’s not working.”
I’d gently respond, “It’s working. You’re making all sorts of meaningful and impactful changes that will absolutely support and enhance your health.” Still, they were often dubious, and I could feel their stress and anxiety.
At the same time, with three kids entering middle school and high school, I was keenly aware of how many people in our orbit were struggling with fragile relationships with food and their bodies. It was impossible not to notice that weight loss behaviors and disordered eating behaviors are often one and the same.
So, I threw myself into the research on Intuitive Eating, weight neutral approaches to health, the harms of dieting and diet culture (especially weight stigma), disordered eating, and eating disorders.
What I learned forever changed the way I approach nutrition, food, and health, both personally and professionally.
I transitioned my practice to provide weight-neutral nutrition care
I did this to fully embrace breaking up with diet culture, Intuitive Eating, and having a happy, healthy relationship with food, as well as to provide body image healing.
My mission is the same as it always was—to help people lead happier, healthier lives with helpful nutrition and supportive, healthful habits. But I reevaluated my fundamental beliefs and the scientific research, and I ended up experiencing a radical transformation in how I view nutrition and health and the best ways to support it.
I now know to zoom out and look at WHOLE health, including physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. I realize that HOW we eat is just as important as what we eat.
I no longer believe in (nor does the research support) using the body mass index as a reliable proxy for health. I see the harms and exceptionally well-documented ineffectiveness of pursuing intentional weight loss.
Additionally, I know what it takes to help people heal their body image so they can show up more confident and at peace in their bodies—and believe it or not, it doesn’t involve changing one’s body but rather changing the way one thinks, feels about, and perceives one’s body instead.
Likewise, whether I’m working with someone privately or in my Thrive Tribe Intuitive Eating groups, my brave and awesome clients go through a similar process of breaking up with diet culture as they learn to eat intuitively, prioritize their health-promoting self-care, and heal their body image. They, too, are experiencing radical transformations as they learn to:
Redefine what health means to them, embracing the truths that healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes (as do unhealthy ones) and restricting and fasting cause more problems than they solve
Separate their confidence, worth, and sense of belonging from their body shape or size
Let go of diet culture ideals and all-or-nothing mindset—along with the frustrating quest for more willpower and self-control—so they can connect deeply with their body wisdom and find a “forever” approach to eating and health-promoting SELF-CARE
Here’s the thing about radical transformations of any kind, whether they be in business, your beliefs about health and your body, your personal relationships—you name it. You start out at one state where, truthfully, you’re already enough. But as you journey, you evolve; you grow. The process of radical transformation causes you to ask and answer tough questions. To reevaluate your sense of self and your fundamental beliefs.
Inevitably, it changes how you show up in the world… which is exactly what’s happening for me and my business right now!
So, what does my rebrand look like?
Let me show you again where I started and where I am now:
I look back at where I was, and I still love it. It was crisp, clean, and the start of the powerful, life-changing journey that brought me to this point.
But I look at where I am today with this new rebrand, with the amazing humans I’m honored to serve and support, and I feel tremendous pride, energy, and excitement about what lies ahead!
My clients are ready to stop letting dieting, overwhelm, or how they feel about their bodies hold them back from living their best lives. They do the work of reimagining their relationships with food, health, and their bodies by embracing Intuitive Eating and a powerfully different paradigm for promoting their whole health. And it changes how they show up in the world.
They become more confident, more present for the things that matter to them most. They trust themselves more. Their energy levels increase, their food choices improve, they become more physically active; many say that their relationships even get stronger. Essentially, clients so often tell me that Intuitive Eating turns into intuitive living.
With this rebrand, I’m also ready to step out and show up in the world as my best, most whole, business self.
While the HOW of my business has changed over the last four years, my WHY has not. I’m still on a mission to help women lead happier, healthier lives by prioritizing gentle nutrition and health-promoting self-care.
And yet, the reality is—a lot has changed over the last four years. I hope you’ll agree that this beautiful rebrand captures that transformation perfectly!
You’re likely on your own journey of self-discovery
Perhaps you too are considering radical transformation. Maybe you’re even contemplating breaking up with dieting and diet culture and learning to embrace Intuitive Eating and your body in a whole new light.
My job as a dietitian and Intuitive Eating coach is to hold up a mirror and ask my clients powerful, thought-provoking questions that get them to challenge and ultimately redefine their own limiting beliefs. To help them heal their relationships with food, movement, and their bodies so they can consistently care for them in the way that’s most impactful and meaningful to them. I provide guidance, support, and encouragement to help them succeed with their goals.
So, what would I go back and tell the Elizabeth from four years ago who was embarking on her own powerful, life-changing journey? Honestly, I’m of two minds about that.
On the one hand, I wouldn’t change a thing
Sure, there were plenty of missteps, lots of unlearning and relearning, and ultimately redirections along the way. Many times, I let fear and insecurities bring me to a standstill. But just as I tell my clients when they’re learning to break up with dieting and change their eating behaviors—every one of those experiences was valuable. They taught me something important and got me to where I am today.
On the other hand, I’d tell myself, “Trust your gut more!”
Embrace change, don't run from it. Don’t let your fears about how others will judge or perceive you hold you back from pursuing and doing what you know in your heart to be the best, most meaningful and powerful path for you.
You’re worth your time, energy, and investment. Your future self will thank you!
Special thank you’s—there are so many people I’d like to thank who made this rebrand possible. Thank you to Lena Designs Studio for the beautiful redesign and thoughtful questions, Liz Murphy of Buona Volpe for your copywriting and strategy support, Maureen Porto Photography for your captivating photographs, and AliceAnne Loftus of Leading Lady Coaching for pushing me to level up!