Inspiring Conversations with Dez Stephens of Radiant Health Institute

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dez Stephens.

Dez, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My first husband’s music aspiration brought me to Nashville, and my current husband is the reason I stay. I moved to Tennessee in April of 1993 before Nashville had even one professional sports team or arena. ‘

My first job here was in healthcare that led me to deeply care for others in a professional role vs. just as a human being. When I was a child, my parents took me to many volunteering opportunities but I always thought of nonprofit work as a hobby. I’ve always wanted to ‘help people.’

After working for various Nashville for-profit and nonprofit employers, I decided to become an entrepreneur by becoming a certified life coach in 2005. Building upon the compassion I witnessed in healthcare and nonprofit work, I sought out to help people as a professional coach and consultant.

Many successful years of coaching went by, and my husband asked me a pivotal question one night while we were chatting about whether I should return to full-time coaching since our son was turning three soon. He asked, “Why don’t you make money for yourself the way that you make money for your marketing coaching clients?”

The first thought I had was to train and certify holistic life coaches, wellness coaches and business coaches. Because I was a coach, people would consistently ask me, “Where can I go to become a professional life coach?” and there was NOTHING in the Mid-South. So I started an official student organization with a Vanderbilt University student and began a training cohort of 22 students as a pilot program.

My business, Radiant Health Institute, was formed in April of 2012 with trademark components like training, events and publishing. I now have since trained and certified over 500 students in Nashville and globally in over 15 countries.

My compassion for others drives my humanitarianism both in my life and in my work. I co-founded a nonprofit (NGO) in Honduras to provide grief recovery coaching to Central Americans. I co-founded our R.I.S.E. program – Radiant Initiatives for Sustainable Education – providing full scholarships to students in impoverished countries and marginalized communities. I am the founder of RISE on the Rez providing full scholarships to students on American Indian Reservations and First Nations Reserves in North America.

I never thought that I would live ANYWHERE for 28 years much less Nashville. The city has nearly doubled in size since I moved here. I remember so vividly how green it was here and saying to myself, “I never want to forget how beautiful this is!”

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a pretty smooth road for me because my services are in high demand and my industry is booming right now. Professional coaching is only a 45-year old profession so there are very few of us coaching professionally.

My struggle has always been, “How do I scale what I’m doing so that more and more people can benefit from what I’m doing?” I have done well, but I can’t help but think that even more people can positively affected.

Growing a team too soon was a disaster. I fell on my face trying to find a great personal assistant-nanny (helpful tip – these should be two different people).

Indecision or at least feeling indecisive is a mindset issue I focus on to release.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Radiant Health Institute?
We train and certify holistic life coaches, wellness coaches and business coaches. We implement holistic corporate wellness programs. We produce holistic events including self-care experiences and holistic healing retreats facilitated by Native American elder.

We are very progressive and are a great mixture of quantum physics and metaphysics. Our holistic approach has been acknowledged with industry awards including the Prism Award by the International Coaching Federation.

We are known for being welcoming and inclusive. We embrace our diversity.

I overheard a colleague recently say something about my company that made me realize that what I want my brand to be is how others are also seeing it. She said, “When I signed up with Radiant Coaches Academy to become a certified life coach, there was zero gaslighting. I can’t say that about other schools I’ve attended.”

We are most definitely an under-promise and over-deliver company. For example, we have what we call “forever-free trainings” meaning that our students can attend any of our future trainings for free. We are a close-knit family and I consider it my full-time job to support them. I am very hands-on in my business and sometimes my students say to me, “I was so surprised to see you in so many of the live trainings. I was so surprised how accessible and responsive you are.” This makes my heart sing.

One of the things that set us apart from others is our commitment to marginalized communities. We have “Coaches for Returning Citizens” and “Coaches for the Queer Community” initiatives to ensure that professional coaching is accessible to those who might need it most.

I would want your readers to know that becoming a professional coach is a career boost. Coaching is booming right now especially because of the pandemic and its effect on peoples’ outlooks. If your readers have ever considered stepping into a lucrative and rewarding career that truly makes a difference, they could consider become certified and credentialed by a school like mine founded and maintained in Nashville.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Most people might not guess that I’m also a film + tv producer. Most people think that meaning media and professional coaching don’t go hand-and-hand, but to me, they do.

I am producing a “Coach Me” tv show to give professional coaching a mainstream face.

I just finished co-executive producing “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock,” a documentary about the water protectors in North Dakota. I am also a co-executive producer of the upcoming tv show “Sacred Foods,” about our disconnection to the foods we eat.

Pricing:

• $11,997 to become a certified and credentialed life coach, wellness coach or business coach
• $497 to attend a weeklong holistic retreat with a Native American elder (in Monteagle August 16-20, 2021)
• $1100 to attend a 10-day holistic retreat to Honduras (Central America) October 2-12, 2021
• $2997 to attend a 8-day holistic retreat in Lucca, Italy (October 8-15, 2022)
• $297 to attend a weekend holistic retreat with a Native American elder (Monteagle, August 14-15, 2021)

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://radiantcoachesacademy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/radiantcoaches/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radiantcoaches
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RadiantCoaches
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVJn9NU7739xDzvrPpsGRVw
• Other: DezStephens.com