A New Vision for 2026

Expanding the Story: A New Vision for Health in 2026

As we step into a new year, I’ve been reflecting deeply—on where I’ve been, where I’m going, and why this work matters so much to me.

Recently, I read a powerful blog by @Ebony Walden, the creator of Black Beyond Borders, where she shared her transition from racial equity work to reshaping narratives of Blackness through storytelling. She spoke about expanding the realities in which we see ourselves—and are seen by the world.

Her words stayed with me.

Because while my work lives in a different space, health and wellness, the why behind my pivot feels strikingly similar.

Why I Chose This Work

I didn’t step into health coaching simply to help women lose weight or fit into smaller clothes—though feeling good in your clothes is a wonderful bonus. I chose this path because I believe deeply in the power of women over 40 reclaiming ownership of their health, their bodies, and their futures.

Our daily lifestyle choices, how we eat, move, rest, manage stress, and care for our mental health shape so much more than our waistlines. They influence our energy, our confidence, our sleep, our productivity, and our long-term disease risk. Our health doesn’t sit quietly on the sidelines of our lives; it permeates everything we do. It can either propel us forward or become a heavy hurdle to the life we want to live.

And while the statistics around chronic disease among Black women are alarming, I want to say this clearly and unapologetically:

This does NOT have to be our destiny.

Knowledge matters but knowledge alone isn’t enough. Sustainable health requires support, accountability, and community. It requires spaces where women feel seen, understood, and encouraged rather than judged or dismissed.

Creating Space Where We Are Reflected

I don’t see nearly enough women who look like me in the health and wellness space.

I want to help create something different, a culturally inclusive space where black women over 40 can see themselves reflected, respected, and supported. A space where health is not framed as punishment or perfection, but as empowerment. A space where we rewrite the narrative that midlife is a decline rather than a powerful turning point.

My big-picture motivation is simple and expansive all at once:
Transformed women lead to healthier families. Healthier families lead to healthier communities.

This work ripples outward.

Doing It Scared: My Own Midlife Pivot

As I look back on 2025, I’m filled with deep gratitude and, if I’m honest, a good dash of pride.

Pivoting from my role as a Physician Assistant to step into entrepreneurship was not an obvious or easy leap. I grew up in a risk-averse family. I never considered myself “creative enough” to be an entrepreneur. Betting on myself felt both exhilarating and terrifying.

But something happens for many women in their 40s.

There’s a quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) invitation to shed the narratives that have kept us small. To question the limits we’ve accepted and to fully explore who we were created to be and what we were created to do.

For me, this process has been deeply liberating…and also deeply uncomfortable. I had to choose to do it scared. I had to trust that obedience to purpose mattered more than comfort. And I had to believe that my lived experience, my training, and my heart for women’s health were enough.

Why Community Is Non-Negotiable

Here’s the truth: we cannot do this alone.

Maintaining healthy habits is hard when you’re isolated and even harder when the people around you unintentionally (or intentionally) sabotage your efforts. We need each other to become healthier, more balanced, more confident, and more centered versions of ourselves.

This truth is backed by science. A recent blog by Drs. Dean Sherzai and Ayesha Sherzai highlighted large population studies showing that people who feel deeply connected to a supportive community experience better physical and mental health outcomes. They even live longer than those who feel isolated.

Community isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s foundational.

A Vision for 2026

So, here’s my hope for 2026—for you and for all of us:

That this is the year you prioritize your health without guilt.
That you build (or step into) a network of supporters who honor your health choices.
That you surround yourself with people who hold you accountable, celebrate your progress, and encourage the woman you are becoming.
That you allow yourself to expand beyond old narratives and step fully into your power—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

We are allowed to want more.
We are allowed to feel good in our bodies.
We are allowed to redefine what health looks like in midlife AND who gets to lead that conversation.

Here’s to a year of expanded stories, shared strength, and transformed lives.

Here’s to 2026.