Women In Wellness: MacKenzie McClain Hill of LumiBloom on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Finding the answer to a problem often occurs when you stop looking. It turns out staying loose fosters creativity and problem solving so when there is something that you just can’t figure out, it helps to take a minute and turn your attention to something else.
As a part of my series about the women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing MacKenzie McClain, CEO of LumiBloom.
With over a decade of experience in creating the best health and wellness products available, MacKenzie combines her love for innovation with a sincere desire to help women unlock authenticity, confidence, and boldness.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
The thing that defines me is my competitiveness and resilience, which really started to assert itself when I began running track as a 13 years old. I will never forget winning my first race, seeing the tape at the finish line, and the overwhelming drive I felt to get there first. I went on to become a state champion, to earn a place on the podium in my first international competition serve as co-captain of my University track team and have continued to train and compete in competitions around the world while building a wellness and beauty lifestyle brand.
Competitive sports instilled in me an appreciation for my own strength, the mental toughness to run at top speed toward 10 hurdles; and the physical endurance to train 4 hours a day before heading off to lead my business team. It triggered a real reverence for the gift of vitality that can be achieved through consistent effort and an understanding of the powerful relationship that exsits between your mind and body. Most of all it helped me better understand my own uniqueness, to be confident in my abilities and ultimately led me to my entrepreneurial passion project… LumiBloom.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The biggest mistake that I made when I was first starting was to undervalue my own experiences and ideas. I was too easily influenced by outside “experts” and as a consequence deferred to advice that did not always line up with how I saw things.
Over time, I learned to trust myself, and to not just believe in my vision, but to defend it. There is a place for collaboration, partners and expert assistance, but at the end of the day, the final say rests with me, and these days I’m really good with that.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There have been so many people that have contributed to my success, but the one that I appreciate most is my mom. She is an attorney, an entrepreneur and an advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment.
A little over a year ago I arrived at a crossroads in my company’s evolution. Moving forward required me to completely shut down for a period, while I revamped the entire business platform and formulated new products. I was determined to lean all the way into our mission of prioritizing the needs of women and inspiring confidence. That said, I was uncertain about the timing and of course any kind of shift or business disruption is a risk. My mom didn’t just support me, she helped me put together the plan to raise the capital so that I could make it happen. Even more important, she reminded me that trusting my instincts and following my passion had been the key to my success up to that point. It’s just one of the many ways that her light has illuminated my path. And, I know that my own commitment to not just promote wellness, but to inspire confidence in others, is in many ways related to her and what she has done for me.
Ok perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
At LumiBloom, we believe that beauty starts from the inside, so we focus on products and ingredients that support a healthy lifestyle. We are excited to support and celebrate the unique beauty, strength, expressiveness, individuality, diversity, and resiliency of all women. More than a brand, we’re building a platform to connect with and inspire other women, and to share and magnify their stories.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Drink lots of water. It’s so basic I know, but so essential. I drink 64 ounces a day which is a lot, but it really does make a difference in terms of flushing out toxins, and supporting systemic bodily functions.
Pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods. After an elimination diet, one, where you stop eating foods that may trigger allergic reactions, (gluten, dairy, nuts and things like that) slowly reintroduce those foods one at a time to see how your body reacts. When I did it, I discovered that I have a high sensitivity to gluten. Consuming it resulted in me having headaches, bloating and breakouts. Now that I’m gluten free, I don’t experience any of those issues. Some people will find they have problems tolerating sugar, milk or a number of other things. Nutrition is really important, and can be very particular to each individual, not one size fits all. Listen to your body.
Power naps work. We all have different body clocks, there are morning people and night owls and I’m all for leaning into what works for you so long as you realize that your body needs rest. If you’re like m,e and you do your best work at 2:00 am, it’s fine, but a 30 minute nap in the middle of the day is game changing.
Pilates or other exercises that promote strength and flexibility will pay dividends for your entire life. I am so committed I bought a Pilates Reformer for my home so that I can take classes remotely during the pandemic.
Explore CBD as an alternative to pharmaceuticals for pain management, to combat anxiety, and/or gain clarity and focus. What can I say, I believe in the products that I market, they work for me and offer a safe and natural alternative to the things that I deal with every day as an entrepreneur and elite athlete.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
The movement would focus on women and girls and center around self-acceptance, self-care coupled with magnifying your achievements and achievements of others.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
What a great question. The 5 things I wish someone told me and why…
- There’s a lesson in every experience, no matter how it turns out. Not everything that you pursue in business is going to work out the way you expected. Knowing that you either win or learn helps keeps things in perspective.
- Don’t let perfection become the enemy of the good. Knowing that your efforts are always a work in progress allows you to keep moving forward.
- Celebrate the small things along the way. It’s easier to stay motivated if you recognize every success no matter how small.
- Finding the answer to a problem often occurs when you stop looking. It turns out staying loose fosters creativity and problem solving so when there is something that you just can’t figure out, it helps to take a minute and turn your attention to something else.
- When it comes to executing your vision, you really do know best. Over time I have learned to be vigilant about resisting self-doubt, if you let your guard down, sooner or later it comes knocking. Say hello and then firmly close the door in its face.
Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Sustainability and of course climate change are critically important issues but if if I had to choose just one cause to promote from your list, it would be mental health. At the end of the day, I believe that everything begins with individual wellbeing. The capacity to tackle our challenges as a society require us to first and foremost care for ourselves. Good mental health, emotional wellbeing and clarity is foundational to every other human endeavor.
What is the best way our readers can follow you on social media?
Follow me on Instagram @MacKenzieMcClainHill and of course check out @LumiBloom on Instagram as well.
Thank you for these fantastic insights!
Women In Wellness: MacKenzie McClain Hill of LumiBloom on the Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.