Why "Plan'td"

The moment I realized that, for the sake of my own health and happiness, I needed to improve the lives of others, Plan'td got planted.

I was working in a Marine Science lab. No windows. In a basement. Under fluorescent lights... cleaning crab sh** out of a big tank and shucking barnacles off of rocks to feed the angry critters. I had hit a wall. I found myself in tears, on the phone with my patient mother, saying "this is killing me." And the moment I walked outside and the sunshine hit my skin, it all melted away.

That was really the last straw, looking down at my hands covered in tiny, painful cuts, and coated in a pale complexion that was once golden and healthy. I saw that this would be the course of my work as a research scientist, and it did not align with my deepest desires. I had too recently tasted the freedom and excitement of being a "solo-preneur." Just months before returning to working in a lab, I had been studying abroad in Australia, and I had taken a gig as a personal chef for one family... which became two families... which became a floor of a luxury apartment complex for which I provided healthy cooking advice and grocery store tours.

I did not have a formal background in health or nutrition education, but I had a talent for cooking and an understanding of foods that nourish the body for improved health. Talent was all it took in Oz, but upon returning to the United States, I was constantly quizzed about degrees and training and heard the persistent question "how do you know all of this?" My answer of being self-taught through creditable doctors and scientist's books was not enough, and I realized to work in a country where the only title legally allowed to give expert nutrition advice besides an MD, was an RD. And since I'm not a fan of "My Plate," I opted for something else.

I became a Certified Nutritional Therapist through the Health Sciences Academy, based out of the U.K. Not only was I happy with the width and depth of the education I was offered, but I was also less skeptical of the research and information presented in a course outside the [wealthy] grasp of the USDA.

A year after that, I had signed up for a Permaculture and Design course at Punta Mona Center for Regenerative Design and Botanical Studies. There, I made the connection that I could close the loop and grow the healthy food that I wanted to eat and encourage others to eat. Stephen Brooks, Sarah Wu, and Itai Hoben pulled my design interest and skills into focus, giving me the tools and concepts I needed to take my passion to the next level.

With an Environmental Science degree, a Permaculture and Design Certificate and Nutritional Therapist Certificate, I was hired as the farm manager for the University of South Carolina, where I not only managed the permaculture farm & gardens, but I also dove into the world of higher education and student affairs. It was an incredibly diverse education that prepared me on many levels for my course of true interest. My training in mentorship and business management through the role I had as farm manager tested and strengthened my necessary"solo-preneurship"skills. In this job, I discovered my passion for teaching.

I enrolled in the Advanced Permaculture Course in Teaching with Jude Hobbs of Cascadia Permaculture. This was a breakthrough for me in my communication. My ability to facilitate, plan and lead a lecture or lesson skyrocketed and enabled me to see even more clearly what I wanted to be doing in life. Now, not only did I have a strong knowledge foundation, but I also had the method and means to communicate it clearly and effectively.

One year ago, I joined the farm, sustainability, food and beverage community of Charleston, South Carolina (pretty cool that they are all intertwined in this city, huh?), accepting a position as the Program Director for an incredible farm-to-school non-profit, the Green Heart Project. My experience managing and directing all school gardens, programs, curriculum development and staff management has put me to the test in every way possible - physically, emotionally, spiritually - but my roots have grown deeper as a result, and it has been a beautiful experience to be a part of a mission that I believe in while contributing my skills and experience to aid in the success of this non-profit.

I love the work I have done to support others while working for them (and I still do!), and yet I saw a way that I wanted to live more fully by contributing my passion and innovation through my own channel.

When I saw that all of what I wanted to offer was in a plan-related format (nutrition plans, recipe designs, crop rotations, landscape and permaculture systems design, pre-portioned weekly meals) and how it related to getting people to the point that they wanted to be in life - with their health, time-management, environment - I saw that I was creating a plan to get them rooted or "planted" into a healthy foundation. The education I provided helped them to grow, to provide for themselves. It created a grounding sensation of contentedness. And that is why I chose "PLAN'TD" to represent what I want to offer to the world.

With Plan'td, my mission is to teach others how to heal, provide for, and nourish themselves. I welcome you to the journey of Plan'td and to see what it has to offer you personally. I welcome you to a series of plans that will cause you to grow your health and live abundantly.

Thank you for joining me.

In health,

Allie

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