"Don't expect to have it all together." The 5 lessons Lexi Crouch's learnt since becoming her own boss.

What if the decision to study could create a life where you become your own boss, help women every single day, and actually find the holy grail of work-life balance? 

That best describes the life of Lexi Crouch. She's a clinical nutritionist from Brisbane, specialising in disordered eating, body image and nutritional medicine. 

Lexi took the leap into studying a Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) at Endeavour College of Natural Health, and has been on her own startup trajectory ever since.

Endeavour College is the largest private higher education provider of natural medicine courses in the Southern Hemisphere, with six campuses nationally, and a robust online education platform. 

It was Lexi's own health challenges that led her to a career in natural health.

On campus at Endeavour. Image: Supplied.

"I actually had an eating disorder for 15 years. I was in the conventional medical cycle and although that helped, I didn’t quite get all the answers I was looking for. It was more of a quick fix at the time. I really wanted to gain optimal health knowledge, so I decided to study it for myself."

These days, Lexi runs her own business aiming to help women be their best self every day. Using an evidence-based approach, she consults clients on treatment plans for their nutritional and health status, provides therapies and support for disordered eating recovery, as well as meal support and one-on-one coaching. 

So, here are the five lessons Lexi told Mamamia she's learnt since becoming her own boss.

1. Follow your passion. 

Whoever was the first to say 'do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life' was really onto something. But how do you actually take that first leap?

"Just go for it," says Lexi. "When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing. I was in my twenties, I didn’t have the confidence or self-esteem that I have now... Giving something a shot might turn into your absolute dream career.

"I believe that everyone has the right to feel good. When you’re going through an eating disorder, you strongly believe recovery will never happen for you. My biggest passion is to show people that it is possible."

Lexi says one of the biggest perspective shifts she gained from her Endeavour studies was the focus on food as medicine.

"I'm a big believer in the importance of nutrition and the role food plays; how it helps you to not only feel good, but also gives you the energy and endurance to do the things you want to do."

2. Allow yourself the freedom to study at any age.

Throwing out any preconceived ideas about studying later in life has been key for Lexi to cultivate a career she loves.

"I was hospitalised a lot during school and didn't finish Year 12, so to even be back studying again [in adulthood] was surreal. I had so much self-doubt but Endeavour was so supportive. They're really there to help you and guide you. I genuinely don't know how I would have gone if I hadn't chosen that study path."

Endeavour's small clinical and practical classes provide specialised attention and support, something Lexi says was especially appealing for someone like her who didn't come from an academic background. And something she especially appreciated while studying when she was pregnant and then had her newborn, her now-six-year-old daughter, Mabel.

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"It's one foot at a time, and what I loved was the flexibility around it. You could study but still live a life as well. Studying was so daunting to me but now it's a way of life. I graduated in 2020 and then I missed it so I'm doing my Master's now. It's just amazing how you build that confidence in yourself."

If you're wanting to dip a toe into what a future career in natural health could look like, Lexi recommends free opportunities like Endeavour's Future of Wellness month starting September 1 – a series of online events and seminars with guest speakers in the natural health industry. There are Q&A sessions too, where your burning questions can be answered about study options; from Chinese medicine to naturopathy, nutrition to massage and more.

3. Your own version of work-life balance can exist.

Lexi's past life as a flight attendant saw her doing shift work, starting some work days at 3am and 11pm, amid a competitive and perfection-oriented work culture.

"That was a crazy lifestyle, there was no work-life balance, so that's why I appreciate it more now."

These days, Lexi doesn't buy into hustle culture. 

"Work-life balance is absolutely everything. I've learnt that I am much more productive if I'm also happier and giving energy in areas other than work.

"Yoga has helped me to be very chill, still driven, but it's given me a different perspective which has been invaluable as a business owner."

Image: Supplied.

4. Don't expect to have it all together. 

Lexi acknowledges that particularly the first year of business can be a stressful time. Her advice is to take small steps and try to "lose the expectations". Immediately.

"When you first start you'll think your business is going to go one particular way and I can guarantee, by the end of the year it’s going to look completely different to how you envisaged it. It's kind of exciting when that change in direction happens, but you have to be really open to it."

For Lexi, that meant taking learnings from her own life experience and adding a meal support program to her offering. 

"I personally found a big gap in the system when I was going through my eating disorder experience. The recovery tools are taught to you when you're an in-patient but it's different putting those skills to use again in the outside world. I created my own meal support program where I work with clients one-on-one. We'll go out for lunch and then I’m also there for the decompression after the meal. It's a lovely way to show up for my clients and give really individual support. It's very natural too because I’ve been where they are."

5. Don't forget to feel liberated and proud of what you've created.

The freedom that being a business owner offers? It's an unmatched perk, Lexi says.

"It's very liberating. Being an advocate for lifestyle and balance, it's really nice that you can create your own hours. It might mean some odd hours but you're pretty used to that from studying and being a parent as well. It's a nice way to live, I enjoy that aspect a lot.

"To be a leader in your field is still so surreal but that’s what's happened to everyone at Endeavour. Everyone is doing amazing things. When you practise what you preach and it’s embedded in your lifestyle and you vibrate at that level, these things do come into your life. It all happened so naturally and I pinch myself."

Interested in a career in natural health? At Endeavour College of Natural Health, you’ll find a community of caring and curious people, an exciting new career in a thriving industry and, more importantly, you might just find your purpose. 

Join their Future of Wellness month from September 1 – a free, online event dedicated to exploring the diverse and fulfilling world of natural health. Register now.

Feature Image: Supplied/Instagram/@lexi.crouch