About this episode:

In this episode of the Wellness Pro Show, Cate Stillman sits down with Carey Peters — Co-Founder of Health Coach Institute, Master Health and Life Coach, and business mentor to coaches around the world — for one of the most candid, behind-the-scenes conversations in the series.

The question at the center of this episode is one that almost every wellness professional faces at some point in their career: should I get another certification? Carey brings a uniquely qualified perspective to that question — having spent more than two decades training tens of thousands of coaches across more than 50 countries, building and exiting one of the largest coach training organizations in the world, and now working at the executive level with founders and leaders navigating their next chapter.

What unfolds is part origin story, part industry exposé, and part practical roadmap. Carey traces her journey from working actress to accidental entrepreneur, shares the inside story of how Health Coach Institute grew from zero to a multi-million dollar organization, and offers an unflinching look at what certification programs actually deliver — and what they do not. She and Cate also explore the moment when creating your own certification makes sense, the accreditation landscape behind the scenes, and why confidence — not credentials — is what actually builds a thriving practice.

This is a conversation that will change how you think about education, investment, and what it really means to be ready.

Key Takeaways:

• Certification Collecting is Real — and Costly: Endless training can become a comfortable and expensive form of avoidance. Credentials do not build practices. Clarity, skill, and action do
• Know When You Are Ready to Create Your Own Certification: The green light is not a methodology in your mind — it is a proven methodology with real clients who are already asking you to teach them what you do
• Accreditation is a Marketing Tool, Not a Mandate: Understanding what your specific audience needs at point of sale — and what they will never actually use — is the key to building credibility without over-engineering your program
• Confidence Comes From Doing, Not From More Training: Every coaching school produces graduates who struggle with confidence. The only cure is working with clients — and then working with more clients
• The Business Model Drives Financial Success — Not the Certification: For practitioners who already have a stack of credentials, what moves the needle is a sustainable business model, not another letter after their name
• Founders and Private Equity Are a Complicated Match: When outside investors or buyers enter a coaching business, the founder’s greatest joy — the real-time evolution of their methodology and their direct connection to the audience — is often the first thing to go

Why This Matters for Wellness Professionals:

The wellness industry is full of genuinely talented practitioners who are waiting to feel ready. They are waiting for one more training, one more credential, one more proof point before they step fully into their work. And in that waiting, they are spending money, spending time, and quietly avoiding the one thing that would actually build their confidence — showing up and coaching.

Carey’s story is a powerful reminder that the path from practitioner to thriving business is not paved with certifications. It is paved with clients, results, real methodology, and the willingness to begin before you feel completely ready.

For wellness professionals considering their next investment — whether that is enrolling in a program, creating their own certification, or building a membership-based business model — this conversation offers the clearest, most honest framework available for making that decision well.