Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Koya Webb
For Koya Webb, a great day is just one flow away.
The former competitive track and field athlete combines the work ethic and dedication of an athlete with simple practical holistic health practices that anyone can follow to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
It’s hard to name something the wellness expert doesn’t have her hands in. Each day brings something different because, well, she has a lot of titles: yoga teacher, personal trainer, holistic health and wellness coach, author, motivational speaker, and professional fitness model, to name a few. Or, as her clients refer to her, a “transformational specialist.” She’s also the founder of the Get Loved Up movement, a source for all things yoga, holistic health, and integrated nutrition. The subscription app provides yoga flows, mindfulness meditations, sculpting workouts and tutorials for cooking plant-based vegan recipes, in addition to a community of self-care seekers and direct access to Koya.
Get Loved Up is not your generic fitness or yoga app—it’s a platform that makes healthy living a priority in a fun, accessible way. (And for the budding yoga-preneurs, don’t miss out on the Get Loved Up 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training!)
You’re an ex-track athlete. How has your background influenced your current career, and has your mindset on wellness changed since then?
Being an athlete most importantly taught me the importance of discipline, consistency, and teamwork. My track injury lead me to yoga and guided me into the lifestyle of taking better care of myself.
You’re a big advocate of eating vegan. How do you think a plant-based diet affects our day-to-day health?
Eating a plant-based vegan diet gives you the optimal nutrition you need without the negative side effects of getting nutrition from animal products. A vegan diet is also better for our environment as we use fewer resources and reduce our carbon footprint by adopting a plant-based diet.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Treat others how you would like to be treated...including animals.
What advice do you have for busy entrepreneurs who might be putting their wellness regimen on the back burner?
The healthier you are, the more you can accomplish each day. When you take care of yourself, you have more than enough room and time to take care of others and work.
If you weren’t working in health, what career path would you choose?
I’d be a singer for sure. I just produced my first single “Be Loved” with a music video last year and it was SO much fun! I want to let my creative juices out more so I plan to sing and dance more this year.
Watch our interview with Koya Webb on the set of our Create & Cultivate 100 photoshoot.
What keeps you up at night?
Social injustice and the state of our government. I feel politics are a bit out of control. It’s always been rough but now it’s getting nasty. Some of our leaders can’t even be looked up to as good role models for our kids, and that should be a prerequisite...at least be decent person who is kind and loves ALL people.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?
I know consistency is the key. I have to keep pushing and find a way no matter what. Happiness is success to me, so as long as I’m happy, I’m a success. I use challenges to make me stronger.
Whose career really inspires you?
Oprah and Michelle Obama inspire me the most. Oprah has been a lifelong business and “live the life of your dreams all while blessing the world with your gifts and talents” inspiration to me, while Michelle Obama is an inspiration of how you can be a successful leader, wife, and mother and still live your purpose. I draw daily inspiration from both of these women and how they move in the world.
What are you most excited for in 2019?
I’m most excited about my first book, “Let Your Fears Make You Fierce.” It comes out June 11th!