Most of us aspire, in some way, to do things we love while also benefiting or helping others. The influencer featured here has accomplished both quite impressively. We have been friends for years and enjoy working together today. She has inspired and motivated me to live a healthier lifestyle and continues to  provide me with tips and tricks along the way.

Meet Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) Andrea Donsky, a pioneer and visionary in the Natural Health Industry. Andrea has combined her expertise both as a nutritionist and an entrepreneur to help educate the public on living an organic and non-GMO lifestyle. Over the past 8 years, she has built an incredible online community, as thousands turn to NaturallySavvy.com for natural health news and advice. Andrea is the co-author of Unjunk Your Junk Food (Gallery Books, 2011), and the Label Lesson series. Andrea inspires people to make enlightened choices for healthy living through her businesses, books, articles and media appearances. She is passionate about sharing her information in a simple way on TV, and is called upon by various networks to share her expertise. From NBC and Fox to CTV and CityTV (as a regular on Toronto’s Breakfast Television), Andrea enjoys bringing timely health related segments to viewers across North America. She continues to be at the forefront of natural health and enjoys working with companies that share her health focused mission.

Q: Where do you find inspiration to do your best work?

I find the majority of my inspiration from the readers on my website, friends, family, co-workers and even strangers! I love hearing and reading their feedback, learning how we’ve changed their lives and, more specifically, how we have helped them reach their health goals with the food choices they make. I also find inspiration from the colleagues who work alongside me.  Together we push each other to strive for our very best and, at times, to achieve results beyond our initial expectations.

Q: What qualities/skills do you believe distinguishes a good leader from great leader, now and in the future? What are you personally doing to hone these skills today?

I believe that flexibility and passion are crucial qualities for every great leader to possess. A leader who is passionate about her/his cause/mission/business/message will inspire others to speak and live their truth. A great leader possesses strong communication skills and takes responsibility for their actions. I remember when I first started my company and a 25-year veteran in my industry told me that I had “too much” passion and it was off-putting to some people. I remember thinking that as long as I had “too much” passion, then I was doing what I was meant to do. I’m happy to say that 16 years later I am still as passionate about teaching others how to live a healthy lifestyle as I was when I first started. I hone my passion by doing what I love every single day. I’ve never considered what I do “work”… and that’s been my secret to success.

Q: What piece of advice do you wish you’d had earlier in your career?

I think the best piece of advice would have been to write down my definition of success from the moment I started my own business, and then redefine that every few years. This exercise helps to keep your goals on track and also helps you to redefine yourself along the way, which is crucial.

Q: What are you working on right now that you are excited to share?

I am super pumped to launch a series of courses on my website naturallysavvy.com that will enable people to “get healthy” in the comfort of their own home. It’s revolutionary in its content and I am excited to share it with everyone. It’s the first time that we are incorporating educational courses that will allow our community to gain further knowledge about various personal health challenges. Check it out March 2016!

Q: What do you do to improve your productivity and time management to ensure you’re getting the most out of your work and personal life?

Striking a balance between my personal life and work life is difficult—for me they are so closely tied that it’s hard to separate the two. This is something I’m always working on. My kids (I have three!) remind me to strike that balance on a regular basis so I’m able to maximize my time with them.  In addition, we all need some “me” time! I take time to exercise 4 to 5 times a week. I love Fitbox classes, and I schedule my workouts early in the morning to ensure I get them in. Having a regular exercise routine gives me more energy and enables me to be more productive overall. I also make sure to stay hydrated so I can focus clearly on my work day.

Want to learn more? You can follow Andrea on Twitter at @AndreaDonsky or check out he website NaturallySavvy.com