The Countdown to 10 Years of Eat.Train.Love.NYC Begins

Six Months to Ten Years: A Letter from the Founder

In exactly six months, Eat.Train.Love.NYC turns 10.

Even writing that out feels surreal. Ten years. A full decade of holding this vision. Showing up for the work. Growing with the seasons—of life, of business, of wellness itself.

When I first started ETL, I didn’t have a team, a website, or a grand strategy. I had a belief. A deep, gut-level belief that there had to be a better way to do wellness—one that actually worked in real life. Not the kind built for Instagram. Not the kind that burned you out or made you feel like you were failing if you missed a day. The kind that walked with you through the hard things, the healing things, and the hopeful things.

I launched ETL while I was still building myself. Personally. Professionally. Spiritually. It was never just about food, or movement, or body composition. It was about building a life that felt rooted to my core and realistic at every turn—one where health wasn’t a punishment or a performance, but a practice of returning to yourself again and again.

How It Started

Some of you were with me from the very beginning. Maybe we met in the early days when I was training clients in between classes and side hustles. Maybe you came in when I first launched the name Eat.Train.Love.NYC—back when it was just an Instagram handle and a few email templates. Or maybe you found me years later, through a referral, a panel talk, or a DM during the pandemic.

However you arrived—I’m grateful.

This wasn’t a business built in a boardroom. It was built in a NYC apartment, coffee shops, in sessions that ran late, in long walks with clients-turned-friends..turned family, in moments where someone said, “You helped me feel like myself again.”

I remember the first time I printed my logo. I remember the first email list I created, the first client I had to refer out because they needed more than I could give at the time. I remember wondering if I could really make this work. I remember choosing to believe that I could.

What’s Changed—and What Hasn’t

Since those early days, ETL has grown. Over the past (almost) decade, we’ve offered 1:1 coaching, corporate wellness programs, bootcamps, community events, online courses, Substack newsletters, affiliate guides, and soon—something brand new.

We’ve navigated change—personal and global. We’ve held space for clients through new diagnoses, life transitions, grief, breakups, burnout, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, identity shifts, career leaps, and so much more.

And through it all, this work has never been one-size-fits-all. We’ve stayed flexible. Grounded. And honest about the fact that wellness doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens inside real life, even with all of the lemons life throws.

What hasn’t changed is the mission:
To help people eat well, move meaningfully, and live in a way that feels aligned, empowered, and full of love—for themselves and their lives.

Why This Anniversary Matters

This isn’t just a birthday. It’s a checkpoint. A mirror. A moment to look back at what’s been built and ask, “What now?”

Over the next 6 months, I’ll be sharing pieces of the journey—moments you’ve seen and many you haven’t. Behind-the-scenes stories. Lessons that shaped me. Pivots I never saw coming. And the seeds of what’s next for Eat.Train.Love.NYC.

Whether you’ve been here since day one or just subscribed last week—you’re part of this. Your support, your stories, your trust… they’ve helped shape every offering, every pivot, every breakthrough.

What’s Coming

✨ I’ll be releasing reflections here on Substack (and on our social media channels) leading up to the anniversary.
🎁 We’ll have a few surprises to share (and yes, one may include a gift or limited offering).
📝 I’ll also be inviting your stories into the mix. If you’ve ever been impacted by this work, I’d love to hear it.

Let’s Make It a Two-Way Conversation

If Eat.Train.Love.NYC has touched your life—through coaching, a workshop, a newsletter, a post, or a passing conversation—please leave a comment or send me an email (info@eattrainlovenyc.com) and tell me:

• How did you find ETL?

• What still echoes when you think of your experience?

• What would you love to see in the next chapter?

This work has never been about me alone. It’s always been about us—creating something more sustainable, more compassionate, and more true together. 💌

Here’s to the next six months.
And to the ten years it took to get here.

With all my heart — love you!
xx Jillian