Paris Heinen

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

Hi! I'm Paris Heinen, better known to many as Coach Paris! I'm a Colorado native and currently live in Littleton, Colorado.

I've been married to the love of my life for 38 wonderful years, and together we have three children, including our bonus daughter, and six amazing grandchildren! Family is a huge part of my life, and I absolutely love being a wife, mom, and grandma!

I'm a certified health and wellness coach, author, and the proud owner of Always On Your Side Coaching, a completely virtual coaching business that allows me to work with people anywhere.

My journey into health and wellness began with my own personal transformation. I lost 65 pounds and have maintained my goal weight, within just two pounds, for over two decades!

I also spent 20 years working for WW (formerly Weight Watchers), helping people navigate their own weight-loss journeys. Those two decades taught me so much about people, their struggles, their successes, and most importantly, that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to living a healthy lifestyle.

Today, I get to combine my personal experience, professional knowledge, and passion for helping others through Always On Your Side Coaching.

My philosophy is simple: Living a healthy lifestyle isn't rocket science! It's about common sense, consistency, and finding what works for YOU.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

We love Colorado. It's beautiful, and we are close to our family. I have lived here my whole life, and the views still take my breath away.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Always On Your Side Coaching is a virtual health and wellness coaching business built around one simple belief: Living a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be complicated!

I believe we are all individuals, and what works for one person may not work for another. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellness. My goal is to help people find their easiest, most realistic way to live a healthier, happier life.

My passion for coaching comes from my own personal health and wellness journey. I've maintained my goal weight, within just two pounds, for over two decades. Along the way, I learned that lasting success isn't about perfection, restrictive diets, or following the latest trends. It's about making common-sense choices, building habits that work for your life, and learning how to maintain them.

That philosophy became the foundation of Always On Your Side Coaching and eventually inspired my book, Always On Your Side Coaching: Power of 13 — Your Common Sense Guide to Health and Wellness. The Power of 13 represents 13 essential areas that I believe contribute to living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. It's not rocket science! It's about getting back to basics and finding what works for YOU.

Today, I offer both one-on-one coaching and virtual support groups. We work on so much more than just the number on the scale. We talk about nutrition, movement, mindset, stress, sleep, self-care, and the everyday choices that shape our health.

What makes my approach different is that I don't hand everyone the same plan and expect them to follow it. We work together to create realistic changes that fit their individual needs, preferences, and lifestyles.

One of the greatest rewards of my business is watching someone realize that they really CAN do this. They don't need to be perfect. They don't need to change everything overnight. They just need to find what works for them and keep moving forward.

And that's exactly why I named my business Always On Your Side Coaching. I want every person I work with to know they have someone in their corner, encouraging them, supporting them, and celebrating their successes along the way!

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

Don't wait until everything is perfect! Build your website, get your social media up and running, and just get started!

Here's what I've learned: You're going to be tweaking, changing, and improving things over and over again, and that's okay! You'll learn so much along the way, and some of your best ideas will come from simply doing the work.

And here's another piece of advice I wish everyone would take: Hire people to do the things you don't enjoy doing or aren't particularly good at! Your time and energy are valuable, and they're better spent doing what you love and what you do best.

Most importantly, believe in what you're building, be willing to learn, and don't let the pursuit of perfection keep you from getting started. You don't have to have it all figured out on day one!

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

This actually happened just today! One of my clients, Jill, shared something with me that truly touched my heart. Replying to a social media post...

"It's about so much more than food. It's everything you've identified here and more! Your ability to listen, to talk, to support — it's life changing." 🥰

And THAT is exactly why I love what I do!

It's not just about the food we eat or how much we move our bodies. My job is to make sure my clients feel heard, understood, supported, and genuinely cared for.

Losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle can be hard! And it's not something we do for a day, a week, or a month. It's something we work on every single day.

One thing I always tell my clients is, "We are not dieting. We are LIVING, and we are learning how to take care of ourselves!"

A diet has an ending. That's not how I approach health and wellness. We're building a lifestyle that works for each individual, one they can enjoy and maintain for the rest of their lives.

When a client tells me that our work together has changed their life, it reminds me that what I do goes far beyond the number on the scale. And to me, that's what makes it all worthwhile! ❤️

Where do you see your company in the future?

I am a constant learner! The health and wellness industry is always changing, and I believe it's my responsibility as a coach to stay educated, informed, and right in the thick of it!

My goal for the next year is to continue growing Always On Your Side Coaching while doing what I love most: supporting people no matter where they are in their health and wellness journey.

A great example of how our industry continues to evolve is the introduction of GLP-1 medications. Over the last few years, I've made GLP-1 education part of my coaching approach. I spent more than six months studying, reading research, and talking with doctors because I knew this was becoming an important part of the health and wellness conversation.

Whether someone is using a GLP-1 medication, following a traditional weight-loss approach, or simply wanting to feel better and live healthier, I want to be able to meet them where they are.

I don't believe there's only one right way to achieve better health. We're all individuals, and my job is to help each person find what works best for them.

A year from now, I hope to be reaching even more people, continuing to learn, and helping my clients understand that a healthy lifestyle isn't about following the latest trend. It's about building habits, taking care of ourselves, and creating a life we can enjoy!

The world of health and wellness will keep changing, and I'll keep learning right along with it. One thing that won't change is my commitment to always being on my clients' side!

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about the health and wellness industry is that living a healthy lifestyle is all about dieting, exercising, and losing weight.

It's SO much more than that!

People often believe there's one perfect diet, one perfect exercise program, or some magic formula that works for everyone. And if they just find it, everything will fall into place.

But here's what I've learned: We are all individuals! What works beautifully for one person might not work at all for someone else.

Health and wellness aren't just about what we eat or how much we move. They're about our mindset, our sleep, our stress, our relationships, our habits, and how we take care of ourselves every single day.

Another misconception is that people simply need more willpower. I couldn't disagree more! Most people know they should eat better, move more, and get enough sleep. The challenge isn't always knowing WHAT to do. It's figuring out HOW to make those things work in their own lives.

That's where coaching comes in.

I'm not here to hand someone a list of rules and tell them to follow it. I'm here to listen, understand their challenges, help them find solutions, and support them as they build a lifestyle that works for THEM.

And perhaps the biggest misconception of all is that you have to be perfect to be successful.

You don't!

Living a healthy lifestyle isn't something we do for 30 days and then we're finished. It's how we choose to live. There will be celebrations, vacations, stressful days, and times when things don't go according to plan. That's LIFE!

My philosophy has always been that healthy living doesn't have to be complicated. It's not rocket science. It's about common sense, consistency, and finding your easiest way to health.

We're not striving for perfection. We're building a life we can actually enjoy living!

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

Oh my goodness! One of my biggest struggles was thinking I had to know EVERYTHING before I got started!

I had been a top leader with Weight Watchers (WW) for 20 years, so I was incredibly fortunate to already be known and trusted in my community. But building my own business and reaching new clients outside of that circle was a whole different experience!

It took time, patience, and a lot of learning. I had to find my own voice, develop my brand, and figure out how to reach people who had never heard of Coach Paris or Always On Your Side Coaching.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was to just keep showing up!

Show up on social media. Share what you know. Be yourself. Be consistent. And don't expect everything to happen overnight.

I learned that building a business isn't about having everything figured out from day one. You're going to make changes, try new things, make mistakes, and probably redo your website more times than you care to admit! And that's okay!

The biggest lesson for me has been that consistency builds trust, and trust builds relationships. People need to get to know you, understand what you stand for, and believe that you genuinely care about helping them.

And that's what I've tried to do from the very beginning.

I'm still learning, still growing, and still finding ways to make Always On Your Side Coaching better. I don't think that part ever stops!

My advice? Don't wait until everything is perfect. Get started, be patient, and KEEP SHOWING UP!

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Well, this question might show my age! 😂

Growing up in Colorado, we spent a LOT of time at Red Rocks and going to concerts in general. Music was a huge part of our lives!

We never missed a Mötley Crüe or Billy Squier concert if we could help it! But we saw so many incredible artists over the years — Queen, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bryan Adams, U2, and plenty of country artists, too!

Honestly, it's almost impossible to pick just one favorite. We loved the music, the concerts, and the memories that came with them. And if you've ever experienced a concert at Red Rocks, you know there's nothing quite like it!

As for athletes, I really didn't have a particular favorite growing up. Sports have become a much bigger part of our lives over the years.

These days, we're definitely a sports-loving household! We're big Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, and Denver Nuggets fans. There's usually a game on somewhere in our house!

So I guess my answer is that I couldn't pick just one favorite musician, and my love of sports came a little later in life. But music, concerts, and cheering on our Colorado teams have certainly given us some wonderful memories!

Any shoutouts you want to make?

Oh my goodness, YES! I have so many people to thank!

First and foremost, my husband. He has been on this bandwagon with me from the very beginning, always encouraging me to follow my dreams and reminding me that I can do whatever I set my mind to. Having someone who believes in you, even when you're questioning yourself, is such an incredible gift.

My parents have always been a wonderful source of love, encouragement, and support, and I am so grateful for them.

And of course, my amazing clients! Many of them believed in me long before I fully believed in myself as a business owner. Their encouragement, loyalty, and trust have meant more to me than I could ever put into words.

Starting my own business was SCARY! Even after 20 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, stepping out on my own was a big leap of faith.

But when you have people in your corner who keep reminding you that you're good at what you do, who encourage you to take that next step, and who celebrate your successes along the way, it makes all the difference.

And isn't that what life is really about? Having people who believe in you, support you, and remind you of what you're capable of?

I guess that's why the name Always On Your Side Coaching means so much to me. I've been fortunate enough to have people on MY side, and now I get to be that person for others.

For that, I am incredibly grateful! ❤️

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

Alwaysonyoursidecoaching.com is my website. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Always On Your Side Coaching.