We had the good fortune of connecting with Eliza Bacot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eliza, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
Building my business, The Organic South, has been one of the most valuable growth exercises in my life. It has grown me in ways personally and professionally that I couldn’t have imagined. I would say the most important lesson it has taught me is to show up big and leave a lasting legacy. You only get one chance in this life to leave your mark, to impact others and to do what makes your heart sing. Even in times when I didn’t know if I was going to be successful what became the most important value for me was helping people and following that desire to make sure my work never feels like work. What is interesting about this is as I leaned into that passion the success continued to follow like a positive feedback loop. It created an attraction. When you are working in your passion and you have awesome energy through your alignment people take notice of what you are doing and become naturally curious about what you are up to which further propels your success. Bottom line. Find your passion. Execute it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business The Organic South has been a slow growing dream. I was a nurse practitioner for over a decade working in critical care with the sickest of the sick. I knew most of the diseases I saw people suffering from were preventable. Really my business began with the intention of just educating people about the importance of healthy food and making little choices and changes that over time bring lasting results. But that grew into all the services we now provide with essential oil protocols, GI mapping, wellness products, personal and home detoxification services all to promote changes to heal from the inside out. I knew I couldn’t stand by and watch people die any longer and wanted to be part of the movement that would really encourage people to change their habits and find solutions so they could experience true wellness and longevity of life. I think what sets me apart from many practitioners in the wellness field is that really my belief rests in merging the eastern and western approaches to medicine. I still believe western medicine at times is very necessary but I also believe that in our society we disregard so many other therapies and natural alternatives that could be very useful. I also found that in my education health really wasn’t taught. So I re-directed my focus to learning about how to keep the body well and functioning optimally. This is what drove my ideas, protocols and solutions for people that came to me for help. None of it was easy. I had to transition my brain from working as a professional to entrepreneur. And that can be difficult for people like me who have show up to a job week after week. I had to relearn so many skills from social media to just learning about how to make sure my business was actually profitable and sustainable. It wasn’t easy. There were years I was working both jobs. My job in the hospital and then growing my business at the same time. There was a grind necessary to grow my business to a point where I could release my previous profession to step into the new one. I had to renew my mindset and my commitment to what I was doing over and over because there was a time period when I felt like the wellness business would never provide enough to allow me to quit my paycheck job. I have learned so much along the way especially about my own occupational wellness. That following your passion and purpose brings more alignment with your calling and that often that can change mid-career but it allows you to better serve the world and give your gifts through your work. I had to learn about consistency and dedication. To keep showing up every day, doing the same things over and over to continue to get my business to a point where it was sustainable. The biggest part of the story is about living the life we promote and also making sure we translate that care to the client. To have a complete dedication to the mission so much that every client and individual feels our love and care for their life and their wellness. We want people to know they are worth wellness. And that most of all we are here to meet their wellness needs just where they are at on the journey. So it’s interesting how creating my own wellness business furthered my own wellness journey along the way.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Some of our favorite spots in and around the city of course are centered around wellness! Within the city of Atlanta some of my favorite places to eat are the restaurants that have a great dedication to honest farm to table, organic and sustainable food choices. Miller Union, Karma Farma and Bantam and Biddy for that healthy comfort food are some of our absolute musts. We aslo love cold pressed, organic juice from Bamboo juices and would plan a kitchen visit to see their operations. A walk or bike ride around the various parts of the belt line would give our guest a walkable experience of the Atlanta life. Then we would take short jaunt south of the city for a day at one of my favorite wellness neighborhoods, Serenbe, for a full day of wellness. A day at Serenbe could include hikes on the trails, a pilates class at Serenbe yoga, an afternoon at the spa to for a massage and little time in the infrared sauna, a specialized hydrofacial at Creek Retreat facials with Greg. A visit to the restaurant Halsa for some organic fare and organic wine would round out the day. There are so many great ways to experience wellness in the Atlanta area.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

Website: www.theorganicsouth.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theorganicsouth/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theorganicsouth
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theorganicsouth/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYQsFfLE-9eRxJeiZEZcWCA?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Libby Roessler – LibbyPhoto Ali Harper Photography

Nominate someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.