After working for years with patients with known heart disease, Karen would LOVE to work with you to prevent heart disease! She got tired of hearing those patients talk about how much better they felt after the heart attack. They were finally doing all those things to take care of themselves that they meant to do “someday”. Karen fell in love with the heart while working with cardiac patients in the surgical intensive care unit at a major medical center. She found the work rewarding but always wished there was a way to help patients avoid surgery. She followed that desire and began working in cardiac rehabilitation with patients who had been recently diagnosed with heart disease or suffered a heart attack. While working with these individuals on a long-term basis , she kept hearing a similar story repeated. “I feel so much better than I did before my heart attack! Now I’m doing all those things I meant to do for myself someday.” Karen was motivated by these stories to pursue a degree in Health Promotion and complete training as a personal coach. Today, Karen loves working with individuals who know they are at risk for developing heart disease. Through inspiration, accountability and encouragement she helps her clients take those steps to improve their health and life balance BEFORE the heart attack! Karen Laing graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from the University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Nursing. While there she was inducted into the prestigious Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International. She began her nursing career as a surgical intensive care nurse at a major medical center – Washington Hospital Center, Washington, D.C. She later moved to a nearby community hospital with strong cardiac programs (Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, MD). She began her cardiac rehabilitation work at the Bennett Institute in Baltimore, MD where she loved working within their holistic fitness center that was also open to community members. Karen completed her Master’s in Health Promotion Management at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. At that time, she also became a Certified Health Education Specialist. Following her move to Richmond, VA, Karen continued working in management and clinical roles in cardiac rehabilitation facilities. While there, she completed personal coach training through CoachU. Since that time, she has continued supporting individuals working to make lifestyle changes both in cardiac rehabilitation settings and personal or group coaching settings. Karen is a member of the International Coach Federation. She is the President of the West Florida Chapter of the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association and is an active member of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Holistic Nurses Association. Karen is also a Board Certified Health & Wellness Nurse Coach and a Diplomat of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Karen loves speaking to groups on topics such as stress management, knowing your cardiac risk factors, and new/emerging risk factors for heart disease. Karen also has written articles for magazines such as Vibrant Life and Natural Awakenings.