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What Drives Us
Our mission is to develop highly skilled coaches that are proficient at guiding their clients toward lasting behavior change and excellent health outcomes.
Our vision is to help 100 million people reclaim health and wellness through education and coaching by the year 2030.
Our Core Team
MARK SISSON
Co-Founder
Mark Sisson is a celebrated bestselling health and fitness author credited as the “godfather” of paleo/primal. He is a former world-class distance runner, triathlete, and Ironman competitor, and coach to hundreds of professional athletes. He began sharing his vast nutrition science knowledge with the ancestral-health community by way of his award-winning blog Mark’s Daily Apple and is the founder of two other successful nutrition companies: Primal Nutrition and Primal Kitchen.
AARON FOX
Co-Founder & CEO
Aaron Fox is the former editor-in-chief of the acclaimed blog Mark’s Daily Apple and also served as the General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer of Primal Nutrition. In 2016, Aaron partnered with Mark Sisson to co-found Primal Health Coach Institute with an aim to transform the health, fitness, and consciousness of our communities into ones of optimal wellness and happiness through coaching education and coaching services.
ERIN POWER
Coaching and Course Director
Erin Power is one of the leaders at the helm of developing curriculum for the Primal Health Coach Institute and supporting the coaching and business development efforts of our graduates. She's also the co-host of Health Coach Radio—the podcast by health coaches, for health coaches. Erin is certified through Primal Health Coach Institute, The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, and CanFitPro and is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach through the NBHWC.
JEN ROBINSON
Admissions Director
Jen Robinson brings over 20 years of experience in fitness and health to Primal Health Coach Institute. A former competitive bodybuilder, she has specialized in Natural Hormone Balancing for 6 years. Jen holds a degree as a Physical Fitness Specialist with a minor in Sports Nutrition, focusing on gut health, hormone balance, and functional fitness through Primal living.
CHLOE MALESKI
Director of Coaching Development and Success
Chloe Maleski is a mental performance coach specializing in supporting professional, collegiate, and high school athletes with mental fortitude, cognitive performance, stress management, and mindfulness training. As a former Division I scholarship runner at Duke University, she brings a unique breadth of experience and holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University.
Brett Thomas
Student Success Manager
Brett Thomas is a Certified Primal Health Coach with over a decade of experience in the health and fitness industry. Specializing in gut health and nutrition, he helps clients manage psoriasis and guides aspiring coaches to build confidence, develop impactful programs, and create sustainable change. Brett’s passion for education and coaching makes him a valuable guide for students at Primal Health Coach Institute.
ASHLEIGH VANHOUTEN
Curriculum Manager
Ashleigh VanHouten, the instructor of our Strength Training for Women Specialist course, boasts a diverse background in health and fitness. With certifications in nutrition, women's physiology, and strength training, she has designed programs and seminars to enhance women's physical strength and overall well-being. Ashleigh is the host of the "Muscle Science for Women" podcast with 1.6 million downloads, and has authored books on ancestral-based nutrition, including It Takes Guts and Carnivore-ish.
JANE OH
Senior Marketing Manager
As Senior Marketing Manager, Jane Oh combines her extensive marketing experience with her health coaching, yoga, and pilates background to spread the word about Primal Health Coach Institute’s virtual programs and events. As the founder of Well with Jane, she helps career-driven individuals achieve a healthy work-life balance while overcoming challenges and juggling full-time careers.
Jay Jones
Creative Director
An always-on thinker, Jay is a designer, writer, and strategist with over 15 years of experience in branding and design, art direction, and copywriting, bringing experience and insight from all business sectors and a broad range of industries. He helps shape the Primal Health Coach Institute brand with graphic design and brand strategy. Jay has an amazing wife, two awesome kids, and a very ergonomic desk setup.
AMY LUCAS
Senior Writer
Amy has lent her wordsmith talents to the primal enterprise for over a decade now, writing and editing curriculum, eBooks, web content, and more. She’s also a certified i4 Neuroleader Practitioner, which is a fancy name for “brain coach.” As co-founder of Presenting U., she merges her love of the brain with her love of health and fitness to help people live their best lives.
SARAH APPLEBY
Blog Editor
In addition to her work as a writer, editor and publisher at the Primal Health Coach, Sarah is a specialist women’s health and fitness coach, and is passionate about getting women into strength training. She earned her PhD from Flinders University, South Australia, and worked as a vascular biologist at the University of Cambridge, UK for 4 years. Sarah is a certified Primal Health Coach, a qualified personal trainer and a licenced weightlifting coach.
History of PHCI
2023-24
2022
2021
2018-20
2016
2014
2010
2009
2006
1997
Our Core Values
Live and lead with purpose
We believe life is better when it’s lived with purpose. That takes a strong commitment to goals, passion for the work we do, and a boundless enthusiasm for spreading wellness around the world.
Pursue growth and learning
Coaches, like everyone else, are a work-in-progress, which is why we are lifelong learners who embrace a growth mindset. We keep our programs up-to-date with the latest scientific advancements and invest in continued self-enrichment.
Approach setbacks as opportunities
We put a positive spin on setbacks, choosing to treat them as opportunities for transformation. Change isn’t comfortable, and it’s certainly not linear. We welcome the chance to expand our limits.
Say no to the struggle
We believe the pursuit of health should be uplifting and feel good. That’s why our approach emphasizes tasty food, occasional indulgences, moderate and accessible physical activity, and above all else…FUN. So that your clients enjoy getting their health back on track!
Lean on each other
Transforming the health of the world takes a network of coaches supporting one other with guidance, information, and inspiration. We nurture connections in our growing community of Primal Coaches.
Achieve excellence free of expectation
We enjoy every step of the journey without getting caught up in expectations of how it should go or what the results should be, in our own pursuits and those of our clients. We strive for excellence while honoring balance, boundaries, and our very best.
Our Faculty
DR. WILLIAM DAVIS
Dr. William Davis is a cardiologist and author of 6 books, including the New York Times bestseller Wheat Belly. He has been featured in major media outlets, including The Dr. Oz Show, Fox TV, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Huffington Post. Dr. Davis is passionate about helping patients prevent cardiovascular disease and other conditions by modifying their diet rather than turning to drugs.
DR. JUDITH BOYCE
Dr. Judith Boyce recently retired from her medical practice to develop vibrant health and longevity coaching programs and retreats for women over 50. She brings a wealth of training in health promotion, integrative therapies, functional and anti-aging medicine, and the primal lifestyle to help women optimize their lifespan and healthspan. She provides her expert and insider knowledge from her 40+ years in healthcare to help you launch your career as a health coach in a medical practice.
DR. KEN BERRY
Dr. Ken Berry is a family physician who has been practicing medicine since 2003. He is the author of the bestselling book Lies My Doctor Told Me and a passionate advocate of health on his YouTube channel, where he has over 2 million subscribers. Along with his online presence, he is active in the keto community and is best known for his direct, no-nonsense approach to health and wellness. His mission is to bring an end to the obesity and type II diabetes epidemics, along with bringing awareness to such issues as thyroid health and hormone optimization.
LINDSAY TAYLOR, Ph.D.
As a writer for Mark's Daily Apple and the leader of the thriving Keto Reset and Primal Endurance communities, Lindsay's primary job is educating people about the whats, whys, and hows of leading a health-focused life. She earned her Master's and P.h.D in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Her psychology background drives her approach to coaching, which emphasizes mindset as a key factor in overall health and wellness.
BRAD KEARNS
Brad Kearns is a New York Times bestselling co-author of the Keto Reset Diet and Primal Endurance, Guinness World Record setting professional Speedgolfer, #1 ranked USA age 55-59 high jumper, and former US national champion and #3 world-ranked professional triathlete. He helped develop both our flagship certification programs and hosts the B.rad podcast where he covers healthy living, peak performance, and personal growth. His main message is to encourage the pursuit of peak performance with passion throughout life.
CHRIS IRVIN, MS
Chris Irvin is a seasoned keto researcher, educator, and nutrition expert with over eight years of dedicated study and practice in ketogenic diets. Holding a master's degree in nutrition and exercise science from the University of Tampa, Chris conducted groundbreaking research on the keto diet's impact on college athletes. In 2019, Chris authored the bestselling book Keto Answers and, since 2021, has been the President of Product at BioCoach, spearheading the development of tech-based solutions integrating the ketogenic diet to combat chronic diseases like prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
ASHLEIGH VANHOUTEN
Primal Health Coach and author Ashleigh VanHouten holds a number of certifications in nutrition, applied women’s physiology, and strength training. She has developed a range of coaching programs and seminars for women aimed at improving physical strength, overall wellness, and a deeper understanding of our bodies and is also the host of the podcast "Muscle Maven Radio," which has over 1.6 million downloads.
JENNIFER SWEENIE
Jennifer is a journalist, Certified Primal Health Coach, Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and health-supportive chef with 15 years of experience in the health and wellness space. Jennifer has previously worked in editorial for Good Housekeeping magazine and as a contributor to Cooking Light’s Ask a Nutritionist column. Her recipes have appeared in Paleo magazine and on the Today Show. Her writing has appeared in Health Digest, Tasting Table, and The Daily Meal. Jennifer is Vice Chairman of the Board of Slow Food NYC and has served on the Board of Directors for the Farm-to-Consumer Foundation.
MARTHA TETTENBORN
As a registered dietitian, Primal Health Coach, and stage 1 ovarian cancer survivor, Martha Tettenborn is in the unique position to help others traveling down the cancer road. She acts as a cancer keto coach, sharing her deep knowledge of the low-carb keto diet and the medical aspects of cancer, as well as offering supportive listening, empathy, and understanding to cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Why Learn with Our Team
Top of their field
Our coaches, experts, and advisors lead by example and are the top minds in their fields. You get to learn from them live during webinars and virtual events.
Track record of success
Validated by science and 2 million years of evolutionary history, the primal approach has changed the lives of millions across the world.
1000s of certified coaches
We’ve been honored to graduate thousands of certified Primal Coaches in 75 countries around the world who have gone on to enjoy lucrative careers. Through it all, we’ve maintained 5-star reviews.
Our Board of Advisors
Dr. Kelly Starrett
Physical therapist and co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit Dr. Kelly Starrett is the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Becoming a Supple Leopard and Deskbound. His clients include Olympic gold-medalists, Tour de France cyclists, and world and national record holding Olympic lifting and power athletes.
Dr. Cate Shanahan
Dr. Cate Shanahan is one of the leading MDs in the ancestral health community and New York Times bestselling author of The FatBurn Fix, Deep Nutrition, and Food Rules. Dr. Cate is also the Director of Nutrition for the Los Angeles Lakers’s PRO (Performance, Recovery, Orthogenesis) Nutrition program and consults with some of the most exceptional athletes in the world to help optimize metabolic function.
Dr. Ronesh Sinha
Internal medicine specialist and author of Primal Blueprint Publishing’s South Asian Health Solution, Dr. Sinha is a leader in recognizing and treating the specific genetic and cultural risk factors that South Asians face. His groundbreaking work in reversing diabetes and insulin resistance in diverse populations has been featured on the front cover of Fortune magazine and the Los Angeles Times.
Christine Hassler, MA
Author of Expectation Hangover, The 20 Something Manifesto, and 20 Something, 20 Everything, Christine Hassler helped develop the coaching component of our flagship coaching certification programs. She has been teaching and inspiring people around the world for over a decade as a speaker, retreat facilitator, spiritual psychologist and life coach, and host of the top-rated podcast “Over It and On with It.”
Dr. Rudy Dressendorfer
A professor of Exercise Physiology for over 25 years, Dr. Rudy Dressendorfer was an advisor on the exercise physiology and endurance training elements of Mark Sisson’s bestseller The Primal Blueprint.
Andrew MacNaughton
Andrew MacNaughton is a former elite pro triathlete with over 30 victories on the global circuit. As an endurance and life coach, he’s helped everyone from Olympic gold medalists to amateur champions and ordinary citizens through his innovative program TAP – The Athlete’s Potential. His holistic approach blends high technology and precision technique with a great appreciation for intuition and stress/rest balance.
Matt Whitmore
Fitness expert Matt Whitmore is co-author of The Paleo Primer and Paleo Primer: A Second Helping, and co-owner of Fitter London, a progressive health and fitness facility, as well as the nutrition company Fitter Food.
Keris Marsden
Keris Marsden is co-author of The Paleo Primer and Paleo Primer: A Second Helping, a Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist, and co-owner of Fitter London, a progressive health and fitness facility, and the nutrition company Fitter Food.
Elle Russ
Writer and Primal Health Coach Elle Russ is a popular host of "The Primal Blueprint Podcast" and author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution.
Brock Armstong
Brock Armstrong is the owner of the successful online coaching business Skywalker Fitness, but may be best known for his work on several health and wellness podcasts, including the "Primal Blueprint" and "Primal Endurance" podcasts. He is also the man behind the wellness podcast and blog WorkplaceHero.me. With a background as a professional ballet dancer, he brings unique insights to our community.
Katy Bowman, MS
Katy Bowman is a world-renowned biomechanist, founder and director of The Restorative Exercise Institute, and bestselling author of Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief: The New Science of Healthy Feet, Alignment Matters, and Move Your DNA, as well as several movement programs, including Primal Blueprint’s Don’t Just Sit There course.
Darryl Edwards
Darryl Edwards is a Movement Coach and creator of the Primal Play Method™ that inspires people to make activity fun while getting healthier, fitter, and stronger in the process. Darryl is also the author of several books including Paleo Fitness and the bestseller Animal Moves. His work has been published in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Elle Magazine, and Men’s Fitness and featured on the BBC documentaries Eat to Live Forever and Doctor in the House.
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