Meet Jackie Cherkas | Holistic Nutritionist & Founder

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

Hi Jackie, every day, we talk about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I battled with my weight for 10+ years.

Throughout my life, food was always the center of my world. My family is from Ukraine, which means we are ALWAYS around food.

After graduating college, I started working in a fast-paced, high-stress tech environment. I loved it, but all of my time and energy went into work. I didn’t know a thing about eating healthy, what to eat during the day, or what to order when I was out with friends…within months, I gained 30 pounds. As a young adult, I was overweight, and I had no idea what to do about it — I didn’t even know where to start. I was also food blogging and my passion project turned into a full-blown career.

My life sounded amazing: I was getting treated to the best restaurants and my favorite brands were sending me incredible food. The glitz and glam were there, but the confidence and happiness in my own body was not. I told myself there had to be a way to lose weight in a sustainable, healthy, and natural way. I even took a step back from food blogging – my desire to feel good outweighed everything else. I did the research, applied what I learned, and the results were mind-blowing: I lost 30 pounds in three months and never looked back.

Following this experience, I became so deeply passionate about weight loss so I decided to go to school to become a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to become an expert in nutrition. During this time, I worked 60 hours a week and studied an additional 40 hours a week. Once I graduated in June 2020, I had nothing but time to write out my business plan.

Being in corporate America for ~10 years and understanding the struggles around balancing work and prioritizing health, I knew there was a big gap I could fill. I felt like the majority of people in today’s world wanted something that was quick, delicious, sustainable, and easy to apply to their daily lives. That’s how the idea for Weight Loss for Go-Getters: The Program was created.

I also noticed a ton of confusion around food during work hours. Regardless of if I was working IRL or from home (both pre and post-pandemic), I would constantly hear frustration from my teammates about not knowing what to eat, how to cook, or what meal prep even was. Everyone felt like they had no energy throughout the day, they didn’t know what to eat, and that they couldn’t find anything nutritious or delicious around the office or in their fridge (no matter how many times they walked over to open and close it).

That’s how the idea for Virtual Meal Prep Classes came to be. I wanted to create something that allowed people to learn about nutrition, understand the strategy behind creating smart, delicious, and easy meal plans, and look at food as fuel to keep energy and productivity high, all while fitting into the busy schedule of a young, successful go-getter.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m known for my signature weight loss program, Weight Loss for Go-Getters, a program specifically designed for busy millennials to own their relationship with food, lose weight, and ditch unsustainable fad diets for good.

I wanted to create something that felt applicable to everyday life: from being in control of your trips to the grocery store to your time abroad, my program teaches you how to make healthy decisions in real time wherever you are, be smarter with your money when it comes to food, and feel confident in you, at all times.

This is the program I wish I had when I first embarked on my weight loss journey. It’s practical, and it combines the lessons I’ve learned from my personal experiences with the philosophy I’ve developed since becoming a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.

My Virtual Meal Prep Classes are also something I wish I had when I first started my corporate career. While I desperately wanted to care about my health and what I was eating, I didn’t know where to start! It seemed like everyone in the health world knew about macro-counting, portions, how to read nutrition labels, how to create meal plans, and execute smart shopping lists, but I personally felt helpless when trying to understand these ideas myself. Once I mastered this information in school, I knew I had to bridge the gap and make the information digestible, fun, and applicable to your every day millennial.

I created this so no one had to feel like they “just didn’t get it” ever again. There’s also nothing else like it on the market – there are many cooking classes and team building exercises you can do, but no one teaches you the art of meal prepping, how to fuel yourself and set up your week for success, and feel energized and productive throughout your work day, with the added benefit of saving time and money, too.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question!

Ok… unconventional as a first stop, but if you know me it’s on brand: Erewhon. I’ve lived in SF, NYC, and LA and let me tell you there’s no place on earth like Erewhon! From the hot bar, to the smoothie bar, to their endless snacks and goodies (which are organized in the most aesthetically pleasing way…), you can’t go wrong. And you need your snacks when you visit in LA! Especially because…

Hiking. Duh, it’s a quintessential item on any LA itinerary list! Did you even go to LA if you didn’t do the Hollywood Sign hike? And make sure to do a beach walk. This is Cali baby!

Throughout the week, you gotta get some good eats too:
American (New): Etta
Italian: Felix and Bestia
Happy Hour vibes: Elephante
Sushi: Sugarfish and SHU Sushi

….and if you want to be extra, Nobu Malibu hits all the right feels. I said what I said!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout goes out to my incredible family. Without their unconditional love, unwavering support, and overwhelming belief in me, I would not be where I am today. I am the daughter of immigrants from the Soviet Union (more specifically, what is now Ukraine). I am able to do what I love because of their bravery and desire for a better life. I do not take one moment for granted as I have the freedom to pursue my dreams – Cherkas family, this one’s for you. Thank you for giving me the world!

Website: jackiecherkas.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiesfoodaffair/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelinecherkas/