Spotlight: Megan Oltman

Spotlight: Megan Oltman Blog: Free My Brain from Migraine Pain Free E-Course: Take Back Your Life from Migraine Blogging since: January 2008 Migraines: Since my teens; more than 30 years. Work: Migraine management Coach: Specializing in helping migraineurs and other with chronic illness manage their lives. Life and Business Coach: Helping home-based business owners set up and grow their businesses. I love to combine these specialties to help people with chronic illness create businesses and careers where they can earn a living while managing their health.

What made you start you blog? Your e-course?
I’ve run my own businesses for 15 years while managing migraine and several other chronic illnesses. Over time, I realized my professional training combined with my personal experience created a great opportunity to help others.

Through a combination of medication and lifestyle choices, I’ve been able to reduce the frequency and severity of my migraines by more than 50 percent. I started my blog to share my migraine management strategies and develop an audience for my work. My e-course provides migraineurs with a basic structure for managing the disease – helping you put all the pieces in place that you need to think about.

What are your long-term goals?

I’m committed to helping people live healthy and productive lives. To creating a thriving world we all want to live in. For migraineurs, it’s about more than relief from pain. It’s means living the best lives we can, using our talents, and knowing our strengths. I want my life and my work to be about helping that happen.

Who do you admire in the migraine community?

Teri Robert, a brilliant committed advocate with tons of integrity and tons of heart. I also admire the community of migraine bloggers who share their experience and knowledge to help others.

What’s the first thing you tell a newly diagnosed migraineur?

Three things, really: 1) Learn all you can about this disease; 2) Get great medical help; 3) You have a sensitive nervous system. You can learn to relax and calm it down.

What do you wish someone had told you?

That pain-killers only mask the problem. Not to gulp Advil. Learn to stop, relax, and tone down. Give your system a chance.

How have your professional skills helped you manage your migraines?

Coaching is all about dreaming dreams and setting goals, then putting in the practical steps to make them reality. I’ve used this methodology over and over in managing my disease, both on my own and with the help of other coaches. I only wish I could walk the talk all the time!

What’s your advice for small business owners?

Get out there and help people. Get known. Give. Good things will follow.

As for me, I’m always working to provide great content. I’m developing tele-classes, e-books, and on-line migraine management tools. I’m driving traffic to my blog, and joint venturing with other bloggers.

That’s a lot. Do you ever have trouble keeping up?

Yup. That’s where walking the talk comes in. Key is setting realistic deadlines. Because I know that migraine, sinus, chronic fatigue syndrome - or some yucky combination of the three - will take up about 25 percent of my time, I can’t plan like I have 110 percent of my time available.

When I have trouble keeping up, I always stop and ask, “What or who am I keeping up with?”

Learn more about Megan Oltman.

Who inspires you? Let us know who we should feature in our next Spotlight Interview. Write us at community@wegohealth.com