Meet Geneva Mccloud, Mph | Nutrition Coach, Weight loss Specialist, Public Health Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geneva Mccloud, Mph and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geneva, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2014, I returned to school, so that I could find purpose. I wasn’t really sure what to study, I just knew, there was a purpose in my life that was not being fulfilled. One evening after work, I went into deep prayer and meditation. I had a deep conversation with myself and heard a word from God, and that word was “nutrition”. so I decided to obtain my bachelors degree in Health and Wellness. At the time, I was being treated for hypertension and being prescribed a regimen of treatment to control my blood pressure, with two medications, not to mention I was nearly 45 pounds overweight, which would be better described as obese, according to the BMI Chart for a person 5’2 weighing nearly 180 pounds. While studying Health and Wellness at Purdue Global University, I began living what I was learning. I started sharing my journey on social media , joined a running group Black Girls Run and became known on my job as Miss Fit. I came to realize to live my best healthy life, I had to commit to a lifestyle of eating healthy and exercising. I started logging portions, calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins and exercise, daily on the free app My Fitness Pal, and suddenly the weight started to fall off and my hypertension meds were reduced. I had found my purpose and passion on this earth, which is to help women of color with high blood pressure maintain a healthy weight and control blood pressure with my health coaching techniques, and that’s when Favorable Well-Being, LLC was birthed. Women of color, particularly black women have higher rates of high blood pressure than any other women and are more at risk for heart disease and stroke . My number one goal is to reduce those numbers. and introduce a lifestyle of well-being and encourage women to live healthy by making better food choices and incorporating exercise. Most importantly, I didn’t want them to see this as a diet, but a lifestyle. While working as a substitute teacher, I later discovered, children in the community needed guidance in nutrition as well and incorporated community nutrition into my programs. Most recently, I’ve started GiGi’s Garden, LLC, which is a herbal tea company, created for individuals with high blood pressure in mind.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
In addition to running day to day operations of my women owned business Favorable Well-Being, LLC. and GiGi’s Garden. I am the Michigan Wellness Coordinator for Heartland Health and Wellness Fund supporting Kroger, the largest grocery food chain in the United States. I have a travel-remote, hybrid position. The position allows me to connect & provide public health resources to the Heartland Fund participants across the state of Michigan. I have flexibility to balance my work, business and personal life and I am able to educate and provide health information to communities, all while continuing to learn and grow in public health advocacy.

It wasn’t easy leaving my job of 16 years with AT&T, which afforded me to live a comfortable life, but giving back to the community and finding purpose and my passion for life has been rewarding. Over the past 10 years, I have dedicated my time to serving the community and advocating for public health care. I have come to realize, my health is my wealth. I was afforded the opportunity to share my experience with the ups and downs of being an entrepreneur in a collaborative with other creatives in the book Wealth Circle, The Secret Sauce. I love and enjoy what I do, and have volunteered my time by serving on two non-profit boards, Transition 123 and Love Yourself for Life. I have advocated with Caring Across Generations, and served as an intern and Brand Ambassador with the American Heart Association. I was thrilled, when I was given the opportunity to feature my famous chicken salad in the Partnership for Food Safety Education 25th Anniversary Cookbook. I am ecstatic to be training for a half marathon race as a 2025 Mercy Health Glass City Ambassador. Throughout this journey, running has become my greatest reward.

These opportunities helped me to see the world differently, and that the life, I live is not about me, but about serving the community and giving back. I have had several jobs over the last few years, and each of them, gave me confirmation, that my job is to promote nutrition, wellness and physical health. I pride myself in being a strong advocate of health and wellness and couldn’t see myself living any other way. Favorable Well-Being, will continue to be a resource for women and children to live their best healthy life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was coming to Michigan, it would certainly have to be during the summer months. so that we could enjoy the city without the bitter cold temperatures. We would have to visit The Original Pancake House in Grosse Pointe, where the pancakes and omelets are absolutely delicious. Coming to Detroit, would not be complete, without visiting, the Motown Museum along with the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. We could also kickback at Byrd’s Cigar Bar, where the vibe is chill. I love to laugh, so we would most definitely have to visit a few of the comedy venues, here in the metro area, including Detroit House of Comedy, One Mike Detroit and The Punchline Comedy Lounge, in Southfield.
We would enjoy afternoons in Downtown Detroit, attending the festivals held at Hart Plaza and do some shopping in the downtown area, while experiencing the astonishing work that has been done with the River Walk, all while getting our steps in, lol.
We would charter a boat with friends and family during the summer concert series held at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater, to be entertained by the sounds of talented artist while relaxing on the water and embracing the scenery of Detroit and Canada. I couldn’t let my friend leave without shopping at the Detroit People’s Food Co-op, where some of Detroits entrepreneurs products are sold. Last but certainly not least, she would not leave without having a coney dog or a chicken shawarma.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have a host of friends and family that have been extremely supportive, but I have to start my shout out with my son LonDarius, who encouraged me to return to school and share my journey on social media, which helped me gain confidence and meet like minded individuals in the wellness industry. I collaborated with other health fanatics to promote a lifestyle of health and wellness, through health challenges and seminars. Doniss Hicks, Jacqui Showers, Kenyetta Peoples, Damon Cannon, Ken Dandridge, Trina Swihart, Kahlilah & Nate Stallworth each played a pivotal roll in the success of my very first wellness seminar held in 2020. I have to give a special shout out to Zsa Zsa Hubbard, who helped me with my public speaking skills and Andrea Lorena Thompson for recognizing me with an Entrepreneur Spotlight Award. I greatly appreciate, Tyleatha Thurman-Equere For allowing me to be a panel speaker during the R.I.C.H Women’s Conference. I don’t think I would have been able to pull of SOAR Into 2024 with out Halima Curry, Nicole Hayden, Tasha Stanfield-Broadnax and Lia Edmonds. Carmen McCloud was extremely supportive in my journey to wellness. She embraced my mission and helped me to expand my reach in the community, which kicked off nutrition, food and safety programs for the youth. She encouraged me to present my proposal to The Academy of Warren. The leadership team welcomed me and allowed me to bring my skills and teach after school nutrition programs. I successfully designed health education programs and curriculum with effective delivery methods. This opened the doors to so many other opportunities. I have been able to expand my footprint with other schools and community centers in the Metro Detroit Area.

Website: https://favorablewell-being.com

Instagram: itsgigigmac

Linkedin: Geneva (GiGi Mac) McCloud, MPH, BSHW

Twitter: Favorable Well-Being @FavorableWell

Facebook: Geneva Gigi McCloud Mph and Favorable Well-Being, LLC