International Alumni Spotlight: David Staunton

FMCA graduates are creating meaningful change in communities across the globe—and David Stanton, based in Denmark, is a powerful example. After spending more than a decade as a corporate strategist in the tech industry, David made a dramatic career shift. Today, he supports clients around the world as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.

After contracting COVID and developing a severe shingles infection, David went from high-performing and athletic to barely able to walk across a room. With few answers from the medical system, he began a personal journey to understand the root causes of his illness. Though he didn’t know it at the time, he was applying the principles of functional medicine by addressing lifestyle, trauma, and patterns that contributed to his condition. He ultimately recovered and found a new purpose: to help others reclaim their health, too.

“If you’ve gone through FMCA, then you should be out there coaching—because you’re already a world-class coach. There are so many people who need so much help, and that little bit of help can be absolutely transformational.“

David Staunton, FMCA graduate

Today, David runs a virtual coaching practice supporting clients around the world, particularly those dealing with chronic fatigue, long COVID, fibromyalgia, and other complex conditions. He works with individuals who often feel stuck, guiding them to reconnect with themselves and move forward with compassion, clarity, and personalized support.

David completed his training at FMCA in 2023 and credits the program with helping him grow as both a coach and a person. He also continues to stay connected through FMCA’s International Connect events, which he describes as a valuable space for learning and collaboration. As one of just two FMCA graduates currently coaching in Denmark, David sees tremendous opportunity for health coaching across Europe.

Watch the Interview

Watch the full FMCA Alumni interview with David to learn more about his inspiring story:

Transcript

Natalie: Hello, my name is Natalie. I’m on the marketing team here at FMCA and today I’m very excited to be speaking with David Stanton. He is from Denmark. He is a graduate of FMCA. He is now a practicing health coach, and he works remotely with clients all over the world. So, thank you so much, David, for being here today and welcome.

David: Thank you very much. No, it’s great to be here.

Natalie: So, let’s go back to the beginning. Can you tell me what you were doing before becoming a student at FMCA?

David: Oh, yeah. So, I used to be a corporate strategist working for technology companies. So, yeah, solving big problems and thinking, using my brain, basically. It was like a very cognitively rich role. And I did that for well over 10 years before I became a health coach.

Natalie: Very cool. And so then what brought you to functional medicine and ultimately health coaching after that experience?

David: Yeah, so around five and a half years ago, in the space of a week, I contracted COVID and then I had a massive shingles infection in my face and in my eye, my scalp and my ear. And it was literally like being hit by a bus. That’s the kind of… And I went from someone who was… When people say I was climbing mountains, I was literally climbing mountains. And I could get up in the morning, cycle 100 miles no problem. And very active. And I went and I could literally couldn’t finish a sentence, couldn’t walk across the room. And, yeah, so I went from being relatively healthy to literally being as if I’d been hit by a bus overnight.

I mean, it was obviously very scary. And it was at the time of the pandemic, so I wasn’t able to speak to doctors and I ended up in a hospital. And I was told after after I came home… And I was still so, so sick. If I started a sentence, I wouldn’t be able to finish it. It’s like crawling around on my hands and knees, and just really, really ill. And obviously I’m saying to the doctors like, “What’s happening to me?” And they’re like, “Just don’t worry. It’s like post-viral fatigue and you’re going to be better in a month.” So, I was like, “Okay, I’m just going to take this month and then everything will be fine.” I have no reason to not believe them. And in a month’s time, I was so much sicker than I was at the beginning, which was pretty difficult to begin with. And it just became really obvious very, very quickly that no one had absolutely any idea how to help me get better.

And so my doctor, what is now kind of like a very famous conversation in my mind, said to me, basically, “The sooner you get used to this is how your life is going to be, the better it’s going to be for you. And, yeah, you won’t be able to get better.” And so I was so opposed to that idea on so many levels. But, you know, at the time, I was 38. And so you’re giving me basically a death sentence at 38, and you’re going to tell me that the rest of my life is going to be like this.

And so that was when it began, this journey of, “Okay, how do I fix myself?” Because I really fundamentally believed there was a reason that I got sick. And so there was a reason, then I could get better. That was my logic behind it all. And so I’m very fatigued and I was in so much pain, like, drugged up to my eyeballs and on painkillers. And I just began this journey of, like, trying to fix myself.

And so my journey into functional medicine has nothing to do with functional medicine, because I didn’t know it existed. I had no idea until many years later, actually. But what I believed was that if I understood the root cause and that I focused on that, then I could fix my body and allow my body to heal. And the root cause wasn’t just a simple thing. It was a complicated thing, and there were many different factors that were involved in it.

So, I became my own functional medicine doctor. I became my own functional medicine health coach. I became my everything. And I built all the protocols for myself, and I did them all. And I managed to… Yeah, I’m sure we’ll come onto that, but I managed to heal myself completely. But my first intro into it was instinctively coming to the same conclusion that we have in functional medicine now, and that I’m able to be so confident with so many other people in the world. But at the very beginning, for me, it was just, like, my experiment on me, and with no real knowledge that I was going to get better, but I just really needed to and believed that I would.

Natalie: Yeah, yeah, to believe there has to be another way. I’m not going to accept that death sentence. So, then coming today, how are you using your health coach certification and making an impact on your clients and your community? And I would love to know a little bit about what the health coaching landscape is like in Denmark.

David: So, I work with clients who are really suffering, really, really suffering from chronic fatigue, long COVID, fibromyalgia, ME/CFS, all of these kinds of conditions. And so, if you’re fatigued and you’re in pain, I’m the right person to come to. Often, I work with people or more often, I will work with people who feel like they’ve got to the end of their journey. And so they’ve tried everything. They might have been battling with their conditions for 10, 20, 30 years and so they’re coming to me to be able to really understand what is the puzzle of why they got ill. And that’s really my job is to say that there’s a reason… Just like in my story, right, there was a reason that I got so sick. But my story didn’t begin the week that I caught COVID. My story began decades before, history of trauma and perfectionism and all of these things in my life driving decisions, patterns of behavior, and limiting beliefs.

And so really understanding how someone has got to this journey of where they’re really seriously ill is not just about looking, okay, like, what was the last thing that happened to you. It’s about looking at them really in the whole and understanding where these fractures have happened in their life and how we can bring those back. And it’s a lot about… If you’re asking someone who’s been ill for 20 years to suddenly do something, well, it’s not that simple. So, we have to work from where they are at the moment and to be able to introduce these things in a way that their body can receive them. And that’s really, I think, a very different approach that I take that other practitioners don’t take, really trying to understand. As I say to my clients, the quickest way out of the mud is to first accept that you’re in it. And so whatever situation you arrive to me in, that’s it. That’s just the beginning of the new part of your journey.

And so it’s really complicated. It’s never the same twice. It’s really understanding people for really truly who they are. And it’s often discovering with my clients who that person is because they don’t even know themselves. And so they’ve been so… Understandably, they’ve had this identity of a person who’s really suffering, I mean, genuinely, really suffering for so long that when you ask them, “What do you do to have fun? What do you do to smile?” they literally can’t remember. And so we have to go back and discover who this amazing person is, because all of these people are so resilient, or so powerful, or so engaged with their health, are really motivated, and they’ve just got lost and been abandoned, like I was, along the way and haven’t had someone to help to guide them.

And so that’s really the work that I do. And this transformation that people go through is so much more than just their health. It’s almost like their health is secondary. We transform the person back to who it is that they were always meant to be. And then all of these other… It’s like the… I call it the rewards that the body will give you. When the body feels in alignment with who you are as a person, then it starts to feel better. It starts to heal. It starts to give you back more energy. You start to have less pain. And so that’s the kind of transformation that people go through.

And the reason why they come to me is because I have been to the depths of what it’s like to be really so ill, that it feels like your life is over. And so there are many big stages in my journey. So, there’s the initial part where I was really ill. And then there was getting back to work. I had seven months off work. So, there’s getting back to work. And getting back to work when you’re that sick in seven months sounds like a long time, but it’s actually really quick. And so there’s going back and getting my life back, and healing that initial damage that was done.

But then I realized actually you can heal so much more. So, the goals that I had set for myself were actually too low. And so I realized, “Oh, wow, if I can fix my body in all of this way, then why can’t I do more?” And so then it became this other journey of, “How far can I go?” And that’s inspiring for people, because I’m not just talking about getting healthy. I’m talking about I’m so much healthier and happier now than I’ve ever been in my life, and it’s because of this journey from ill health. And so I wanted to really, really prove to everyone this is what often lots of people see on social media I really wanted to prove. And so I ran a half marathon every week for eight months.

Natalie: Oh, my goodness. Wow.

David: Yeah, that used to be my weekends. That was my weekend.

Natalie: Oh, my goodness. Yeah.

David: Yeah, for eight months. And so I just really wanted to show people that literally anything is possible. And so, for me, the body is capable of so many incredible things, and we just have to get the right environment in order for it to happen. And so that’s the kind of mindset… When a client comes to me, it’s the mindset of a champion, of a winner. And it’s like, “Okay, how do we work together?” I’m a coach in the very traditional sense of the word, because I think they’re amazing. And it’s like, “How can we unlock this?” And of course, for me as a coach and as a person who’s intensely curious about everyone, like coming and really understanding these people, when someone says to you, “This is the best I’ve ever felt in 15 years,” or someone goes from surviving, that’s what they tell you, “I’m not even living, I’m just surviving.” And they’re walking 20,000 steps a day two months later. It’s absolutely incredible. And it’s not easy. It’s not easy. It’s not easy. But every day, my life is completely filled with just doing good for people, and that’s a really incredible place to be.

Natalie: That is so inspirational as it comes from a personal place. And I’m sure that is so empowering for you and also your clients. So, going back to FMCA, can you tell me a little bit about your experience as an FMCA student and what you enjoyed most about the program?

David: Well, I enjoyed all of it. Yeah, I enjoyed all of it a huge amount. I was really lucky to have Mahnaz as a course facilitator. And she’s just a wonderful person to be able to show you what coaching really is. And I think for me, it was around gaining confidence. So, actually a lot of the material I knew because I’d gone through this journey myself. So, it wasn’t necessarily that I didn’t know what functional medicine was by then and understood how the body worked and all of those kind of things, but I didn’t feel confident to be able to sit in front of someone and say, you know, “I can help you. Like really, I can help you.”

And I arrived at FMCA… We talked about the coach approach. I had zero coach approach skills, zero, like literally zero. My whole career was to be the expert. That was it like to know what the answer was. That was my job. And so that took a really big reprogramming of myself to be able to step into that coach space. And it was just great. I just absolutely loved it. I absolutely loved it. I was really active in the community and I’ve made loads of friends. And it was at the time where I moved from the UK over to Denmark. And so FMCA became my family.

And I learned so much about myself. I learned so much about how to be a better partner, to be a better friend, to be a better son, to be a better brother, to be a better uncle, all of these things that you don’t think they’re like bonuses, because you think you’re coming to learn how to coach people and you think you know what that means, or I thought I knew what that meant and I didn’t realize how much I would change through this.

And so it’s hard to think about it in the terms of a year like as a timeframe, because when I think back and I think about it, I think about it as a period of transformation. And so if I put them on paper, all the transformations that I had, and I said, “How long do you think that took?” I would say maybe three or four years. So, it feels crazy but in a great way to compress them all down into a year. And I arrived not knowing what to do, and I left so confident in me as a coach. As someone who wanted to build a business and… So, I really had to like be a coach. That was it, right? I’m stopping my career. I’m starting a new one. This is the year that I’m going to train. And at the end of the year, I have to launch my business and it needs to be a success. And so I really left, not knowing everything, of course, but knowing enough that I felt really, really confident to be able to step out into the world as a professional health coach.

Natalie: That’s wonderful. So, at FMCA, we like to say that you’re an FMCA graduate for life. And so what does the ongoing alumni connection and support look like for you, especially being international?

David: Yeah, so one of the highlights of my month, actually, is the International Connect, Collaborate and Build session. We have a session wit… And it’s a mix between the graduates and the current students. And it’s great. It’s great because I think that as part of the international community, health coaching does look different in other countries. And when you’re especially not in a system that is driven by insurance, there’s almost no consideration at all, and very loose regulation, and things like that. So, you’re really operating just in a very, very different model. And so the core fundamentals apply, of course, but there are a lot of differences.

So, it’s great to explore that with people and to be able to learn what it’s like in different countries. And what’s really amazing and one of the things I really love about engaging with the current students and the alumni is that there’s just so many people to help and there’s so few coaches. So, there’s two FMCA graduates in Denmark. There’s just two of us, right? And I know the lady. She’s a lovely, lovely, lovely lady but that’s it, right? I’m 50% of the functional medicine health coaches here. And so the opportunity is really vast. And so people are really worried about, you know, am I good enough to go out and do that. And that’s a big thing when you’re a student.

But the reality of the world is that there are so many people who need so much help. I love working with really complex cases, but that’s not everyone in the world either. And so there are lots of people who just need a little bit of help. And that little bit of help can be absolutely transformational. So, I’m a big cheerleader as well for just everyone getting out there and doing it and making your contribution, and knowing your worth, and making that transformation. It doesn’t mean you have to be a full-time coach, but you should be out there coaching. If you’ve gone through FMCA, then you should be out there coaching, because you’re already a world-class coach.

Natalie: Yeah. You never know unless you try. And the more you work with clients, the more you grow and the better as a coach. So, I’m sure you… each client you work with. So, I would love to wrap this up with, what would you say to someone who is considering embarking on the journey to becoming a functional medicine certified health coach? You sort of just spoke to this a little bit, but is there any other wise advice that you would give?

David: Yeah, I would say, firstly, it’s an excellent investment in your life. And it will change you in ways that you didn’t even know were possible. There are very few experiences in life that you can say that about. And I’m really confident that whoever stood at that starting line is going to be transformed by the time they get to the finish. There’s not many things you can say reliably that happens. And so it’s a really, really great experience.

And so the question just becomes, are you ready? And there are so many reasons not to do something, of course. There are so many reasons not to do something. But it’s never the perfect time to start something. And so I would say to people, if you can, then do it. Don’t wait for something that may or may never happen. And it is so transformational that it’s a wonderful gift to give to yourself. And it’s one of those win-win-win, which is very rare in life.

Natalie: That is a very rare occurrence.

David: Yeah, it’s great for you. It’s great for others. You know, it’s great for the world, right? It’s great for you as a person. It’s great for those around you. It’s great for those that you touch in a broader sense. And you can really become a lighthouse for so many people in so many different ways. And just like there are a thousand ways something can happen in your health, there are a thousand ways you can inspire someone to have great health as well.

And so there’s no niche that’s overdone. There’s always room for people. And how many people do you really need to have a successful business? It’s not that many. It’s not that many. So, could you find 200 people who you really connect with in the world? Yes, you can find 200 people, right? Anyone can find 200 people. So, it doesn’t matter how wacky or obscure the thing is that you want to do. There’s people out there for it. And so I think everyone can be a success, and it really sets you up for that. And so whether you’re doing it for yourself or you’re doing it for others, the benefit will just happen anyway.

Natalie: That is so eloquently said. You’ve given me goosebumps. That’s very powerful. Thank you. I want to thank you for sharing your story with us today. And I would love to give you another chance to add anything else.

David: So, yeah, I think that one thing maybe is that lots of people don’t complete the transformation of becoming a business owner. And that’s definitely part of this journey. Like everything, there are skills to be had. It’s a new hat to wear and all of these kinds of things. And so some days I sit down in my office and I do business things. And some days I sit down in my office and I do coaching things. And I’ve had to become good at both of those things.

And so it’s one of those things where I have never… This I really, really want to share with people. I have never failed as much at starting my business as I have done… That has been the biggest failure of my life, and then the biggest success of my life. I got it so wrong. I tried so many things. I thought it would be this. Like, my number one client is menopausal women, and I thought I was going to get into men’s health. That was what I originally started with. And so I couldn’t have predicted.

And so the way that I got to the answer, and the way that I got to understanding what it was that I was really here to do, was by failing. It was by trying and failing and learning. And so I could have never predicted that this is what it was going to look like without trying to get there along the way. And so my big advice for anyone who’s looking and thinking, “If I just design it better, then I’ll be successful” Just go for it. Just go for it. I just tried and I tried and I tried and I tried. And it’s painful, right? It’s painful when you’re not used to failing at something and you’re looking at it.

But it was absolutely the right answer. And it’s stepping into the entrepreneur’s mindset of just trying to be flexible and not taking it all personally when something doesn’t go very well. And so that’s been a big post-graduation part of the journey that, again, I didn’t realize was going to test me so much. And it tested me as a person. And there were many times where I would have quit and I could have quit. And I thought about quitting. And it’s taken a while. But I graduated in September of last year, which isn’t that long ago, actually, right? And yeah. But it’s taken me a huge amount of the last year of trial and error and innovation. And so, if you don’t have the answer now, and it feels like you’re not going to get there, well, I would just say, just try and see what happens.

And the biggest thing that I did was to find someone that I thought was my ideal client and go and coach them, and then to see if it worked. And then when it worked, then I was able to say to myself, okay, well, at least I know this part works, and I can be confident. How do I find more people like that? And how do they find me? And one of the biggest lessons… There are many lessons, right? There are a hundred lessons that I’ve learned through this, but one of the really transformational things that one of my clients said to me was, “The seeker seeks the teacher. The teacher should not seek the seeker.”

And so I was really worried about what it is that I was saying when you’re talking publicly and on the internet. I was really fearful of backlash. If I say something too controversial, what’s someone going to say to me? And one of the best things I ever did for my business was just to be 100% authentic about what it is that I do. And that has allowed me to find the seekers so much more easily, because they know exactly what they’re getting when they come to me. And so that’s been absolutely amazing. And so there was a lot of time spent self-editing. Should I say this, shouldn’t I? And it’s exhausting. It’s literally exhausting. And so now, it’s become so much simpler to just be authentic. That takes a lot of bravery and courage, but everyone has that in them.

Natalie: Yeah, wow. Thank you. That is so important for people to know and something that I think is often forgotten or lost in the mess of the content, and the the curriculum, and all of the things you learn. Underlying it all is be authentic and try. And that is just… Thank you. Yes.

David: Yeah, good summary. Yeah.

Natalie: Yeah. Well, thank you so much again, David, for speaking to us. We are so grateful to have you as part of our FMCA international community. Thank you.

David: You’re very welcome. Pleasure.