Chardét Ryel Knows What Makes Women Feel Good In Our Bodies

Chardét Ryel, a wellness entrepreneur and the author of 7 Steps to Feel Good Naked, is on a mission to challenge mainstream expectations about fitness, nutrition, and body image. Over the last nine years, she has worked with women around the world to help them redefine confidence, beauty, and health on their own terms, outside of diet culture.

As a Brazilian American, Ryel found herself inspired by the many different body shapes celebrated in Brazil, where curves are considered desirable and fitness is part of life, not just a New Year’s resolution. In order to transform the way other women see wellness, she founded Corpão Fitness, which goes beyond exercise to offer holistic behavior change and non-diet nutrition consulting as well. She also began hosting The Feel Good Nakd podcast.

“My clients call what we do ‘wellness therapy’ because it involves deep healing and decades of unlearning,” explains Ryel. “We focus on building body confidence, finding a balance with all foods, and making exercise about empowerment — not attaining a specific body shape.”

Ryel has known ever since she was a little girl dressing up and giving neighborhood speeches that she wanted to have a positive impact on the world. However, as an older millennial, she also was part of the last generation educated to believe that a traditional job was the best path to success. So, she went to university and prepared to enter the corporate world as prescribed. Then two things happened.

First, she had an internship assisting an author in interviewing successful entrepreneurs around the world. Listening to insights from people like Jeff Skoll, Peter Thiel, Wendy Kopp and Reid Hoffman, she found the life of an entrepreneur appealing because of the freedom to create and degree of impact possible. Still, she felt scared to take that path without an MBA or decades of experience.

The second thing that happened was that, Ryel says, she realized, “I was a bad employee. I would do my job well, but I craved autonomy. I wanted to create. I didn’t want to abide by all the processes and rules.” So, she left the traditional career path for good and bought a one-way ticket to Brazil, her “magic place for reflection.”

In Brazil, Ryel began taking care of her health and fitness again after years of burnout. She decided that she didn’t have to wait for an MBA or decades of experience to become an entrepreneur. She launched Corpão Fitness within a few months of returning to the U.S. and found herself aligned with her life purpose— to help others achieve balance and build self-esteem.

Ryel started The Feel Good Nakd podcast during the Covid-19 pandemic because she was tired of hearing health insights that were just about “dropping lockdown weight.” She began interviewing experts who share their non-diet wellness advice and insights with her listeners for free. The podcast grew exponentially and has since become her full-time focus. “Now my work supports women around the world, not just in one city,” she says.

Being an entrepreneur is chaotic and requires many hours of work, at least for the first few years. But Ryel feels it is completely worthwhile. Without purpose, she says, work can feel empty even if you’re doing well. “You can be exceptional, but you’ll never feel fulfilled until a career aligns with your values.” The greatest reward of her career is inspiring women to feel good about themselves and their bodies, and then watching the ripple effect created as they motivate others.

To young people looking to align their career with their life purpose, Ryel counsels, “Forget about your resume. Don’t skip opportunities or life experiences because they don’t fit into a 5 or 10-year plan. Your story is what you make it, and you need diverse experiences to discover your purpose. If something calls to you, go for it. Don’t limit possibilities because of the opinions of others. In fact, the thing people told me not to do – my podcast – is the thing that has been the most successful in my career. Too often we’re told to color within the lines, but magic happens as soon as you dare to go outside of them.”