Our official team is supplemented by our amazing Whole9 Envoy Extraordinaires and our Whole9 consulting team. Meet our Envoys and read more about how they are helping us spread the Good Food Word in their own communities by visiting on our Envoys page. Meet our team of consultants and see their wide array of comprehensive health and fitness consulting packages on our consulting page.
Melissa Hartwig, CISSN, RKC
Melissa Hartwig is a Certified Sports Nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition, an RKC-certified kettlebell instructor, and is a current candidate for a Master of Science in Health and Nutrition Education from Hawthorn University. She co-owned and operated a strength and conditioning facility until founding Whole9 with Dallas in November 2009.
From Melissa: “I learned about fitness and nutrition by doing – researching, participating and learning, experimenting on myself, then applying those lessons to clients. Good health and fitness doesn’t have to be complicated, but it is more than just your back squat plus protein grams. And it’s not just physical – there are mental and emotional components that must be acknowledged as an integral part of your personal evolutionary process. We help people identify factors impeding their progress, change unhealthy habits and behaviors, and attack their objectives in an educated, effective fashion. We help our clients clear the path for real health and fitness achievements in a way that feels both sustainable and balanced.”
Dallas Hartwig, MS, PT, CISSN, RKC
Dallas Hartwig earned a BS in Anatomy and Physiology and an MS in Physical Therapy from Andrews University, and has been a licensed physical therapist since 2001. He co-owned and operated a strength and conditioning facility with Melissa until founding Whole9 in November 2009. He is a Certified Sports Nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition and an RKC-certified kettlebell instructor.
From Dallas: “I believe that a high intensity exercise program is both effective and sustainable life-long, when combined with good nutrition and recovery practices. I educate my PT patients about nutrition, sleep, active recovery techniques, and stress management practices as often as I do about the physiology of connective tissue healing, lumbar stabilization, or biomechanics. It was this experience that, in part, led Melissa and me to develop a comprehensive and integrative practice (Whole9) to help our clients continue to aggressively chase health and performance without being hindered by nagging pain and injuries.”
Erin Handley, MS
Erin Handley, our Director of Operations, has a Masters degree in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah and has worked in the public health field for the past 8 years. Most recently she was the Assistant Director for a non-profit organization that mobilized high-risk communities around important health issues including obesity and nutrition.
From Erin: “I have spent the most recent years of my professional life facilitating grassroots health program planning and I recognize that the Paleo diet and programs such as the Whole9/Whole30 are, in fact, a grassroots movement of their own. Society has been following the nutrition “rules” for decades and, in a strange twist of fate, still finds TRUE health elusive. Giving people permission to eat real, whole food instead of counting calories and cutting fat is a paradigm shift in the world of nutrition and health and, as a member of the Whole9 team, I look forward to doing what I can to help Melissa and Dallas get their message to as many folks as possible.”
Robin Strathdee
Robin, our Director of Communications, has a B.S. in Print Journalism from Missouri State University. She has used her education and training everywhere from corporate conference rooms to her own kitchen table – where she authors the blog Confessions of a Paleolithic Drama Queen – and is currently pursuing her entrepreneurial dreams as owner of a freelance communications company.
From Robin: “I’ve got a penchant for telling tales – not Paul Bunyan tales or Boy Who Cried Wolf Tales, but the tales of everyday life. One of my favorite stories to tell is about how a change in nutrition revolutionized the lives of everyone in my family. Everyone deserves to know how real, whole food can make a difference in their life wherever they are. I’m excited to be able to use my skills to spread the “Good Food Word” as part of the Whole9 team.
