In Pursuit of Everything

More Than a Triple Threat

By Laurie Crowley | Photography by Lauren Athalia

Lindsay Tobias is an accomplished Certified Holistic Health Coach, the owner of Keep Your Plants On, and an artist, author, and public speaker. A creative force who lives by her mantra, “Be faithful with the resources in front of you without demanding more, and the next steps will flow organically.” She believes that no one should be defined by one aspect of their being; rather, individuals are gifted with many talents that should be nurtured and encouraged. With wisdom beyond her years, she has found balance in pursuing her passions while questioning the world around her.

Tobias is happiest and feels most at home when she is near the water. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, she was exposed to the nearby Miami art scene as a child. The murals, museums, and diverse media exhibited throughout the city were an explosion of inspiration to a young soul searching for purpose. Though she did not take an art class until high school, she absorbed the culture and archived ideas everywhere she looked.

Athletic, vibrant, and intellectual, Tobias attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she studied precision nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and through the Functional Nutrition Alliance while also competing on the school’s NCAA Division 1 women’s volleyball team. Balancing the demands of a D-1 sport and a rigorous college course load would intimidate most, but Tobias has a knack for prioritizing her days to maximize her aspirations.

After college, Tobias and her husband, Kurt, remained in Central Virginia and settled into jobs that paid the rent. She garnered extensive experience working in the exercise, health, and nutrition fields, realizing she had an innate ability to identify the individual needs of her clients and provide them with clear instructions and inspiration. While the hours were long and the pay was low, Tobias wanted to share her knowledge with those searching for ways to attain a healthier, stronger, and more engaged lifestyle.

Feeling the pull of the tides, Lindsay and Kurt relocated to the Florida Panhandle four years ago. She was back by the water and embraced by the familiar with a renewed sense of well-being. The time was right to pursue her passion, and Keep Your Plants On (KYPO) was born.

KYPO is a twelve-week multifaceted program that focuses on gut health, hormonal health, and the relationship between food and the body. It is individualized to each client, and they can check in with their health coach and stay accountable with the KYPO mobile app. With hundreds of clients enjoying individual and group sessions and leaving glowing testimonials, the Lindsay Tobias brand was formed.

“One of the biggest obstacles I faced in starting my own business was not the delivery of services—I knew the best way to serve my clients,” Tobias shares. “The learning curve came when handling the business end of entrepreneurship. Thankfully, my husband is a rock. With his support, I could balance both aspects of the business, and I am grateful I am not only the face of the company but also in control of it.”

Talking about her desire and motivation to create, Tobias says, “It feels like a compulsion. My dad is a builder—there is joy and terror in that. Being a builder means you love to create and grow something, but you deflate when the project is complete. It can create simmering discontentment that I am very aware of.” Audiences can find these nuggets of wisdom in all aspects of Tobias’s work. Whether on a podcast, in a coaching session, or painted on canvas, there are always layers to decipher, discover, and learn from.

“When I lived in Virginia, I would dream of the life I am living now,” she continues. “Thoughts of painting would occupy my daydreams.” Thanks to the success of KYPO, Tobias became able to focus more on her painting.

From the early Miami influences, her studies in college, and her innate desire to question and understand the world around her, she has a unique way of expressing her thoughts. Tobias remembers that a fellow artist once commented, “If you talk through your art, it dies.” She disagrees, saying,

“Art is storytelling. I love it when people love it, but that isn’t a prerequisite for them or for me to keep creating.”

One of her many art projects in production is a six-piece series, the first two of which are complete, with the third in the works. In describing the series, Tobias reveals that some of her personal journey is conveyed on the canvas. The large-scale paintings are captivating. They’re beautiful and haunting on one level, but upon a closer and more thoughtful examination, there is a more profound message of struggle, longing, searching, and questioning—themes with which most people can genuinely connect.

The first painting in the series is titled Blinded. It depicts a woman so alluring that one almost ignores the fact that her eyes are missing. Tobias shares,

“She looks put together but is actually struggling to see what is in front of her.” Created from plaster mixed with stone, a heavy concrete look is conveyed over the eyes.

The second piece in the series, Lobotomy, shows a captivating woman’s face that again fools the eye momentarily until the viewer’s focus is drawn to her severed scalp. Using color as her words, Tobias explains, “I started with the use of primary colors—colors that exist on their own with no help or input from others. Closer to the epicenter of her deepest thoughts, the colors are all mixed, all muted, all secondary colors spilling out onto her shoulder. She is realizing she cannot exist in primary colors and that what others have led her to be true may not be; she has to figure it out on her own.”

Greed is the series’ third installment. This painting is not yet available for viewing, but Tobias shares a few teasers. The focus will be a woman’s chest, with skin so translucent you can visualize the veins flowing with emerald blood. Her use of color has specific nuances that are sure to capture the audience’s curiosity. The commonality in all six paintings will be simple gold hoop earrings. Though one cannot yet venture to comment on the meaning, as with all of the artist’s work, you can be sure every element is significant.

Whether she is painting murals inspired by Frida Kahlo inside a Mexican restaurant or working with interior designers on new pieces for their clients, Tobias’s influence and creativity are beginning to permeate the Northwest Florida area and beyond. She recently completed a massive mural in a New York City breakfast joint and is taking private commissions along with the commercial work.

This dynamic visionary, viewing art as storytelling, also writes as an extension of her creative endeavors. She is working on a nutrition book in which she’ll dive into the major misinformation and overcomplication of health, teaching readers how to get back to counter-cultural health. The working title is Maybe We Have This Wrong: The Perversion of Food, Movement, and Community.

With such an accomplished résumé at such a young age, Tobias’s future looks positively radiant with opportunity. When asked how she sees it playing out, she playfully replied,

“I look forward to having a litter of kids with my husband, writing books, and going back to school in my loads of free time.”

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Follow Lindsay Tobias on Instagram @artbydoman and @keepyourplantson, and visit HowToKeepYourPlantsOn.com to learn more about her personalized nutrition and wellness services.