An accomplished figure in health care and education, Shirley J. Billigmeier has dedicated her career to helping others and positively impacting their lives as the owner and consultant at Innergetics, which provides an energy-based approach to natural weight loss and offers solutions to disordered eating and health struggles. Throughout high school, she herself struggled with poor eating habits that worsened over time. Despite her physical activity as a cheerleader, she continued to carry extra weight. It was always a personal issue until she became a teacher at St. Louis Park Public Schools in the 1970s and witnessed young girls dealing with similar issues, helping her to realize her own lingering anxieties surrounding weight. This fueled a desire to understand the complexities of psychology, nutrition, and physical exercise, leading her to conduct research and develop a system to help others.

Prior to launching her business in 1995, Ms. Billigmeier wrote a book in 1991, titled “Inner Eating: How to Free Yourself Forever from the Tyranny of Food,” which spawned numerous speaking engagements, starting at the National Convention of Compulsive Eating, and the creation of new tools to help people overcome their eating boundaries. The “Innergetics” process involves restoring a person’s natural ability to regulate their eating based on hunger. Unlike other methods, the company allows for complete freedom of choice in eating and she believes people should only eat when hungry and stop when full. The process involves removing this interference and guiding individuals to own their boundaries and restore their natural eating habits. She works with individuals one-on-one and strives to positively impact lives. As a testament to her impact, she has been named Best Food Relationship Advisor at the Food & Drink Awards hosted by LUXlife Magazine in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and listed among the Top 100 Innovators and Entrepreneurs in the Top 100 Magazine in 2023.

Outside of this primary endeavor, Ms. Billigmeier, a breast cancer survivor, also co-founded the Rapunzel Project in 2010. The idea for the organization grew when she needed to undergo chemotherapy and had to purchase a wig—and in doing research, she discovered cold cap therapy, which allows patients to keep their hair during chemo. She and her co-founder, Nancy, started the nonprofit to help other chemotherapy patients keep their hair throughout their treatment.

Looking toward the future, she aims to address further the global challenges surrounding eating habits and weight management. She strives to expand the number of coaches available and after completing all necessary preparations and putting her consulting on hold, she is determined to promote her approach and reach a wider audience.