About Shay Pausa 

CEO + CoFounder of Healthy Gut | “Mrs. Healthy Gut” | Women’s Health Advocate

I’m Shay Pausa—CEO and cofounder of Healthy Gut, and the person your friends might call “Mrs. Healthy Gut.” But I’m not here to be a mascot. I’m here to help you become the CEO of your body and your life.

Because I’ve learned this the hard way: health isn’t something you outsource. Not to a doctor, not to a trend, not to an algorithm, not to the wellness loudest voice on the internet. Your job isn’t to become an expert in everything—it’s to stay empowered, informed, and engaged so you can make decisions that actually serve you.

Why I do this

My work is rooted in one belief: people deserve to feel good in their bodies. Not “fine.” Not “surviving.” Not “this is just how it is now.” I mean clear-headed, steady-energy, digestion-that-works, resilient, vibrant, and confident in what they’re doing.

And I care especially about women—especially in midlife, because women are too often dismissed, minimized, gaslit, or told to accept symptoms as “normal.” We’re handed prescriptions before we’re handed context. We’re told to be compliant before we’re taught to be curious. 

I want women to have a different experience.

I want you to know how to ask better questions.
I want you to understand your options.
I want you to feel powerful in the room—especially the doctor’s office.

My story: from personal mission to public work

Healthy Gut didn’t start as a clever business idea. It started as a mission—built from real life, real stakes, and real learning. Over time, it became a platform for education, tools and products that support the body in doing what it was designed to do: digest, detox, repair, and thrive.

I’ve spent years studying what actually moves the needle in health—what creates outcomes, what creates noise, and what creates expensive detours. I’m obsessed with translating complex health information into something you can actually use. No fear-mongering. No fluff. No “miracle” promises. Just practical, science-aware support and a respect for the fact that every body is different.

The chapter that changed everything

I’ve been diagnosed with cancer—three times. Once with thyroid cancer and twice with two different primary breast cancers.  Those kinds of experiences rearrange you at your core.

It forces you to get honest about what matters. It teaches you how to acknowledge your fear and simultaneously be courageous. It demands that you become an active participant in your care—because “passive” is not a strategy when your life is at stake.  

My cancer journey deepened my commitment to a long, healthy future—and not just for me. For the women watching their moms, sisters, friends, and daughters navigate confusing symptoms, conflicting advice, and systems that can feel cold or rushed.

It also reinforced something I believe down to my bones: your body is not broken.
It’s communicating. And when you learn how to listen—truly listen—everything changes.

Steven + the life we’re building

I’m building this mission alongside my business partner, best friend, and husband, Steven Wright. We’re not perfect. We’re human. But we’re committed—to each other, to our health, to growth, and to living a long life with vitality and purpose.

Healthy Gut is not just a company to us. It’s personal. It’s the work we want to do in the world. It’s the kind of legacy we care about.

What you can expect from me

If you’re looking for someone to tell you what to do without nuance, I’m not your girl.  What is right for one person is not right for another. I also believe that the answer to nearly every question starts with, "It depends." 
I’ll hope to impart to you a belief in yourself that you can be the CEO of your body and life.  Doctors are consultants. I have many of them but at the end of the day, I decide what is right for me.  And I take responsibility for my results and health.  

Here’s my promise:

• Empowerment over dependency

• Education over hype

• Real-life practicality over perfectionism

• Curiosity over shame

• A CEO mindset over victim mode

Because the goal isn’t to be “good at wellness.”
The goal is to feel at home in your body—and to live your life with energy, confidence, and freedom.

Welcome to Healthy Gut

Whether you’re here because digestion has been a lifelong struggle, your energy feels unpredictable, your hormones feel like a moving target, or you’re simply done accepting “this is normal”… you’re in the right place.

Let’s get you back in the driver’s seat.

Shay Pausa
CEO + CoFounder, Healthy Gut
Women’s Health Advocate | “Mrs. Healthy Gut”