Ventures Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Getting Brand-Ready! Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Chair “Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you becomes your trademark.” - Jay Danzie As entrepreneurs, we have to identify our brands and put our best brand forward! Identifying your real brand is invaluable, and leveraging your brand fully is of utmost importance. Here are some tips for getting brand-ready: DEFINE: Who are you, really? Take a deep dive, discover who you really are and write it down. Ask your family, friends and co-workers to tell you how they perceive you, and compare their responses to your own – it can be an interesting and eye-opening experience. Also, determine what is your WHY? If you cannot identify what drives you, you will not be able to clearly define your brand. DESIGN: Create and promote the real YOU. This will attract the right people and opportunities. Always be authentic
Summer 2019 Volume XLII Number 1 Stepping into the Spotlight: How to Represent Your Brand
In This Issue:
and transparent, and do not be afraid to share your story. A sincere and personal brand story makes you memorable in the best possible way. Who is your target market? Be clear about WHOM you want to work with and serve.
Getting Brand Ready ������������������������������1
DISCLOSE: Communicate your brand consistently. Inform and educate your clients by infusing your personality in your business updates in conjunction with promoting your services.
Three Things You Need To Do Today To Build Your Brand ������������4
DELIVER: Maintain your brand and re-evaluate as needed. For example, you may find it necessary to hire someone to help you with social media. Make sure your brand remains consistent and aligns with your mission and vision. Every one of us is a unique brand. Is your brand ready for NE-thing? Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a funny speaker and former stand-up comedienne. She is not just mildly amusing - she is really funny. Lisa was bitten by the comedy bug at a young age, entertaining her family at the dinner table with knock-knock jokes. Soon, she discovered SNL and would memorize bits and make her siblings perform them. Today, you can find Lisa chasing after her one-year-old daughter, and after volunteers to watch her daughter so she can perform improvisational, sketch and stand-up comedy again.
Be Unapologetically and Authentically YOU ������������������������������������2 It's a Brand - Not An Outfit… ��������������3
Using Psychology for Successful Branding ��������������������������������5 Be Yourself: Stand Out on Social Media ����������������������������������������6 How to Live Your Truth – Get to Know the Real You ����������������������7 Three Tips to Build Your Brand in Corporate Wellness ����������������������������8 Hello, I Am Here! ��������������������������������������9 Members on the Move ������������������������10 Meet the NE Executive Committee ����������������������������12 Upcoming NE Live Webinars ������������������������Back Cover
Ventures EDITOR Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT
INCOMING EDITOR Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN
EDITORIAL BOARD, 2019-2020 Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT Elana Natker, MS, RD Emily Merklen, MS Cathy D’Orazio, MS, RDN, LDN Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT The newsletter pertains to the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and reproduction rights are reserved. Publication of an advertisement in the Ventures newsletter should not be considered as an endorsement of the product or advertiser by the DPG. Viewpoints and statements in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect policies and/or positions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. © 2019 Nutrition Entrepreneurs. All rights reserved.
WE WELCOME INPUT FROM OUR MEMBERS. PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR: Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT NewsletterEditor@NEdpg.org
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS Email NEadmin@NEdpg.org
ADDRESS CHANGES AND MISSING ISSUES If you have a change of address, please contact the Academy with your new address information. If you missed an issue, email Lauri Egan at NEadmin@NEdpg.org
2
Be Unapologetically and Authentically YOU Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT Newsletter Editor When it comes to representing a business and brand, authenticity is an important factor to success and longevity. Brene Brown, a vulnerability researcher and one of my personal favorite authors, writes extensively about authenticity, explaining that it is a daily practice of cultivating courage, exercising compassion and nurturing connections. While I love to apply Brene’s work to my personal life and relationships, I think it is fitting in the business world too. Authenticity not only makes a brand more trustworthy and reliable but encourages engagement. Meme Inge, my friend, fellow RD and owner of Living Well Kitchen, is the epitome of authenticity in her brand and business. I first met Meme on a sponsored trip a few years ago, where, during an educational excursion, I watched as she gleefully dropped to the ground and started making “almond angels” in an orchard. I immediately loved Meme’s bold and unique personality. I hadn’t spent more than a few hours with her, yet I was so inspired by her ability to unapologetically be herself. Meme’s infectious personality carries through into her brand, and her social media feed is full of delicious recipes, right alongside bloopers of her failures and mishaps. She doesn’t take herself too seriously and she embraces her imperfections and occasional awkwardness. As a consumer of her work, it makes me appreciate and trust her that much more. Yes, she has a brand and a business, but pouring her personality into the business, rather than trying to separate the two, is why I believe Meme is so successful.
She is courageous, compassionate and truly connects with people, just like Brene Brown suggests we all do. Be courageous with your brand. Show up and let yourself and your business be seen. It sounds clichéd, but you are the only YOU out there, and your personality sets you apart from other dietitians and business owners. Take risks and remember your big-picture goals. Exercise compassion for yourself and others. Research shows that practicing compassion elevates our mood, improves our well-being and may even lengthen our lives. These are positive outcomes for our businesses and personal lives. Nurture (real) connections. Get to know your clients and customers. Remember the social part of social media, but look beyond “likes” and small talk to find out what your audience needs help with and work on ways to provide solutions. A trusting and engaged following is much more valuable than large numbers who aren’t interested in or are unable to use your products and services. When I’m feeling unsure of how to move forward in my business and represent my brand, I try to remember Meme playing in the orchard that day and remind myself to just be me. To embrace my story and personality and be unapologetically ME … choosing courage, compassion and connections. Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT, is a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and NASM Certified Personal Trainer with a passion for empowering women to live their healthiest and happiest lives. When she's not busy fighting diet culture, you can find Kim on the run, exploring a new hiking trail or in the kitchen cooking or procrasti-baking. Kim lives in Long Island, New York, with her fiancé, their son Easton and dog Annie.
It’s a Brand – Not An Outfit Elana Natker, MS, RD Past Chair Can I be honest? I’m tired of hearing about people’s BRAND, as if it’s something external and bigger than them. In my mind I hear Moira Rose’s voice from Schitt’s Creek saying,“My brahhnnndd …” Don’t get me wrong: I fully agree that dietitians in business for themselves should have a brand, which should reflect your expertise and values, and that it needs nurturing and protecting. But rather than talk about how to represent your brand, as is the topic of this newsletter, I’d rather talk about the importance of identifying your brand and sticking to it.
In my little corner of the dietitian world, I work with food companies and associations on their communications efforts. Often I recommend aligning with dietitians to help get the messages out, given that we are the credentialed nutrition experts, knowledgeable both in the science of food and in consumer behavior and what resonates with them. Staying on top of who is an expert is what can be difficult. I can’t tell you how many people change their “brand” based on what’s going on in their environment. Just got engaged? Suddenly you’re all about keeping healthy during the stress of planning a wedding. Two years later and your posts are all about healthy pregnancy. Then it’s all about nutrition in childhood, then adolescence … and so on. It’s not just life stage. I’ve seen dietitians who brand themselves as experts in various diseases due to diagnoses in themselves or family members.
I’m not saying you should never reassess your brand and decide if it’s working for you. But if you find yourself changing your brand often, maybe it’s time to do some introspection and figure out – what is it you really want to be known for? What is it that makes you, YOU? And why should people want to work with you and follow you? Your brand should be your “why,” as Simon Sinek in the famous YouTube video explains. It shouldn’t be your latest interest or what you’ve been reading up on recently. Don’t make your brand out to be like a fad diet – popular one day, then fizzled out the next. Make it enduring, that can be enhanced and refined, but never fundamentally changed.
Elana Natker, MS, RD, is the owner of Sage Leaf Communications, a nutrition communications agency, which is still going strong from her home office in Muscat, Oman. There, she is able to find some equilibrium by stopping work and taking laps around the house when she needs a break.
3
Three Things You Need To Do Today To Build Your Brand Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, LD/N Specialty Group Chair: Authors and Writer Dietitians, including me, start their businesses because they have a passion for helping people. They have this grand idea of building this successful business and helping hundreds, even thousands, of people. The problem is most dietitians do not know how to brand their programs and develop marketing content. The problem is they spend way too much money and time on marketing that isn’t effective to grow their businesses. They aren’t clear with their messages, target too many people with one piece of marketing collateral and they don’t talk about their clients’ problem. We have worked with over 400 CrossFit gyms and dietitians over the years, and I realized this is a problem with almost every single one.
4
At the beginning of 2019, I invested thousands of dollars into becoming a StoryBrand Certified Guide. Throughout this training process, it allowed me to learn how to help gyms and dietitians clarify their messages, which in turn allowed them to dramatically grow their businesses. HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TODAY: 1. D ECIDE WHO YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS AND MARKET TO THEM. You will build your business much faster if you have clearly defined whom you can help and why. For example: do you specialize in teen athletes or weight loss? If you have multiple audiences, make different marketing collateral geared toward each audience. 2. B E CLEAR WITH HOW TO GET STARTED. What is the first step someone needs to do to get started with you? For us, it’s book an appointment or call. Every call-to-action on our website is book an appointment. We make it very clear what we want clients to do.
3. S TOP TALKING ABOUT YOU AND START TALKING ABOUT THEM. No one cares about your extensive resumé or a history of all the people you have helped. Ideal clients want to know how you can help them! Talk about your client’s problem and your solution to her/his problem. Branding your business takes time and consistency. You have to establish your expertise which is done by being consistent. Be consistent with your message and how you can help. If you are lost when it comes to branding, I highly recommend reading the book Building A Storybrand. This has been the one thing we invested in this year which has made the most impact for our business and allowed our monthly revenue to double since clarifying our message.
Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, LD/N, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, has a passion for nutrition and fitness. You will often find her jumping in a CrossFit class or talking about CrossFit. She loves being active and on the water.
Using Psychology for Successful Branding Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Second Career Dietitians As a second-career dietitian, I’ve had several careers before I came to dietetics. One of them was at an advertising agency as a graphic designer. While I’m not formally trained in marketing strategy, I did learn how to use psychology in successful branding while I was working there. Here are a few tips to best reach and impact your target audience:
1. Evoke emotion. Research shows
that about 90% of decisions are based on emotion. Imagine two ads for the same service. One lists facts while the other evokes comfort, joy or nostalgia. Which one makes a bigger impression on you? The one that elicits an emotional response! Look at your brand - your products and services - what emotions do you want them to evoke? The emotion doesn’t always need to be happy. Sadness or frustration also elicit a consumer response. The more emotionally intelligent your brand is, the more return on investment.
2. Color! Every brand I’ve worked with
had one major color and usually one (maybe two) minor colors. (Think about all your major sports teams.) Color consistency in your “look and feel” is essential in building your brand. The colors you use have the power to change the viewers’ emotional and behavioral states. White evokes purity and innocence while red is associated with excitement and energy. Purple can lead to feelings of mystery or wisdom. Blue is associated with dependability and comfort, but can also evoke sadness. Be thoughtful about the tone of your major color choice. It represents who you are.
3. Use mirror neurons. Mirror
neurons are brain cells that respond the same whether we’re doing the action or simply witnessing someone else doing it. Think about how you feel when you see someone win a race or conquer a huge obstacle. Feels pretty good, right? You’re brought in and want the same thing. This phenomenon can work for you if you can use your marketing to display a problem getting solved by your brand and services. Maybe it’s a client feeling caught in yo-yo dieting whom you have helped bring to freedom. Identify the “problem” that you solve, then tell the story in your marketing (images, videos, testimonials, etc).
4. Consistency cultivates trust.
Once you have your key emotions, color and messaging, be consistent and put them everywhere. Repetition is essential to clients learning your brand. Use the same tagline and message across multiple platforms. Trust is built naturally when people see consistent branding. Once customers notice your brand, they will start to “see you everywhere.” This is the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon - you find something new and interesting and then your subconscious looks for it everywhere. Have you ever learned about a new product and then started seeing it in every store? Let your potential customers see you everywhere!
Use the other articles in this Ventures Newsletter to help develop your brand by creating a mission statement, defining your brand personality and identifying your target audience/customer. Put it all together and step into the spotlight!
Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN, is a nutrition and lifestyle counselor in Chapel Hill, NC. She loves to read cookbooks but hardly ever follows a recipe as she prefers to use them as “inspiration.” She loves coaching her clients to make reallife changes for improving their health. When Jessica isn't cooking or talking about food, she enjoys running, dancing and reading with her two daughters.
5
Be Yourself: Stand Out on Social Media Emily Holdorf, MS, RDN, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Technology/ Social Media As we become more and more entrenched in the world of social media, it can be hard not to get lost in the endless scrolling. At first glance, it may seem like you’re just going to be another one of those health and wellness accounts and you won’t be able to stand out in a sea of similarity. I’m here to encourage you to stop that thinking and urge you to step into the spotlight and own your brand on social media.
BE HUMAN.
Ultimately, your brand is an extension of you. This isn’t to say that all your pictures should be your kids or your dog, but be a real human on social media. The more you are authentically yourself, the more your brand will stand out and shine. You are the voice of your brand. Write your captions as you would talk if someone were having a conversation with you. Share a peek into your real life through your Instagram stories and make it relatable.
6
CONSISTENCY IS KEY.
Being consistent is important to maintain clear branding messages and a professional look and feel. Not only should you use a consistent color scheme, font and logo, but you should also stay consistent in your messaging. This way your audience will know what to expect from you; you’ll build a credible reputation and be viewed as the expert that you are. Keep in mind posting (or scheduling your posts) on a consistent schedule is helpful to maintain visibility on any social media platform.
SHARE YOUR STORY.
What made you become a dietitian? What pushed you to start your own business and brand? Did you have a health story to share? Share the story of how you got to where you are today. People love learning about the background of others and it helps build trust among your followers. Once again, it really goes a long way when you are a relatable human to your audience. They will be more willing to follow your advice and want to be a part of your stand-out brand when you share a little bit of yourself.
BUILD REAL CONNECTIONS.
We need to remember why social media was created in the first place - to connect people from all over the world. Be social on social media! Build that community of engaged followers by finding connection and fostering the relationships formed. It’s one thing to have a ton of followers and it’s another to have a connected community that truly cares what you have to say and can build each other up along the way. In a time where trolls are all too present and people can hide behind their screens, be the person who is encouraging, kindhearted and professional, and your brand will quickly stand apart from the rest. Social media and technology are overwhelming beasts at times, but using a few of these simple tips and being yourself will help you authentically represent your brand and push it into the spotlight. Emily Holdorf, MS, RDN, LDN, is the owner of EmPowered Nutrition, which focuses on intuitive eating for busy, young professionals. You can typically find Emily in the kitchen creating recipes and taking pictures of food for her blog. When she’s not practicing nutrition, she is exploring the Charlotte food scene, eating ice cream and spending time outdoors.
How to Live Your Truth – Get to Know the Real You Chere Bork, MS, RDN Abundance Ambassador Our brand is more than our name and logo. People have had “personal brands.” Everyone knows of Martha Stewart, Mother Teresa or Lisa Jones - our warm, talented and witty NE Chair - and can describe who they are, what they value and their missions in life. It seems to make sense to start your “branding process” from the “inside out.” Here are three actions to take to live your truth and become your brand with ease and grace.
STEP ONE: Identify your values.
Your values exist whether you recognize them or not. When you become indifferent to them or stuff them inside yourself, you lose track of your true self. You feel like you are searching for something … something … but you’re not sure what. You feel discontented, restless and unhappy. On the other hand, when your thoughts, speech and actions match what you truly value, life feels really good. Knowing your values helps you make decisions and plans that
are right for you. You feel whole, content and in charge of your life, because your life is aligned with your values.
STEP TWO: Identify your passions through peak experiences. What were the best times of your life? Imagine you were hit by a car and your life passes before your eyes. You take out a yellow highlighter and highlight the best times of your life. What are those? What comes to mind? Start with your childhood, high school, college and adult years. Here are some ideas to get you going. Examples: snorkeling in Mexico, running a marathon, presenting at FNCE®, living abroad, rocking a baby to sleep, kayaking, going to the cabin, seeing the Grand Canyon, taking a road trip, giving a speech, watching your child graduate, your wedding day, holidays at Grandma’s house.
STEP THREE: Go back to your peak experiences and match your core value to each experience. Examples: Living abroad – adventure Yoga retreat – spirituality
Orient your daily activities and habits around your values. Your words and actions speak volumes about your personal brand and you. When you are excited to jump out of bed, you are feeding your soul and you will show up naturally motivated and you can effortlessly attract what you want in life. Because. You. Are. Being. You. And you are living your truth. P.S. You don’t need one more “thing” (certification or degree) as you just need to be you. There is no one like you. The world needs you. Be who you are and say what you feel, because in the end those who matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter. - Theodor Seuss Geisel Chere Bork, AKA “The Dietitian Energy Igniter,” is the happy owner of cherebork.com and a Law of Attraction coach. She gives RDNs a confidence boost to live the lives they have always wanted. She helps them find clarity so that they can be the best they can be. She thought she was a failure many times in her career. And every time the challenge and adversity created a more beautiful meaningful life. She wants that for you – a beautiful meaningful life!
7
Three Tips to Build Your Brand in Corporate Wellness Deanna Wolfe, MS, RDN Specialty Group Chair: Corporate Wellness Corporate wellness career opportunities for dietitians are expanding and we need to show up clearly and confidently in this industry. I’m excited to start my position as the Corporate Wellness Speciality Group Leader for the upcoming year. Having worked in corporate wellness for seven years including health coaching, wellness program coordination, account management, product strategy and sales, I have a strong knowledge of what corporations are looking for and how to build your brand in corporate wellness. 1. Focus on building culture. Yes, your goal should be to help improve the health of a population. But a primary goal of many corporations involves
8
improving the productivity of employees, retaining top talent (reducing expensive turnover) and building a culture of health. Many corporations are looking beyond health biometrics to aspects of health including stress management, improving work-life balance and “loneliness” for those in work from home positions, and financial wellbeing. Make sure you are focusing your work with corporations on improving not only the health but also the productivity of their employees. 2. Think beyond health coaching. Many dietitians in corporate wellness are health coaches, which is an amazing career, but there are so many other facets of corporate wellness we should be a part of. Whether that be product management and strategizing what diet advice and nutrition resources should look like, or how to market and sell weight management programs, it is key that wellness companies are utilizing registered dietitians in the multi-faceted ways we deserve.
3. Start small. If you are looking to help an organization improve the health of its employees, start small. Start with a focus group or a questionnaire to understand the biggest hurdles to living a healthy lifestyle at this organization. Take the feedback, help implement small changes and keep data. You don’t need to (and it is difficult to) overhaul an organization all at once. These small steps will show others how your brand is truly making a difference. Deanna Wolfe, MS, RDN, is the founder of Dietitian Deanna and helps women drop dieting and learn how to fuel their bodies. Deanna lives in a city but always seems to travel where she can be outdoors with nature, has never met an almond croissant she didn’t like and loves connecting with others in her online community.
Hello, I Am Here! Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN Specialty Group Chair: Private Practice Getting the attention you are looking for is key to a successful business. Having a strong, consistent brand is an intricate part of getting and keeping that attention. A very important note: it is never too late to create or fine-tune your brand. Let’s first talk about a little business basics. “What is a BRAND?” This buzz phrase has become the topic of so many business conversations. A brand is simply stated as the PERSONALITY of your business. Your brand gives the look, feel and emotions to your clients that goes further than your logo.
ME VS. MY BUSINESS. It is important to review what are you trying to brand, focusing on the word business. Your business can be “you” or your business that you founded. For many of us, these lines can get blurry. I am the business, right? But there can be differences between you and your business. You might have a private practice, just like me, but I also wear many other hats. Are you a lecturer? Or do you have a part-time job in a clinical setting? These are all different audiences and YOU might not be able to connect with all of your large audiences if you are only branding “you.” CREATING A BRAND. A successful brand creates an environment for your targeted audience to connect with your business. When creating your brand, there are several things outside of colors and logos that should be thought through.
How does your brand: • Represent your core values? • Illustrate and define what you are selling? • Meet your customer’s, client’s or patient’s needs? • Make you different or stand out? Work through your business’s personality that you want potential clients to experience. You can create colors, images, expressions and more that help to portray its personality. From simple signature lines, to how you reach your clients, is all tied to your brand. By having a strong brand in your private practice, you can reach and attract the right type of clients to keep you in the spotlight. Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN, is a passionate dietitian who loves to travel! Over 20 countries toured and many more on the list. Now living back on the East Coast, she is so excited for some U.S. sightseeing.
9
MEMBERS ON THE MOVE Alexandra Oppenheimer Delvito, MS, RD, CDN, vice president at Pollock Communications, was a winner of the PRSA-NY Exceptionals Under 35 Award. This award in public relations recognizes her achievements, professionalism and leadership in the communications field. Her expertise in food, nutrition and communications uniquely positions her to support her food and nutrition clients, which was recognized and honored by the selection committee.
Jennifer Dolan, MS, RDN, launched the podcast Terroir Taste and Travel in which she interviews farmers, food artisans and chefs who follow the principles of the Slow Food Movement. She focuses on the effect of terroir on taste. Check it out at jennifermdolan.com/podcast or your favorite podcast platform.
Lisa R. Young, PhD, RDN, CDN, portion-control expert, nutrition consultant, and adjunct professor of nutrition at NYU, published her second book, Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss One Portion at a Time, in January 2019. The book takes a scientific and common-sense approach to permanent weight loss by addressing portion sizes and lifestyle from a place of empowerment as opposed to restriction. Finally Full, Finally Slim is a 30-day program teaching readers how to create a healthy mindset, a smart food environment, healthy habits, and ultimately a healthy and fulfilling life. It addresses food shopping, dining out, decoding food labels, debunking health halos, exercise, sleep and lots more. Lisa can be reached at drlisayoung.com.
10
As the employee wellness dietitian at a hospital in Florida, Cassandra Golden, MS, RD, LDN, planned something new for National Nutrition Month: The Employee Reward Card Challenge. The program encouraged employees to choose healthier meals, join an onsite fitness class and participate in the RD Nutrition Talks. Within this role, Cassandra also provides individual nutrition counseling for employees, presents at department meetings and events, implements long-term programs for weight management and diabetes prevention, and teaches onsite Zumba classes.
Jacqueline B. Marcus, MS, RDN, LDN, CNS, FADA, FAND, wrote Aging, Nutrition and Taste – Nutrition, Food Science and Culinary Perspectives for Aging Tastefully, which offers integrated, targeted and flavorful steps to optimize aging and health. It presents updates on calcium, cholesterol, fibers, omega-3-fatty acids, proteins, vitamins C, D, E and others. It features useful instructions, techniques, guidelines, recommendations, full-color photographs and recipes with options, and synthesizes chapter introductions, summaries, glossaries and innovations. Now available at elsevier.com.
Jessica Setnick, MS, RD, CEDRD-S, is thrilled to announce the launch of DietitianSpeakingGuide.com, a website dedicated to raising the voices of dietitian speakers. The launch coincides with the publication of Jessica’s latest book, A Dietitian’s Guide to Professional Speaking: Expert Advice for Pitching, Presenting & Getting Paid. Visit DietitianSpeakingGuide.com to read the origin stories of your favorite dietitian speakers and for downloadable resources. A dietitian speakers’ bureau and speaker-coaching workshop are in the works.
Karla Moreno-Bryce, MDA, RD, LD, recently launched Vegan Nutrition Library, an evidence-based membership site that provides vegan nutrition information through the lifecycle: pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. The demand for credible vegan information inspired Karla to organize her research work into a single location for others to reference and benefit. The membership site also features downloadable educational handouts, a private forum and recommendations for veganfriendly supplements. Learn more at vegannutritionlibrary.com.
11
Meet the NE Executive Committee Chair: Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Lisa is a funny speaker and former stand-up comedienne. She is not just mildly amusing - she is really funny. Lisa was bitten by the comedy bug at a young age, entertaining her family at the dinner table with knock-knock jokes. Soon, she discovered SNL and would memorize bits and make her siblings perform them. Today, you can find Lisa chasing after her one-year-old daughter, and after volunteers to watch her daughter so she can perform improvisational, sketch and stand-up comedy again.
Chair-Elect: Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPTBlogger behind enjoyfoodenjoylife.com. When Nicole's not experimenting with global flavors or working on the latest glute-sculpting program, she's tuned in to late ‘70s disco-soul. Though a native New Yorker, her heart beats to The Sound of Philadelphia - and lots of Teddy Pendergrass.
Past Chair: Elana Natker, MS, RD Elana is the owner of Sage Leaf Communications, a nutrition communications agency, which is still going strong from her home office in Muscat, Oman. There, she is able to find some equilibrium by stopping work and taking laps around the house when she needs a break.
12
Treasurer: Brooke Fredrickson, RDN, LRD, CDE - Brooke is a business owner, speaker and writer. She offers nutrition counseling and healthcare consulting services in rural North Dakota. Her passion is to help women overcome body image issues and rigid eating patterns through her faith-based approach. She loves to be outdoors, spend time with her family and eat really good food.
Secretary: Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN, CLT - Amanda loves pizza. She has a running list of places that are her favorites and places that she wants to try. Her numberone pizza place used to be a luggage room in the golden days of Hollywood and has a fermented sourdough crust that is to die for.
Director of Member Services: Moe Schlachter, MS, RD, LD, CDE - When he’s not working on building his company and brand (houstonfamilynutrition. com), he is hanging out with his amazing little family. They kick it at the pool, museums, parks (lots of parks) and Chuck E Cheese. Road-tripping through Texas with them means lots of ghost towns, crazy selfies, living history museums, drive-in movies and whatever the local flavor is! He chose to join the NE Executive Committee to build with others who build.“I love to develop business relationships and collaborate on the next big thing. This is the place to find my partners.”
Director Elect of Membership Services: Jill Roberts, MCN, RDN, LD Jill enjoys spending time in the kitchen and creating healthy, delicious meals for her family. Her second love is being outdoors; she lives on a farm where she loves gardening, taking care of her cows and chickens, and staying active by running, biking and taking walks at sunset with her husband. She owns Living Up Wellness, a private practice in The Woodlands, Texas, that specializes in family nutrition with a whole-body approach to wellness. Her passion is to help families develop healthy habits and lifestyles that support their health and wellness at any age.
Education Coordinator: Edwina Clark, MS, RD, APD (Aus), CSSD - Edwina is the head of nutrition & wellness at Yummly and the owner of edwinaclark.com. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Edwina is a sun-loving runner and world traveler with a sweet tooth.
Mentor Services: Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS - Alissa is the founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness based in New York City. Through her writing, speaking and one-onone coaching work, she helps people who are frustrated with dieting improve their relationships with food and their bodies. She has a passion for food and travel and more often than not can be found traveling around the world, laptop in tow.
Delegate: Liz Newsletter Editor: Friedrich, MPH, RDN, Kim Hoban, RDN, CSG, LDN, FAND, CDN, CPT - Kim is a Certified Intuitive Eating NWCC - Liz is the owner Counselor and NASM of Friedrich Nutrition Certified Personal Consulting. Liz's happy Trainer with a passion place is a 100-year-old for empowering farmhouse overlooking women to live their the New River in Ashe healthiest and happiest lives. When she's not County, NC, where she spends her time busy fighting diet culture, you can find Kim tubing, kayaking and reading great novels. on the run, exploring a new hiking trail or in the kitchen cooking or procrasti-baking. Kim lives in Long Island, New York, with her fiancĂŠ, their son Easton and two rescue pitbulls. Reimbursement Chair: Deanna Howard-Gonzalez, MBA, RD, LD, CDE Owner of Emerald Coast Diabetes & Nutrition Center. Deanna's husband and sons believe she just might have an addiction to painting as she is always redoing furniture, crafts or some other project involving paint.
Director of Communications: Emily Merklen Emily is completing her combined MS-DI at Bradley University and is currently interning in New York City. Emily loves to travel and experience new foods and cultures, and her travels have brought her to South Africa, Australia, and Peru, among other places. She runs her own blog on instagram at @borntokale.
Incoming Newsletter Editor: Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN - Alena has a passion for gut health and will talk about the microbiome with anyone who will listen. She works at a company making low-FODMAP meals more accessible to those who need them. When not at work, she can be found at one of her favorite yoga or HIIT studios, hiking the Hudson Valley, cooking up a storm in her kitchen, or diving into the vast culinary scene that makes up New York City.
CPE Coordinator: Cathy D'Orazio, MS, RDN, LDN - Cathy owns a private practice that specializes in sports, cardiovascular and wellness. She is dedicated to meeting her clients where they are in their health journeys and provides individualized nutrition plans that help each client define and attain his/her nutrition goals. Outside the office, Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband and family at the beach and traveling to cheer on one of her favorite sports teams.
Website Coordinator: Lindsey Herr, RDN - New to entrepreneurship, Lindsey started Your Dietitian Friend in January 2019. She hopes to make nutrition accessible and easy to everyone and to prove that, just as we have a hair stylist and a dentist, everyone can benefit from having a dietitian. Lindsey loves to eat and travel ‌ and loves to travel where she can find the best eats. Her favorite meal so far was having gyoza in Japan.
NE Hub Manager: Kimberley RoseFrancis RDN, LD, CDE Kim is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a Certified Diabetes Educator with close to a decade of clinical experience. She thinks of herself as a virtual cheerleader! Kim has two passions, the first of which is for students and dietetic interns. For this reason, Kim started a YouTube channel and has created step-by-step nutrition support videos and worksheets to help future dietitians accomplish their goals. Her second is for those newly diagnosed with diabetes or with uncontrolled diabetes and related complications. She has also created video resources for her clients and also provides nutrition counseling sessions to reach their health goals.
13
PR Marketing Coordinator: Gisela Bouvier, MBA, RDN, LDN, MIEP - Gisela is the owner of Gisela Bouvier Nutrition. She has a passion for employee health and brings a Mindful and Instinctive Eating approach into the workplace. You can find Gisela working on her business daily, enjoying time with her family or at the barre at least twice a week. Gisela has been teaching barre, a fun and ballet-inspired workout, for three years.
Member Awards: Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN - Lauren is the author of The ProteinPacked Breakfast Club and owner of NutritionStarringYou. com. She’s a theater fan and will chat about all things Broadway for as long as someone will listen. Working as a media RD allows her to channel her inner theater kid and her favorite shows are Les Miz and Hamilton.
Authors & Writers Specialty Group Leader: Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, LD/N, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer - Nicole has a passion for nutrition and fitness. You will often find her jumping in a CrossFit class or talking about CrossFit. She loves being active and on the water.
1
Coaches Specialty Group Leader: Lesli Director of Bitel, MBA, RDN Sponsorships: Mandy Lesli is a marketing Social Media Enright, MS, RDN, RYT and sales expert Coordinator: Kristina Mandy is the owner who works with Hokenson, RDN, of Team with ME: entrepreneurial RDNs RYT 200 - Kristina Nutrition & Fitness who are great at what loves everything Consulting. This they do but struggle about exercise, yoga, Jersey Girl Mermaid with the business side of creating joyful mindfulness and is ready to meet you and prosperous practices. In her work, she running. She enjoys on the water anytime for some SUP Yoga shows clients how to create their “dream being a co-director for her local BIO Girls or just a simple lazy paddle. Mandy is fur business” by attracting loyal, committed program, a self-esteem building group for mommy to a spunky and silly Cavalier clients; selling with authenticity; and scaling young girls, and teaching goat yoga for local appropriately named Shiva the Diva. their businesses by creating diversified fundraisers. Kristina lives in Minot, North revenue streams including group coaching Dakota, with her husband Ryan, two kids programs and digital courses. When Russ (7) and Nora (5), and labradoodle Iris. she’s not helping RDNs run businesses Incoming Director of that they love, she can be found doing Sponsorship: Kristi Lagree workouts, exploring new travel Coughlin, MS, RDN, LD destinations with her family or hiking Director of Meetings: Kristi is passionate with her Australian labradoodle, Rocky. Megan McFadden, about helping her RDN, CD - If she's fellow dietitians share not talking nutrition, positive messages then you can find her with clients. So much Corporate Wellness giggling with her three so, she created an Etsy Speciality Group little ones or planning shop called EffectPositivity which means Leader: Deanna her next trip. With her to bring about happiness. In her spare Wolfe, MS, RDN passport at the ready, time, Kristi can be found exploring the Deanna is the founder Megan is always up for a new adventure. beautiful Pacific Northwest or watching her of Dietitian Deanna daughters play sports, mainly volleyball. and helps women drop Incoming Director of Meetings: Stephanie Dorfman, MS, RDN - In addition to her passion for food, nutrition, and all things wellness, Stephanie grew up attending a sleep away summer camp and loves spending as much time there during the summer months as possible. A lot of her family went there, still works there, and her grandparents even met there!
14
Director of Specialty Groups: Caroline Susie, RDN/LD Her motto is "have passport, will travel” and lives her life planning one trip to the next. Not counting any country twice, she has visited 25 countries, most recently Thailand. Carolie is always up for an adventure.
dieting and learn how to fuel their bodies. Deanna lives in a city but always seems to travel where she can be outdoors with nature, has never met an almond croissant she didn’t like and loves connecting with others in her online community.
1.
Speakers and Media: Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD Amy owns her own consulting business and is a Certified Sports Specialist in Sports Dietetics. With a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition, she is passionate about marrying the two to provide quality, science-based nutrition information through speaking, media, writing and consulting.
Technology & Social Media: Emily Holdorf, MS, RDN, LDN - Emily is the owner of EmPowered Nutrition, which focuses on Intuitive Eating for busy, young professionals. You can typically find Emily in the kitchen creating recipes and taking pictures of food for her blog. When she’s not practicing nutrition, she’s exploring the Charlotte food scene, eating ice cream and spending time outdoors.
Nominating Committee: Karla Moreno-Bryce, MDA, RD, LD - Karla founder of Nutritious Vida and Vegan Nutrition Library, loves coffee shops and cozy spots. She likes visiting local, independent coffee shops whenever she travels. The fun aesthetics of each make for an enjoyable visit while she plans the rest of her trip. She enjoys a simple black coffee or hot tea but her go-to order is a soy chai tea latte.
Private Practice Specialty Group Leader: Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN Nicole is a passionate dietitian who loves to travel! Over 20 countries toured and many more on the list. Now living back on the East Coast, she is so excited for some U.S. sightseeing.
Nominating Committee Member: Janine Faber, MEd, RDN, LD - Janine is a Cincinnati-based dietitian and owner of Janine Faber Nutrition, LLC. As a brand spokesperson, Janine focuses on media communications, health professional outreach and community education. She is often out with her two young kids exploring farmers’ markets, museums and the local amusement park.
Executive Director: Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT - Lauri considers herself lucky to be constantly involved with today’s nutrition giants pushing the boundaries. She dubs herself a connoisseur of great sunrises, dark chocolate and sidewalk chalk art. When not on the computer, she can be found strumming a guitar, creating impromptu workouts with her kids and, of course, cooking in the kitchen.
Nominating Committee: Hailey Crean, MS, RD, CDE, CSWOM - Hailey is the founder of Hailey Crean Nutrition, LLC, a telenutrition practice specializing in education and support for diabetes and metabolic syndrome. When not following her passion for working with clients and building her practice, Hailey loves to be outdoors and can be found taking weekend adventures in the New England area with her husband and two young kids.
Policy Advocacy Leader (PAL): Chrissy Barth, MS, RDN, RYT, PAL - Chrissy is the owner of Nutrition Lifestyle Education, an integrative and functional nutrition practice where she is passionate about teaching others about optimal health and performance by taking the confusion out of nutrition. You can be sure to catch Chrissy in a yoga studio most days of the week and encourages many of her clients to incorporate yoga and other mindfulness-based practices into their lifestyles for optimal wellness.
Second Career Dietitians Chair: Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN - Jessica is a nutrition and lifestyle counselor in Chapel Hill, NC. She loves to read cookbooks but hardly ever follows a recipe as she prefers to use them as “inspiration.” She loves coaching her clients to make real-life changes for improving their health. When Jessica isn't cooking or talking about food she enjoys running, dancing and reading with her two daughters.
15
Ventures
www.nedpg.org
Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT 24 Copperbeech Road Saint James, NY 11780
Upcoming NE Live Webinars 8/8
Instagram Takeovers
Balancing It All: Tips on Working Full-Time While Running a Side Business @ 1pm ET
Monthly takeovers
Presented by Amanda Lambrechts, MS, RD, LN
life of members on
featuring a day in the our Executive
8/28
How To Incorporate Weight Inclusive Practices In Your Nutrition Business @ 1pm ET Presented by Heather Caplan, RD
9/16
Tracking Food Trends: How Nutrition Entrepreneurs Can Benefit and Leverage @1pm ET Presented by Janet Helm, MS, RDN
Committee. Follow along each month on our Instagram page @nutritionentrepreneurs to learn about the EC, ask us questions, and see what we’re up to!
9/18
Sponsored Webinar on Collagen Sponsored by Life Extension @1pm ET Presented by Dr. Mike Smith and Marie Spano, RD Sports Dietitian and partner of Life Extension
Don’t forget you can find 30+ webinar recordings in the CEU Library at NEdpg.org that are all still worth CEU credit!
NE Tip of the Month Monthly tips and motivation from your fellow NE members and entrepreneurial leaders. Find it at NEdpg.org.
