Letter from the Chair������������������������������

STEPHANIE DORFMAN

MS, RDN

CHAIR

Wow, how this year is flying! It feels like yesterday I was writing this letter for our Fall Ventures Newsletter in the hype of preparing for FNCE®� On that note, even months later, I am still coming down from the FNCE® high and excitement of everyone being together� I didn’t know how much I needed that connection, that in-person support, the hugs and the laughs� It’s no easy task to volunteer our time on top of the many other jobs and commitments we dietitians usually sign up for� FNCE® came at the perfect time, reminding me why I have dedicated so much time to Nutrition Entrepreneurs over the last few years - it’s because of all of you, the entire Executive Committee and the smile that sticks on my face when we are all together supporting each other� That’s why we’re all here, right? We are part of Nutrition Entrepreneurs because we are a group of likeminded, innovative and visionary dietitians who help lift each other up� Whether we are in-person or virtual, there are so many ways we can support each other in our business adventures�

y Peruse the NE Hub

Check out the topics and connect with other members on shared questions, concerns and entrepreneurial successes� y Join the monthly Halfie Hours

Connect with other members in real time to chat about popular business topics� y Lean on Mentors

Send a message to one of the NE mentors for a personal connection and one-on-one access� y Find other NE members in your area

We are all over the place!

Find other members close by and schedule your own in-person meet-up� y Get involved on the Executive Committee!

If anyone spoke to me at the DPG showcase during FNCE®, I probably told you that the NE Executive Committee is a “fun bunch,” and I meant it! NE, as a whole, is here to support you in all your entrepreneurial adventures� We love hearing from the NE members - what you all find beneficial and what you think we could be doing better� Please get in touch and let us know how we can lift you up�

Stephanie Dorfman, MS, RD, is passionate about all things wellness, running outdoors, puppies, seltzer, and spreading all of the joy � Stephanie is the owner of Stephanie Dorfman Nutrition and also works for a corporate food service company � When she's not working or snuggling with her puppy Norman, you can find her running (usually in Astoria or Central Park), baking challah, or laughing with family and friends� During the summer months, look for her at her favorite sleep-away summer camp, where her family still works and where her grandparents met� Stephanie loves being able to combine all her passions into her profession every day �

How You/Your Business Can Give Back To Your Local Community

LEAH TSUI

MS, RDN

DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIPS

Giving back to the community is in my DNA; my mom worked in refugee camps before she married my dad, I went on mission trips during high school to build houses in Tijuana, I sorted fruits and vegetables at food banks, and organized the annual Relay for Life® in college� Then, as I prepared to apply for the dietetic internship match, volunteering became accumulating as much time in the nutrition field� This meant hours spent noting diet preferences in the hospital maternity ward, sorting peanut butter jars and making food at the Ronald McDonald House� When I became a registered dietitian, I felt a little burned out on volunteering and it seemed like my heart wasn’t in it anymore� After a couple years of focusing on myself, I started to get the itch to volunteer again� But without the easy connections of school groups or church, I wasn’t exactly sure where to start� Two of my friends at the gym started a nonprofit called The R�I�G� (Rebuild� Inform� Grow�) They work to inspire others to be inspired by themselves through fitness� I first got involved by volunteering to lead kickboxing classes for women staying at The Alexandria House (A-House)* �

* The A-House is a transitional home for women and children located in Los Angeles, California.

Then the pandemic started, so in-person was paused� With the emergence of Zoom and connection via video chat, I gave a series of nutrition talks to The A-House� I presented on having a foundation of nutrition, and some easy ways to cook for large families since they all cook for each other at the A-House� Then The R�I�G� got involved with Boys Republic and we felt safe enough to cook together with masks on in its kitchen� These are high-school boys who have mostly never cooked before, so we reviewed knife skills, kitchen math and the concept of “mise en place” (French for “putting in place”)� In this informal setting of cooking together, we were able to talk about their nutrition questions like protein consumption, and debunk myths around food� As Los Angeles started to open back up, Girls on the Run Los Angeles was looking for volunteer coaches for their third-to-fifth-grade running curriculum� I was selected to be an assistant coach for the fall season, and I absolutely loved being able to discuss the joy in movement� The highlight of the season was the 5K run on the last day� It made me happy to be able to use my business to host a virtual webinar where part of the registration fee was donated to Girls on the Run LA� To my fellow nutrition entrepreneurs, I’m not saying to go out and volunteer all your time and energy away� I am all for knowing your worth and charging appropriately, and with that comes the privilege to give back to your local community� Find something you love to do and see if there are ways for you to get involved� You decide how much time and energy you want to spend, so you don’t grow to resent the volunteering experience� Whether it becomes a weekly commitment, a monthly commitment, or even a one-time event, there are places that will take your help!

WAYS TO FIND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCES IN YOUR COMMUNITY:

y Check in with schools to see if they’d like a registered dietitian to come by and chat about nutrition during school time, y Look up local food banks to see if there are ways to help assemble meals or pack produce� y Check out your alumni group (if you live in the same city as your school) for volunteer days� y Ronald McDonald House is a global organization with local chapters in most states, supporting families around the world� You can bring food and cook for the families in need� y Girls on the Run is a national organization with local councils in most states, supporting elementary and middle-school girls to grow their confidence with a running curriculum� y Meals on Wheels delivers meals to homebound seniors�

Leah Tsui, MS, RDN, is the owner of Limitless Nutrition, in which she does 1:1 counseling, corporate workshops and consulting for several start-ups� Leah combines her love of sports nutrition and gastrointestinal health with an intuitive eating approach� In her time off from being an RDN, you can find her coaching functional fitness at her favorite gym, reading a book (or two!) for the book clubs she's in or running along the beach�

A Perspective Shift on Food Donations

JESSICA CORWIN

MPH, RDN

DIRECTOR ELECT OF MEMBERSHIP SERVICES

Fall colors, cozy sweaters and the ongoing battle of Pumpkin vs� Apple� All signs the giving season is upon us� And with it, food drives� Many of us find ourselves rummaging through our cupboards for items to donate to our local food pantry - typically pinpointing the old can of chicken soup no one wanted or the creamed corn that never sounded right� Or perhaps you run out to the store, grabbing the frosted cereal and canned cream of chicken soup on sale, along with the bulk package of ramen to maximize cost efficiency� Or maybe, just maybe, the dietitian in you decides to swing for the low-sodium soup, canned pumpkin or jars of fruit in 100% juice� All will be helpful� Yet, do you know what your local pantry is truly in need of? Have you stopped in to peruse the shelves? Taken a moment to speak to those in charge? After serving in public health for over a decade, I assure you the visit will be worth your time�

PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: Get to know WHO needs the food.

Food pantries cater to people with nutrient needs as diverse as those among our patients, with cultural food preferences varying further yet� When I first began serving in food pantries, I had a difficult time understanding whom I was speaking to� Yet over time, I had the privilege of connecting with men and women with incredible stories - an engineer whose career was cut short due to the declining automobile market, a diet tech I once worked with as an intern who had to quit due to a disability, and a mother battling the financial aftermath of a horrible car accident� I continuously found myself updating my definition of who seeks help� Humans do not choose to need help� Life happens� Imagine the stress� Imagine their burden� A weight they certainly did not ask to be given� Thankfully, there are ways to help�

PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: Does your pantry truly need canned food?

Many local food pantries are able to purchase typical boxed or canned items at a fraction of the cost you or I would pay in the grocery store� Food pantry buyers can shop directly through Feeding America or, at times, local farms or even food distributors� With this in mind, a monetary donation would be more efficient� Another consideration is the storage options the pantry has on site� Several pantries I worked with had setups like that of a grocery store, with open refrigeration and walkin freezers� The needs may include fresh or frozen foods, or rather pans, slow cookers and measuring cups� It is essential to ask questions surrounding storage capabilities as well as specific needs, whether through food, volunteer hours, money or education�

PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: Think like a supermarket dietitian.

Food pantries are catering to the same dietary and disease needs of a grocery store - cardiovascular, diabetes, celiac - and the list goes on� Imagine leaving your healthcare provider’s office after being instructed to limit sodium to two grams each day, balance your carbs and to eat more vegetables -then walking into your local food pantry clueless, with limited options and zero guidance� This is where a dietitian’s expertise can be a godsend� Educate the staff, create shelf-tags with nutrition tips, help reimagine the pantry layout to make things more user-friendly, create different sections for health needs, or help nudge the buyer on staff toward the best options available to meet client needs�

PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: Reimagine the role a dietitian can play.

Food pantries are businesses in their own rights� Maybe not aiming to turn a profit, yet they need to use their money wisely, market their efforts and manage a staff of volunteers – all while catering to the needs of a diverse clientele� As visionary dietitians and entrepreneurs ourselves, this is our gifting zone of genius� What area do you find most enjoyable? If teaching is your strength, consider coordinating a monthly nutrition class, offering education on meal planning or cooking on a budget, or a talk on diabetes or heart health� While the pantry patrons may appreciate your knowledge, staff and volunteers will also benefit� Classes on which foods are best-suited for specific conditions or the topic of food safety are both topics of concern� As is the case for many NE members, you may be a master of social media and marketing� Use these skills to showcase the needs the pantry has, advertise class offerings or provide nutrition education� Teach staff and volunteers how to use Canva to enhance both fliers and Instagram appeal� You could also experiment with a virtual “Ask the Dietitian” once a month� Realistic time investments with meaningful rewards�

Just Show Up.

However you choose to serve, I do hope you consider going above and beyond simply cleaning out your cupboard� I urge you to show up, ask questions, get curious and think about how you can use your strengths to bolster all levels of health and wellness in your own community�

Jessica Corwin, MPH, RDN: Despite transitioning away from entrepreneurial work this year as Jessica jumps into new roles in the field of women's health, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to give back to a DPG that has inspired her for over a decade� Jessica has 15+ years of experience in public health, culinary medicine and group education, as well as writing and editing� That being said, she works hard in order to play hard, soaking up the sun on the sandy shores of Lake Michigan with her three children, husband and boxer dog�

Here’s How to Identify Energy-Generating Activities to Fill Your Cup

KRISTI COUGHLIN

MS, RDN

DIRECTOR OF MEETINGS

Here we are again - talking about prioritizing your self-care� Unfortunately, we regularly make excuses as to why it can't happen� We have good intentions of caring for ourselves, but we get busy� As the business owner and domestic engineer of my home, I'm in charge of running the show on many fronts� I assume the roles of project manager, calendar keeper and scheduler, taxi driver, and so on� My schedule is regularly overrun with appointments, activities, family outings and doing all the things� On the surface, I'm busy� However, it really means my needs often get pushed to the bottom of the to-do list�

For you, a busy schedule may be different� That master’s thesis isn't going to write itself� Your fur babies need to be walked� You may be busy building your nutrition empire while working full-time� You may even juggle all these things while caring for your aging parents�

By prioritizing myself, my friends and family benefit�

The point being, we've all got pressing matters that seem to slowly suck away our time� One moment it feels like you can tackle the world� The next, well, you're glued to the couch because you can't handle doing one more thing for someone else� When you've gotten to this point, it may indicate you haven't filled your cup lately�

THE WAY OUT IS IN

A couple of years ago, I had an epiphany: If I prioritize my happiness, that joy emanates to those around me� By prioritizing myself, my friends and family benefit� This is the exact opposite of everything we are often taught� Instead, the belief system is something like this: If everyone around you is happy, you'll feel whole� The same principle is usually applied to caring for oneself versus those around you� Newsflash - that's not how it works� To help you generate joy that flows to others, you need to know what brings a smile to your face and makes you feel a surge of energy� Knowing the tasks that make you feel drained is just as important� For tangible results, it's time to sit down and make a couple of lists: 1 Write out all things that don't get you excited� Include tasks that constantly get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list� This will consist of the things you dread doing or dream of someone else managing� These are chores that repulse you� These are all the things you’d rather not do� 2 Brainstorm what gets you excited or makes you feel rejuvenated�

These are the tasks you look forward to crossing off your list�

They are the chores that don't feel like a chore� The secret is to think about how you feel after you complete the task� If you have a sudden uptick in energy, it goes on this list� Now it's time to shift your priorities� If something on the first list can be delegated, do it� The things that bring you energy (and happiness) are now your top priority� Whenever possible, make one of these your first task of the day� You fill your cup when you front-load your day with items from the second list� The best part is that you'll have more energy which will mean you're better equipped to take on the tasks that would otherwise weigh you down� Remember: when prioritizing yourself by doing the things that bring you energy, it flows from you to others�

REPULSE LIST 1:

Tasks that have to do with mail or lingering paperwork that needs to be kept for longer than a week. Anything related to bookkeeping or taxes (blah). Making doctor's appointments or something requiring a phone call as a requirement.

EXCITES LIST 2:

Working out. Taking a walk outside, even if it's 5 to 10 minutes. Stretching or doing a few yoga poses (more if I have time). Coffee date with a friend and deep, meaningful conversations. Allowing my creative juices to flow with designing, creating and/or writing.

Kristi Coughlin, MS, RDN, is not your typical nutrition entrepreneur� After recognizing private practice wasn’t her thing, she opened Bring About Happy, an uplifting, productbased business� In her spare time, Kristi can be found eating pizza, at the lake with her husband and kids, or drinking coffee with friends�