Nutritionist Entrepreneurs - Winter Ventures 2018

Ventures Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs

Shorten the Failure Life-Cycle Elana Natker, MS, RD Chair Failure is a word that conjures up some strong emotions: fear, avoidance, embarrassment. It’s natural to be afraid of failure, and to use that fear to drive us toward success. But I can say with complete confidence that every single one of us has dealt with failures in our lives, both professionally and personally large and small; and probably many times.

When we fail, it could be due to a variety of reasons. Maybe you made a mistake, like an error in judgment. Maybe the mistake was completely accidental or innocent.

Maybe the failure was largely out of your control. Whatever the case may be, failures mean nothing if you can’t learn from them.

Much like that old adage about those who don’t learn from history being condemned to repeat it, the same goes for failure.

As dietitians, we actually received training on the method that is used to prevent future failures. Remember HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) for foodservice?

The same principles apply to everyday life: 1. Conduct a Hazard (Failure) Analysis.

When you fail (and you will – we all do!), stop what you’re doing and reflect. This doesn’t mean wallow in self-pity, although certainly give yourself room to do that for a short while if – and only if – it’s helpful to you. But review the situation like the scientist you are and try to determine where you might’ve taken a wrong turn.

2. Identify Critical Control Points. Figure out at which point(s) you might’ve been able to do something different to avoid the failure. Maybe you said “yes” to one too many projects, got overwhelmed and did subpar work. Or maybe there wasn’t much you could’ve done – such as failing to set a new personal best in a road race which, at the last minute, had to shorten its course because of a car accident along the race

route (speaking from experience – the 2015 Cherry Blossom 10-miler ended up being the Cherry Blossom 9.39-miler).

3. Establish Critical Limits for Each Control Point. For the failures you can control, such as taking on too much at work, identify at what point you will be overwhelmed with work and will no longer be able to succeed.

When is it time to say “no” to projects?

4. Establish Critical Control Point Monitoring Requirements. What will you do to identify when you’re getting close to that critical limit? Maybe you need to keep timecards of your daily work, and when you’re noticing that work is creeping into your personal time, you realize it’s time to cut a few things out or start turning work away.

5. Establish Corrective Actions. In other words, don’t just apologize for failing (and you should try to do this – even if you’re apologizing to yourself), but what is it that you’re going to do differently to avoid that failure again in the future?

6. Establish Procedures to Ensure the HACCP System is Working. This may mean monthly reflections on your workload, or having a pact with a friend or spouse to have him or her speak up when they think you’re overloaded.

7. Establish Record-Keeping Procedures.

This is less applicable to everyday life, but it’s just another way to look at your situation as a whole and make sure your changes are working for you in the long term. For example, as you do your daily timecards, which then inform your monthly reflections, what does that look like from an income perspective? Are you meeting your business goals?

Maybe for next Ventures, we can apply the Krebs Cycle to everyday life (just kidding!)

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.

She’s planning to enjoy the next two to three years overseas with a mix of work, travel and outdoor explorations.

Winter 2018-2019 Volume XXXIX Number 3 Embracing Failure: How Past Mistakes Helped Shape Future Successes

In This Issue: Shorten the Failure Life-Cycle ���������������� 1 Failing Forward ������������������������������������������� 2 It Isn't Always a Mistake… ��������������������� 3 Reframing Failure ��������������������������������������� 4 Should Failure be a Part of Your Business Strategy ��������������� 5 The Higher You Climb the Harder You Fall ������������������������������������� 6 3 Simple Rules to Avoid Preventable Failure ����������������������� 7 Business Failure are the Pause Button We All Need to Succeed in the Long Run ���������������������7 Diverting Energy from Failure to Prosperity ����������������������������������� 8 Start Where You Are. Use What You Have. Do What You Can. ����������������� 9 No, Slow, Grow, Go �����������������������������������10 Money Mistakes �����������������������������������������10 Don't Banish the "F" Word ���������������������11 How I Left Two Careers and Became A Dietitian �������������������������11 The Value of Highlighting "Failure" ���12 Don't Fail to Login and Network With the New NEDPG.org ���������������������13 My Gifts of Failure �������������������������������������14 FNCE Recap. �������������������������������������������������15 The Financial Math of Negotiating Your Strategy… ���������������16 Members on the Move ���������������������������18 Expaning Our Horizons Through A Diverse and Inclusive Dietetics Workforce ���������������19 Embracing Failure �������������������������������������20 Failure: [definition] �����������������������������������20 Product Reviews ���������������������������������������21 Mini Meetings ���������������������������Back Cover

Ventures EDITOR Julie Harrington, RD

INCOMING EDITOR Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT

EDITORIAL BOARD, 2018-2019 Elana Natker, MS, RD Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Erin Hendrickson, RDN, LD Julie Harrington, RD Rosanne Rust, 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. © 2018 Nutrition Entrepreneurs.

All rights reserved.

WE WELCOME INPUT FROM OUR MEMBERS. PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR: Julie Harrington, RD 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

Forward Julie Harrington, RD Newsletter Editor When people meet me, they see that on the outside I am very go-with-theflow and easygoing, which is true, but my inner work ethic is very type-A, like many dietitians.

Being entrepreneurs, we tend to be our own worst critics. We strive for perfection, but not everything goes according to plan. Learning to turn what we might think is a failure at the time actually can help open doors to other opportunities.

I learned the concept of failing forward from Regan Jones, RD. In one of her presentations at a conference she stated, “The best moment of my career was when I realized the obstacle course to the career I thought I wanted was actually the training ground for the career I was meant to have.”

When I listened to her speak at this conference, it was a pivotal time in my career. I had recently left my fulltime job to pursue my own business. I was still in the phase of being excited, empowered and ready to move forward.

But still in the pit of my stomach was fear, and most of that fear was fear of failure coming with the unknown.

After that presentation I did a lot of reflecting. I drew up a full business plan and set forth what my priorities were within my own business. At the time, I was working part-time at a private practice.

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I gave myself one year to be at a point financially where I would be able to fully support myself from only my business.

One year came and went, and I am still working at that private practice parttime. I once viewed this as a failure.

When I left my full-time job, my plan was solely to have my own business. Usually once I have set my mind to something, it can be very hard to change.

That year really taught me about flexibility.

My business plan sitting on my desk has re-writes in red pen, Post-It notes attached everywhere, and notes of future plans jotted down on the back. I would say only about 50% of that business plan went accordingly to plan. Back to that type-A personality, it would look like failure, but also in that year, I learned that I really thrive working around other people. While a few days a week working at home with no distractions is great, I love working at an office parttime with like-minded colleagues who inspire me. Plus, I enjoy my part-time job.

Things may not have gone according to plan, but I am finally feeling that I am in the career I was meant to have. Now, with just juggling both my own business and my other job, that’s a story for another day.

Julie Harrington, RD, is the owner of Julie Harrington Consulting, LLC and just went through a full rebrand and redesign for her new website julieharringtonrd.com. Cooking has always given her joy because of its powerful ability to connect people together. As a chef and dietitian, her passion is to educate others about nutrition through food and give them the tools they need to build confidence in the kitchen.

It Isn't Always A Mistake Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN, CLT Secretary Lately I have been thinking of all the past “mistakes” that I have made since starting private practice. What’s funny is I might be bringing back some of those mistakes (as you will see in my last tip). Private practice or just being an entrepreneur comes with its own set of challenges and “oops” moments, but here are a few things I have taken away to help shape future success.

REFRAME YOUR THOUGHTS: Getting rid of limiting beliefs was huge for me (and something I am constantly working on). Holding onto the idea that you can’t do something for X reason means the biggest roadblock is you and nothing else. When you let go of that idea, it opens a world of possibilities.

TEACHING MOMENTS: I had a huge teaching moment when I forgot to cancel a service and was charged $500. That bill taught me a couple things, like paying attention to due dates and turning those moments into something useful. While I didn’t think I was prepared to pay that bill, I did. I now am using that service way more than I thought I would.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT PERFECTION: I wouldn’t say I am a perfectionist but I do like efficiency. (Maybe I am a secret perfectionist?) Sometimes I go down a rabbit hole and get lost in details that don’t matter. Ask yourself how much of that detail really matters for your bottom line. If it doesn’t, then let it go and move on. Perfection can be paralyzing.

EXPECT UPS AND DOWNS: There is no straight line to being a successful business owner. There will be slow times in the business and that is OK. A slow month doesn’t mean that you’ve made a mistake. Use the slow moments to plan and strategize.

BE OPEN: What I have found in my few years in private practice is not to be tied into any one thing and be open to change. I am constantly reevaluating how I structure my services and time. At first I thought that if I changed something, it reflected badly on me. I have come to realize changing something in response to my ideal client actually means I am on the right track. With that being said, I am going to bring back some of the old services that I thought weren’t useful.

Times change. You change. And that is OK. You will never know how things turn out until you do it. Mistakes can be good for you. Doing something is better than doing nothing. That is the message that I always bring myself back to.

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.

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Reframing Failure Erin Hendrickson, RDN, LD Director of Communications My career crush will eternally be Steve Jobs, without question. What other master innovator builds a company in his garage from the ground up, massively fails and then gets himself fired?

He didn’t slink back, keep quiet or fade into the shadows. He transferred blood, sweat and tears into other ventures and was ultimately resurrected as CEO of the original company he began. Today consumers salivate at the release of a new Apple product, often waiting in line for hours to eagerly hand over their hard-earned money.

After moving up the ranks in the corporate wellness world at a major healthcare company, I applied for a transfer to the communications department for a content-creation dream job. I was THE perfect candidate: knowledgeable on the industry, plenty of writing and

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content development experience, and an inexpensive hire. EASY decision.

I was almost immediately denied an interview. Psssh, okay. Don’t they know who I am? Fast forward two weeks later to an obscure Tuesday in late March. My direct CEO held a department meeting to inform us our positions were being eliminated, with little reason and certainly no valid explanation. I not only didn’t have a new role; I was being forced out of my old one.

Losing a job is a paralyzing experience, especially when you’re made to feel like just another figure impeding the bottom line. I won’t pretend that I didn’t have a few self-loathing days of bingeing Bob Ross on Prime. But that’s just not my style (except I DO love some Bob Ross).

It took only a few “happy little accidents” on the magical Bob Ross canvas to reframe my own personal failure. I had been checked out of the corporate world for a long while.

Even a transfer into my “dream job” would have only been a temporary fix. I craved more, and this was the perfect opportunity to build my own legacy from the ground up.

Failure spans a myriad of levels, from minor project flops or forgetting to send a key email to being fired and forced to start anew. Failure is coming for us, and instead of running, we entrepreneurs swing around and confront it. How we reframe that inevitable failure is key to moving forward and thriving.

I choose to reframe my own failure as freedom. Freedom to do what I love for myself, instead of working to make someone else millions. I don’t have it all mapped out just yet, but in the words of Steve Jobs and fellow entrepreneurs everywhere I will “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.”

You can find Erin blogging on her website MinimalistRD.com about all things minimalism including tiny houses, capsule wardrobes and zero-waste living. You’ll likely find her hiking, thrifting and eating her way around Nashville, as well as planning her next travel adventure.

Should Failure be a Part of

Your Business Strategy?

Nancy Sidnam, MS, RDN Social Media Coordinator Failure is an inevitable part of life, and that goes for business too. Does that mean we should embrace it? Or work hard to reduce the amount of failures we experience? For most of us, the answer may lie somewhere in the middle.

One approach to failure is to fail fast and fail often. It’s a controversial topic in the business world, but the concept focuses on learning quickly through trial and error.

Minimal time and thought are given to planning, asking questions or worrying about what could go wrong. Instead, quick action is meant to provide quick results so that you can learn, iterate, test again and continue the cycle until something sticks.

One of the benefits to this approach is that it provides the ability to test out an idea before investing a significant amount of

time and money into it. However, critics of the “fail fast” mantra point out that things like creative thinking may be sacrificed in the process due to time constraints, and making hasty decisions could lead to other consequences down the road.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is the avoidance of failure at all costs. After all, failure can lead to consequences - lost money, lost time, lost relationships, lost reputation - you name it. For someone who is risk-averse, then avoidance may seem like the smartest idea; if you take your time, create a plan, do your research, and make smart, thoughtful decisions that are lowrisk, in theory you will not be very likely to fail. Looking at the other side of the coin, though, it’s important to ask yourself what you may be losing out on if you are afraid to fail. Are you sacrificing your ability to learn through experimenting, and therefore squandering real opportunities for growth and success?

Or worse yet, is your avoidance of failure preventing you from taking any action at all, keeping you stuck where you are?

As is the case with most extremes, both failing often and avoiding failure may not be sustainable long-term strategies if you want to see success in your business.

Failure doesn’t have to be scary if you can find the balance between taking action and exercising caution that feels most comfortable to you. That balance may change over time as your goals and priorities change, and that’s okay too.

One last thing to consider: if/how you survive purposeful or unplanned failure and move past it is all about how you react when failure arrives. Adapting a growth mindset can help you learn from it so you are prepared to do better next time.

Nancy, founder of The Wellie Life, loves experimenting with DIY skincare recipes. She makes face masks, body scrubs and more, all created with ingredients found in her pantry and refrigerator.

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The Higher You Climb, The Harder You Fall Jenna Bell, PhD, RD Delegate’s Corner I have to be honest.

I haven’t really experienced many failures in my professional life.

Sure, I’ve had to revise or edit; maybe I didn’t win in a new biz pitch, or get the contract or grant; but truly, my professional world has remained relatively failure-free. Even if you’re rolling your eyes as you read this, I believe that most (maybe all) of you can relate. When I was a professor in medical dietetics, I saw the GPAs and extracurriculars that notyet-RDs brought to the table. RDs are not a group of loungers. They are go-getters and I’m sure you meet them every day.

And I had always been one of them.

That said, I felt like a royal failure during one of my life-changing situations divorce. It was as amicable and as lovely as a divorce could be (assures my inner do-gooder), but regardless, divorce is transformational and surreal. For all my years of study and competence, this common, yet devastatingly personal, situation stripped me of my confidence and made me question my instincts,

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decisions and accomplishments. I’d lost the achievements that made me - me.

Looking at it in the rearview mirror, I can tell you how my past mistakes helped shape future successes. I learned things about myself that I’m grateful for. Maybe you can relate?

I learned ....

1. We are often told that “no one is perfect.” But because I worked so hard, I actually thought I was (nearly) perfect. I took all the responsible steps to adulthood (academically anyway), made people laugh and wasn’t a menace to society. I earned accolades and did other cool things like bookwriting, travel and Ironmans. I thought these qualities were important to my contemporaries. Turns out, friends and family do not care about Ph.D.school; they just care about me.

2. I am not the sum of my achievements. It’s a sticky web when you put too much importance on your professional coolness. You can rise to the top, but you’ll fall flat if your life is just an accumulation of certifications and checkboxes. I call that being at risk for “you’ll die alone” disorder.

3. Networking is the most important thing you can do to get ahead. I don’t mean giving out your card at an expo, I mean really connecting.

Talk shop, but when you push your work agenda to the side, you’ll often find mini-soulmates.

4. Nine-out-of-ten times failure is perception. We may think it’s failure, but it’s actually change. Laid-off, lost a business pitch, rejected for publication, grew apart? These are changes perceived as failures.

For the record, the tenth failure isn’t perception - it’s just a multiple choice exam that you didn’t study for.

Jenna is the senior vice president and director of health & wellness at Pollock Communications in New York City. She works remotely and lives in what she calls “vacation” - St. Petersburg, Florida - with her two kids, husband, Giant Schnoodle (Mokey) and Goldendoodle (Rainbow Unicorn Sparkle).

3 Simple Rules to Avoid Preventable Failure Patti Landers , PhD, RDN, LD, FAND Treasurer

I probably learned more about failure in my 17 years of being a college professor than in any other period of my life. I made plenty of mistakes and all were painful, but the most common and worst kind of failure I saw in the students was the preventable kind. For years I shared three simple rules for success (i.e. minimizing preventable failure). One year I even printed business-sized cards with the three steps.

1. Read and follow the directions.

2. Know where to look it up.

3. Do the sanity check.

The best example I can share came about as a result of an assignment almost every dietetic student does in college – write a general menu and modify it. The “facility” was a 100-bed residential care center with

a mean age of 75 years and a conventional kitchen for food preparation. The diets were standard and included clear liquid, full liquid, dysphagia 1, 2, 3, regular (general), healthy heart and consistent carbohydrate.

After grading, it was my policy to have the students come to the office individually so I could go over their assignments and mentor them. If they wanted a chance to revise the menu, I let them re-do it and I would grade it again and give them additional points added onto their original score.

Student A turned in the menu, and the full liquid breakfast included cornflakes. I asked why he put cornflakes on a liquid menu.

He told me that he had gone to the diet manual and followed the directions for the full liquid diet that stated,“with this diet, thin cereal or gruel, ... could be provided along with juices or nectars that do not contain pulp”- and that cornflakes were the thinnest (flaked cereal) he could find.

There were multiple other issues with the menus (I think his overall score was 42%) and the student elected to do it again for extra credit. When it came back for regrading,

the cornflakes had been replaced with shredded wheat. How does this scenario apply to the three rules? Rule #1 – directions read and followed (check). Rule #2 – knew where to look it up (check). Rule #3 – did the answer make any sense? NO! Cornflakes and shredded wheat both have “thin flakes,” but they are not liquid. This answer failed the sanity check twice. How do you fix that?

Despite what everybody says about learning from it, failure is unpleasant and so is taking criticism of any kind. We can, however, follow the three rules and minimize preventable failure and learn from our mistakes. Former students may forget the principles of food science or how to calculate labor-minutes-per-patient meal, but if they learned anything at all from me, they remember and apply the three rules.

Patti Landers has had nutrition careers as a hospital dietitian, professor and consultant and now serves as a dietetic internship director of a program with a business and entrepreneurship concentration. Contact her at KADDI@consultingdietitians.com.

Business Failures are the Pause Button We All Need to Succeed in the Long Run Lauren HarrisPincus, MS, RDN Member Awards Ask any entrepreneur and she/he will likely provide you with a laundry list of failures both large and small the person has endured. Thomas Edison “failed” thousands of times before inventing the light bulb, but each was a valuable learning experience. Some of the world’s most successful people have the most agonizing stories about failure, but how it’s handled is what matters. How can you truly appreciate a win if you’ve never lost?

Building a business generates lots of bumps in the road. I’ve learned two valuable lessons thus far: (1) Keep your eye on the prize (whatever that means to you), and (2) You are probably your own worst critic.

We all have dozens of reasons why we don’t try, shouldn’t consider, won’t even attempt or can’t complete a project. Turn it around to find reasons why you should, how you will, how much will it cost and how long will it take to achieve a goal.

As an author, failure is par for the course. I can’t imagine writing a perfect manuscript that’s accepted by every publishing house and sells a million copies. Can you? My road to becoming an author was paved with many small failures along the way, like publisher rejections, underwhelming offers, agonizing negotiations and recipe fails, but perseverance led to the ultimate goal of publishing my first book. While self-publishing was not my original plan, working through the process led to several additional opportunities. I’ve been asked to speak at conferences on the topic of self-publishing as well as write a feature article for Today’s Dietitian magazine.

You never know when your Plan B will turn out better than you anticipated.

Entrepreneurs live a lonely existence most of the time. It’s critical to find a tribe to help you work through your failures and even potentially avoid some of them in the first place. Find a mentor with similar interests who has a successful business venture you aspire to emulate. Form a mastermind group with a few like-minded individuals to hold you accountable and help to support and redirect you when you need it most.

Some of my favorite inspirational quotes regarding the benefits of failure:

“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.“ - Henry Ford “Failure is a bruise not a tattoo.“ – Jon Sinclair “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.“- Winston Churchill “If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.“ - Woody Allen

So, what is your business goal and what’s standing in your way? What have your own failures taught you and how have you changed your behavior to grow? In the words of Michael Jordan, “I can accept failure … I can’t accept not trying.”

Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, is a speaker, author of The Protein-Packed Breakfast Club and owner of Nutrition Starring YOU, LLC in New Jersey where she specializes in weight management and prediabetes.

Lauren is an avid theater fan and Broadway is her happy place. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest @ LaurenPincusRD and at NutritionStarringYOU.com

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Diverting Energy from to Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN Director of Sponsorship Like many successful dietitians I know, I didn’t get matched to an internship in the first round. That morning I felt like a failure.

I had applied to programs close to home and been closed-off in the application process to others since I was afraid of moving away and even more afraid of student loans. Thankfully my program at UConn had me instantly divert my energy to second-round matches, forcing me to open my eyes to other opportunities. I quickly applied to programs that better aligned with my goals, and was actually able to choose between three programs.

This experience - paired with many people along the way (advisors, family, other dietitians I looked up to) – enables me to truthfully say I haven’t felt as if I failed since.

That’s not to say I’ve never been frustrated or compared my path to others (wondering why my post wasn’t the one that went viral or why that company chose to work with

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them instead of me). After a few minutes, I can reflect, recognizing things happen for a reason, and refocus my energy into actions and opportunities that keep my career moving in the right direction.

It’s easy to feel down when something doesn’t go our way or we feel we’ve made the wrong career decision. It’s true that once you make some decisions, you won’t be able to go back. Even if you wind up feeling your decision was wrong, your attitude will make or break whether you wind up “stuck” or motivated to move on to bigger and better things.

Recently, Katie Cavuto, a dietitian I have been lucky to work with and learn from, posted a lesson she’s taught her son that taught her a lot, too. While I feel I’ve lived this philosophy in my career, it’s great to have it spelled out to better articulate it to others: FAILure is a “First Attempt In Learning.” We help our clients realize this as they use trial-and-error to find the lifestyles that are best for them. We can practice this in our careers to allow a frustrating experience to create a positive one.

Write down something that could be perceived as a failure or something you

often reflect on, saying “I wish I did X” or “if only I did Y.” Then, identify one positive thing that came from that experience. If that’s a challenge, write down things you learned from the experience. Be positive and specific, so the next time you catch yourself saying “I wish X,” you can flip your attitude, using what you’ve learned as motivation to catapult your career forward.

This activity doesn’t have to reflect on a major experience. Sometimes I just wish I acted more quickly on an opportunity. This energy becomes motivation to stop doing things that take time and energy away from where I want it to be. Whether you’ve had big or small speed bumps on your journey, I hope you’re diverting energy to prosper.

Kelly is a new mom learning to balance a love for her family and her career. She works as a fitness nutrition consultant, media spokesperson, and professor, with a little bit of nutrition coaching and virtual course work, too. She is a selfproclaimed foodie and travel addict, always looking for the best plant-based dining in a new city. Kelly loves to compete in road races and triathlons with her family and friends, but also spends time at yoga and group fitness classes.

Start Where You Are. Use What You Have.

Do What You Can

Nicole Aucoin,MS,RD, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Authors and Writers Failures are a part of everyone’s journey. Most people won’t talk about what hasn’t worked for them; they only talk about their success.

Social media has also made it very easy to envy people who are more successful or “who have made it.” I challenge you to start where you are and focus on achieving your business goals instead of comparing what you have to others as you scroll through social media.

I have worked in private practice since 2005 and opened my own business in 2012. To say I made mistakes is an understatement. Some mistakes wasted time; others wasted thousands of dollars in lost revenue. I wouldn’t change one thing. All of the trial-and-error led me to build the business of my dreams and help thousands of people improve their health.

Looking back, the biggest mistake I made was a lack of systems. It felt as if I could never catch up and I would never be able to leave my hospital job to work on my practice full-time. Slowly, I started making templates, resources and even my own app to save

me time and manage my nutrition clients.

Simple things, like automated emails and a scheduling software, saved me hundreds of hours and mistakes. It took years to develop a system and I’m still refining the process, but now I’m able to manage more clients in less time. I even wrote the book Nourish in 2017 to help prevent other dietitians from making the same mistakes I did.

In 2014, I started a mentoring company to help dietitians and gym owners build nutrition programs. I was coaching CrossFit at the time, and my husband and I were traveling around running nutrition challenges at CrossFits around the state of Florida. We invested hundreds of dollars in equipment because we were sure it would work. What we found is that people really needed help beyond just a challenge. Going into CrossFit gyms to run challenges was timeconsuming and the margins weren't what we hoped for. At the time, I would have considered that venture a “failure,” but in the process, a gym reached out to us about helping it run a nutrition program onsite.

From there, we created systems to help the gym partner with nutrition experts and build a successful program in its gym using our model. Over the past four years, we have helped over 400 gyms and dietitians build nutrition programs.

If that ONE gym didn’t ask for help, this business would have never evolved.

When I looked back at how we launched that program and compare it to where it is today, it’s amazing to see what the program has become. Of course, there were some mistakes made along the way, but we adapted.

If I have learned one thing from my own mistakes and talking to thousands of entrepreneurs over the years, it’s JUST START. Take action. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Just get your business going. Venture into that new market. Release your new product. Then tweak and perfect it as you go.

Imagine where you will be one year from now if you start today!

Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, is the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition, CrossFit HSN and HSN Mentoring. Nicole left the corporate setting to start her own business helping others achieve optimal health through proper nutrition and exercise. She mentors hundreds of gym owners and dietitians to build successful nutrition businesses. HSN Mentoring provides a turn-key solution to launching and building a successful private practice. Nicole is the author of Nourish: Grow Your Nutrition Business From The Ground Up which is available on Amazon, and is an active contributor to the CrossFit Journal and Box Pro Magazine. She offers free help on her website, growyournutritionbusiness.com. She can be reached at Nicole@healthystepsnutrition.com.

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No, Slow, Grow, Go Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD Specialty Group Chair: Authors and Writers Most of us have experienced career ups and down at some point and if you haven’t yet, you probably will. It’s part of real life; it’s part of the growth and resilience process.

Slow - There is a big difference between a delay and a denial. What can appear as a no might actually be a not yet. Life is often a process, and the process can be slow. While most of us don’t like waiting, it is often required as we embrace a brighter future. We might be ready for an opportunity, but the opportunity might not be ready for us, so there is a waiting period. Use it wisely. Expand your skills. Expand your work on another project. Expand or pursue other passions. Use the wait.

For some of us, these ups and downs are from our own doing, be it extraordinary opportunities we pursued or mistakes we have made. For some of us, we have had to embrace failure because we were let go from a job or lost a contract. No matter how the failure or downturn happened, each can be an opportunity to move forward and embrace a brighter future ahead.

Grow - Sometimes mistakes and failures are designed for growth.

Evaluate the past mistake or failure, but don’t dwell on it. Instead, determine how you can grow from the situation. Is there a skill you need to improve? Do you need to focus in a different direction? Do you need to re-evaluate some things in your business. Use no, not yets and mistakes to get better and become a stronger version of you. In time, it will pay off.

When your career throws you a curveball, consider evaluating it with a No, Slow, Grow, Go set of eyes.

Go - Many failures and mistakes lead to GO! They are often the stepping stone to a new opportunity, new business dream or a new level of creativity. Take what’s happened in the past and use it to propel you forward. We all experience failures, but if you can learn from them and convert them into GOs, your future will be full of success and you’ll be stronger for it.

No - Sometimes we make mistakes that end something or get told no and that’s the end. NOs aren’t always bad, while they may seem like it in the moment. Oftentimes they are designed to push us into a new level in our career or destiny. It is often what we do with the no that makes or breaks us. It is said that life is 10% what happens and 90% how we respond to it. When a no comes, look at it through the lens of “where can this no lead me?”

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Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, 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.

How I Left Two Careers and Became a Dietitian Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Second Career Dietitians I am a second-career dietitian. That means I’ve had previous careers before going into dietetics. I love being a dietitian and I would say that I’m pretty good at it. At one point I would have said I failed at my previous careers, but my perspective has changed. While I did not stay with those careers, I did not actually fail at them. Looking back, I can see that the choices I made about my career were “safe.” What I learned in the journey that followed was that the greater risk I took, the bigger the payoff I experienced.

When I was applying for college, the expectation was that I should have some idea of what I wanted to study. I admit now that I had no clue. I figured I’m good at math and science, and I like biology; why not biomedical engineering? There are plenty of good jobs for engineers. And so that’s what I chose, without much thought to the final outcome. I was not ready to take a risk and even consider other

options that might be more interesting to me.

I wanted the shortest path to success and this was seemingly it. It was not until I found myself in a Ph.D. program in bioengineering that I finally paid attention to the nagging feeling that I wanted to do something else. I had to face the fact that I had made the “wrong” choice in careers/studies. Hard and scary as it was, I decided to take a risk and leave the program.

Did I choose dietetics next? Nope! I studied graphic design and then worked at an advertising agency for four years. It was there that I realized I actually loved science (and I missed it) but I also wanted to help people.

Could I actually leave my career again? Had I failed at being a graphic designer? No. My decision to switch careers from advertising to dietetics was simply another in a line of risks to get me to my career today. However, it did not come without the accompanying regrets, uncertainties and fears. I had already spent years in graduate school in another field, then more time training in visual arts, followed by years at a job in graphic design that I knew I would not return to. I faced feelings of regret over wasted time and not having known myself way back when I was 18, and then the fear that even this next step might not be the right one. I had tons of doubts. I was about to

put more time and money into education and training to become a dietitian. It was a big risk.

You know the end of the story: I spent two years in graduate school in a coordinated program studying nutrition and doing my internship. I’ve been a dietitian for four years and I love it. It turns out that this is exactly where I need to be. But I only arrived here after all those “failures” (read “experiences”).

Here’s a few things I learned along the way:

1. Know when to cut your losses.

2. The truth is no one knows

what they’re doing.

3. Do what you love - if you’re not passionate about the thing you do, you will always feel like a failure.

Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN, is a nutrition and lifestyle counselor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 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 is not cooking food or talking about it, she enjoys running, dancing and reading with her two daughters.

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Money Mistakes Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN Specialty Group Chair: Private Practice Like most, when I ventured out and created my private practice I was not thinking about the logistics of how all the money worked. I felt that I knew enough of the business side of things, but when it came to collecting money from clients, patients and insurance companies, I really did not know ENOUGH! Taking a look at year five of my business, when it really was a business and not so much a hobby, I had over $7,000 in outstanding invoices from customers. Yes, a mini-heart attack set in and I really had to decide if I was going to be a successful business owner or work for free with some clients.

Here are the steps that I took to have financial stability:

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1. Policy. I have a solid financial policy form

that every customer signs. It addresses when, how much and method of payments.

Late payments, refunds and lack of funds are all covered. Since we take medical insurance, the policy addresses denials, copays and coinsurance. Most important, it says, in a nutshell, the customer is responsible! Furthermore, it states what my action steps are to collect debt.

2. S ystem. I quickly learned that I needed

a system in place to manage who has paid, who has what insurance, what my rates are, what to do if someone does not pay and how many visits someone has come in for. So I created process sheets as guides on what to do with each type of customer, and incorporated those processes into the software.

3. Software. I needed software to assist with

my organization and time-management. I started to pay for an EMR that was designed for RDNs in private practice vs. the free ones available out there. Also, I learned and use accounting software to its fullest to manage invoices, payments, employees and more.

4. Checks and Balances. Important:

Remembering to balance my checking account monthly to double-check that all monies are actually in my account.

I cannot tell you how many times I get notification from an insurance company that it paid; however, there is no direct deposit (EFT) entered in the account.

This BIG money mistake taught me so much!

I am thrilled to say that we have very few outstanding invoices. Throughout our six locations, we process 40+ invoices per week, and our policies, systems, software and checksand-balances run like a well-oiled machine.

Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN, LDN, CHWC, is the president of Anderson’s Nutrition, and the founder of Nutrition Business Consultants & Services. This Arizona native just moved back to the Philadelphia area and is excited to explore the restaurants and history that surround her. She left her full-time job after a decade in the nutrition business world to embrace her passion of assisting others achieve their goals. She currently coaches clients in one of her Pennsylvania locations and works virtually with nutrition entrepreneurs on their business developments.

Don't Banish the "F" Word Maria McConville, MS, RDN, CPT Specialty Group Chair: Coaching No one likes the “F” word: failure. But we’ve all experienced failure at one time or another. Most of us can likely recall an “epic failure” leaving us discouraged, defeated or disillusioned. But what may feel like a failure can actually turn out to be a great success.

When I was in high school, all the popular girls were cheerleaders. Wanting to fit in, I tried out for the cheerleading squad but didn’t make it. Although I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a cheerleader, I was terribly disappointed and felt like a loser. I loved to swim and decided to join the synchronized swimming team. I absolutely loved it. I thrived with this group and became the captain of the team, giving me a tremendous amount of confidence.

My senior year of college I was elected president of a large Panhellenic organization which was a tremendous commitment of time and energy. When it came time to apply for dietetic internships, I believe I was selected for the Army’s internship due to my

leadership experience from the swim team and Panhellenic. The Army’s internship, and my subsequent service with the military, changed the trajectory of my life in many, many positive ways. My failure to make the cheerleading squad led me down a much better path.

Earlier in my professional career, I tended to feel like a failure when my patients didn’t succeed with my suggested health and dietary changes or meet the goals we had set. Feeling disillusioned and ineffective in helping my patients change their habits often left me questioning my career choice. About ten years ago, I was given the opportunity by a former employer to go through coach training and become a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Again, this changed the path of my life. I believe that coaching was the missing link to my love of being a dietitian and how I interacted with my patients in a fulfilling way.

The coaching process empowers the client to take responsibility for his/her health by creating a personal wellness vision. Utilizing motivational interviewing, reflective listening, goal setting, and confidence rulers, I can guide my clients through this process. When goals are not achieved, the focus is not on the failure but on what was learned from the unmet goal. This helps the client determine how to be successful with future goals. I

have learned to be very non-judgmental of clients’ unsuccessful goals and not take responsibility for those, but to guide clients in revising goals to overcome obstacles.

Coaching clients to overcome failure: §§ Create a wellness vision. §§ Explore strengths §§ Set SMART goals §§ Assess goal accomplishments and strategies to increase future achievements §§ Empower responsibility for actions §§ Celebrate successes As Henry Ford said,

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

Embrace the F word!

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Maria is the owner of Balanced Body Nourishment, LLC. In addition to guiding clients to find better health, Maria is passionate about helping them change their thought processes to become victors over life’s circumstances and manage stress. She finds her inspiration and enlightenment at her seaside home and you can find her each evening walking on the beach collecting sunsets.

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The Value of Highlighting “Failure” Nicole Rodriguez,RDN, NASM-CPT Specialty Group Chair: Technology/ Social Media We’ve all experienced it: the rejected proposal, the award not won, the dream opportunity that went to someone else. In a world where it’s all too easy to scroll through everyone’s highlight reel - AKA their social media presence - our perception of our own losses is magnified.

Comparisons run wild WILL indeed rob you of your joy when left unchecked. In a virtual sea of perfection and accomplishments, those who embrace - and dare I say even SHOWCASE “failure” for all to see - offer a refreshing dose of reality from which we should all take note. Two excellent examples (and fellow NE members!): The Minimalist RD (Erin Hendrickson) and Tony Stephan (Dietitian Entrepreneur).

“I didn’t quit – I made space.” I may be paraphrasing a bit here, but that was the gist of a recent social media post from Hendrickson. Cue image of a light bulb emoji appearing over my head!

Quitting, arguably, is some kind of failure – or at least that’s what we’re led to believe.

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But what if walking away paid intangible dividends that far exceeded a paycheck?

What if we looked back and took stock of the immeasurable square footage of brain space, freedom and peace of mind gained from our supposed failure? These are some of the things that Erin had me pondering.

In one short caption, Hendrickson:

•O ffered unique value to her audience

that bridges the gap between entrepreneurship and lifestyle (which she already does seamlessly as a brand)

• S howcased vulnerability authentically • I nstantly made herself even more

relatable and potentially bolstered her position as a credentialed professional.

According to research from the Center for Food Integrity, shared values are three to five times more important to building trust than simply sharing facts or demonstrating expertise.

Another RD turning failure on its head for his audience is the Dietitian Entrepreneur, AKA Tony Stephan. Highlighting everything from his trials and tribulations during his humble beginnings as a personal trainer to the day he emptied out his bank account in order to hire the best business coach, it’s all

in plain sight for his ever-growing audience to see. By sharing the backstory of his current success, Stephan lends himself a ton of the big R word – RELATABLE. He offered these words of wisdom on the subject of “failure”: “Failure is feedback and essential for entrepreneurial success. You don't get the success without the failures. Failure is only permanent if you quit and give up. If you can continually fail forward and fail fast then you are always moving one step closer to success!”

In this spirit, I shared some particularly uglylooking deadlifts to my social media this weekend. Were they perfect? Most definitely not. But I continually fall forward toward my goals – and that’s worth sharing along the way.

"I challenge you not just to embrace your “failures,” but showcase them.

Your audience will thank you."

Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT, and blogger 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.

Don’t Fail to Login and Network with the New NEDPG.org!

Jennifer Watson, MS, RD Website Coordinator

The redesigned website at NEDPG.org is ready and waiting for you to start networking with your fellow Nutrition Entrepreneurs.

The Yahoo groups listserv will be phased out in the next year, and NEDPG.org will serve as an expanded platform to let you connect, communicate and network with fellow Nutrition Entrepreneurs.

Not sure where to start? Here are three ways to improve your connections on NEDPG.org.

1. Complete your personal profile.

A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Imagine how much better you can communicate your ideas and your business to fellow RDNs with your headshot and your logo! Add your photo to your profile, and put your business logo or promotional artwork in your banner. This is your public face on NEDPG.org - reaching anyone who comes to the site, not just fellow NE members.

Fill in your bio, contact information and signature file, too. Your bio appears in the “About Me” section of your profile. Share as much or as little information as you would like others to see. Include your profile pages (not just your handle) from your social networks, too, so others can find you on other platforms and see your professional activities.

he signature file is attached to ALL T your communication within the website.

Whenever you post a comment or create a discussion within the forums, your signature file will accompany your message. You can even include weblinks to your website within your signature, giving members another place to reach you.

Make sure to include your “Products & Services” in your Profile. There is a special section for you to designate the goods and services that you offer. This is where you get to connect your expertise with your name and picture.

The best part is, you can change these settings whenever you want. Change companies? No problem; update your profile and the changes are immediate. Get a new credential or certification? Excellent!

Change your profile so everyone will know.

2. Post your comments and questions in the forums.

Forums are a way to organize discussion around specific topics. By our changing communications within NE to a forum format on the new website, members can easily find topics that interest them, and even search for past messages and discussion topics.

When you click on the “Subscribe” button at the top of the forum, you get these messages sent directly to you via email. To post a new topic or question, simply scroll down to the text box and start typing. Submit your message to the group, and subscribe to the thread (look for a checkbox at the bottom) to get replies to your message sent directly to email.

Come back to the forums often to see what’s new. Browse through different topics and groups without worrying about extraneous messages filling your email inbox. This is communication tailored to YOU.

3. Don’t let fear of failure keep you from

logging in!

Change is uncomfortable and that can keep us from trying new things, especially technology. The NE executive committee is here to help. If you have problems using the new website, reach out via email to Jennifer Watson at websitecoordinator@ nedpg.org or Lauri Egan at neadmin@ nedpg.org. Check out our introductory webinar in the Get Informed tab in the Members Areafor an overview of the different areas of the website and how to use them. Watch your email for useful tips on using NEDPG.org. Give it a try!

We in NE can’t wait to hear from you.

I'm only here for the food - at least that's what Jennifer would say! Jennifer has traveled the world trying exotic and delicious foods including roasted guinea pig in Ecuador and a donutwrapped hot dog in Korea. Jennifer is an adventurous eater and can't wait to tell you about (and share her pictures from) latest trip to an ethnic market, food truck, or farm-to-table cafe.

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FNCEÂŽ RECAP

NE Booth at DPG/MIG Showcase

NE had another successful year at the DPG/ MIG showcase.

NE ranked highest for number of new signups during the showcase.

NE Networking Event

For the first time ever, our rockstar mentoring team offered mini mastermind sessions at our booth, allowing members to get up close and personal with leaders in their industry. We also connected with many members who are sure to become future NE leaders and Executive Committee members!

NE Executive Committee What an amazing FNCEÂŽ! Another fun and successful NE Networking Event took place this year at the brand-new Eaton Hotel. Nearly 200 members mixed and mingled with a beautiful spread of food and beverages. GOED presented an interactive and interesting look at Omega-3 fatty acids followed by an invigorating"speed dating" event where we all had three opportunities to network with colleagues in a more formal setting.

Goodness IS SERVED

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Shape!

My Gifts of Failure!

Chere Bork,RDN Abundance Ambassador

In 2005, I was on a Hawaiian vacation and anxiously awaiting the results of a life-coaching oral exam. The only WiFi available was at a diner down the street. Every night I would walk to the diner, and the kind Hawaiian chef would help me login to see if I had passed. I will never forget the long walk back to the condo when I found out I failed.

It cost me hours of work and $1,500. I was inconsolable. My vacation was ruined.

Thirteen years later I can still picture the chef, the diner and the smell of failure!

It changed my career course. I thought What else can I do besides life coaching and earn more money? Speaking! I joined the National Speaker Association Apprentice Training Program in Minnesota.

I learned that I loved being the keynote.

I found my passion and my purpose.

Especially when I figured out talking to dietitians was my biggest joy.

Failure is powerful. It stops me. When I deliver a home-run hit presentation, I celebrate but I learn nothing. When an audience member gives me negative feedback, I learn from it. If I had not flunked the oral exam, been written up three times in three years at my first job, or gotten fired, my life would be so different today.

1. D ecide today to have courage.

When I was fired on February 3, 2002, Liz sent me a card which I STILL have in my kitchen. I looked at this card every day and tried to do one baby step to get me out of my rut. It says, “You must have the courage to do what you think you cannot do!”

"There is no right way.

The right way is your way."

2. D ecide today life is not a destination, but a journey.

Every decision in our lives is a key stepping stone in our journey. Some steps are big risks and others are safe and secure. Some are coincidence and some setbacks. Treat setbacks like a scientist would - examine them and learn from them. If you are experiencing a setback or failure right now, I want you to hear my voice,“Get up. Keep going.”

3. D ecide today life is one big, fat, juicy experiment.

There is no right way. The right way is your way. Let go of the past and revel in today. Every day is a new beginning! Better get busy!

Chere is the happy owner of Savor Your Life Today, Inc. and a Law of Attraction coach, giving RDNs a big boost of confidence to live the lives they have always wanted. She enjoys coaching smart, savvy RDNs to greatness. If you met Chere on the ground floor of an elevator, she would know a lot about you by the ninth floor. She loves dietitians! cherebork.com

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The Financial Math of Negotiating Your Salary & Rates Jill Patterson, RD CEU Article Dietitians are passionate about the field of nutrition and want to help people.

But like with any job, it is important to make sure you are being paid appropriately. What benefits should help make up your salary for full-time employment? Or how do you transition from a full-time salaried employee to a consultant, and in doing so, what factors should go into covering your expenses?

We have all heard the terms full-time salaried employee and consultant/ independent contractor, but what are the financial differences between the two? This is a key point to understand when you are starting negotiations for your salary and rates.

A full-time salaried employee is typically paid for about 40 hours per week. The employee gets paid the same amount per pay period, including days not worked due to vacation, sick leave, etc., and often would not qualify for overtime pay for any extra hours worked. In addition, the employee may receive benefits (listed below). The employee has federal and state taxes withheld and receives a W-2 form at the end of the year. The employer also withholds 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare. As an employee, your “total compensation” is made up of your “base salary” plus your “fringe benefits” (which may include health insurance, 401K/retirement, vacation time, paid fees/time to attend conferences, etc.).

Tips for a Full-Time Salaried Employee: Brian Tracy, top-selling author of over 70 books and chairman and CEO of Brian Tracy International, a company specializing in the training and development of individuals and organizations, recommends knowing what the salary range should be for the type of position that you are interviewing for. You can review the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) Compensation & Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession 2017* and salary.com to search for salary ranges for RDNs and DTRs. When accepting a new full-time job and salary, ask about the

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benefits package. Some benefits packages are very low and it would be a good idea to negotiate a higher salary to offset the lower rates of the benefits package.

If you are relocating for a position, ask if the company offers relocation assistance (money to cover the cost of relocating).

Also, take into consideration the potential geographic difference in the cost of living.

You can utilize a Cost of Living Comparison Calculator online. The calculator will determine what you need to earn in your new city, based on the salary you make in your current city, to cover the same cost of living expenses when you relocate.

In asking for a pay raise, you may want to present the Academy Compensation & Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession 2017* and examples of your excellent performance. Be aware of the different types of raises, which may include a cost of living adjustment (typically an annual increase that reflects inflation) and merit-based raises (a raise based on your job performance). In preparing for a performance review, pull together specific examples of how you have added value and created additional revenue streams that could potentially add to the income of the practice. Highlight the following examples: group visits, telehealth, newsletter, social media posts/advertising, participation on sales teams and gaining new business for the company (increasing sales), and tracking site visits to other accounts, among any other accomplishments.

If your manager says that a pay raise is not in the company’s budget, consider asking your manager,“What would I need to do to earn X amount?” Also consider negotiating for valuable items, aside from base salary. For example, ask your manager if the employer will consider paying for a conference (along with travel, hotel accommodations and meals) you want to attend, or additional vacation time.

Tips for a Consultant: A consultant/independent contractor is self-employed (sole proprietor, LLC or corporation) and may receive 1099 tax forms at the end of the year instead of a W-2. Federal and state income taxes are due based on earnings after expenses.

Self-employment tax is due also. Self-

employment tax is for Social Security and Medicare, and self-employed individuals must pay a total of 15.3%, as both the employer and the employee (6.2% Social Security + 1.45% Medicare X 2 = 15.3%}. A consultant should pay estimated federal and state income taxes along with selfemployment taxes on a quarterly basis.

When you are a salaried employee, the employer pays your total compensation, which includes base salary plus fringe benefits along with non-billable working time. As a consultant, you have to take the cost of fringe benefits and non-billable hours into consideration when you set your hourly consulting fee. Start with a base annual salary or hourly range that you desire and convert it into a total compensation wage by adding 28-50% to account for fringe benefits. We’ll be using 40% in our examples below. This would be your total compensation rate.

For example, Debbie Dietitian received the following total compensation (salary + fringe benefits) when working at her full-time job..

Core Compensation

Amount

% of Total

Base Salary

$75,000

70%

Bonuses

$525

0.5%

Social Security

$5,775

5.5%

401K/403B

$52 $2,718 5

2.6%

Disability

$679

0.6%

Healthcare

$6,592

6.3%

Pension

$4,756

8.8%

Time Off

$9,291

100%

Value of Benefits

*Adapted from salary.com

Her base hourly rate as an employee was about $36 per hour (annual base salary divided by 52 weeks divided by 40 hours per week). Her consulting hourly rate is significantly higher in order to earn the same annual salary as an employee.

Base salary + fringe benefits = total compensation (base salary x 1.40 = total compensation) Debbie must take into consideration all the benefits she received as a salaried employee, which she would now need to cover herself as a sole practitioner. Given that benefits are about 40% more than one’s base salary and include taxes, insurance and retirement, Debbie realized she should be charging about $50/hour for her consulting rate ($36 x 0.4= $14.40) to cover fringe benefits $14.40 + $36 base = $50.40 total compensation Once you have your total compensation amount, next take into consideration your business expenses and how much of your time is billable versus nonbillable when setting your hourly rate.

Helpful Tools and Tips: Whether you’re negotiating a salary for a raise or a move to a different location, or if you’re just not sure if what you’re making is on par with those around you, Salary.com is a good resource. It allows you to search for dietitian salaries by location. The site also provides a pie chart with benefits where

you can scroll down to view the base salary and total compensation salary amounts.

For dietitians looking to set an hourly rate, especially if you don’t have a base salary to refer back to, an additional resource to determine consulting fees is healthprofs. com. At that website you can research other RDN consultant fees in your area.

The insurance reimbursement rates are listed for RDN services (usually billed in 15-minute increments, so multiply this amount by 4 to yield the hourly rate).

As a consultant, remember to keep records and receipts for business expenses to deduct on taxes. For example, professional liability insurance, Academy membership dues, conference fees, continuing education, office supplies, office/home office, business mileage, etc. Take travel time into consideration; sometimes your hourly rate might sound high, but if an event requires a half-day or full day for you to get there and you aren’t able to bill for additional work, then it makes sense.

The more hours an organization or individual guarantees you on a recurring basis, you may consider a lower per-hour rate because you would not need to spend as much non-billable time marketing to get clients. Offering packages that include a discount can help you obtain and maintain repeat business, which is a win-win for both the client and the consultant.

added expense of covering basic benefits and other business costs. The benefit to the companies/organizations/individuals who hire RDNs as consultants is that the company is hiring only for what it needs and not committing to a full-time employee who may not be needed. Additionally, companies may choose to hire consultants who specialize in a particular niche and/or for a specific project or short-term need.

Setting consulting hourly rates to cover salary, benefits, business expenses, nonbillable time and/or negotiating base salary and benefits will enable RDNs to stay in business, continue to contribute to the field, and thrive. Knowing and highlighting your worth is an important part of negotiating your salary to ensure that you receive the best possible compensation.

Notes: *Academy Compensation & Benefits Survey of the Dietetics Profession 2017 (Downloadable) Log-in as a member of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and download this for free.

CEU quiz at NEdpg.org.

Log-in and go to Get Informed > CEU Library.

Scroll down to the Newsletter Courses.

Passing the quiz with 80% will grant you immediate access to your CEU certificate.

In general, hourly rates for consultants may be higher at face value, but with it comes the

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MEMBERS ON THE MOVE Elyse Resch, MS, RDN, CEDRD, Fiaedp, FAND, has spent her career helping people heal from eating disorders and disordered eating. Her philosophy is based on the principles set forth in Intuitive Eating, which she co-authored, and The Intuitive Eating Workbook. Her newest book is The Intuitive Eating Workbook for Teens. This workbook offers a body-positive, non-diet approach for teens to help them build a healthy relationship with food and their bodies.

Teens are given thought- provoking exercises that reinforce the psychoeducation presented in the book. elyseresch.com.

Cindy Chan Phillips, RD, was elected the president-elect of Mohawk Regional Dietetic Association. Cindy is honored to help grow MRDA to represent all RDNs practicing in the region. Cindy is currently the director of nutrition education of the non-profit New York Beef Council. Say “Hi” to Cindy on Twitter at @nybeefnutrition.

Tony Stephan is a Registered Dietitian, ACEPersonal Trainer, and owner of Tony Stephan Fitness & Nutrition LLC, which is an online nutrition coaching company working mainly with performance-based individuals. Tony has an extensive media and public speaking background in various platforms such as Fox News, Women’s Health, Readers Digest and The Huffington Post. Tony is also the founder of the I Believe Mentorship which is a private program designed to help other dietitians create and grow a profitable online coaching business.

Kristi Coughlin, MS, RDN/LD, is excited to announce the re-launch of her online private practice, Effectual Nutrition. To commence her new brand, Kristi kicked off a new social media strategy. Be sure to check it out @ effectualnutrition on Facebook & Instagram.

She is looking forward to sharing her social media strategy with dietitians in 2019. Learn more at fordietitians.effectualnutrition.com.

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Jennifer McGurk, RDN, CDN, CEDRD-S, owner of Eat With Knowledge and Pursuing Private Practice, is excited to announce the release of the Feel Fabulous About Food course for binge eating. The course is for clients but also for professionals who want to learn about nutrition counseling for eating disorders and intuitive eating. More details at FeelFabulousAboutFood.com. This course can be combined with Pursuing Private Practice offers to enhance nutrition counseling skills in your business: jennifermcgurkrdn.teachable.com.

Gisela Bouvier, MBA, RDN, LDN, MIEP, is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Mindfully Intuitive Nutrition, making moves in the nutrition industry by bringing mindful and intuitive eating into the workplace. Gisela focuses in guiding employees to realize that health begins one step, one meal and one day at a time – flourishing mindfulness and intuition daily. Gisela is also the co-creator of the Mindful and Intuitive Eating Practitioner™ Certification Program with Amy Sowards, which launched in fall 2018. Find Gisela at mindfullyintuitivenutrition. com and on Instagram: @corporatenutritionist.

Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT, launched the Nutrition Nuptials Podcast, a spin-off of her popular blog for couples. Join Mandy and her husband, Taco, as they help couples go from a ME to a WE when it comes to learning how to merge lifestyles together under one roof through storytelling and “Double Date” episodes sharing challenges and triumphs.

Visit nutritionnuptials.com/podcast or your favorite podcast listening platform to find your happily, healthfully ever after.

Alisha Chasey, MS, RD, CNS, recently released Taste Radiant Living – 7 Simple and Delicious Secrets to Eating and Well-being.

The book simplifies the often overwhelming task of changing a lifetime of eating habits, helping to completely revitalize well-being from the roots up. You’ll also find recipes (including desserts), journal pages, and personalized tracking charts to end the diet merry-go-round, making the journey to real health fun and deliciously satisfying!

Expanding our Horizons Through A Diverse and Inclusive Dietetics Workforce Ashlee Linares-Gaffer, MS, RDN Diversity Article Diversity gives access to a greater range of talent, not just the talent that belongs to a particular worldview or ethnicity or some other restricting definition. It helps provide insight into the needs and motivations of others in the field.The NE diversity article shares insights from our diverse group members sharing their insight behind the following questions.

Tell us a little about your background.

I grew up in Arizona and was immersed in the Spanish language, spoken by my father, grandmother and stepfamily, throughout the community I was raised in. My Panamanian heritage and extended Mexican-American family colored my experience growing up and I always embraced the food, language, art and culture that surrounded me. Like many Latino children born in the U.S., I was not expected to speak Spanish since my family spoke fluent English. This is one skill I wish I had, so that I could openly communicate with my Spanish-speaking community members and family abroad. I also spent the summers with my mom’s side of the family in the Midwest, another region rooted in warm culture, food and traditions. The American Midwest is very different from my home, and my experiences there helped me to reflect on key differences between the communities in each region at a cultural and social level. Other things that have shaped me as a person include growing up in a very low-income family, having very young parents and a third parental figure in my grandmother, and attending college as a firstgeneration college student.

How has your background enhanced your dietetic practice?

As an educator, my background has made it possible for me to truly empathize with students who have to navigate their college educations in the presence of many challenges. Many of our students break the “traditional student” mold of going off to college and being supported by family as a full-time, fully committed college student. The institutions of higher education still very much cater to that traditional student. My background has helped me understand how hard our students have to work to earn the same academic achievements as some of their peers, when they have multi-national families, speak English as a second language, have tremendous financial limitations, have children of their own and have difficulty identifying a strong peer-support network at school.

What is your definition of diversity and why it is important in the dietetics field?

I define diversity as a variety of backgrounds and experiences, much of which may be attributed to culture. Lack of diversity in the field of dietetics is the most critical issue we are facing in our profession’s second century.

We need to diversify our workforce for many reasons but to name a few:

How do you encourage people to honor the uniqueness of each individual?

When I have the opportunity, I encourage people to consider cultural differences which may influence our thoughts, feelings and decisions as it relates to others. Reflecting on the ways in which people are unique, and exploring what they bring "Each person has her/his own to the table which others experiences which are different from do not, require practice and our own and it is human nature to a conscious effort which is more challenging for feel that our way is the right way.

Otherwise, why would it be OUR way?" some people than others.

Still, it is possible for all.

How do you challenge and promote sensitivity and inclusion in the dietetics field?

I have become very active in promoting sensitivity and inclusion through every avenue I can find. I do this through educating my students and dietetic interns on the importance of diversity, and sitting on diversity and inclusion committees on my campus. I am also highly engaged in professional service as the current president of my local district, board member of my state affiliate, and the diversity liaison for both my state affiliate and the Member Interest Group, Cultures of Gender and Age. In my Academy roles, I have been working on projects such as student networking opportunities, publications and presentations related to diversity.

How has diversity helped you in your job role?

My own upbringing and life experiences have enabled me to be considerate of others and the complexity of their life experiences, so that I can better appreciate what they have to offer in the context of school, work and my personal life.

What is one tip you have for others to be more culturally sensitive/aware?

Although it is a cliché, I always try to remind myself and others that you cannot judge a book by its cover. You do not know what people have experienced based on the way they appear - but as humans, we are conditioned to make judgments of people based on how they speak, how they dress and how they socialize. Culture and upbringing influence all these characteristics and there is not a right or wrong way to be.

How would having more diversity in dietetics providers improve our field?

More diversity in dietetics would improve our field by ensuring that there are practitioners who are best equipped through personal experience to gain the trust of our diverse community members and work with them toward positive lifestyle changes. Additionally, a diverse dietetics workforce would lead to increased diversity of thought and innovations that dietitians can bring to the marketplace.

1. P ublic Health - A diverse workforce will allow us to be able to serve the diverse needs of communities and the world.

2. Innovation - A diverse workforce will allow us to better solve grand challenges related to food and nutrition in all industries and sectors.

Ashlee Linares-Gaffer, MS, RDN, is an assistant professor of practice and ISPP program coordinator at the University of Arizona. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters.

3. Reputation and Credibility - A diverse workforce will show all our stakeholders that we are a dynamic and inclusive profession that is equipped to collaborate and consider the needs of our constituents.

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Jill Merkel, MS, RD, CSSD Guest Article

Embracing Failure

Embracing failure is such a powerful concept. How often do we find ourselves hesitating to do something outside our comfort zone for fear of failure? I love this quote from Jenny Blake’s book Pivot:“How can something be a failure if it is a critical building block of your growth?”

I have certainly found this to be true the last two years since becoming an entrepreneur and business owner. I have found that every time I “fail” or experience a rejection, there is something to be learned from that experience. When I first moved to Nashville two years ago to start my own business, I was terrified. I was also excited, but fear, and especially fear of failure, was a major factor at that stage. So much so that while I laid the foundation for my business and got all the necessary pieces into place, I was constantly searching for a backup option. I was just applying for jobs out of fear – that

my business wasn’t going to work, that I was going to fail and maybe even as an excuse to not give my business my all.

During that time, there were things that I applied for, interviewed for and didn’t get.

Some of those rejections were so upsetting, even when I wasn’t sure it was something I wanted! It was such a stressful time.

up for the program and so I had to cancel.

I was disappointed and went through a moment (or several) of feeling like a failure and wanting to give up. But then I thought about it some more, discussed it with some trusted friends and colleagues, and decided that there were things I could do better. This was the first time I had tried to do something like this and it was a learning experience. I have now restructured the idea and plan to try again in the new year. I think some of my greatest struggles as a nutrition entrepreneur are centered around fear fear of failure, of not being good enough, of comparing myself to others who appear to be further ahead than I am. I have to remind myself to embrace the failures and to view them not as a reason to stop or give up, but as learning opportunities that are necessary for growth and future successes.

Eventually, I had to shut down the fear, embrace failure and focus solely on building my business. Once I did that, I found that opportunities actually began coming to me that were more aligned with my business and my interests. Then I was so thankful that some of those other things hadn’t worked out so that I had the space and ability to say “yes!” to these opportunities. Even now, as I am coming up on the end of year two being in business, I have to remind myself that not everything I do or try to do is going to be a success. And that is okay.

I now embrace these “failures,” look for the lessons in them and use them to restructure for future ideas. For example, I recently tried to launch a four-week group program for women in my area. While I had a lot of interest, I did not get enough people to sign

Jill Merkel, MS, RD, CSSD, is the owner of Nutrition

22for Endurance, a nutrition coaching and consulting

practice specializing in sports nutrition and women’s wellness in Nashville, Tennessee. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading and traveling.

Failure: [definition]The lack of success in doing or achieving something, or the neglect of expected action.

Katelynn Duncan Student Article From a young age we are taught subconscious beliefs that stick with us, one specifically that failure is unacceptable or wrong. When we are in school, it is a way of grading, telling us we didn’t learn or understand the material well enough, which leads to a feeling that we weren’t capable or smart enough to move forward. In life, failure is found in our pursuits for a career, to better ourselves, achieve greatness in our passion, and even in our personal lives. Sometimes the thoughts of feeling we failed can override all else, cloud our judgment. We become upset, and obsess over what we could have done or should have done, wishing we could go back and fix it.

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today. They shaped me and ultimately made me a stronger woman and professional.

Pursuing a dietetics degree as a seconddegree student hasn’t been easy. I had to switch my creative/business mindset to a science mindset. Someone wise once told me that the time was going to pass anyway, and if I knew I had a passion for helping others in nutrition, that I should JUMP. In the last year, nothing has been consistent.

I have moved to three cities chasing goals, opportunities and experiences, working three different jobs and concluding a three-month internship. Many doors have shut throughout my journey, many of which I used to blame on bad timing. I felt I failed because I always seemed to be just short. I felt that every time I took a step, I thought it would lead me to my ultimate goal.

Have you ever wondered that maybe failure isn’t so much a harsh punishment, but rather a way to push us in a silent direction to becoming our best?

I thought I failed and was stuck. I found it surprising how many complications occurred.

I just wanted to gain a degree so I could help others have a better quality of life. Why is it so difficult? I had envisioned and believed every step of the way, given it my ABSOLUTE all, and made multiple sacrifices.

In my journey of dietetics I have encountered multiple setbacks and times of what I thought was failure. I’ve realized those failures were silent directions leading me to where I am

However, I tried again. I reached out one more time asking for help. I received a response I never expected. I had three interviews in which my passion shined through.

The interviewees saw me for me. I made one more move with hope and faith. If all those doors hadn’t shut and all that “failure” didn’t occur, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Someone took a chance on me and I could not be more grateful for finding the help and experience I was longing for - for getting my YES. With an independent mindset, I took on this journey with self-determination, perseverance, drive and grit. I no longer wish I had done a single thing different. With all this said, I encourage you to take a leap of faith over fearing failure. It would be a shame to waste your moments on doubt in fear of trying. You too will get your yes. NEVER give up!

Katelynn Duncan is a second-career student currently enrolled in the Masters + DPD Clinical Track, Online Distant Student Learning Program, at the University of Alabama, to become a Registered Dietitian. With years of experience in publishing, business and caretaking, along with foodservice experience in catering, college and hospital cafeteria settings and two years of pediatric hospital clinical care as an infant formula technician/diet clerk. Katelynn continues to merge her many career experiences together and is represented as a well- rounded individual with a passion for caring for others through nutrition education.

Product REVIEWS The Easy 5 Ingredient Healthy Cookbook Author: Toby Amidor, MS, RDN, CDN) Date: 2018 Publisher: Rockridge Press Price: $15.99 If you’ve ever been overwhelmed by a long list of ingredients or are tired of running to the store every day to pick up yet another item, this book is for you. The Easy 5 Ingredient Healthy Cookbook is perfect for those wanting to craft healthy meals but who are crunched on time. This cookbook features over 150 different recipes, all with five ingredients or less. If you’re busy cooking for your family or a

Private Practice, Getting that Jump Start, 6th Edition Author: Beverly S Price, RD, MA, E-RYT 200, C-IAYT, CEDRD-S Date: 2017 Publisher: Beverly Price, available electronically at beverlysprice.com Price: $145 This manual speaks to that small voice in the back of your mind that urges you to take an unfamiliar step toward a nontraditional role in dietetics, such as launching a private practice. Each chapter is

student trying to stick to a budget, there is something for everyone.

The directions are very easy to follow and I enjoyed reading Amidor’s forwards to each recipe. As a dietitian, I appreciated the serving-size recommendations and nutrition facts, as well as identifying recipes that were vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. I was particularly impressed by the clean-eating guidelines and the other helpful lists at the beginning of the book, including seasonal produce, healthy cooking techniques and pantry essentials. It would have been helpful to have more photos of the recipes, but the directions were easy to follow and the recipes were organized well. The author also included “Toby’s tip” for most of the recipes, offering different ingredient swaps to change the recipe up a bit. This book would be an excellent gift for anyone learning how to cook or for those who just want to simplify their meals.

Reviewer: Olivia Baker, MS, RD Title: Clinical Dietitian Affiliation: Mayo Clinic (This review is reflective of my own opinion, not my employer’s) packed with fill-in-the-blank areas and blank templates that guide the reader to create her/his own business and marketing plan, according to the reader’s unique vision. This self-study manual covers the big topics that are overlooked in traditional dietetics programs, such as finding your niche, targeting your market, budgeting, pricing your services, and considering insurance reimbursement. Moreover, this book features real-life stories from successful entrepreneurial dietitians in the industry and offers an inspirational message on overcoming the fears that hinder putting intention into action. This step-bystep manual provides the detailed instruction, recommendations, resources and supporting materials needed to embark on the journey toward becoming a successful dietitian entrepreneur..

Reviewer: Cassandra Golden, MS, RD, LDN Title: Private Practice Owner Affiliation: Nutrition Nibbles Consulting, LLC

NutriportionTM Measuring Cups

counting for meals and snacks. No need to avoid rice or pasta. The NutriportionTM Measuring Cups encourage all foods and provide calorie and carbohydrate information right on the side of the cup.

Price: $10.00 plus shipping and processing fees

In addition, each cup has information provided in both English and Spanish, making it a tool that can serve a broader population within our communities. The brightly colored cups come in four sizes (¼ cup, 1/3 cup, ½ cup and 1 cup), are heat-safe up to 400 ° F, and are dishwasher-safe. Plus, the silicone material and square shape make it easy to add or remove food when measuring, and the cups stack neatly for storage. Be sure to review the handout that comes with the measuring cups for a basic guide on how to use the cups for healthy eating or diabetes management.

Major Function: $10.00 plus shipping and processing fees Target Audience: Those managing diabetes as well as anyone interested in portion control for weight loss and healthy diet Not all measuring cups are created equal. The NutriportionTM Measuring Cups provide a cheerful approach to portion control and a great quick reference in the kitchen. Each cup provides a visual guide for those who are looking to watch, or get reacquainted with, portion sizes of common foods. Each cup contains information on calories, grams of carbohydrates and carb exchanges. These colorful measuring cups would be a great tool for those with diabetes who use carbohydrate exchanges or carb

NutriportionTM Measuring Cups would be a great teaching tool for any registered dietitian nutritionist or certified diabetes educator working with clients on diabetes management and weight-loss serving as a very functional and user-friendly resource in the kitchen. .

Reviewer: Lara Felton, MBA, RDN Title: Head of Product & Operationsr Affiliation: Shapa Inc.

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Ventures

www.nedpg.org

Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs

Julie Harrington, RD 15 Joyce Dr. Succasunna, NJ 07876

Mini Meetings

PENNSYLVANIA MINI-MEETING

A wonderful informational session on Passive Income Pursuit and Pointers for RDNs by Sohailla Digsby, a Georgia RDN, on September 21, 2018. Twelve Phillybased dietitians met to learn, discuss and explore how to incorporate different revenue streams into their businesses, while keeping the work-life balance. New connections were made among local dietitians with similar missions. The group left with ideas and encouragement on how to get started.

BOSTON MINI MEETING

Nineteen NE members joined a Boston-area mini-meeting October 14, 2018, hosted at the home of NE member Megan Boitano, MS, RDN, LDN, CNSC. Members networked and enjoyed the food and beverages provided, including samples provided from Simple Mills. Members also broke off into focus groups to help attendees zero in on areas of interest, which included SEO, Monetizing Your Blog and Working with Brands led by Chrissy Carroll, MPH, RD, of Snacking in Sneakers and Running, a successful private practice; and Decoding Insurance Billing led

by Dianne Rishikof, MS, RDN, LDN, IFNCP, of Health Takes Guts.