Ventures Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Letter From the Editor Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN Newsletter Editor When we were brainstorming themes for the Ventures newsletters for the year, I thought an entire issue centered around money and finances was especially valuable. And that was prior to a never-before-seen pandemic entering our lives! Now, at a time filled with so much uncertainty, I think it’s more timely than ever. Like many of us, I started my dietetics career as a clinical dietitian. For years, I was taught to expect a steady, yet finite, paycheck. I knew how much I would make that year, the following year and the year after that. When I first explored nutrition entrepreneurship, first as a part-time side-hustle and then into a full-time venture, I was intrigued by the concept that money was no longer finite. This was both terrifying and exciting at the same time, but in the beginning I was completely lost. I had no idea how much to charge clients, how to negotiate rates with brands, how much money to invest in my business or how to think abundantly when it came to money (spoiler alert - these are all topics we cover in the pages ahead). Through trial-and-error, lots and lots of searching (hello, Google!), and learning from our incredible NE community, these answers became clearer each day. Now, when so many things have changed in the matter of just a few months for most of us, we have been increasingly challenged. But if any group of professionals is resilient and up for the challenge, it’s this group of nutrition entrepreneurs. I have witnessed my fellow dietitians embrace change, lean on their communities and pivot when needed. A piece of wisdom that always sticks with me and one I want to share today is to always, always remember your why.
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I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but I’m here to remind you of this again. Find the driving reason behind why you’re doing what you’re doing. Really challenge yourself to dig deep and find out what’s motivating you at your core. Write it down; say it out loud. Do whatever it is you need to really drill it into your head. Build your own personal mission statement. And remind yourself of it every day - either with a sticky note, a reminder on your phone or a daily mantra that you say in the morning. Do this when the times are hard and when the times are easy. Let this be your guiding light. When you know and truly understand your why, your what will become so much clearer. You’ll know if you need to adapt your business, whether that’s turning to virtual services or starting a passive income stream. Your why will guide you when you don’t know what to do. Whether you run your own nutrition business, have a side hustle, or are dreaming of your venture into nutrition entrepreneurship, this issue will provide you with so many nuggets of wisdom. From negotiating rates to managing your finances to leveraging social media in your marketing strategy, I’m confident you’ll find something to take away. Have you had to pivot? Have you had to embrace change? I’d love to hear about your experiences and how you’ve changed your business (or kept it the same) during these times. To share your story, connect with us at newsletter@nedpg.org.
Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN, is the founder of alenamenko.com, a food and nutrition blog where she publishes healthful, plant-forward recipes and makes nutrition approachable with easily digestible information. She serves as a nutrition consultant for brands and is also a freelance writer. When not in front of her computer or recipe testing, she can be found hiking, exploring the outdoors or diving into the vast culinary scene that makes up New York City.
Winter 2020/2021 Volume XLV Number 3 Money Matters: Keeping Your Business Financially Healthy
In This Issue: Letter From the Editor �������������������Front Cover Beef Up Your Rates Through Negotiation ����������������������������������������2 Diversify Your Portfolio: Getting Over Fear to Increase Your Reach ������������������3 Are You Open and Ready to Receive? ����������4 How to Set Your Rate in Private Practice ����������������������������������������������������4 Passive Income 101: What It Is and How to Get Started ������������������������������������5 How to Plan for Financial Success ����������������6 The Ins and Outs of Using Canva ������������������7 Leveraging Instagram to Market Your Business ����������������������������������������8 Lights, Camera, Action: Making Video for Online and Social Media ��������������9 The Bread and Butter of Business ���������������10 Public Advocacy Corner: Action Alert �������11 Three Steps to Create More Money �����������12 Diversity Q & A ���������������������������������������������������13 Product Reviews �����������������������������������������������14 Four Tips on Managing Finances as an Entrepreneur �����������������������16 Want a Healthy Bank Account? Offer Healthy Challenges �����������������������������17 How I Keep a Financially Healthy Business ����������������������������������������������18 My Top Three Tips for Staying Financially Healthy �������������������������19 Spring Summit ��������������������������������Back Cover
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Ventures EDITOR Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN
INCOMING EDITOR Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN
EDITORIAL BOARD, 2020-2021 Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN, CLT Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Emily Merklen, MS, RDN Cathy D’Orazio, MS, RDN, LDN Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT The newsletter pertains to the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and reproduction rights are reserved. Publication of an advertisement in the Ventures newsletter should not be considered as an endorsement of the product or advertiser by the DPG. Viewpoints and statements in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect policies and/or positions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. © 2020 Nutrition Entrepreneurs. All rights reserved.
WE WELCOME INPUT FROM OUR MEMBERS. PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR: Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN newsletter@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
Beef Up Your Rates Through Negotiation Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Past Chair “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” – John F. Kennedy Negotiating is a subject which many are not very comfortable discussing. There are many reasons to start putting your money where your mouth is and effectively navigate negotiations on your behalf. It could be the difference between selling just a “program” vs. more profitable sales. Think about it. We have been negotiating our entire lives. I remember negotiating with my parents for a later bedtime, an extra dessert or the latest trendsetting Barbie. I had no fear and I was relentless. How about you? Why should it be any different when it comes to negotiating what you deserve to get paid? Yet, it is a constant struggle for some of us. Truth be told, I still have an inner dialogue every time I negotiate another contract and have to follow the script in my head that reminds me to ask for what I am worth. Here are some tips to kick fear in the rear and BEEF up your negotiation skills: Build Relationships First A great first step is to identify the needs of your prospective clients. It is paramount and crucial in building better business relationships. It will also help you identify how you can best serve them and ensure a seat at their negotiation tables.
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Explain the Value Develop your service offerings into packages that can be customized based on the needs of your clients. It will be easier to negotiate a win-win agreement if you have
pre-arranged services that can be modified to meet any need. For example, you could offer a Select, Choice or Prime package at varying rates and explain in detail the value of each package. Most of the time, the middle-tier package is selected because the client wants to customize and not miss out on any value-added services. Eliminate the Discount Resist the temptation to cut your fee in order to guarantee a signed contract. When you accept a lower fee, it signals that your value is less. In order to avoid lowering your fees, consider adding additional services to each customizable package with an attached monetary value that can be added or subtracted based on client need. This will ensure a win-win for both parties. Find the Fair Fee Together Having created a synergistic relationship and explored the value your services can provide to the client, it is now a great time to negotiate a fair fee. Being aware of your “sweet-spot” selling price and the client’s anticipated budget is helpful to finding the ultimate fair fee together. Think about the ways in which you experience fear of negotiating and how you can BEEF up your package offerings to ensure a better outcome. What are you going to do today to make sure that you negotiate your best rate? Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a funny speaker and stand-up comedienne. She is not just mildly amusing - she is really funny. Lisa was bitten by the comedy bug at a young age, entertaining her family at the dinner table with knock-knock jokes. Soon, she discovered SNL and would memorize bits and make her siblings perform them. Today, you can find Lisa chasing after her two-year-old daughter, and after volunteers to watch her daughter so she can perform improvisational, sketch and stand-up comedy again.
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Diversify Your Portfolio: Getting Over Fear to Increase Your Reach Caree Cotwright, PhD, RDN Diversity Liaison During a time when we are focused on health equity more than ever, registered dietitians play a significant role in empowering clients of all backgrounds to make healthy lifestyle choices. Remember, the term “diversity” goes beyond race and ethnicity. There are clients with specific needs related to disabilities, gender, and race and ethnicity. So what if you desire to serve a diverse population, but you don’t actually know anyone who represents the clients you wish to serve? If this question makes you visualize yourself walking on a tightrope, never fear. It really doesn’t have to be that intimidating. Putting yourself out there can be scary, but it can also pay off in major ways. As you take your first steps, you can build a safety net just in case you lose your balance. Consider the following three tips to diversify the clients you serve and increase cash flow in the process:
1. G ive the people what they want. Many different people can benefit from your nutrition prowess. If you don’t feel comfortable working with diverse clients, consider learning more about them. If you desire to empower clients outside your usual base, consider arranging a chat with representatives from the community you wish to serve. Determine their needs and deliver on their requests. For example, if they aren’t keen on quinoa, don’t force it. Give them healthy choices that appeal to their needs on their terms. After all, the ability to design creative, tasty and nutrientdense meals is what makes dietitians so wonderful. 2. S haring is caring. Consider hosting live events on social media to interact with clients from a variety of backgrounds. Many people do not know they can call on registered dietitians to improve their lifestyle habits. You can spread the word! If you don’t know where to begin, start small. Ask your colleagues and friends if they have connections with the clients you wish to serve. Open up with dialogue with one specific topic, such as healthy living on a budget. Highlight your best tips and empower others to share their wins. Be sure to incorporate audience interaction. You can listen and learn while teaching and increasing your client base.
3. B uild it, and they will come. Research ways to build client trust. Work with new clients as a volunteer before offering your services for a fee. Volunteering is a great way to build relationships and increase your understanding of your clients’ needs. You may be concerned about giving too much away, but remember, sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot. Building trust with clients and showing them you have a genuine interest in their well-being will make them more likely to turn to you for services when in need. I have practiced each of these approaches while working with diverse communities. I am constantly adapting and readjusting based on the needs of the people I serve. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “Tightrope walking is both a science and an art.” You will never learn to serve a more diverse client base if you don’t take the first step. As you take the second and third steps, remember, practice makes perfect. Caree J. Cotwright is a registered dietitian, lover of food and cooking and an assistant professor at the University of Georgia. She can be reached at cjcot@uga.edu.
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Are You Open and Ready to Receive? Kristi Coughlin, MS, RDN Director of Sponsorship When talking about money, our conversations can go in many directions. As business owners, we most often immediately think about determining what to charge for our services, ways to generate sales or how to create multiple revenue streams. However, one key piece of the puzzle is often missing: being open and ready to receive. In the words of Bob Proctor,“Giving and receiving are tied together. You have to be open to receiving, but you will be open to receiving when you really understand the concept of giving.” Recognizing the synergy of giving and receiving is a great first step. However, we must also learn to believe we can earn the amount of money we desire. Napoleon Hill said in his bestselling book, Think and Grow Rich, “There is
a difference between wishing for a thing and being ready to receive it. No one is ready for a thing until he believes he can acquire it.” Applying these concepts is vital to creating a successful business. To help you, here are some actionable steps to take starting now: Give. Many business owners do not see how they can give when they are just getting started or not making very much money. It is important to remember you must give before you can receive. Therefore, you cannot wait to be successful before giving. There are many ways in which you can give back to your clients and community that do not cost money, such as your knowledge, time or energy. Create space. To be open to receiving, you need to create space for what you desire. Think of it this way: you must get rid of that old desk you do not want anymore to make room for the new desk. Take a couple of minutes, two or three times a week, to clear out old things you do not want or need - journals, books or papers. Not only will you create space, but you’ll also feel better about getting rid of those old things taking up valuable space in your home or office.
Trust. Stop wishing. It is also time to let go of your desire to force things to happen. You cannot force what you want to take place on your timeline, but you can believe you will reach your financial goals. Let go and trust that what you desire will be yours in the future. Repeat. Through repetition, we can change our lives. Are you repeating behaviors that cause you to feel stuck? Or, are you incorporating new behaviors into your life and repeating them that bring you closer to your goals? I hope you will now move into the latter group. While it is easy to get caught up in the countless moving parts of starting or running a business, we must not forget the simplicity of being open and ready to receive. So next time you are thinking about your financial goals, make sure to follow these four basics. Kristi Coughlin, MS, RDN, loves spreading happiness with her business Effect Positivity (verb): to bring about happy. In her spare time, she can be found with her family by the lake, traveling or enjoying her favorite food - pizza! Kristi can be reached via email at bringabouthappy@gmail.com.
How to Set Your Rate in Private Practice Allison Koch, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN Director Elect of Membership Services How much should I charge? Am I charging too much? Not enough? These are all questions new and even veteran entrepreneurs should be asking themselves at minimum on an annual basis. Many things contribute to setting an appropriate rate. And to be honest – there are no set rules in business (except maybe pay your taxes!) and every entrepreneur has a different way they may have determined her/his rate. But there are a couple things you can do, or ask yourself, to make sure you are charging enough to not only break even but return a profit and achieve long-term success. What is Your Desired Salary? How much do you want to make? Be realistic but also set a stretch goal. This is a similar concept that I use with athletes I coach for racing. Set a goal that you know you can reach (C goal). A goal that you know will take work but that is still feasible (B goal). And a stretch goal - one that you can reach if all the stars align and you put in the work (A goal).
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What are Your Expenses? Consider your fixed costs (expenses you incur regardless of how much you “sell” or how many clients you see; e.g., rent, phone, internet, website hosting services, software, etc.), variable costs (costs associated with the actual product or service provided) and overhead costs (business or office expenses; e.g., computer, printer, paper, etc.) If you are providing benefits – for yourself or any employees – you’ll want to account for those (e.g., health insurance, 401K, etc.) as well. And don’t forget about taxes. Whether your business is an LLC, sole-proprietorship or corporation, you will need to pay them. What is the Value of Your Time? I think this is something as dietitians we often undervalue. But we are in a service industry and time is money. You aren’t just charging for the time you are in front of the client – but all the things that go into that appointment. The emails, scheduling, reviewing food logs, developing meal plans, marketing, sending invoices - the list goes on and on. Also consider how you will handle a missed appointment. If a client does not show or cancels at the last minute, you should have a policy in place to account for that missed time. How do you want to handle vacation(s)? And how many hours a week do you want to work? All these questions are important to consider because they all impact how much
time you have to work - and again, time is money and your time is valuable. What are Similar Practitioners Charging? Do some research. This can be as simple as identifying via a little Google search what other RDNs are charging who work with your niche or asking someone in your niche directly,“What would you be willing to pay for ‘X’ service?” Also consider your perceived value. If your rates are too low, you may be underselling yourself. And if they are too high, clients may expect a higher level of service. It’s important to find the sweet spot for you. Map It Out. Once you’ve answered or considered the above, you should be able to forecast out what rate you need to charge for your various services in order to not only cover your expenses but achieve your desired salary and have a healthy business. Allison Koch, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, The Running Dietitian, is (unsurprisingly) passionate about running. It wasn't always that way. In elementary school, Allison came dead last in PE. Her father, a runner, encouraged her to keep trying. By her senior year of high school, she was lapping her classmates. Inspired by her father, today Allison helps coach and pace runners as well as continues to race all over the world. She can be reached at akoch@runningrdn.com.
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Passive Income 101: What It Is and How to Get Started Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS Director of Mentor Services Outside of providing individual or group telehealth consultations, you may want to consider adding some passive income streams to your business model. Passive income streams are considered anything you can earn money from that doesn’t involve trading your time for money. This can include online courses; electronic downloads such as e-books, meal plans or worksheets; website ad income; affiliate income; and sales of physical goods. Now “passive” is a bit of a misnomer. For most passive income streams, there is time (often a lot of it) required upfront as you are building the product, plus time spent marketing the product. For most business owners, passive income is a long-term strategy that takes several years to really become a “passive” revenue source. It is not just “build it and they will come” (as much as we all wish!). Unless you already have a massive audience, you will be required to continually market your passive income source. However, anything “passive” means you can continue to earn money in the future - even if you take a week (or several) off from work - since it’s income that is not directly tied to your hourly work. As one of my dietitian friends says,“The dream is to make money while I sleep!” And with passive income sources, you can do just that.
Types of Passive Income Streams to Consider •E -products: An e-product is any type of digital download that you create and sell. This can include e-books, worksheets, meal plans, recipe ebooks, toolkits and more. You can sell the e-product either through your website, by using a website like RD2RD.com or by selling through a program like Gumroad or E-junkie. •O nline Programs or Courses: Online courses can run the gamut from a simple PDF-delivered course, a pre-recorded video program, a one-time webinar or a more in-depth course with videos, worksheets and more. • Ad Income: If you have a website or blog that gets a good amount of traffic, you may consider joining an online ad network to have ads placed on your website. A “good amount” of traffic is generally considered 25,000-30,000 sessions per month. While you may be able to have ads on your site with less traffic, the amount of ad revenue will be very little and may not be worth the change in user experience that having ads on a website brings. •A ffiliate Sales: Affiliate programs involve recommending products or services that you love, use and trust. When someone buys using your affiliate link, you then get a cut of the profits. This can range from pennies or dollars on low-cost goods, to several hundred dollars on a higher-cost program. Amazon Affiliates is a commonly used program; you may also consider being an affiliate for a business product that you use and love or a program or course that you have done. No matter what, whenever you are sharing an affiliate link you must disclose this.
• Physical Goods: You may consider creating physical goods (like t-shirts, mugs, stickers) and selling them either on your own or through a site like CafePress. How to Get Started with Passive Income Before you dive in, do some reflection work. Consider the following: •W hat do your ideal clients need and/or want? Consider doing some market research to figure this out. You don't have to look far to see stories of entrepreneurs who thought they were creating *the* most amazing course, only to hear crickets when they launched. It’s important to make sure that your product is something people need and want before you create it. •H ow will this income stream fit into the rest of your business? For example, if you have a consumer-facing business and choose to become an affiliate for a dietitian-facing product, how will you market that affiliate partnership? •H ow do you best like to create and deliver information? In addition to considering what your ideal client wants, think about how you work best. Do you love to write? Then perhaps an e-book is a good place to start. Is video more your thing? Then perhaps you create a course with video modules. Alissa is the founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness, a weight-inclusive virtual private practice, and the author of Unapologetic Eating: Make Peace with Food and Transform Your Life. In addition to her private practice, she works with dietitian entrepreneurs to help them start and grow their nutrition businesses. Alissa calls New York City home and spends her free time exploring the city’s food scene and searching for patches of green space to sunbathe in.
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How to Plan for Financial Success Deanna Wolfe, MS, RD Mentor Spotlight Looking at my social media, you would not have guessed I quit my six-figure corporate sales job just three months ago. In 2019, I created huge financial goals and targets for my business in 2020, and after finally hitting those goals, passing and exceeding my corporate role salary, I finally put in my two-week notice and walked into full-time entrepreneurship. I don’t do this job for money but because of passion, but I also know women deserve A LOT more than we get paid in many roles as RDs. I now coach other dietitians who want to start a virtual private practice or who have started something but don’t know how to earn consistent income from social media, and help them hit consistent income goals monthly. Sit down and focus on these next three needle-movers in your business to hit your income goals:
1. Solidify what your annual income goal is based on your lifestyle. How much do you need to raise your kids, travel without stress, etc.?
How many times would you need to run your group program?
•N ow break down that annual income goal into monthly goals. Is that $50,000? $100,000? $250,000? $1,000,000? Did you know only 2% of female-owned companies ever hit $1 million in revenue? Think bigger! Break that down into what you need to earn per month to understand small goals.
3. Focus on marketing and sales. If you’re not getting the clients you desire right now or not selling your passive products, are you marketing yourself clearly? Are you talking about your client pain points? Have you niched down to become the expert in one thing? Have you shared your own story and why you’re passionate about this so potential clients can get to know you?
•B reak down how many clients it would take to reach that goal. If you’re charging $500 a month, how many clients do you need to reach that goal? If it’s ten clients and you are only signing on three clients a month, create clear goals to attract more clients. I have KPI (Key Performance Indicators) spreadsheets I use with clients to help make this manageable.
Thinking through all of these things as you plan your 2021 are so crucial to strategize each quarter and month of your year. The more your potential clients know what’s coming up, when you are offering a program launch, the more they can start saving to buy from you. Money is important in business, so let’s start acting like we deserve it and talk about it.
2. N ext, think about other income sources that can contribute to your income that may be less active (trading time for money) and more passive. Could you then add on other income sources? For example, courses, guides (how-tos), group programs, products, consulting jobs, brand partnerships, affiliate commissions?
Deanna Wolfe is a nationally recognized dietitian specializing in disordered eating and intuitive eating and created Dietitian Entrepreneur Academy, where she coaches other dietitians to start, grow and scale their virtual online private practices using social media. You can find her on Instagram @dietitiandeanna.
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T E C H CO R N E R
The Ins and Outs of Using Canva Stephanie Dorfman, MS, RD Director of Meetings Canva is a website for all your design needs. From Instagram posts to Zoom virtual backgrounds (which we all probably need right now), Canva has a template for almost anything, and you can even create custom dimensions. Check out these five tips on how to get started and get the most out of all Canva has to offer. 1. Account Type: Let’s start at the beginning with an important question – is Canva free to use? The answer is: yes! Canva does also have a pro membership (right now $119.40 yearly, or $12.95 monthly), which includes some additional features like additional stock photos, priority support, background remover, a brand kit and more. You can try the Pro version for 30 days for free and see what you think. The free version gives you all the same designing access, just without those features mentioned above. I have personally been very happy with the free version for now and it’s great that Canva allows a free trial of the Pro version to test it out and see what will work best for you. 2. H ow it Works: When you log onto Canva, it will bring you to a homepage
where you view your designs, designs shared with you and design recommendations from Canva. From the homepage, you can also create a design. A drop-down menu appears, and you can choose from the list of shapes and sizes Canva has to offer. Once you choose the dimension of your creation, the design process begins. 3. D esigning Graphics: Let’s say you’re making an image for an Instagram post (yes, Canva also has a size template to create Instagram stories). Canva has a plethora of templates, which you can search from, to help you organize your creative ideas and find a place to start. You can upload and add personal photos, choose from free stock photos (the additional photos within Canva Pro are available for a fee to download), add a design element or add text. Canva will place your recently used items at the top of the list to assist in brand and design consistency, which is convenient. 4. Helpful Tools: When designing your graphic, Canva has guidelines to ensure photos and text are centered and rightly aligned. You can filter, adjust, crop and flip photos to make your design match your vision. There is a locking feature to keep an element in place, so it is not moved during editing. You can also group items together, easily delete unwanted items and undo mistakes. Designs can be easily duplicated to help with consistency
or to try out various creative options. Multiple pages can be added to one design if a booklet or multi-page document is being made. 5. A fter the Design is Complete: All graphics can be downloaded, shared with others or saved. There are also various print options if you would like to go through Canva to print your graphics. Once your creation is downloaded, you can add it to social media, use it for a project or whatever else you need your graphic for. It's surprisingly easy and it can all be done for free. Looking for more information? These five tips have just scratched the surface of the Canva features. The Canva platform has its own tutorials to help get you on your way to design greatness. Have more Canva questions? Reach out to newsletter@nedpg. org and let us know. Stephanie is passionate about all things wellness, running outdoors, puppies, peanut butter and spreading all of the joy. When she’s not at her corporate food service job, 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 sleepaway 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.
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S O C I A L M E D I A CO R N E R
Leveraging Instagram to Market Your Business Emily Merklen, MS, RDN Director of Communications
people. It’s also more opportunity to share your services and how you can help others.
Instagram has become a valuable social media platform in the world of nutrition entrepreneurship. If you think about it, many of your clients and customers are already using Instagram which means your future clients and customers are on there too. In fact, 200 million Instagram users visit at least one business profile daily, according to Instagram.
3. N etwork, Network, Network: You might be thinking, how do I use Instagram for networking? Isn’t that what LinkedIn is for? While this is true, you should never underestimate the powerful connections that social media can bring. Whether it’s with like-minded nutrition entrepreneurs or potential clients, interacting with what other people post on Instagram will help you get your name out there and connect. Don’t be afraid to send direct messages to potential clients and new followers that show interest in your page. A personal note can go a long way.
Here are seven ways you can use an Instagram business profile to your advantage to market your business, grow your presence and increase your revenue: 1. L evel Up Your Bio: Your bio is the first thing your potential clients see when they find your Instagram page. If you don’t have a business profile on Instagram yet, make one now. Then think about reformatting your bio. What does it say about your business? Tell your potential clients your title and/or business name, how you can serve them and provide links to learn more, contact you or even a freebie (e.g., a 15-minute discovery call or downloadable PDF). 2. C onsistency is Key: Quality is better than quantity so you don’t have to post on your page every day, but posting more consistently will help you reach more
4. S hare Multiple Types of Content: One of the best parts about Instagram is all the ways you can reach your audience. There are feed posts (single images and carousel posts), stories, IGTV, Reels and now Guides. Tip: You’ll definitely want to jump on the Reels bandwagon if you haven’t already. 5. B e Authentic and Engage: Your followers and prospective clients want to get to know you, so don’t be afraid to add a personal twist through stories, highlights, captions and images. Authenticity will resonate with your target client and audience, and help you reach the people who will truly support your business and want to work with you. Also, don’t forget to engage with your followers and prospective clients. Having a business page on Instagram isn’t just about posting
and logging off. Take 20 minutes a day to like and comment on their posts, share ones that resonate with you and your business, and respond to comments and messages. 6. E xplore Hashtags: Adding hashtags to your posts is a great way to boost post reach and impressions - in other words, reach more potential clients and get your name out there. When you search hashtags, you’ll see that some are more popular than others and it’s good to use a mix - from millions of followers to a few hundred thousand. Hashtags should focus on the content of your post, the target client and the area of work you’re in. Try looking at accounts and businesses similar to yours to see what hashtags they’re using. 7. M onetize Your Profile and Share Your Products: One of the newer features of Instagram and easiest ways to monetize your profile is adding a shop. This allows you to post your products and offerings right on your page. Connect with NE on Instagram @nutritionentrepreneurs and show us how you’re implementing these tips and marketing your business. Emily works in nutrition communications and marketing. Emily loves to travel and experience new food and cultures. She can usually be found making food in her kitchen to share on Instagram @borntokale or at a boutique fitness studio engaging in joyful movement.
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S O C I A L M E D I A CO R N E R
Lights, Camera, Action: Making Video for Online and Social Media Kimberley RoseFrancis, RDN, LD, CDE NE Hub Manager For the past five years I’ve learned a thing or two about videography from my YouTube channel. Recently, I worked on a video project with Healthline that helped me refine my skills just a bit more. I always thought I had to have fancy equipment and lighting to make the perfect video, but I was wrong. The only thing you really need is a cell phone and, if you have the spare change, artificial lighting. I’m by no means an expert, but today I wanted to share six video tips I’ve learned throughout the years for beginners. 1. F rames per second. If you are using an iPhone, go into your camera settings and change the “record video” options to 4K at 30 fps or higher. When recording at a higher fps (frames per second), this gives you greater flexibility when editing. Be careful though; recording at a higher fps takes up a lot of space on your phone.
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2. P osition. Position the camera horizontally. This allows you to have a wider visual angle and is more pleasing to the eye because it creates an immersive experience. For instance, if you are recording yourself cooking, viewers will be able to see your entire kitchen and not just you and the main entree. You immerse them in the cooking experience as if they were there in your kitchen.
5. S ound. Film in a quiet location. Recording devices can be very sensitive to sound. Be mindful if it is windy or if cars are passing by. These extraneous noises are easily picked up by your camera/phone and I personally find them hard to edit out.
3. H eight. Place the camera in a location where you can look directly into the lens as if you were having a face-to-face conversation with an actual person. When I first started recording myself, my camera height was too low. This gives the illusion that you are looking down on your audience. Instead, position the camera as if you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone the same height as you. This allows your audience a more personal experience.
Remember, practice makes perfect. If you don’t succeed, try and try again. It takes a while to master the art of recording, especially when you are recording yourself.
4. L ighting. Record your video when the sun is at its brightest peak in the day, and film in front of a window. This helps with video quality. I am in Florida and for me the sun is at its highest peak around 10 a.m.- 1p.m. If your home is poorly lit, then an inexpensive (less than $40) ring light can do the trick. Just make sure to place the ring light behind your camera when recording.
6. L ens. Ensure that your camera lens is clean. This will help prevent blurry video images and can enhance video quality.
Kim is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and a Certified Diabetes Educator with close to a decade of clinical experience. She thinks of herself as a virtual cheerleader. Kim has two passions: the first of which is for students and dietetic interns. For this reason, Kim started a YouTube channel and has created step-by-step nutrition support videos and worksheets to help future dietitians accomplish their goals. Her second passion is for those newly diagnosed with diabetes or have uncontrolled diabetes and related complications. She has also created video resources for her clients and also provides nutrition counseling sessions to reach their health goals.
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R E I M B U R S E M E N T CO R N E R
The Bread and Butter of Business Nancy Z. Farrell Allen, MS, RDN, FAND Reimbursement Chair “What’s the worstcase scenario?” My three adult daughters might tell you that they heard this phrase fairly often when growing up. I was trying to instill in them the idea to think proactively in handling life’s challenges. I wanted them to calmly think things through before being hit with the curve balls that life would surely throw at them. There is much that has changed in our lives during this year of the pandemic. We have become a world of distancing and dispersed workers as telecommuting and telehealth became a prominent way of business life. As a leader of a business, you set the tone and the pace for yourself and your employees. You are the breadand-butter of your business as it is up to you to strategize ways to keep the revenue stream healthy and profitable. For some, the initial road earlier this year may have been bumpy as you searched for viable options to keep your business alive. The challenge now is to remember to look beyond the bread wrapper or the bread box. Things are not what they used to be. There is a new world on the horizon.
• S ee new work challenges as opportunities to learn a new skill. For example, maybe travel for your nutrition communication job was halted. What alternate ways can you continue to communicate now to keep your audience engaged? What are the barriers and what strategies will you use to overcome them? • You may find that you are busier than ever. You might need to contact an academic program director to mentor interns or graduate students in turn for their assistance with projects. How will you prepare yourself for this endeavor? • Virtual meetings, media interviews, conferences and happy hours are everywhere these days. How will you generate business through the computer and social media networks? • I nequities in the workplace have surfaced. How have you worked to make your place of business diverse and inclusive of the underserved so that all benefit? •N ormal work hours have changed. Can employees stagger their shifts to cover more available time, thus possibly generating more revenue? •P erhaps you are still paying the rent, phone and internet expenses in an office you are rarely using as you now work from a home office. As the
months ahead play out, you may need to “yellow pad” the advantages and disadvantages of staying or moving on from that office. And what do you need to keep track of now to be sure you can deduct your home office expenses on the 2020 tax return? • F inally, professional work and personal boundaries need to be honored. While discipline is key, have you established clear lines separating the two responsibilities? What support will you need from your team at work and family at home? Whatever the business changes, keep an eye on minimizing costs to enhance profits in the “new normal.” Bottom line - it is better to take the time to think things through beforehand and know your backup strategies rather than simply letting life happen to you and your business. Nancy Farrell Allen is owner of Farrell Dietitian Services in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is active in Academy Nutrition Advocacy and Public Policy initiatives and serves as an Academy National Media Spokesperson. Nancy teaches a graduate leadership course at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. Working in the commercial talent industry, Nancy gained insight on not only being in front of, but also behind, the camera. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn as nfarrellrdn. She can be reached at nancy@farrelldietitian.com
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P U B L I C A DVO C AC Y CO R N E R
Action Alerts
Carly Siceloff, MS, RD, LDN Public Advocacy Leader ‘Tis the season for football, pumpkin spice lattes and... politics! Not too long ago we watched Americans all over the country proudly share selfies showing they were donning their “I Voted” sticker. Flaunting their badges of honor and beaming with pride, Americans celebrated democracy and the voice of the people. My 2021 hope for NE dietitians is that we find that same pride in our professional politics. Let’s be policy influencers. Tell your friends, share on your social media outlets and spread the word to your co-workers. Did you know Academy members and nonmembers can take part in our Action Alerts? As a practice group, we submitted our firstever Policy of Work plan to the Academy. In that plan, we defined three major goals for the 2020-2021 term. The first goal: Increase Action Alert participation by 5%. These alerts matter to our profession, but more important, to our patients and clients.
As your 2020-2021 Policy Advocacy Leader, I promise to communicate Action Alerts from the Academy. Our participation in Action Alerts gives us a voice and a vote. So get cozy, grab a pumpkin spice latte and take action now. The Alerts below are waiting (5% increase! We got this!). Support Access to Healthy Food and Nutrition Services In November 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an updated HEROES Act COVID-19 relief package which maintains key nutrition priorities introduced in the original bill in May. The Academy urges the Senate to pass a stimulus relief bill that includes these critical provisions. Support Diversity in Nutrition and Dietetics in Allied Health Professions The Academy has partnered with the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to encourage Congress to provide $300 million in funding for minority-serving institutions that would support allied health professions programs including nutrition and dietetics. In addition, we are requesting $10 million for nutrition and dietetics career outreach.
Take Action Today on the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020 Representative Eliot Engel, Representative Pete King, Senator Susan Collins and Senator Gary Peters recently introduced the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 2020 (H.R. 6971/S. 4504), which would expand coverage of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) in Medicare Part B beyond diabetes and renal disease to include: •P rediabetes •H ypertension • Malnutrition • Cancer • HIV/AIDS
•O besity •D yslipidemia • Eating disorders • Celiac disease • Any disease related to unintentional weight loss
Learn more about the Academy’s advocacy efforts at www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy. Carly Siceloff is a dedicated health practitioner serving the corporate wellness industry. Through carefully designed strategic health-focused events and education, she creates a culture of wellness. It is her passion for customer-centric care and sharing nutrition knowledge that define her purpose: "promoting the well-being of all."
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Three Steps to Create More Money Chere Bork, MS, RDN Abundance Ambassador How are you doing with creating money? Are you where you want to be? Most people want to improve their relationships with money. What you think about expands. You can create what you want using energy and thought rather than physical effort, and produce results way beyond anything you can create with physical efforts alone. Here are three steps to create more money: Be grateful for what you already have. Gratitude is a positive, attractive energy; it brings you more of what you feel grateful for. But there is a deeper reason to avoid feelings of lack. Here's why: Whatever your feelings are, something is happening simultaneously that is "under the radar," so to speak. That "something" is the constant programming of your subconscious mind. And why do we care? Because your subconscious mind is always either helping you get what it thinks you want, or helping you to avoid what it thinks you don't want. What is better than a gratitude journal? An Evidence of Abundance Journal. You record “evidence” of when good things happen like finding the parking spot near the door, the client called you before you called them, or you
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were going to look up information and an article shows up in your inbox. “Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never have enough." - Oprah Winfrey Focus on what you want to create in your life. Ask yourself if you are a deliberate creator. How do you know? Look at the results you are getting in your life. They are a perfect reflection of what you are vibrating, good or bad. Identify what you want to show up in your life. How much money would I need to consider myself rich? How much money do I need to earn each week to feel rich? Picture the essence of what that money will give you. What are the ways you will use your money? This is called magnetizing. Think RICH: Rewarded, Inspired, Confident and Happy.* While you are focusing on what you want, do it as if it has already taken place. “I learned that my happiness is not dependent upon how much money I have. There is an abundance of money in the world, enough for everyone. If I need money, I go create some." - Peleg Top Create allowing. This third step is the most important part; it is invisible and “non-dietitian-like.” Dietitians need physical to-do lists and
doing. This step is a “being” step. Know that the universe is responding to your desire and what you want to magnetize. Allowing is the tool for removing doubt. Dump doubt as it stops your desire. Allowing is being optimistic about your future and your desires, and at the same time being happy today with who you are, what you do and how you do it. You can create allowing statements like, “Thousands of dollars were paid to dietitians yesterday, today and tomorrow.” “Everything you want is coming. Relax and let the universe pick the timing and the way. You just need to trust that what you want is coming, and watch how fast it comes.” - Abraham Hicks Abundance is a feeling. Have fun manifesting. You probably don’t realize you are already manifesting. But starting today, manifest what you do want instead of what you don’t want. You have already found and created your life’s work that will bring more abundance than any other single action you can take. Congratulations - you are an amazing nutrition entrepreneur! *Coach and Grow Rich Program
Chere Bork, AKA “The Dietitian Energy Igniter,” is the happy owner of cherebork.com and a Law of Attraction coach. She gives RDNs a confidence boost to live the lives they have always wanted. She helps them find clarity so that they can be the best they can be. She thought she was a failure many times in her career. And every time the challenge and adversity created a more beautiful, meaningful life. She wants that for you – a beautiful, meaningful life!
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Diversity Q & A Jinan Banna, PhD, RD Diversity Q&A In this Ventures Diversity Q&A, we connect with Jinan Banna, PhD, RD, an associate professor at the University of Hawaii and the owner of Jinan Banna, LLC. When she isn’t working, she is usually found hiking or sampling food from around the world. Tell us a little about your background. Growing up, my family always emphasized the importance of eating well, being active and being open to new experiences. I was exposed to food from around the globe from a young age, as I grew up in California and have parents from different backgrounds. My mother is American and her side of the family has Italian origins. My father is Lebanese. Both of my parents loved to explore the world. I traveled even as a young child and lived in Germany. There I was known as “the littlest wine taster.” The exposure to different cultures continued as I grew, and I have fond memories of a trip I took as a teenager to Mexico City and surrounding areas with my mother, sister and family friends. I have continued to travel, reside in diverse locations and seek opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. I feel very grateful for these experiences. How has your background enhanced your dietetic practice? As a result of my family’s background and interest in diverse cultures, I have become familiar with the people and culinary traditions from various world areas. This enhanced my previous practice as an outpatient dietitian in New York City. My job involved interacting with diverse patients who reported their dietary intakes as part of our interaction. My familiarity with many of
the foods consumed allowed for a smoother exchange and incorporation of these foods into suggestions for dietary modification. This has also enhanced my current position as a teacher, as I am able to incorporate examples from my personal experience as I discuss concepts such as cultural competence. What is your definition of diversity and why it is important in the dietetics field? I consider diversity to refer to the existence of individuals who are unique with respect to numerous characteristics like age, religion, country of origin, race, physical ability, etc. Diversity is of paramount importance to respect in dietetics in order to provide the best care. Our characteristics influence how we relate to our patients and thus how our patients respond to us. We would be putting those we serve at a great disadvantage if we don't embrace our unique characteristics and promote diversity on a large scale. How do you encourage people to honor the uniqueness of each individual? Being curious about each individual and listening carefully are important. It’s easy to gather information on the basis of a person’s background and then assume we know about their cultural traditions and eating habits. It’s important not to make assumptions, as each person is nuanced. Just because they identify as being a person practicing a particular religion, for example, doesn’t mean that their habits and beliefs necessarily align with your knowledge of people of that faith. How do you challenge and promote sensitivity and inclusion in the dietetics field?
adequate representation from unique groups among dietetics professionals. Providing students from diverse cultures with a path to professional success is one way to foster this. How has diversity helped you in your job role? I am fortunate to work in a department at the University of Hawaii made up of faculty and students from around the world. As a result, I have the privilege of working on diverse teams, which greatly enhances my perspective on issues at hand. Research has revealed that nonhomogeneous teams produce better outcomes than those that are less diverse, as the brain is challenged to consider different solutions to promote innovation. What is one tip you have for others to be more culturally sensitive/aware? Attending a training on cultural competence is one way to grow as a professional, as well as regularly and consistently seeking out resources on the topic. The Academy’s e-book on cultural competency for nutrition professionals is a good place to start. How would having more diversity in dietetics providers improve our field? More diversity in our profession will lead to more understanding of others, and this in turn will help us relate to our fellow professionals, students and patients. The more we understand others, the more we will behave in ways that are respectful of our differences and celebrate the many similarities, building trust between people and allowing for culturally appropriate recommendations to be made.
I seek to mentor dietetics students from underrepresented groups to promote increased diversity of practitioners in our field. We need to be sure that we have
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Product REVIEWS Title: Healthy Eating for Life Author: Cara Harbstreet, MS, RD, LD Date: 2019 Publisher: Althea Press, Emeryville, CA Price: $18.99 Review: This book is a valuable resource to people wanting to dive deeper into how to include tenets of intuitive eating into their lives. The author connects with the reader through
Title: DASH Diet for Two: 125 HeartHealthy Recipes to Lower Your Blood Pressure Together Author: Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, LDN Date: 2020 Publisher: Rockridge Press Price: $16.99 Review: Looking for blood pressure-friendly meal options for your clients but frustrated by recipes that make more food than they
the introduction and the six different topic sections including: Eating Intuitively; Breaking Out of the Diet Trap; Listening to Your Body; Feeding Your Hunger; Healthy Food, Healthy Choices; and Change for Life. These sections give insight into the process of intuitive eating as self-care, repackaging the principles of intuitive eating into smaller manageable pieces. Dietitian nutritionists and therapists would find this resource helpful when working with individuals or groups who want to journey more in-depth into the world of intuitive eating after having some context for this way of life. Thought experiments and reflection opportunities sprinkled throughout the sections allow readers to pause and reflect on the readings and how they can apply the content to their own relationship with food.
I enjoyed the takeaways at the end of each chapter, though it would have been helpful to have similar guidance at the beginning of the chapter so the reader knows what each section contains. Intuitive movement is discussed and is very useful, though this topic could use its own section to allow readers more depth.The author provides many helpful resources and websites for readers to dive deeper. Entrepreneurial RDNs can use this resource to engage with clients in a more interactive, practical way bringing to life basic knowledge a client has around the concepts of intuitive eating.
need? Then DASH Diet for Two is for you. Geared toward empty-nesters and retirees, each recipe creates two to three servings, so there’s no need to store and eat a bunch of leftovers. Rosanne Rust explains the science behind DASH, assigns daily intake goals for most DASH components and provides great tips on pantry building. The short ingredient lists and mostly one-page recipes will be a hit with your clients who are seeking healthy, easy-to-prepare options. Each recipe is identified as 30 minutes or less, one-pot, vegetarian, budget-saver, or make-ahead as appropriate, so readers can quickly identify recipes that will work for
them. A huge strength of this cookbook is that Rust provides recipes for every meal of the day, including snacks. The snack section is particularly awesome, as many people struggle with how to eat between meals. DASH Diet for Two is a wonderful cookbook to use with your clients to help them build complete meals and compliant daily meal plans. If you are looking for an approachable DASH cookbook to recommend, look no further. This is it!
Reviewer: Jamie Daugherty, PhD, RDN, CSSD Title: Assistant Professor Affiliation: Fontbonne University
Reviewer: Karen A. Mills, JD, RDN, LD Title: Dietitian & Owner Affiliation: The Healthy Culture LLC
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Title: Anti-Diet: Reclaim Your Time, Money, WellBeing and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating Author: Christy Harrison, MPH, RD Date: 2019 Publisher: Little, Brown Spark Price: $16.79 Review: Do you notice diet culture in your everyday life? Have you tried a diet or a “new way” of eating every season? Do you frequently think about “good” and “bad” food and what is “wrong” with your body? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, and you’re ready for a change, you’ve found
Titles: 1 Healthy Eating for Families, The Ultimate Nutrition Guide for Kids, Parents, and Educators ($9.99) The Super Crew’s Breakfast Cookbook for Kids, 50 Tasty Recipes + 100 Nutrition Activities Guide ($17.95) Author: Melissa Halas, MA, RDN, CDE Date: 2020 Publisher: SuperKids Nutrition Inc.
the right book. Christy Harrison, MPH, RD, exposes diet culture and how it continuously affects us on a personal and societal level. This book is recommended for practitioners who deal with friends and colleagues who comment on others' food and bodies and anyone who wants to join the community of anti-dieters. Harrison shows how deeply embedded diet culture is in our society through the first chapters of the book. In doing so, we see how diet culture is integrated into our health system. While health care workers may not know it and are blinded by weight stigma and “fat-phobia,” a patient’s true medical concerns may not get addressed. Through Anti-Diet, practitioners and everyday people will expand their knowledge and be able to fight against diet culture.
Almost everyone will have been affected by diet culture, also known as the life thief, at one point in their life. However, they may not realize the damages it has done to them and those around them. Through Harrison's writing, using fellow colleagues and clients, she shows the true colors of diet culture. She identifies the barriers of diet culture, which includes how diet culture sneaks into people’s lives without their permission. Harrison provides resources and examples throughout the book that would benefit the reader as well as nutrition entrepreneurs. Anti-Diet is an essential book for nutrition entrepreneurs who promote intuitive eating and want to continue the fight against diet culture.
Review: If you are searching for just a pretty cookbook to display on a table, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for an educational, interactive and fun cookbook that will capture the curiosities of young children and inspire them to eat healthier, then this is the book for you. As a culinary dietitian, I loved the nutrition facts presented in a way that encourages kids to try new foods throughout the book. As a chef, I appreciated the delicious plant-focused recipes that use simple ingredients most families are likely to already have on hand. Author Melissa Halas does a wonderful job of creating Super Crew characters who get their powers from healthy, colorful foods. These beautifully illustrated, fun characters will inspire family members of all ages. I put this book to the test with two of my grandchildren, ages five and three. My concern that it would only be appealing to the older child was quickly proven wrong when I heard
the three-year-old exclaim,“I want to be like baby Abigail! I’m going to eat lots of colorful vegetables!”This book is an excellent, easy-touse resource of practical, evidence-based tips and tools for parents/caregivers or educators who want to bring nutrition into their homes and teach their children but are not sure where to start. There’s something for everyone in these books: fun and tasty food ideas, facts and activities, goal-setting for healthy eating, mix-and-match meal ideas, plant-based health benefits and family-style meal reminders. I highly recommend these books to educators of all kinds, and applaud Halas for sharing her gift of creative teaching with the public, especially at such an affordable price.
Reviewer: Lauren Castellucci, MS, RD, CLC Title: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Reviewer: Joan Denton, MS, RDN, LD, CCMS Title: Owner, Food & Nutrition Consultant, Chef Affiliation: Culinary Cures
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G U E S T A RT I C L E
Four Tips on Managing Finances as an Entrepreneur Kristen Carli, RD Guest Article 1. H ave a Mindset of Confidence I cannot start an article about entrepreneurial finances without first addressing your mindset. When it comes to owning your own business, you learn pretty quickly that it’s all about confidence. This journey of entrepreneurship is tough. Not only are you often working on your own, but you likely have never owned a business before. It can feel quite intimidating. Instead of doubting yourself and your abilities, it is important to have a confident mindset in all that you do. This is clearly easier said than done, but make it a goal to work on flexing your confidence muscle. 2. K now Your Worth You went to school for many years, completed 1,200 hours of supervised practice and passed a national credentialing exam. You should feel
confident to charge your ideal rate. You are worth it. Avoid falling into impostor syndrome and doubting your abilities. Instead, know that you are an expert in this field; it is absolutely okay to charge appropriate fees for your services. 3. S et Up Multiple Revenue Streams Taking the leap into entrepreneurship can be scary. What if you don’t make the income you are expecting? My advice: don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Branch out and get creative with your revenue streams. If you are a private-practice owner, maybe you should consider looking into regular speaking gigs, writing opportunities or brand consulting. As registered dietitians, we are lucky that there are many avenues to explore. 4. O rganize Your Finances Business financial management can be tough if you’ve never done it before, but here are a few tips to make your life easier: Keep a detailed log of your finances, tracking your expenses and income. You do not have to purchase a financial management software
like QuickBooks in order to track. A simple Excel spreadsheet will do just fine. If you work for yourself or have contract work, you likely will not have taxes deducted from your paychecks. Put aside the taxable income into a separate account as soon as you get paid. This way, come tax season, you will have the allotted money ready to go instead of scrambling to find some cash. Schedule regular check-in dates with your finances to report income and expenses. This could be daily or weekly, but put it on your calendar. As entrepreneurs we are busy wearing many hats, so it is easy to let some tasks slip through the cracks. Set up a repeating event on your digital calendar so you always know how your finances are going. Kristen Carli, RD, is the owner of Camelback Nutrition & Wellness, a private nutrition practice specializing in chronic disease prevention in Scottsdale, Arizona. When she isn’t working, she can be found cooking up plant-based recipes for her blog Mostly-Green.com
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Want a Healthy Bank Account? Offer Healthy Challenges Judes Scharman Draughon, MS, RDN, LD Guest Article As a financially savvy RDN you might be offering group programming to your clients and patients. Not only are you providing a shared, supportive nutrition counseling and learning environment, but also a revenue stream several times what you would be making during a single one-on-one counseling session. Well done! But - are you offering your clients group challenges? Providing a group challenge and inviting program participants to change or implement new behaviors is an effective model for behavior change and a lucrative means of growing your business. According to Wellsteps, about 40% of successful behavior change happens when we establish a supportive environment and when we receive peer support from others. The least important aspect of a behavior change model, interestingly, is awareness and education at just 5%, yet this is where most dietitians spend their time and energy. It’s time to mix up your model and incorporate virtual group challenges into your business offering.
Group Challenges: a Financially Healthy Model As a first step to implementing your group challenge, think about what your clients ask most of you – whether they want to eat more mindfully, sleep more soundly, move more, etc. You can then provide a group challenge around the topic of interest. As an example, this past September I offered a “Healthy Fall 12-Week Challenge” for clients who wanted to get into a healthy lifestyle routine before the holiday season. My programming for this particular challenge included weekly educational content and quizzes that participants filled out each week. Once you have materials and programming in place, then the fun begins. Market your challenge programming to your current and potential clients and invite them to invite others with a discount advantage for both. Win-win – you gain clients you normally would not have reached. The program will be more successful when various participants know one another within the group; an element of trust is more easily established. I held my Healthy Fall Challenge via a live group session with participants each week for 12 weeks, and at the close of the program, one of my participants shared:
“Learning about, and applying the 12 Fixes to Healthy Plan during this group challenge, is really working for me. I have more energy, and although I have not lost a significant amount of weight, I have gone down two pant sizes (four inches). Now I am going to do something I have never done in my entire adult life - not gain any extra pounds during the months of November and December. I can’t wait to get my buddies together to do another challenge.” - Larry Your participants will want to work with you again on another challenge and will invite additional contacts to take part, too. And when you have templates, running multiple challenges simultaneously and repeating the program time and again is a breeze – and your bank account will be over-the-moon happy. Give your clients – and your business – the gift of offering group challenge programming this new year. Judes Scharman Draughon, MS, RDN, LD, is the creator of the 12 Fixes to Healthy Wellness Plan, and author of 12 Fixes to Healthy: A Wellness Plan for Life. Judes is also the founder of the 12-Fix RDN affiliate Program, where RDNs use her 12-Fix Wellness Plan and free app to grow their businesses – and use her “secret sauce” challenge program recipe to boost their revenue!
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S T U D E N T A RT I C L E
How I Keep a Financially Healthy Business Amber Trejo, MS, CPT Student Article When dietitians enter the entrepreneurial arena, we have two things on our mind: to help people eat well and to be our own boss. Accounting and bookkeeping is one of the last things on our mind when going into private practice. Owning my own fitness and nutrition consulting company has taught me that helping clients get healthy was the easy part. The hard part was maintaining my practice’s financial health. What does a financially healthy, private practice look like? Financial health for me meant my expenses were tracked, income was consistent and I was able to save while being debt-free. These key metrics have been the vitamins and minerals for my business in order to be financially healthy. One of the most important key metrics is income, and in order to get income I needed to create monthly income goals that would cover expenses and allow me to save some money. I developed a price structure that fit my target audience and calculated how many clients I’d need to achieve my income goal. My practice’s
income varies each month. I have found adjusting my income goals according to prior monthly trends helps me manage my expenses much better and avoid debt. Another important factor in achieving a healthy business is having income coming in consistently; some income is better than no income. What financial hardships are happening among your clientele? When COVID-19 hit, many of my longterm clients were impacted and couldn't afford my rate. Instead of generating zero income, I adjusted my rates temporarily: I’d rather have lost $100 versus $200. A question you have to ask yourself: Is your business spending more than you make? This area of our dietetic business is similar to the CICO (Calories In, Calories Out) method: Are we expending more calories (money) than what is coming in (income)? To stay financially healthy, I do not want to be in a deficit and know I should be balanced with my spending. That is the same thing we tell our clients about their food choices - moderation is key. There is the plus side of owning a business and that is tax deductions. I make sure I am writing off expenses that benefit my practice - whether it's coffee with a colleague as we talk about nutritionrelated topics, a photoshoot for marketing
on social media or ordering filing folders for patient documents. Every penny spent counts and in the end saves me money that would be paid in taxes. Blocking off time every month to monitor my monthly expenses and deductions is helpful in capping excessive spending and avoiding potential debt while making sure I'm not missing a write-off. A financially healthy practice is debt-free. For me, I like to make sure every cent earned isn’t spent on what I owe. If you do happen to owe debt, try to pay that off as soon as possible. Factor debt into your income budgeting. Establishing these metrics paid off in my second year as an entrepreneur compared to my first year where I was living off clientto-client. Running a business is no easy feat and not being financially healthy makes it harder. The feeling of being financially healthy can equate to eating a nutritious diet and feeling our best. Amber Trejo, MS, CPT, is a dietetic intern and the founder of Naked Wellness. When she is not focusing on her dietetic studies or coaching clients, she is in the gym staying fit and cruising around the tristate area with her husband visiting local coffee roasters and searching for the best gluten-free pancakes.
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My Top Three Tips for Staying Financially Healthy Frances LargemanRoth, RDN Webinar Presenter Spotlight Frances LargemanRoth, RDN, presented the webinar, “Using Changing Food Trends to Engage Followers,” for NE members in November 2020. In it, she discusses the importance of staying on top of trends and customizing content so that your audience feels like they are being heard and catered to. To watch the webinar, head over to nedpg.org CPE Library. 1. Get It in Writing: When I first started my own company, Milk & Honey Media, nearly nine years ago, I had no idea how to run a small business. I had come from a full-time job with benefits at a huge publishing company. I also had no idea what type of work I’d be doing but had a general sense that I’d be writing articles, creating recipes and doing spokesperson work. Really though, I just wanted to prove - to myself and others - that I could make it work. This led me to take on projects at the drop of the hat, before really evaluating whether it was the right fit for me or whether it paid me enough for the time I’d need to put into it. I made plenty of mistakes. I took on projects
that didn’t pay me enough for my expertise and took much longer than I’d planned. I also worked with a few products that didn’t really align with my food philosophy, but I took the jobs because I had a growing family and needed to create revenue. I could have saved myself plenty of stress and frustration if I had asked upfront exactly what the project would entail and what the payment would be. Always ask for a contract, a letter of agreement or a scope of work. These documents should detail what deliverables are expected of you and include due dates for when the work should be submitted. They should also detail how much you will be paid and when payments will be made. 2. Invest in Yourself Wisely: When you’re just starting a business, it can be tough to know where to start and where to spend. Do you need dedicated office space or can you set up a home office? Either way, you’ll need to invest in some basic furniture and supplies. And if you don’t have a website, you’ll need to get one set up right away. I decided from the start that I was going to try to do everything on my own to keep costs down. This meant running to the post office every time I needed to send a book to a writer and spending the time to put my own TV pitches together. Trying to do everything on your own seems like
it makes sense, but think about what you could accomplish (writing, creating ideas, exercising!) if you could carve some time out of your schedule. It took me a few years, but I did eventually hire someone to help with my newsletter and social media. You don’t need to do everything yourself to be successful. 3. Plan for the Slow Times: If you’re a freelance writer, you know it’s a feast or famine business. And the same often goes for spokesperson work. I find that I’m very busy doing brand work from late August through spring, but then things slow down considerably during the summer. To keep my bank account in balance, I know that I need to pick up on my freelance story pitching so that I have work (and money) coming in during the summer. It’s like planting seeds for the next harvest — a little investment now will pay off in the future. If your business also ebbs and flows, find something productive that you can do in the slow times, whether that’s building up your skill set, volunteering or taking on a different type of work temporarily. Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, is a nutrition expert, mom of three and author of Smoothies & Juices: Prevention Healing Kitchen. When she’s not working, you’ll find her running the hills in Westchester County, New York, and getting ready for her new puppy. @FrancesLRothRD; franceslargemanroth.com
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Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs
Lauri Egan 6301 Snidercrest Rd Mason, OH 45040
Spring Summit: Cultivate and Grow Your Brand and Business In the midst of an issue focused all about money (and when isn’t a good time for entrepreneurs to be focused on this subject!?), we’re pleased to announce that in May 2021, NE will be hosting its inaugural Spring Summit: Cultivate and Grow Your Brand and Business. Whether you’re thinking about making the leap into entrepreneurship, just starting out or perhaps pivoting into new territory in your existing business, you’ll come out of this event inspired with a game plan to move forward with your business goals – and with up to 10 CPEUs for members/students $55/$25 ($85/$35 after April 8th, 2021). With topics including building
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a brand, modern ways to market your business, counseling techniques, and even a podcast panel, you will surely come for the tools and confidence to grow your business, but stay for the networking and culinary treats. Stay up-todate on all things Spring Summit at nedpg.org.
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