My priority will always be staff. Staff, staff, staff, staff. No matter where I am or where the company is, if my staff need me, I will be there. This question comes at a pretty pivotal time for us here at Dietitian Life, with some of the things that we've now got the opportunity to do.

How do you choose between getting your foot in the door with a job in the industry and spending that time honing in on a specific skill or discipline? It is likely that you've been told at university to niche out, make an Instagram page and/or focus on something that you are passionate about, but our perspective on the matter is a little different.

This week on Dietitian Life, we answer a very important question from the audience and discuss the importance of self-preservation in dietetics. Talking through all things from personal experiences starting out in the field to my #1 game plan for avoiding burn out, self-preservation and helping yourself is the absolute key to being able to help your clients effectively.

Peta's in the booth this week! What is the best way to approach incorrect recommendations from a GP? Top tips for managing stress while on placement? What separates a "good" dietitian from a "great" one?!⁠ This week is all about answering your questions!

Would you believe that in ONE podcast, we can talk about dietitians in administrative roles, and about how artificial intelligence is going to take over most of our jobs?!⁠ 'Questions from the audience' is a great opportunity for us to answer some of your biggest questions in long-form, so listen, follow and be sure to DM us your own questions.

After over 10 years in private practice each, we've got a lot of experience in staying power - but that's not to say that we've never "flamed out" either. In this industry, especially in private practice, it takes a lot of power to ride the waves and stay in the career. From lack of support within dietetics to lack of communication, lack of clients... The list goes on. A lot of people think, "Well, I don't want to work in a hospital, so I guess that means I want to work in private practice," and this is where the problem starts. You can't possibly know what you want until you've tried it, and "wanting to work with food" or "wanting to help people" just isn't enough for a long-term love of your career choice.

Assumptions are going to ruin your consult. They might lead the client to stop seeing you, or even worse, lead you down the wrong path when it comes to treating them.⁠ For example, if you're talking about bowel frequency and they say their bowels are loose, you might assume that that is the most important problem. Without asking, you don't know that that particular client actually wants to lose weight and doesn't care about their bowels.⁠

If you love KALE - you're going to LOVE this week's guest. He's a published author and blogging mastermind, he's no stranger to some good food humour, and of course, the creator of Kaleigraphy, where he teaches others the tricks of the trade. We had a really great time chatting to Andy, covering everything from what defines success in dietetics to the burning question that we know you all wanted to hear... "Why Kale?"

You might know her from Education In Nutrition, she's got 10 years experience as an Accredited Practising Dietitian and over 30 years in healthcare (including her time as a Registered Nurse), and we were SO honoured to be able to put her in the hot seat after being in hers many times... It's Sophie Blackmore!⁠

Let's talk about starting a business, and why you SHOULDN'T start one right after graduating your degree.⁠ Too many people now are doing it thinking it’s what they should do, or simply out of desperation because they can’t find a job. Many are spending money on people who have had short term success as an “online dietitian” through social media, to teach them how to also do it.