Anne Elizabeth Cundiff brings her 18 years of dietitian experience to this episode of the Pursuing Private Practice podcast, and shares with Jennifer how her passion has evolved to helping other dietitians on their journey of achieving career success.

Anne recalls how early in her career in 1998, she didn't have any support while pursuing her education and career choices, and felt alone and isolated with no community or resources at that time. This experience later fueled her passion to provide that missing resource in the complex dietetics industry, leading to the launch of her mentoring business to help dietitians in navigating their career.

She also shares with Jennifer how she first learned about Intuitive Eating from a student while working as a Preceptor, and how she incorporates it into her work with clients and refers out to specialized Intuitive Eating dietitians when needed. About Intuitive Eating, she says…

"I think as dietitians, regardless of where you're at in your profession, you have to be open to any new way of thought that can help someone succeed at living their healthiest life." - Anne Elizabeth Cundiff

Some of the topics discussed include:

• How she mentors new and experienced dietitians who are at a crossroads in their profession, educates them about career options, and provides connections and community.
• Her threefold approach with mentoring that also includes her book and podcast with over 150 episodes as the conversation piece.
• The power of working with younger dietitians and students to learn new trends and stay current with the changing industry, and how we collectively work together to uplift the profession.
• How she's seen an increase in wanting to learn Intuitive Eating, and why it often doesn't appeal to those with 30+ years' experience.
• Examples of how her personalized Business Coaching approach of mentoring has helped dietitians:
  • find their ideal jobs,
  • to understand or re-discover their passion and values,
  • to navigate through burnout from high-intensity jobs and transition to other areas of practice.
• Why it's normal to switch direction 3 to 4 times in your career and the importance of reaching out for someone to help you navigate those transitions.
• Examples of how she balances work-life satisfaction and self-care, stays organized and focused, and what she's learned from her struggle with establishing boundaries.

"My approach is letting someone just talk it out, to help people not give up on something that meant so much to them when they first got into the field." - Anne Elizabeth Cundiff

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

Jennifer is delighted to have Beth Rosen as her guest on this episode of the Pursuing Private Practice Podcast. As a non-diet Registered Dietitian for over 20 years, Beth shares her journey of gaining expertise in the area of digestive health within the niche of intuitive eating.

From her early career in corporate wellness, Beth reflects on her discovery of HAES and Intuitive Eating, and how her awareness evolved from the diet culture approach. After taking a break to raise her children, Beth re-took her RD exam and tells of her transition to private practice and niching down. She also looks back on how she transitioned from imposing food restrictions on her children's diets to allowing them to choose for themselves, crediting this approach to their current practice of natural intuitive eating.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Juggling motherhood and career, and the benefits of private practice.
• How managing her own IBS symptoms led to her expertise of the Low FODMAP diet, and why she niched down to disordered eating for clients with gut health issues.

• How private practice and her client's issues inspired Beth to create online courses and programs for clients with digestive health issues.
• The satisfaction of referring other HAES dietitians that are niched down in a specialty without the diet culture approach.
• The opportunities to learn from others of like-mind in the HAES-informed dietitian community.
• Beth's work with Low FODMAP brands to educate the public about healthy food product choices that promote digestive health.
• Her well-seasoned advice for those entering private practice, and for those wanting to create a course.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

Jennifer is joined by Paige Smathers, RDN, CD to explore the important topic of burnout for dietitians in private practice, and to share insightful and relevant strategies to prevent it.

Together they explore the definition of burnout, and shine a light on the causes of it from not only the complexities of the dietitian industry and our clients, but also from the anxiety and uncertainty that the online world can cause private practice owners. They reflect on the need to have honest conversations with ourselves and acknowledge how this work can be exhausting with the pressures to manage all aspects of the job.

Paige shares how she recognizes the early signs of depletion that leads to burnout, how she came to accept that discomfort, uncertainty and discouragement are part of this work and being in private practice, and how she developed mindfulness skills to deal with that, rather than just trying to feel better.

Jennifer and Paige discuss how learning to tolerate the distress of this work can actually help dietitians grow in other aspects of life, and be role models for our clients.

"Mindfulness for me is not about feeling good; it's about getting more skilled and able to feel the discomfort that I'm feeling, because discomfort and uncertainty is part of this work." ~Paige Smathers

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Paige's journey from seeing inpatient hospital clients, to her discovery of Intuitive Eating and starting a practice.
• How her private practice and podcast have developed since 2015, and the importance of staying true to her message and mission.
• Self-care strategies and how to maintain realistic boundaries in private practice by working smarter, not harder.
• How diversifying and building in-person connections in your local community can re-energize you and your practice.
• The differences between in-person versus online burnout, and ways to stay grounded and true to your values when social media causes anxiety and uncertainty.
• Proactive mindfulness techniques and managing your schedule to maintain energy levels.

We need to take care of ourselves so we can effectively work with our clients and thrive in our practice. You'll get some helpful burnout prevention tips from this episode that you might not have considered!

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

In this solo episode, Jennifer takes you on a deep dive about the topic of success as a dietitian business owner, and in particular, reflects on how success is defined by you personally.

With the weight-inclusive, HAES and Intuitive Eating approach yet to become mainstream in our profession, the trend is seeing many dietitians moving to private practice in order to truly align with their values as a provider, make a difference in the world, and “succeed” on their own terms.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• If the definition of “success” truly means what you think it means.
• How success changes as your life and business changes.
• How being in private practice with you as the boss allows you to succeed at providing care that is impactful.
• Why dietitians need community and additional business and nutritional counselling skills training to have confidence to build a business.

We ask our clients to do hard work every single day in order to succeed at healing their relationship with food. We as private practice owners have to ask ourselves to do that hard work too, because growing a business is a journey that is hard and full of ups and downs but it’s sooo worth it.

The main message from this episode is this; if you have the passion to truly create success on your own terms, your business will be successful, and you WILL be making a difference.

For more information, visit https://www.pursuingprivatepractice.com/16

SPONSOR INFO:

This episode is sponsored by Pursuing Private Practice® for Intuitive Eating. This program teaches dietitians how to successfully grow a private practice that specializes in a non-diet approach.

Jennifer welcomes special guest and industry leader Elyse Resch for an inspiring and informative talk about the evolving movement of Intuitive Eating, and how it's transforming the way Registered Dietitians practice in our field.

Following Elyse's Intuitive Eating presentation with Evelyn Tribole at FNCE 2019 with over 2,000 attendees, together Jennifer and Elyse continue the discussion about how the movement has evolved since the first book came out 25 years ago; Intuitive Eating. With the 4th edition coming out June 23rd 2020, Elyse reflects back to 1995 when the idea of Intuitive Eating was first starting, and takes us on a journey of how it has evolved with social justice, additional research, and greater awareness of weight stigma.

She expresses her gratitude for being part of the change, getting the message out to the world, and how Intuitive Eating is now taking on a life of its own.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Elyse's journey of transitioning from her first career as an elementary school teacher after having her son, and starting her private practice with the goal of being self-employed with autonomy.
• How Intuitive Eating has changed the Registered Dietitian field and kept RDs in the profession with a new sense of purpose and fulfillment.
• How Intuitive Eating impacts and extends out to other areas of life, such as relationships, connections with others, and satisfaction.
• Why having a specialty such as Intuitive Eating helps create a brand for yourself, and allows you to make an impact in the lives of others as a Registered Dietitian.
• The crucial role and benefits of supervision.
• How she manages work-life satisfaction, and makes time to be with family and tend to her other interests and self-care.
• A review of FNCE 2019 and its first presentations on Intuitive Eating, Body Image, and Binge Eating Disorder.
• How Intuitive Eating is now being woven into University curriculums, and the frustration of being trained in a traditional weight-centric approach is outdated.
• Elyse's future projects and her plans to transition into consulting work, and her hopes for the future of the dietetics profession.

Sponsor:

✨ Business School is designed to guide you through every stage of building a private practice: getting set up, seeing your first clients, growing until you're fully booked, hiring a team, expanding your offers—and even learning how to coast when needed. Inside, you'll follow a step-by-step curriculum with the flexibility to choose the path that fits your current stage of business and life. You'll get access to advanced toolkits, templates, and systems for business topics like marketing and finances, but also for counseling skills and client support. Beyond the curriculum, you're supported by personalized 1:1 coaching, weekly office hours, and monthly themes that address the real challenges of private practice. The program keeps you moving forward with built-in accountability that builds resilience and confidence so you feel like a legit business owner.

Learn more and apply here: https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/businessschool/

Connect with Pursuing Private Practice:

🎉 Instagram: @pursuing.private.practice

📧 Email: Contact Us

Free Resources For Dietitians at Any Stage of Business:

🍎 The Ultimate Checklist to Start Your Private Practice

✨ Free Training: Get Clients Now 3-Day Challenge

👯 Free Workshop: Hire Your Next Team Member

💻 The Pursuing Private Practice Blog

🎙️The Pursuing Private Practice Podcast

Jennifer welcomes back Elyssa Toomey, RD. In this episode, they continue their discussion on the topic of meal planning.

Together, Elyssa and Jennifer break down the 5 benefits of meal planning, and how it gives clients permission to eat nourishing foods regularly, with structure and flexibility based on their unique needs. Listen in as they discuss how meal planning:

1. Promotes balanced nutrition – to fuel their life, daily activities, and goals.
2. Adds variety – by expanding their options of trying new foods and allowing exposure back into their lives.
3. Helps clients feel good in their bodies – by eating regularly.
4. Reduces stress – by decreasing anxiety with busy schedules.
5. Saves time and money – by avoiding unnecessary grocery purchases and batch-cooking.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Examples of ways the 5 benefits of meal planning help individual clients.
• How nutrition counseling works with each client's situation to incorporate meal planning into their life.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

Diana Rice, RD, LD, CLEC joins Jennifer to share how she became a Dietitian as a second career specializing in family nutrition after working in media as a journalist, in order to blend her passion for writing and food with her expertise in nutrition.

Together, Diana and Jennifer discuss her path of discovering intuitive eating and how she already naturally lived in alignment with its philosophy, rather than discovering it from struggling with her own food disorder.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• Diana's story of working as an intuitive eating practitioner without having her own recovery story.
• Her journey of raising a family, moving, and how she's networked and built a private practice in a family-oriented community.
• How Diana obtained 'The SOS Approach to Feeding' training, to effectively work in family nutrition with millennial parents.
• How private practice set the foundation for Diana and her future projects and goals.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

Alexis Conason, Psy.D., CEDS, joins Jennifer to discuss her behavioral approach to treating clients with binge eating disorder, and shares her journey of transitioning from a weight-centric to weight-inclusive, intuitive eating approach.

When early in her career she discovered what wasn't working with her patients, Alexis describes her discovery of the HAES and mindfulness approach which fundamentally changed her work. Now, part of a weight-inclusive group practice specializing in eating disorders, and the creator of a 6-week online program The Anti-Diet Plan, Alexis discusses how she works with clients beyond the DSM5 criteria.

Some of the topics discussed include:

• The role of Dietitians who are often the first contact for people with undiagnosed binge eating disorders.
• Behavioral approaches for binge eating, such as psychodynamic, interpersonal, and third-wave cognitive behavioral therapy, and the need for a multi-disciplinary support team to help someone heal.
• How social media plays a role in eating disorder recovery including the HAES social justice movement, and why finding your community can be healing.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

Adina Pearson, RD and owner of Adina Pearson Nutrition joins Jennifer for a discussion and supervision session about her path of starting a private practice in a small community with a limited number of potential referrals.

With a focus on eating disorders and food struggles, Adina's goal is achieving a sustainable client load with work-life balance as a busy mother of two.

Together Jennifer and Adina explore Adina's current marketing activities to physicians and the challenge of getting referrals and respect. They consider different ways of how Adina can approach doctors to help them make their job easier by highlighting the benefit of referring clients to a dietitian, and Jennifer's recommendations of communication and marketing strategies to increase referrals.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!

In this episode of the Pursuing Private Practice Podcast, Kimmie Singh talks with Jennifer about the importance of understanding weight stigma as a dietitian and how weight stigma impacts our profession. She shares her insight on the importance of understanding bias, and how bias has impacted her as a dietitian living in a larger body. Learn what we can do as a healing profession, wanting to help others, to challenge weight stigma for the health of the clients we serve.

Visit https://pursuingprivatepractice.com/ to learn more about resources to start and grow your dietitian private practice!