Are you a dietetics student dreaming of starting your own nutrition business? We collaborated with Tony Stephan, RD, to provide you with his TOP five tips!
Dietitian entrepreneurship is quickly increasing in popularity. As a Dietitian Business Coach, I know, trust me! I teach R.D.’s to create profitable and impactful online nutrition coaching businesses through the I Believe Mastermind. I see firsthand how fulfilling and unique this career path is for R.D. to be and Registered Dietitians.
More and more R.D.-to-be’s are uninterested in working in a clinical setting, and that’s okay! There are so many other options out there for Registered Dietitians, like entrepreneurship. You do NOT need your R.D. credential or clinical experience to start your nutrition coaching business RIGHT NOW. You read that right; you can begin your nutrition coaching business while you’re still in school! Below, I have my TOP FIVE tips for the R.D. who wants to do just this!
#1: Take Action
If creating and owning your own nutrition coaching business is something you’ve been thinking about for quite some time, then what are you waiting for?! The first step toward success occurs when you take action!
If you’ve been planning, thinking, and waiting for the “right time” to pull the trigger and get started on your nutrition business and you haven’t been DOING, you are LOSING. I know this sounds harsh, but I’m saying it in the most loving way possible.
Let me tell you a little secret, and there is no “right time” for anything! Do one thing every day that will move you forward with your business. You need to put in the effort because success is truly YOUR responsibility, no one else’s.
#2: Have A Support System
Support is ESSENTIAL when it comes to entrepreneurship. In the I Believe Mastermind, I always tell my clients that you have two families, the one you are born into and the one you choose. You may or may not have family or friend support at home. Either way, it’s vital you also have support from other individuals going through the same entrepreneurial journey that you are.
My clients, in particular, have a multitude of excellent resources available to them. For instance, they can message me directly or turn to our Facebook or Slack community if they are stuck and confused about something. We are always there to root for each other, celebrate success, answer questions, and more.
Having a community to turn to for help or motivation is essential and can make the difference between having a successful or unsuccessful nutrition coaching business.
You DO NOT need to build a business alone. The most successful people in the world have all had help from coaches, mentors, friends, etc., so do not think that help is a “bad” thing for one minute.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength!
#3: Do Not Have A Plan B…Commit!
Commit yourself to the process of creating and building your dream business. Yes, a plan B, or “safety net,” may be a way to protect us from the pain of the failure and tough challenges that lie ahead, but they can also take away our focus and determination toward what we want to achieve. If you give yourself too many options of what to do when things don’t work out, things will NOT work out. Write that down! However, if you don’t give yourself a plan B and C, you give yourself no other option than to succeed. When I started my entrepreneurial journey years ago, I quit my job and never looked back. It was the D.O. or DIE mentality that forced me to succeed.
Most people fail because they quit and because they gave themselves too many other options to fall back on. Be confident in yourself and stick to your ONE plan/business. When times get tough (because they will), don’t back down. Fight through those challenges, and success will come to you.
#4: Make Time For YOU
ALWAYS make sure you are making time for the things that make you happy.
As an R.D., I went through what you are going through. I remember those long days of studying for exams and working on assignments. Dietetics is not an easy degree! If you decide to start your own nutrition coaching business while in school, know that your workload is about to double! It’s 100% doable, but you need to be organized and ready to take the bull by the horns.
Make sure you’re blocking time off in your week for something you enjoy! Maybe it’s an hour blocked off for the gym every day; perhaps it’s family movie night on Saturdays or date night on Fridays with your significant other.
Taking time for yourself allows your brain to “reboot” while improving your focus, motivation, and concentration. You may not feel like you need time away from studying and working on your business, but you 100% do! Do not neglect your family, health, and other priorities in the process.
#5: Trust The Process
Building your own nutrition coaching business is TOUGH. It will most likely keep you up at night, stress you out, and probably make you miss out on some fun activities. HOWEVER, creating your own business brings so much fulfillment and impact that it’s worth the complex and stressful days it brings.
It took me YEARS to get to the point where I am at now, and it will take some time for you too. Building a successful nutrition coaching business can not be done in a day, so if this is what you’re expecting, this is probably not the right path for you, and that’s okay! Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.
You will 100% have demanding and stressful days, maybe even weeks, but the critical thing to remember here is that you need to FIGHT through the difficult times because success is on the other side. Struggle teaches us how to be stronger individuals and business owners.
Remember….
If you are not an R.D., you CAN NOT give out medical nutrition therapy. You can only help individuals by providing general nutrition knowledge.
Follow me on my social media accounts, where you can learn more about me and the I Believe Mastermind!
P.S. To get you motivated to start your own business, check out our blog post about the 4-Self Help books you need in your life. Click here!
