It has been just about a month since I decided to leave my full-time job and grow my private practice. This week has been a bit weird for me since it is the first without my intern (aka it is just me...and my cat...all day long). I forgot how much random chit-chat filled the days! Even just driving with someone else and reviewing the morning's class was something I really missed.
Since we are almost to the New Year, I didn't have a lot of appointments scheduled for the week and I was being to feel a business slump. I started thinking, "Why are you doing this" and "What were you thinking leaving your full-time job" I mean no business means no paycheck! Once I stopped letting my emotions get the best of me, I realized that it is completely normal to have a slow down during this time (it happened at my previous job). I also realized that I will be "making up" for this in January and February when I had more appointments.
I have been reading "Tools of Titans" by Tim Ferriss this week and one of the biggest things that struck me was actually in the first couple of pages when Ferriss had been asking someone what they thought of when they heard the word "successful." Success. That was the key that I had been missing and what I needed to think about to change my thoughts into more positive ones. The goal I always wanted was to be in full-time private practice and I had accomplished that 4-weeks ago. Now, I wasn't sure what my new "success" looked like. Sure, I wanted to build partnerships and gain clientele; however, I wasn't envisioning my practice in the next month, year, or decade. While I haven't quite figured out what my vision is for my practice, I know once I determine that that my efforts will feel like they have more purpose and I am not just spinning my wheels so I don't fail.
What Else I Have Learned
Get ahead when you have downtime - What did I do the past few weeks with limited number of appointments? I followed up on headaches (like insurance calls), planned out my Facebook posts for my page, and set a schedule for myself. I already know that January/February is going to be a lot busier for me than December was, so I planned some of the menial tasks now to get them out of the way.
Track your expenses - I also took some time this month to review my yearly finances. It really helped me to set practical goals once I determined what I needed to make to break even and then what I actually wanted to make. From that, I figured out how many clients I needed to see per month to reach my financial goals.
Google Docs/Drive is awesome - I have been using this for minutes for committees I am in and it is great! I also started tracking my mileage on a Google Drive spreadsheet instead of writing it on paper. I feel like this helps to streamline a lot for me since I can access it on the go.
Nothing is really a disaster - Last week in my cooking class, the building's power shut off due to a Septa issue and Peco needing to do an emergency shut off to fix something. So, to paint you a picture of this, I am making a soup for class and I have most of the ingredients prepped so I can just dump everything in the pot to cook in time. I also planned on making veggie chips with my mandoline. Oh, and this is 20 minutes before class is supposed to start. I was told to try and talk through the recipe so people felt like they got something out of the class when they arrived. I am pretty good on my feet; however, I was thinking to myself how am I going to take up 1-hour of time talking and not making anything (with no back-up food). What did I do? I made it fun, because what else is there? I told the class to pretend the onions were sizzling and I had them "smell" the lovely blends. You learn a lot about yourself while doing a "cooking" class in partial darkness (only emergency lights). Fast-foward a bit and the power returns mid-way through the class, I speed up the recipe, and everyone got to eat and enjoy the soup/chips. I got so many compliments on how I handled the class in the dark and I felt awesome. So, that was one for the books.
What I am Still Working On
-Not letting work consume me or stress over thinking that I am not doing "enough."
-Not over planning so much that I don't actually do anything but plan.
-Figuring out "office hours" (aka what is my cut-off time for answering calls and emails?)
-Spending some time de-stressing with meditation, playing the piano, or exercising.
Hope everyone has a great New Year! I am excited to see what 2017 has in store :)
Check out my previous blogs to see why I made the jump to private practice + Weeks 1 and 3 :)
Friday, December 30, 2016
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Second Week in Private Practice - 3 Partnership Tips
This week definitely felt more comfortable for me being in private practice. It started to feel like my career and less like I was on a vacation from the full-time job I left! I focused a lot on building partnerships and reaching out to different facilities to find out if they had a dietitian they referred to already. Two major things I learned were that I should have looked back at the business plan I made in grad school for my practice and that I should have thought more about who/what I wanted to target before spending time researching every facility in my area (thank goodness for my intern). This week, my plan is to develop a more clear marketing and outreach strategy so my efforts are more targeted.
Although it was close to the holidays, I wanted to make some connections now in order to prepare for January when more people want to lose weight and eat better. I reached out to about 30 different facilities this week; however, I only spoke with about 5 that could have been potential partnerships. Three places let me know they already had a Dietitian and the rest didn't get back to me. My plan is to reach out to those companies next week. Below are the things I learned this week while trying to build partnerships:
1. You can't expect to partner with everyone.
As I just mentioned, I started by gathering a list of practically every gym, doctor's office, community center, you name it, in my area. After a few calls and emails, I realized that this was a terrible strategy. I needed to narrow down my focus first and I began to think about the facilities that I would want to partner with. Fitness centers and community centers were ones that I felt would make great connections and they also may be a little easier to speak to if they were individually owned versus with a large corporation. I also realized that you don't need 30 partnerships to be successful. I already had 5 good ones from the last year or so and that drove a nice amount of clientele to me. I don't want to spread myself too thin and not provide a quality interaction or service to those I do end up partnering with.
2. Think about the method you are using for outreach.
When I first thought about reaching out to companies/doctors' offices, my plan was to just call around to everyone on the list I had developed. I planned a short blurb of what to say when I called. I realized that it was hard to just cold call without knowing who to speak with and when you would get off of hold. I decided to send an email first with a short description about myself and reason for contact. I linked my website and contact information and stated I would follow-up in person. This initial email helped me weed out those who already had Dietitians and also narrow down the correct contact person. I have heard from other Dietitians that they prefer to just show up in the office and try to speak to someone. Depending on how you present yourself, either way could work just fine. One thing to remember here is that in any initial contact (whether it is email, phone, or in-person) be sure to state how the partnership can benefit them.
3. Prep before your meeting with potential partners.
Before I went in for a meeting with any potential partner, I did a more involved investigation on their company. Who are they? What do they promote? Do they have a well-developed website (could help to market having a Dietitian)? I did a little bit of research before my initial contact to be sure they would be a company I wanted to align with. I always came to a meeting prepared with my business cards, short flyer about myself and my services, and list of questions. I also brought my resume with me as a back up. I get comments from people on how young I look, and I had a few people act condescending because of that. If anyone questions my experience for being so young, I pull out my resume and show them the organizations I am a part of, my education, and past working experiences. Usually, that does the trick :) Dressing very professional (blazer and all) and being clear and concise in how I spoke also helped a lot.
With any type of new partnership, I always found that it was best to be honest about all of my concerns up front. I didn't want to spend my time building a relationship without fleshing out all of the details that could later harm the business. When I met with different people, I also thought about any red flags during the conversation and how this may impact a business relationship later on. I like to tour any facility before making a commitment and thinking/asking about if the clientele are really interested in nutritional services.
There is a lot to think about with building partnerships; however, the more prepared you can be before the initial meeting the better. Also, don't commit to anything at the first meeting. Gather notes and review at home (or in your office) all the pros and cons to the partnership. Often in meetings something sounds like a great opportunity (and some people can be quite pushy about it); however, putting it on paper later can show you that it won't be as beneficial for you! Lastly, be okay with the fact that sometimes you just need to walk away.
Although it was close to the holidays, I wanted to make some connections now in order to prepare for January when more people want to lose weight and eat better. I reached out to about 30 different facilities this week; however, I only spoke with about 5 that could have been potential partnerships. Three places let me know they already had a Dietitian and the rest didn't get back to me. My plan is to reach out to those companies next week. Below are the things I learned this week while trying to build partnerships:
1. You can't expect to partner with everyone.
As I just mentioned, I started by gathering a list of practically every gym, doctor's office, community center, you name it, in my area. After a few calls and emails, I realized that this was a terrible strategy. I needed to narrow down my focus first and I began to think about the facilities that I would want to partner with. Fitness centers and community centers were ones that I felt would make great connections and they also may be a little easier to speak to if they were individually owned versus with a large corporation. I also realized that you don't need 30 partnerships to be successful. I already had 5 good ones from the last year or so and that drove a nice amount of clientele to me. I don't want to spread myself too thin and not provide a quality interaction or service to those I do end up partnering with.
2. Think about the method you are using for outreach.
When I first thought about reaching out to companies/doctors' offices, my plan was to just call around to everyone on the list I had developed. I planned a short blurb of what to say when I called. I realized that it was hard to just cold call without knowing who to speak with and when you would get off of hold. I decided to send an email first with a short description about myself and reason for contact. I linked my website and contact information and stated I would follow-up in person. This initial email helped me weed out those who already had Dietitians and also narrow down the correct contact person. I have heard from other Dietitians that they prefer to just show up in the office and try to speak to someone. Depending on how you present yourself, either way could work just fine. One thing to remember here is that in any initial contact (whether it is email, phone, or in-person) be sure to state how the partnership can benefit them.
3. Prep before your meeting with potential partners.
Before I went in for a meeting with any potential partner, I did a more involved investigation on their company. Who are they? What do they promote? Do they have a well-developed website (could help to market having a Dietitian)? I did a little bit of research before my initial contact to be sure they would be a company I wanted to align with. I always came to a meeting prepared with my business cards, short flyer about myself and my services, and list of questions. I also brought my resume with me as a back up. I get comments from people on how young I look, and I had a few people act condescending because of that. If anyone questions my experience for being so young, I pull out my resume and show them the organizations I am a part of, my education, and past working experiences. Usually, that does the trick :) Dressing very professional (blazer and all) and being clear and concise in how I spoke also helped a lot.
With any type of new partnership, I always found that it was best to be honest about all of my concerns up front. I didn't want to spend my time building a relationship without fleshing out all of the details that could later harm the business. When I met with different people, I also thought about any red flags during the conversation and how this may impact a business relationship later on. I like to tour any facility before making a commitment and thinking/asking about if the clientele are really interested in nutritional services.
There is a lot to think about with building partnerships; however, the more prepared you can be before the initial meeting the better. Also, don't commit to anything at the first meeting. Gather notes and review at home (or in your office) all the pros and cons to the partnership. Often in meetings something sounds like a great opportunity (and some people can be quite pushy about it); however, putting it on paper later can show you that it won't be as beneficial for you! Lastly, be okay with the fact that sometimes you just need to walk away.
Monday, December 12, 2016
My First Week in Full-Time Private Practice
Well, I have officially made it through my first week in full-time private practice! It felt so odd to say to people that I was my own boss. It felt even weirder to not have to go to one facility (my full-time job) for 40 hours/week. It felt totally different for me to JUST do my practice and not juggle it with my full-time gig. I would see clients here or there and chunk everything I needed to follow-up on (insurance claims, billing, etc) on my days off. It felt good to just focus my time and energy on my practice for once.
I was lucky to have an intern with me for my first week. She was with me during my full-time job and still has 2 weeks left to go during her dietetic internship. I love having interns; however, I especially loved having this one since she was able to be apart of my transition to full-time private practice (also, she's pretty awesome). Since I work out of my home, there was always the want to stop what I was doing to do the dishes or various house chores. I felt like having an intern with me really pushed me to be productive in the hours of the day that she was there. Once she moves on to her clinical rotation, I am planning to translate this type of work schedule into my own. I want to set up "hours" I am working and really stick to it. Everything else can wait!
After my first week, I started to think more on what kind of schedule I wanted to build for myself. While I don't have an exact plan just yet, I do know that I want to keep 3-4 days of clients/classes and at least one full day dedicated to insurance calls and office type work. I already know the days that I see clients back-to-back that I don't get much else done on the back end of things.
One huge thing I realized this week is just how much my email/notifications are distractions! Every time my phone went off, I checked the email in case I needed to respond. This was a huge concentration breaker. I took some advice from friends/family/books and set aside windows of time where I would answer emails. Usually, I check email in the AM, mid-day, and at night (7pm or so). I want to cut this back to twice per day instead. I find I am way more productive if I focus on one task at a time instead of just switching back and forth. This has been harder to stick with than I thought, but turning my sound off on my phone really helped!
One last thing I learned from my first week was that I needed to prioritize and not overbook myself. I would stick 15-20 items on my list to do for the day and only end up getting to maybe 10-15 of them. I would never know how long I would be on hold with an insurance company for a claim status, or what questions my intern would ask, or what phone calls came in. Though I would get a lot accomplished, I still was bummed I couldn't do EVERYTHING. Honestly, that is so unrealistic! Not only am I putting undue pressure on myself, but I am also making my daily goals ones that I know I won't reach. For this week, I decided to make a priority list and a to-do list. My goal was to complete the priority list and if possible do 1-2 items on the to-do list. This was way more manageable and I felt more accomplished at the end of the day.
I have been keeping a journal of everything I have learned thus far, so each week I will share with you my tips, tricks, slip-ups, and more!
I was lucky to have an intern with me for my first week. She was with me during my full-time job and still has 2 weeks left to go during her dietetic internship. I love having interns; however, I especially loved having this one since she was able to be apart of my transition to full-time private practice (also, she's pretty awesome). Since I work out of my home, there was always the want to stop what I was doing to do the dishes or various house chores. I felt like having an intern with me really pushed me to be productive in the hours of the day that she was there. Once she moves on to her clinical rotation, I am planning to translate this type of work schedule into my own. I want to set up "hours" I am working and really stick to it. Everything else can wait!
After my first week, I started to think more on what kind of schedule I wanted to build for myself. While I don't have an exact plan just yet, I do know that I want to keep 3-4 days of clients/classes and at least one full day dedicated to insurance calls and office type work. I already know the days that I see clients back-to-back that I don't get much else done on the back end of things.
One huge thing I realized this week is just how much my email/notifications are distractions! Every time my phone went off, I checked the email in case I needed to respond. This was a huge concentration breaker. I took some advice from friends/family/books and set aside windows of time where I would answer emails. Usually, I check email in the AM, mid-day, and at night (7pm or so). I want to cut this back to twice per day instead. I find I am way more productive if I focus on one task at a time instead of just switching back and forth. This has been harder to stick with than I thought, but turning my sound off on my phone really helped!
One last thing I learned from my first week was that I needed to prioritize and not overbook myself. I would stick 15-20 items on my list to do for the day and only end up getting to maybe 10-15 of them. I would never know how long I would be on hold with an insurance company for a claim status, or what questions my intern would ask, or what phone calls came in. Though I would get a lot accomplished, I still was bummed I couldn't do EVERYTHING. Honestly, that is so unrealistic! Not only am I putting undue pressure on myself, but I am also making my daily goals ones that I know I won't reach. For this week, I decided to make a priority list and a to-do list. My goal was to complete the priority list and if possible do 1-2 items on the to-do list. This was way more manageable and I felt more accomplished at the end of the day.
I have been keeping a journal of everything I have learned thus far, so each week I will share with you my tips, tricks, slip-ups, and more!
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Why I Made the Jump to Private Practice
It has been an exciting few weeks for me since I decided to make the jump into full-time private practice! In 3-weeks, I will be leaving the comfort of my full-time job and jumping head first into my ultimate long-term goal of being my own boss. This decision has been years in the making; however, some new work moments really got me thinking into what I REALLY want. Don't get me wrong, I loved my full-time job; however, I was starting to feel stagnant. I am definitely one to constantly be challenging myself and trying to move upwards. Unfortunately, there was no good opportunity for me to do so anymore.
About 2 years ago I started PorrazzaNutrition; however, I didn't "officially" start until I began accepting insurance last year. I felt like that was when I really started to get some more clientele. I hit sort of a wrench in the road with being in a car accident, so I didn't go out and advertise or facilitate partnerships until a few months ago. I slowly started building up a client basis after my medical issues were out of the way (and I finished grad school) and landing some long-term contract work. Funny though, because once I finished school in August I thought I would have all of this time to read and relax. Instead, I just filled that time with more contract work and clients. Ten to 12 hour days, minimal time to do much for myself, and feeling overwhelmed majority of the time, sounds about right. I started to reach a point mentally and physically where I just couldn't continue to do both jobs and with some work issues going on, I realized that what I really wanted was to work for myself. I couldn't wait for the days where I could return phone calls that day instead of 2 days out. Or NOT writing things on my to-do list 4x since I just couldn't get to it! Thinking about going full-time private practice and actually doing it were two totally different ball games though. Sure I had clients, billed insurance, tracked expenses, etc, etc, etc; however, I didn't actually know how it felt to be on my own with no one saying what I needed to do. I only had myself to blame if I failed. Cue the panic! All I kept thinking to myself, "What are you doing?! Are you sure you should do this?!" My answer, "YES."
To make the transition easier, I thought I would go for a part-time job to have a steady source of income. I ended up getting offered a position that said they would be flexible with my schedule. So, sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, in reality I would be adding on about an hour of travel each day. Twenty-four hours a week just became 30 hours a week. So, I am leaving a full-time job for 10-hours extra to work on my business and grow? The more I thought about it, the more I said, "Just DO IT. JUMP." Okay, I'll be honest, I took a lot of input from my boyfriend and dad (and reading from other RDs. In the end, I decided that I can slowly rip off the bandaid and do what seems comfortable by getting a part-time gig OR I could just rip that bad boy off and jump in with no life jacket. Good thing I know how to swim. HAHA. I am all about cheesy jokes and analogies today :)
The reality is, I have been planning for this moment. I have saved practically everything I made to be able to have a cushion to rely on if I flounder for a bit before getting my footing once I am on my own. I also made a plan of attack for the things I want to accomplish once I actually have some more time. I followed up with contacts of mine who I am working with already to let them know I will have more availability. The awesome part about that is I actually had a new opportunity arise from one of my contacts because I was able to do more things! I knew I was at the point where I was ready to continue to grow my business and I couldn't do so working a full-time job. It feels especially weird for me since a lot of my friends are trying to find full-time jobs for a steady income and benefits and here I am leaving that willingly.
Anyways, while I am sitting here working on my list of things to do for tomorrow, I thought to myself that I need to write this blog because maybe there is another dietitian out there thinking about jumping in to private practice and needs the extra push. While some people may not understand my position or goals, that doesn't matter to me. What I know is that this is exactly what I want. It is going to be hard and stressful; however, so was billing insurance companies for the first time and guess what, now I can bill in less than 2 minutes without having to hire someone to do it for me. With anything, there is always going to be a learning curve, stress, moments where you want to give up, and times where you think you made the wrong choice. I feel like the key to my success in any "failure" or time of of thinking "What did I get myself into" is to just pick myself up, LEARN, continue to grow, and remember WHY I chose to do this.
About 2 years ago I started PorrazzaNutrition; however, I didn't "officially" start until I began accepting insurance last year. I felt like that was when I really started to get some more clientele. I hit sort of a wrench in the road with being in a car accident, so I didn't go out and advertise or facilitate partnerships until a few months ago. I slowly started building up a client basis after my medical issues were out of the way (and I finished grad school) and landing some long-term contract work. Funny though, because once I finished school in August I thought I would have all of this time to read and relax. Instead, I just filled that time with more contract work and clients. Ten to 12 hour days, minimal time to do much for myself, and feeling overwhelmed majority of the time, sounds about right. I started to reach a point mentally and physically where I just couldn't continue to do both jobs and with some work issues going on, I realized that what I really wanted was to work for myself. I couldn't wait for the days where I could return phone calls that day instead of 2 days out. Or NOT writing things on my to-do list 4x since I just couldn't get to it! Thinking about going full-time private practice and actually doing it were two totally different ball games though. Sure I had clients, billed insurance, tracked expenses, etc, etc, etc; however, I didn't actually know how it felt to be on my own with no one saying what I needed to do. I only had myself to blame if I failed. Cue the panic! All I kept thinking to myself, "What are you doing?! Are you sure you should do this?!" My answer, "YES."
To make the transition easier, I thought I would go for a part-time job to have a steady source of income. I ended up getting offered a position that said they would be flexible with my schedule. So, sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well, in reality I would be adding on about an hour of travel each day. Twenty-four hours a week just became 30 hours a week. So, I am leaving a full-time job for 10-hours extra to work on my business and grow? The more I thought about it, the more I said, "Just DO IT. JUMP." Okay, I'll be honest, I took a lot of input from my boyfriend and dad (and reading from other RDs. In the end, I decided that I can slowly rip off the bandaid and do what seems comfortable by getting a part-time gig OR I could just rip that bad boy off and jump in with no life jacket. Good thing I know how to swim. HAHA. I am all about cheesy jokes and analogies today :)
The reality is, I have been planning for this moment. I have saved practically everything I made to be able to have a cushion to rely on if I flounder for a bit before getting my footing once I am on my own. I also made a plan of attack for the things I want to accomplish once I actually have some more time. I followed up with contacts of mine who I am working with already to let them know I will have more availability. The awesome part about that is I actually had a new opportunity arise from one of my contacts because I was able to do more things! I knew I was at the point where I was ready to continue to grow my business and I couldn't do so working a full-time job. It feels especially weird for me since a lot of my friends are trying to find full-time jobs for a steady income and benefits and here I am leaving that willingly.
Anyways, while I am sitting here working on my list of things to do for tomorrow, I thought to myself that I need to write this blog because maybe there is another dietitian out there thinking about jumping in to private practice and needs the extra push. While some people may not understand my position or goals, that doesn't matter to me. What I know is that this is exactly what I want. It is going to be hard and stressful; however, so was billing insurance companies for the first time and guess what, now I can bill in less than 2 minutes without having to hire someone to do it for me. With anything, there is always going to be a learning curve, stress, moments where you want to give up, and times where you think you made the wrong choice. I feel like the key to my success in any "failure" or time of of thinking "What did I get myself into" is to just pick myself up, LEARN, continue to grow, and remember WHY I chose to do this.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Why I Am Fed-up With Diet Pills/Supplements
Well, I am back from my blogging hiatus! I was looking at my last post, which was back in April, and wondering how I let so much time pass before writing! Just a quick recap before I move on to today's topic, I finished my Masters in Dietetics Administration from Utah State University in August (loved the program), finished PT for my knee post surgery, and have been steadily growing my business with some more contract gigs and clients! It has been a busy couple of months for me; however, I have finally found more of a happy balance :)
Which now brings me to today. One of the most frustrating things for me as a dietitian is trying to effectively give nutrition advice only to still have clients be bombarded and convinced that there is a miracle supplement out there for them. I have written on supplements/fat blasting pills before and how practically all of them have little to NO scientific evidence on their effectiveness. A lot can be harmful to your liver and kidneys and some have other unknown detrimental side effects. I have seen many clients waste hundreds of dollars on diet pills or products only to tell me later on that they either didn't see results and stopped taking them or that they lost a little weight but gained it right back after stopping (mainly due to the cost).
Look, I am not saying all products on the market for weight-loss don't work. I am sure some of them can produce the desired results my clients are looking for. So, what is wrong with that then? For starters they are beyond expensive, which is funny because I get a lot of the same people saying that eating healthy is "too expensive," yet, they will purchase a 30-day supplement for $90. Sounds about right? Secondly, these products are just a bandaid for deep-rooted food issues and habits. It is way easier to take a pill daily than to assess your habits and make a conscious effort to change them. This doesn't mean I am saying my clients are lazy; however, why not take the shiny, brightly lit pathway instead of wandering through a dimly lit tunnel?
So, you may be wondering why I even care then. I mean if my clients want to waste their money or have a quick-fix result, then why not let them? Well, I care because I invest my time and energy into counseling my clients. I don't just prescribe a diet and send them on their way. I get to know my clients and I work with them and their struggles. I strive to give them the best evidence-based information to help them to succeed. Honestly, a huge part of my role is helping to motivate my clients versus just purely giving education. These supplements/diet pills make me angry because I do CARE about my client's well-being. I work hard to give my clients the best nutrition counseling advice to help them on their journey. I don't blame them for wanting to take an easier route; however, it is frustrating that the time I invested is then rated as second best to this shiny new supplement/diet pill, which 99% of the time just leads to disappointment for my client.
My point to you here is that a well-balanced diet with exercise IS the BEST way to go long-term. Even if you feel like you are doing everything you can to lose weight without seeing any results, STOP and consult with a dietitian. I don't know how many times I have had a client at their wits end yet after reviewing their food diaries, I can almost always pinpoint a food trend that can contribute to hindering weight-loss. If not the food, it is another contributing factor like lack of exercise or sleep, low water intake, high stress levels, etc. Yes, these habits take time and effort to change; however, you will not only be saving yourself the endless pit of money on supplements/diet pills, but also saving your sanity. So, when staring at that shiny, brightly lit pathway stop and instead take the dimly lit tunnel because as a dietitian, I WILL be there to hold a flashlight and guide you through darkness to a bright nutrition success (cheesy, but true)!
Which now brings me to today. One of the most frustrating things for me as a dietitian is trying to effectively give nutrition advice only to still have clients be bombarded and convinced that there is a miracle supplement out there for them. I have written on supplements/fat blasting pills before and how practically all of them have little to NO scientific evidence on their effectiveness. A lot can be harmful to your liver and kidneys and some have other unknown detrimental side effects. I have seen many clients waste hundreds of dollars on diet pills or products only to tell me later on that they either didn't see results and stopped taking them or that they lost a little weight but gained it right back after stopping (mainly due to the cost).
Look, I am not saying all products on the market for weight-loss don't work. I am sure some of them can produce the desired results my clients are looking for. So, what is wrong with that then? For starters they are beyond expensive, which is funny because I get a lot of the same people saying that eating healthy is "too expensive," yet, they will purchase a 30-day supplement for $90. Sounds about right? Secondly, these products are just a bandaid for deep-rooted food issues and habits. It is way easier to take a pill daily than to assess your habits and make a conscious effort to change them. This doesn't mean I am saying my clients are lazy; however, why not take the shiny, brightly lit pathway instead of wandering through a dimly lit tunnel?
So, you may be wondering why I even care then. I mean if my clients want to waste their money or have a quick-fix result, then why not let them? Well, I care because I invest my time and energy into counseling my clients. I don't just prescribe a diet and send them on their way. I get to know my clients and I work with them and their struggles. I strive to give them the best evidence-based information to help them to succeed. Honestly, a huge part of my role is helping to motivate my clients versus just purely giving education. These supplements/diet pills make me angry because I do CARE about my client's well-being. I work hard to give my clients the best nutrition counseling advice to help them on their journey. I don't blame them for wanting to take an easier route; however, it is frustrating that the time I invested is then rated as second best to this shiny new supplement/diet pill, which 99% of the time just leads to disappointment for my client.
My point to you here is that a well-balanced diet with exercise IS the BEST way to go long-term. Even if you feel like you are doing everything you can to lose weight without seeing any results, STOP and consult with a dietitian. I don't know how many times I have had a client at their wits end yet after reviewing their food diaries, I can almost always pinpoint a food trend that can contribute to hindering weight-loss. If not the food, it is another contributing factor like lack of exercise or sleep, low water intake, high stress levels, etc. Yes, these habits take time and effort to change; however, you will not only be saving yourself the endless pit of money on supplements/diet pills, but also saving your sanity. So, when staring at that shiny, brightly lit pathway stop and instead take the dimly lit tunnel because as a dietitian, I WILL be there to hold a flashlight and guide you through darkness to a bright nutrition success (cheesy, but true)!
Saturday, April 9, 2016
My Experience and Tips for Your First Networking Event
I just realized it has been a couple of months since my last post. Funny how life gets in the way! Just a quick recap: I started billing insurance companies for the first time with my private practice, finally figured out how to properly bill insurances to actually get paid, am still in grad school, holidays galore, started my garden, and I think that is about it!
Back in January, I joined my local Chamber of Commerce (Greater NE Philadelphia) and I highly recommend any business owner to do the same! One really cool thing about the Chamber is that I can utilize some of their spare rooms to meet with clients, which I don't do too often since I primarily conduct home-visits. I did join a committee with the Chamber, but I couldn't make the first meeting, so I don't feel that involved in it yet. I am planning to get more involved in committees and events in the next couple of months. Recently, the Chamber hosted an open house for their new office location and this my first networking event as a private practice owner. I had no clue what to expect in terms of how many people would come, what I was supposed to do, and how exactly to introduce myself to complete strangers. If you Google networking events, you can probably find a million resources online about preparing for one; however, I really just want to give my firsthand experience in case anyone else is as nervous as I was.
In terms of preparation, don't bring a lot with you besides your business cards and maybe a small notepad and pen. I would say the dress for this event was more business casual. Some people had on suit jackets and others didn't. The event was also 4-7pm, so I think a lot may have just come straight from work. About 90% of the Chamber members and guests who came were middle-aged men. I felt a little intimidated at first with being a young, female professional, as weird as that might sound. I later thought to myself, "Hey, maybe I will be more memorable then!" I feel like with networking events, it is a matter of you just holding your head high, realizing you have something awesome to give, and not being afraid of what other people may or may not think. It is all about the pep talk!
One of the biggest things I realized about being at this kind of event, is to never judge a person by their name badge. When I first came in, I got a badge to write my name and business on it. I would see professionals from banks and think that we wouldn't connect on much in terms of business relationships. WRONG! Networking isn't just limited to who you THINK you should connect with. It is really about connecting with people from all types of business backgrounds because you never know when a partnership may form or if they do anything on the side that relates to what you do. For example, I met a financial advisor who was also a new member and a new personal trainer and also vegan. I mean go figure right?
Definitely bring a stack of business cards to a networking event and don't forget to hand them out! I wasn't sure how to give my card without being too pushy or annoying about it. I found it was best to introduce myself to someone, get to know them and what they did, explain what I did and then give my card and say something like, "Well, if you or your company are interested in any nutrition services, I would be glad to help. Check out my website for nutrition information too." Something simple but to the point and a great lead way into giving your card. Also, be interested in what they do too. You don't want to seem like your just there to sell your business (even though most people are). Remember, this is about building the connection long-term. Plus, you may be seeing these people again and if they think of you as a pushy business owner they may be less likely to come to you for their business later.
I brought along a small notepad to be able to jot down names or information of those I met. I figure you meet so many people that it is hard to remember who does what after the event. If someone gave me a business card, I would also jot down key information on the back to remind me later. You might look back and say to yourself, "Why did I talk to this guy from a phone company?" Maybe, he was interested in your nutrition newsletter or you were interested in phone lines for your practice.
After the event, I gave it a day before sending out an email to those whom I connected with. Just a quick follow-up about our conversation, how it was great meeting them, and a link to my website or more information if they requested it. I felt like I didn't want to again seem too pushy on my practice. I realized being sincere and noting some of the conversation topics was a good way to write the email. You could also use LinkedIn if you don't want to send out emails and just want to build the connection.
So, to sum everything up. Be confident in yourself, dress the part of the professional, don't be afraid to approach people, shake their hand confidently, remember to give out your card, write reminders to connect the card to the face and name, and always be yourself. If they don't like you for who you are, oh well. There are plenty of other professionals to connect with, so if you know you were professional and nice you did the best that you could do!
Back in January, I joined my local Chamber of Commerce (Greater NE Philadelphia) and I highly recommend any business owner to do the same! One really cool thing about the Chamber is that I can utilize some of their spare rooms to meet with clients, which I don't do too often since I primarily conduct home-visits. I did join a committee with the Chamber, but I couldn't make the first meeting, so I don't feel that involved in it yet. I am planning to get more involved in committees and events in the next couple of months. Recently, the Chamber hosted an open house for their new office location and this my first networking event as a private practice owner. I had no clue what to expect in terms of how many people would come, what I was supposed to do, and how exactly to introduce myself to complete strangers. If you Google networking events, you can probably find a million resources online about preparing for one; however, I really just want to give my firsthand experience in case anyone else is as nervous as I was.
In terms of preparation, don't bring a lot with you besides your business cards and maybe a small notepad and pen. I would say the dress for this event was more business casual. Some people had on suit jackets and others didn't. The event was also 4-7pm, so I think a lot may have just come straight from work. About 90% of the Chamber members and guests who came were middle-aged men. I felt a little intimidated at first with being a young, female professional, as weird as that might sound. I later thought to myself, "Hey, maybe I will be more memorable then!" I feel like with networking events, it is a matter of you just holding your head high, realizing you have something awesome to give, and not being afraid of what other people may or may not think. It is all about the pep talk!One of the biggest things I realized about being at this kind of event, is to never judge a person by their name badge. When I first came in, I got a badge to write my name and business on it. I would see professionals from banks and think that we wouldn't connect on much in terms of business relationships. WRONG! Networking isn't just limited to who you THINK you should connect with. It is really about connecting with people from all types of business backgrounds because you never know when a partnership may form or if they do anything on the side that relates to what you do. For example, I met a financial advisor who was also a new member and a new personal trainer and also vegan. I mean go figure right?
Definitely bring a stack of business cards to a networking event and don't forget to hand them out! I wasn't sure how to give my card without being too pushy or annoying about it. I found it was best to introduce myself to someone, get to know them and what they did, explain what I did and then give my card and say something like, "Well, if you or your company are interested in any nutrition services, I would be glad to help. Check out my website for nutrition information too." Something simple but to the point and a great lead way into giving your card. Also, be interested in what they do too. You don't want to seem like your just there to sell your business (even though most people are). Remember, this is about building the connection long-term. Plus, you may be seeing these people again and if they think of you as a pushy business owner they may be less likely to come to you for their business later.I brought along a small notepad to be able to jot down names or information of those I met. I figure you meet so many people that it is hard to remember who does what after the event. If someone gave me a business card, I would also jot down key information on the back to remind me later. You might look back and say to yourself, "Why did I talk to this guy from a phone company?" Maybe, he was interested in your nutrition newsletter or you were interested in phone lines for your practice.
After the event, I gave it a day before sending out an email to those whom I connected with. Just a quick follow-up about our conversation, how it was great meeting them, and a link to my website or more information if they requested it. I felt like I didn't want to again seem too pushy on my practice. I realized being sincere and noting some of the conversation topics was a good way to write the email. You could also use LinkedIn if you don't want to send out emails and just want to build the connection.
So, to sum everything up. Be confident in yourself, dress the part of the professional, don't be afraid to approach people, shake their hand confidently, remember to give out your card, write reminders to connect the card to the face and name, and always be yourself. If they don't like you for who you are, oh well. There are plenty of other professionals to connect with, so if you know you were professional and nice you did the best that you could do!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)