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!

How to Make Fruit and Veggie Faces

This past Thursday at work, I had a girl scout troop come in to earn their snack badge. I am very grateful to my intern, who helped me coordinate activities for 16 second and third graders! For anyone looking for a fun activity with your kids or an event to run with a group of children, try making fruit and veggie faces!

Basically, I had bowls of different fruits (star fruit) and vegetables (broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, celery) cut up for them. I chose these veggies because they were the easiest for me to get together for the event. I also gave them plain hummus to use as glue (props to my intern for the suggestion). When I run something like this again, I am going to add 1-2 more fruit options. I was just going to do all veggies; however, I really wanted them to try a weird fruit (like star fruit). They all had a small empty plate and were instructed to make their own face out of the ingredients. I told everyone that we would eat the faces later and that if they put something on their plate that they didn't like, they didn't have to eat it. My main rule for them was that they couldn't say things like "eww" or "gross". All they had to say was "no thank you" or "I didn't like it". The girls were really great about this too.

I was pleasantly surprised at how creative they all were! I gave them about 15 minutes, since we had another activity to do; however, you can definitely expand the time frame. I also started the activity talking about vitamins and minerals and the benefits for our bodies. Here were some of the fun creations!

I will say I was shocked at how many girls inhaled the veggies on their plates. Some girls has also never tried raw broccoli before. A few liked it. It was nice to see some of the girls talking and munching on carrots. I was also surprised at how many girls had tried hummus at home and also how many tried it for the first time and liked it. I think this was a fun and non threatening way for getting kids to try new foods. It helped having their peers around while snacking and trying new things. At the end of the activity, I gave stickers to the "most creative face", "face that used the most ingredients", and "funniest face". The girls were all able to eat their faces after this; however, most of the kids were eating and snacking the whole time :)

Vegan Restaurant Dining and 25th Birthday

For those of you who know me personally, your probably new to hearing the fact that I (along with my boyfriend) am vegan. I was a vegetarian for a while, way back when, then went back to meat, then went back to being a vegetarian. What started out as going vegan for health reasons turned into also doing it for ethical and sustainability reasons. 

I don't normally like to spout off that I am vegan due to the reaction I have gotten already. It is either, "Where do you get your protein?" or "Don't you miss _____ (insert food here)?" or "I bet you just wanna eat this burger!" Another major reason I don't usually tell people what I eat, is because some people think I can't understand them or can't counsel them or that I think differently about them since I choose not to eat animal products. The fact is, I can counsel (yes, even though you eat differently than I do), I can understand, and no I don't think differently about you. I know there are some people that may act differently as a vegan, but I am not one of them. I'm planning on writing a post later on how I switched to vegetarian then a vegan diet, health benefits, my own personal benefits, and my responses to the ridiculous questions I get. Just getting that out of the way :) 

So, moving on... Yesterday was my 25th birthday. Happy Birthday to me! Adam (my boyfriend) and I went out to eat to Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in Southampton, PA. I would highly, highly recommend it! The food was amazing, staff was really nice, and the portion sizes were huge! They have all the vegan items on the menu starred (*), which makes it easy. There are also vegetarian dishes that can be made vegan. They do have a non-vegan, non-vegetarian dishes as well. I would suggest trying some of the other stuff though, you would be pleasantly surprised! 

We got a ton of food, mainly because we wanted to try it all! We got the Taco Verduras and Luna Buns for appetizers. The Taco Verduras was blue corn griddle cakes with pumpkin seed crusted tofu, piquillo pepper remoulade, mashed avocado, and pickled red onions. They were absolutely delicious. The combo worked so well together. I really want to make tofu this way! 

The Luna Buns were steamed mini Chinese buns with roasted cremini bacon in a sweet-spicy hoisin glaze with pickled cabbage, cucumber, and pea leaves. Adam really liked those. I though they were a little sweet and I also wasn't a fan of the bun texture. I also got the Ginger Scallion Miso Bowl made with leeks, pumpkin, cauliflower, and white miso. Amazing! 

My main course was the Fresco: a salad with polenta croutons, roasted red peppers, hummus, pistachios, and oven dried cherry tomatoes. I went the no cheese route and got the maple mustard vinaigrette on the side. Again, awesome. I barely ate any of it because I was already full from everything else. That will be my lunch for work tomorrow :)

Adam got the Pan Bagna, which was a baguette with chickpea fritters, tomatoes, shallots, and pea leaves and a sherry vinegar oil. It also came with a side salad (really big!). Adam wasn't crazy about the chickpea texture. I thought it was good, but a little too mushy for my likings. 

 

Of course, there is always room for dessert on your birthday :) We shared a hazelnut torte (vegan) with a chocolate cream and brûléed bananas. Super rich and creamy. I don't think I would have been able to eat it on my own! 

Have you ever tried a vegan/vegetarian restaurant? What did you think??

Dietitian Eats: Dinner Edition

So, today was a bit crazy at work. Let me tell you how absolutely grateful I am to have an intern (and a pretty awesome one at that)! Not only do I have an extra set of hands for events; but, I can also bounce ideas off of her. I also really like teaching someone things I learned. It is pretty cool to be on the opposite side after being an intern myself :)

Instead of giving you a rundown of my eats for the day, I decided to focus on dinner. Mainly because I made something pretty awesome from leftovers and also because I forgot to take pictures of all my other meals...Whoops :)

I didn't get in until late tonight, so I was debating on a quick shake or actually making something. I decided I wanted something hot. Let me preface this with earlier in the week, I had cooked off a bunch of brown rice and leftover faro. Made it easy to throw in my lunches. So, I started off with 2 veggie burgers. I get these ones from Aldi's. I like these for the limited number of ingredients and the fact that I know what all of them are. Each patty has 3g of fiber and 5g of protein. Made with carrots, peas, oats, zucchini, edamame, corn, and string beans mainly.

So, I sautéed my veggie burgers in some olive oil, garlic, minced onion, and oregano. I threw in some hemp seeds for a little more fiber and protein. One the veggie burgers were pretty much cooked, I broke them apart and added my rice. I also splashed on some Bragg's Liquid Aminos (soy sauce alternative). Bragg's is a vegetable protein made from certified non-GMO soybeans. No preservatives, no alcohol, and gluten-free. I've been in a mood for artichokes lately, so I added a few canned artichokes (marinated in just olive oil and spices). Lastly, I threw in some fresh leftover spinach I had. I left that all cook together for about 5 minutes...and presto dinner!

I'm a huge fan of one dish meals; less clean-up plus I like mixing everything together for the best flavors anyways. I tend to do similar types of cooking for dinner. This only took maybe 10-15 minutes? It could have been shorter, but I was doing homework and forgot to put a lid on to trap the steam. If you do something similar, you can always throw in your favorite veggie (instead of the spinach) or use some shredded potatoes instead of the rice.

What did you make for dinner tonight?

Dietitian Eats: WIAW (10/14/15)

It's that time again! Time for what you say? To see what I eat in a day! I know you are super excited (I am). Anyways, today, was all over the place! Between counseling appointments, my walking group, and running between 2 stores I think I am tapped out for the day. Not to mention, getting my private practice insurance essentials all squared away is a headache in itself! That being said, my day wasn't all that exciting nutrition-wise. So, let's have at it!


This morning, I started with my typical shake: frozen raspberries and mango, vegan protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, ginger, and cinnamon. I got a new plant-based protein powder that they started selling at my store. I like it because it is very fine powder, so it blends well. Plus, I don't find an aftertaste.

I packed a delicious baked apples snack today, but never got to eat it :( Lunch was leftovers from the night before: stir-fried tofu (super firm) + steamed broccoli + steamed potatoes. I started off sautéing the potatoes, but they were taking forever. I ended up throwing them in my steamer instead. I honestly didn't even eat my whole lunch today. Very unusual for me; however, I wiped out (literally) on my way back into work, so I was a wee bit flustered.

I lead a walking group on Wednesday nights, so I had a small bowl of gluten-free granola with chia and flax seeds in it before I went. Pre-shower, I made another shake, similar to the one at breakfast. Did I mention I love my Nutri-bullet for days like this?

Post-shower, I roasted some brussels sprouts. I love, love, love roasted brussels sprouts. I just sliced them in half, sprinkled some olive oil, juiced 1/2 a lemon, and added a no-salt seasoning blend (garlic, oregano, parsley, etc). I baked them for about 15 minutes on 375 degrees F. I barely waited until I sat at the table before eating them. A powerhouse of antioxidants and all that good stuff! I probably would have eaten more had I made more.

I snacked on a Fig Bar in between my meals. Love these for the no artificial crap kind of deal. I'm probably going to sneak in another snack at some point tonight. I really didn't get to eat much (especially veggies) with all the back and forth I did today. I think I am leaning more towards my pumpkin tortilla chips with pine nut hummus. Staying with the fall flavors :) Today is the kind of day I should have packed more on-the-go snacks instead of heat and serve type items. I'm thinking I need to restock my emergency car supply of food!

How was your day today? Have you ever tried roasted brussels sprouts?

Dietitian Eats: WIAW (9/30/15)

I can't believe tomorrow marks October 1st! This year seemed to fly by for me so far. I am pretty excited for fall weather and Halloween decorations (they are probably my favorite).

So, today was a bit crazy with what I ate. I had a snack and lunch all planned out; however, my day didn't seem to go as planned. This morning I just had a quick bowl of KIND cinnamon oat clusters with unsweetened almond milk. Not typically something I would buy; however, I got them as a sample and was not in the mode for my regular smoothie.  Usually when I eat cereal (which isn't too often) I am starving within 2 hours. That is usually when I would have my snack. Today, my 1st counseling appointment got pushed back so I just ended up eating lunch later. I was starving before my appointment so I snacked on half of a Cliff-Z bar. Again, not something I would typically buy, but they were a sample I had. Not too bad on sugar, but usually I go for more fiber and protein in a snack bar. But things happen :)

Lunch today was a vegan chili I made over the weekend. I was super glad I made a ton because the past few nights I didn't feel like making extra food for my lunches. Basically, I just threw in low sodium vegetable broth, homemade gravy (tomato sauce) with tomatoes from my garden, broccoli, faro, brown rice, chickpeas, peas, and parsley into my crockpot. I let that all simmer for a couple of hours. Again, a lifesaver when it comes to lazy meal prep during the week. I also had apricot-applesauce (no-sugar-added). I am loving these Charles & Alice cups. They have a mango flavor which is also one of my favs! I like them especially because they are made with real fruit and don't have any junk added. Plus, when I don't feel like chopping up an apple or pear, I can just grab one of these.

Since I ate lunch kind of at a weird time, I didn't have my normal snack (I had packed hummus and gluten-free pretzel crisps). That being said, I was starving when I go home. I ended up grabbing some sliced carrots, ShopRite artichoke hummus, and pumpkin tortilla chips (new from Aldi's for the season). My plate looks a little skimpy because I forgot to take a picture until everything was half eaten. Whoops :) I run a walking group at work so I usually like to have something small before I go. If not, I come home starving yet again. I didn't really have much for grab and go so I had some new granola I just bought. I like Bakery on Main because it has 9g of fiber, 7g of protein, and 7g of sugar (I look for less than 10g). I also like the there is a short ingredient list with things I recognize.

With grad school, working 2 jobs, and balancing my private practice, I am not much in the mood for cooking an all-out meal tonight. Instead, I am going to make a smoothie with unsweetened almond milk, kale/lettuce (from my garden), frozen fruit (mangos and raspberries tonight), chia seeds, and my plant-based protein powder. I also plan on snacking on some fresh anise (fennel) I got today. I love smoothies for a quick (and balanced) meal replacer when I don't feel like making a whole lot.


Thinking back on today, I know I need to pack some more grab-and-go type snacks. Sometimes I will have multigrain cheerios mixed with almond slivers or a pack of nuts or some kind of bar (I also like the fig bars so something sweet!). This helps if I am busy at work and can't sit down for a snack.

How did your day go today? Did you pack your snacks/lunch?

Grad School, Vacation, and Dietitian Shore Eats

Well we are officially in September and I am finally on vacation! This week has been kind of weird for me. This is my first PAID vacation from my new job (started last year) and the first week of grad school! I am doing online school for my Masters in Dietetics Administration from Utah State University, which is also the University I did my dietetic internship through!

It definitely felt weird to turn my work phone off, and leave it at home! Normally, on my days off from work, I leave it on and check my emails and voicemails. I figured it would be good to disconnect for a while! I do keep having weird dreams where I come back to work with 533 emails or a huge pile of boxes at my desk (this happens when I am gone for just a day or two). It never felt weird being away from my part-time job for a while; however, I figure because I am full-time and more invested in my new position that it feels so odd. This time next year I will probably be thinking I was crazy for saying this! HA-HA.

So, Monday marked the first day of grad school! Yay! I was excited about getting back into school; that is until I started getting overwhelmed with all the assignments and deadlines! Balancing school and work has never been an issue for me. I always worked 1 (or 2) jobs and went to school full-time. I just need to be even more organized with working 2 jobs + getting my new business off of the ground! I'll feel better once I have all my assignments mapped out in my planner and highlighted in their different colors :) I am a highlighter junkie!

Everyone always asks me if I ever eat junk. Well of course I do! Just rarely and mostly saved for vacations HA-HA. Yesterday was a prime example of this. I had a morning smoothie with fruit, unsweetened almond milk, chia seeds, and plant-based protein powder. I like to try out different types of powders to see which I like best. This was the first time I had vanilla cinnamon and it was really good!

  

I followed that up with some So Delicious cookies and cream "ice cream," which was sooooo delicious. I made tofu, broccoli, stewed tomatoes (from my garden), and sautéed potatoes for lunch. I followed that up with some chips :) I finally cut and ate some of the watermelon we bought Sunday. Again, I followed this with 1/2 of a corn muffin. For dinner, I made refried bean burritos and more broccoli. I followed that with some more chips :) Do you see a pattern yet? :)

Here is my personal stance on vacation eating. Try to still eat healthy (maybe the main meals) and sprinkle some unhealthy in between. I know I don't normally eat these kinds of foods; however, if I want them on vacation, I am going to indulge and not feel bad about it. I also try to keep active on vacation (aka like our 32-mile bike ride on Tuesday or my 2 beach walks today). I figure that also evens out the not-so-healthy-foods :)