The Dietitian Business Podcast

What if your side hustle could become more than just a little extra income?In this episode of The Dietitian Business Podcast, Maggy sits down with Katie Dodd, dietitian, entrepreneur, business coach, speaker, blogger, podcaster, and founder of The Dietitian Side Hustle, to talk about how she went from a traditional dietitian career to building multiple brands and revenue streams.Katie shares how her entrepreneurial journey started with a freelance writing opportunity and eventually grew into The Geriatric Dietitian, High Calorie Recipes, and The Dietitian Side Hustle.Today, her revenue streams include blogging and ad revenue, affiliate marketing, digital products, physical books, courses, brand partnerships, webinars, speaking engagements, coaching programs, and more!But Katie didn't build all of this overnight.Maggy and Katie talk about the importance of building a recognizable brand, listening to what your audience actually wants, repurposing ideas into multiple offers, and approaching entrepreneurship as a long-term game.They also dive into Katie's book, The Dietitian Side Hustle, including how the book came to fruition, what she learned from writing and publishing it, and why writing a book may not make you rich—but can become an incredibly valuable entry point into your business.Katie shares what happened after launch, why continued promotion matters, and how a book, podcast, blog, or other piece of content can help people discover your brand and eventually lead them toward your other offers.Plus, Katie ends the episode with three pieces of advice for dietitians who want to start a side hustle or create a new revenue stream:• Discover what's possible.• Learn from someone who's already done it.• Work on the mindset that could keep you from actually doing it.If you've been thinking about starting a side hustle, adding another revenue stream, writing a book, or simply figuring out what's possible outside of a traditional dietitian career, this episode is for you.Listen to the full episode of The Dietitian Business Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.Get Katie's book on Amazon here: https://link.amazon/B0estjpi8

What if your next revenue stream is sitting right in your own community?In this episode of The Dietitian Business Podcast, I sit down with Elisa England and Ellen Petrosino, co-founders of Nourish and Thrive Nutrition Centers. Both started with their own 1:1 nutrition counseling private practices before coming together to build a community nutrition and culinary education business.As their community partnerships grew, other dietitians started asking the same question: How are you doing this?That led Elisa and Ellen to pivot into B2B education and create the Community Dietitian Framework- a program designed to help dietitians become the go-to nutrition experts in their communities while creating revenue beyond traditional 1:1 counseling.We talk about finding opportunities in an untapped space, building community partnerships, diversifying revenue streams, and why you don't need to have everything perfect before you start.Then we switch gears for some business coaching!! With Elisa preparing for maternity leave, we talk about how stepping away from your business can expose where the business depends too heavily on you— and create an opportunity to delegate, hire, document systems, and build something that can continue running without you.In this episode, we cover:How two solo private-practice dietitians came together to build a community nutrition businessTurning community nutrition into a legitimate revenue streamThe shift from B2C services to a B2B business modelCreating the Community Dietitian FrameworkFinding organizations with budgets, grants, and programming needsWhy dietitians should think outside the box when looking for opportunitiesWhy you shouldn't wait until your program is perfect to launchThe importance of surrounding yourself with people who challenge and support your growthPreparing your business for maternity leaveDelegating, hiring, and documenting your systemsCreating revenue that doesn't require you to physically be thereBuilding a business that can operate without the ownerOpportunities to scale through additional dietitians, markets, and passive or leveraged offersOne of my favorite takeaways from the conversation: don't wait for perfect. Find the need, start building relationships, take action, learn from what doesn't work, and improve as you go.

What does the therapy side of business coaching look like?In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Haber of Ahava Nutrition for a business coaching conversation that starts with questions about delegating, waitlists, and growing a private practice... but, it quickly gets into something much deeper and personal.Stephanie works with medically complex clients and brings her own experiences with chronic health challenges into the way she relates to the people she serves. After recovering from a stroke last year and experiencing significant seizures just weeks before we recorded this episode, she also knows firsthand what happens when personal life and professional responsibilities collide.So we start with a question almost every solo practice owner eventually asks, “What do you do when you’re wearing all the hats?”How do you know when it's time to delegate? When should you start a waitlist? When are you actually ready to expand? And how do you balance your personal life with a business that constantly needs something from you?But then we get into the questions that don't get talked about nearly enough in business: How do you navigate the emotional side of starting and scaling a business?When you work with complex clients and genuinely care about them, where does empathy end and overextending yourself begin?We talk about how a lack of boundaries—with clients and with yourself—can contribute to compassion fatigue, caregiver burnout, and ultimately business owner burnout.Stephanie puts it perfectlyyy during our conversation: “Where does somebody else end and where do you begin?”We also tackle another big question: “How do you navigate complex cases?”We talk about care coordination, boundaries, professional supervision, therapy, and recognizing when your clients' struggles are starting to follow you home. We even discuss creating a ritual at the end of your clinical day to mentally “download” what you've heard and experienced before transitioning back into your personal life.And then there's money.What do you do when you feel bad charging people?How do you reconcile being an empathetic healthcare provider with being a business owner who needs to charge copays, enforce cancellation policies, and actually get paid for your time? Sometimes delegation isn't just about getting time back—it can help you hand off the business tasks that take the greatest emotional toll.Finally, we talk about the practical side of growth: how dietitians can learn business when we weren't taught it in school, where to find trustworthy resources, and how passive income can help diversify your revenue so your income isn't entirely dependent on seeing another client.In this episode, we answer questions like:What do you do when you’re wearing all the hats?How do you navigate the emotional side of starting and scaling a business?When is it time to delegate?When should you start a waitlist?When and how should you expand your practice?How can poor boundaries contribute to compassion fatigue and burnout?How do you navigate complex cases?What do you do when you feel bad charging clients?Where do dietitians actually learn how to run a business?How can passive income create more flexibility and sustainability?If you're great at taking care of your clients but aren't always as good at taking care of the person running the business, this one's for you.

Dietitian private practice looks very different today than it did even a few years ago.Between the rise of big telehealth companies, GLP-1 medications, changes in insurance, AI, and an increasingly crowded market, dietitians are being forced to rethink what it means to build (and sustain) a successful private practice.In this episode of The Dietitian Business Podcast, I’m joined by fellow dietitian business coach Jennifer McGurk, founder of Pursuing Private Practice, to talk about the current state of dietitian private practice: what’s working, what’s changing, and where we think things may be headed next.Jennifer and I have both spent years working with dietitian business owners at every stage, from brand-new solo practices to established group practices. That gives us a unique bird’s-eye view of the challenges dietitians are facing right now- and there are some BIG shifts happening.We talk about:The rise of telehealth companies: How companies like Nourish, Fay, and Berry Street have changed the landscape for solo and group practice owners- and why hiring great dietitians has become increasingly competitive.GLP-1 medications: Why GLP-1s don't necessarily have to be viewed as competition and how dietitians can communicate the value they bring to clients taking these medications.Insurance vs. private pay: Why accepting insurance is becoming increasingly common while simultaneously becoming more complicated- and how private-pay dietitians can differentiate themselves beyond simply offering one-on-one sessions.AI in private practice: How dietitians are already using AI for documentation, research, marketing, email, and administrative work... and why human connection may become an even bigger differentiator as AI evolves.Pivoting your business as your life changes: Your business doesn't exist separately from your life. Parenthood, marriage, divorce, caregiving, financial changes, burnout, and shifting priorities can- and should- change the way you structure your practice.Burnout: Why starting a private practice doesn't automatically solve burnout and why boundaries, counseling skills, leadership, support, and personal development matter just as much as your business model.One of my favorite parts of this conversation is our discussion about pivoting.The private practice that works for you today might not be the private practice that works for you five years- or even one year- from now.Jennifer has experienced that firsthand, evolving from a solo practitioner to a group practice owner and eventually shifting her focus to business coaching. I've experienced it too, going from solo practice to building a 30-person group practice and eventually back to solo.There isn't one "right" way to build a private practice.The market changes. Your clients change. Your life changes. And your business gets to change with you.Jennifer's final advice to dietitians is simple:Go for it.Whether you're thinking about starting your practice, hiring your first team member, launching something new, or making your next big pivot, don't let uncertainty keep you stuck.Because private practice may be changing... but there is still so much opportunity for dietitians willing to adapt, differentiate themselves, and build a business that works for the life they actually want.

You've spent years becoming an expert dietitian, but starting your own private practice can still make you question EVERYTHING!In this live dietitian business coaching episode, I sit down with Anna Strano, founder of Strano Nutrition, a virtual private practice specializing in perimenopause, menopause, and women's health. After more than 15 years of outpatient counseling experience, Anna has everything she needs clinically... but she's struggling with something many dietitians experience before launching their business: confidence.Together, we unpack the real reasons so many dietitians stay stuck as an employee before ever seeing their first client as an entrepreneur.We discuss how to know when your website is "good enough," how long nutrition counseling appointments should be, how to structure initial and follow-up sessions, what to charge for private-pay nutrition counseling, and why waiting until everything is perfect often delays the growth you're looking for.We also talk about the transition from employee to entrepreneur. When you've spent years working within hospitals and clinics, you're used to someone else making the rules. Private practice is different. Suddenly, you get to decide your schedule, pricing, session flow, and business model... which can feel exciting and overwhelming at the same time.If you've been wondering:• Am I ready to start my private practice?• How should I structure my nutrition counseling sessions?• How much should I charge?• Do I need a signature program before I launch?• What if my website isn't perfect?• How do I stop doubting myself?...this episode answers all of those questions.Whether you're still planning your business or preparing to open your doors, you'll walk away with practical strategies for building confidence, serving clients, and taking action before everything feels perfect.Remember: confidence doesn't come before action, it comes because of action. My takeaway tip: Start before you're ready. :)