Welcome to the Dietitian Boss Podcast. I'm Libby Rothschild, creator of Dietitian Boss. After almost four years of sitting in my dimly lit windowless clinical office, I had enough. I wanted to feel like my work mattered, so I did something about it. I created a program that empowers Dietitians and nutritionists to create their own private practice from scratch following my proprietary system.
Before I did this, I had a private practice of my own while working a full-time job, and I learned a lot about building relationships, marketing and sales, and I'm so excited to be able to share my proprietary framework with you.
In today's episode, I wanna talk about an important topic that I've mentioned before, and it's come up on a lot of guest episodes, and that's imposter syndrome. Specifically imposter syndrome and the research in dietetics. So firstly, imposter syndrome. If you're not aware, it means it's a common feeling experienced by individuals who feel like they're not as competent or capable as others, perceive them to be.
And it's a widespread issue that affects individuals in a variety of professions, and I'd say especially in dietetics. In today's episode, we're gonna talk a little bit about the research on imposter syndrome and dietetics and discuss ways to overcome it. So I wanna mention that I have experienced imposter syndrome and a lot of our clients have as well.
And so I can absolutely relate. I know that it took me a while to start my business. I could have started. Earlier, I wish I would've started as a student and I could have gone in consulting in private practice full-time and not done my clinical. So I know I tell people that you don't need two years of clinical experience.
And I myself did clinical because I was told that I needed to and I felt like I'd be smarter if I did. And after being in clinical and getting burnout and being broke, I realized that I didn't need to be in clinical. That was this little voice in my head. It was making me feel like I wasn't good enough, but in reality, I was completely competent and capable, and I see that potential.
I see it in you, and I know you're capable as a Dietitian. It's just building some of the skills and learning about marketing principles and business skills that can help you communicate more effectively to the masses, which is something that as dietetic professionals, we're not always taught those business schools, those business skills.
So that's a gap that my business. Solves in the market. I do wanna mention that today's episode is sponsored by practice better. So if you are a Dietitian and you're looking to manage your practice with ease, I want you to get started with any practice better planned for free for 14 days. And as an exclusive offer for you or listeners, you can get 20% off of the first four months of any paid plan when you use the promo code.
Dietitian Boss 20. So when we talk about imposter syndrome, Studies have shown that imposter syndrome is prevalent in the field of dietetics. And you might not be surprised. There are so many smart people in the field of dietetics that, well, let's face it, we don't think that we're enough. And I see that with so many of my clients that struggle with the confidence to be able to promote yourself online, to ask for a sale, to close an intake call to retain a customer because you're afraid of asking for a sale and, and I get it.
These are, these can be uncomfortable things. A survey conducted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics actually found that over 50% of registered Dietitians reported feeling like imposters in their career at at some point. And this high prevalence of imposter syndrome in dietetics, it does highlight the need for support and resources, you know, to help individuals overcome these feelings and reach their full potential.
And that's a big reason why I brought Dr. Heather onto this team because she's. Specialist when it comes to mindset, and she's a natural, she's a healer. She lives in Peru and she practices healing techniques, and that's, she's an amazing resource to teach the Dietitian boss method and teachings to our clients and make sure that she's constantly using her natural healing tendencies to remind our clients that you are superheroes.
And that as dietetic iceitioners, you absolutely do have the skills necessary. You don't need two years clinical. You can promote yourself, and a lot of what we do is help you identify your limiting beliefs and and fears so that you can push them out of the way and break through in your business. And maybe you're.
Not ready yet to start a business, but you want to feel more confident at work, and you wanna practice being an assertive Dietitian. You might want to ask for a raise, or you might wanna negotiate a higher salary and use the academy salary calculator to ask for higher pay when someone's. Asking you for a job, whether that's a salaried position or maybe you are negotiating some type of contract work and you wanna increase your confidence to be able to ask for the rate that you have set for yourself.
And these are skills. I remember when I was a A contractor. I was a social media manager for a Dietitian company several years ago, and I negotiated my rate and I had worked with a coach because I wanted to make sure I was being fair and ethical. My rate made sense and I, I basically was asking for permission to charge the rate that I knew I was worth, and it was something I had to work through.
And there's been so many instances of me iceicing negotiation when it comes to. Charging my, what my rate is as a Dietitian, and it's something that I teach and it's something that us, especially women, statistically struggle with. And dietetics is predominantly those who identify as women. So I wanna remind you that you are not the only one that might be struggling to show your face online.
That's why I created that hashtag show your face. And you're not the only one that might feel very uncomfortable with selling. I've had Dietitians not start their business because they can't bear the thought of selling, and, and I get it, and it's, it's a skill and learning how to sell and market and communicate, negotiate, those are all skills that you can learn with some practice, with some time.
And inside of a safe community where you learn how to feel comfortable and you learn how to grow, and you learn how to feel uncomfortable and you don't have to do it alone. You can learn with me and Dr. Heather inside of Academy are very affordable membership that gives CEUs to Dietitians who are looking to start and grow their Dietitian, private practice.
And if you're looking for a higher level of support and more one-on-ones you can also inquire about our coaching services, where you can identify your limiting beliefs with us privately.
Running a private practice requires technology. If you wanna scale and deliver a standardized experience, you will need to start using software with your private practice. And I want you to have more time to focus on the parts of your practice that fuel you like helping more people and spending less time on.
Administration work, and that's why I recommend practice Better to my clients. Inside of our Academy membership and coaching programs, practice Better is a complete practice management software for nutrition professionals like you who wanna start and scale their private practice without the burnout.
practice better helps automate your bookings, charting and invoicing, but it's way more than that. Creating protocols and treatment plans and tracking your client's progress is easier than ever. So your clients can be engaged in every step of their plan, and you can provide a high level of care without burning out.
practice better also integrates with your favorite software. So that your client data and recommendations sync securely and seamlessly. You can import data and results easily from lab orders, fitness trackers, and even integrate practice better with your email marketing and your marketing funnels and with their programs feature, which is my personal favorite.
You have everything you need to build and run an automated group, program, or membership. So that you can earn passive income, and it's pretty streamlined in one software. If you're a registered Dietitian looking to manage your practice with ease, you can get started with any practice better. Plan for free for 14 days as an exclusive offer For our listeners here at Dietitian Boss, you can get 20% off your first four months on any paid plan when you use the promo code.
Dietitian Boss 20 at the checkout. It's time to say goodbye to a patchwork of software and hello to an organized efficient practice. That might be a way for you to really start to think about what is it that you're doing to get in your own way. And I know that I got in my own way by taking too long to quit my clinical job by taking too long to start my Dietitian consulting business.
And what got me to actually do it was just taking those small steps. I practiced local networking. I practiced communicating with some other Dietitian professionals, and I ended up taking my skills from consulting and speaking and teaching to then creating a workshop for Dietitians and doing that online and then helping more people.
I remember one of my first few clients was from another country, a Dietitian from a Australian. I couldn't believe it. Wow. I would never have a chance to help an Australian if I were to help Dietitians only in New York City. But because I went online, I had a greater reach and I think that my imposter syndrome will always be there.
Always, you know, have a, a level of, you know, Questioning myself to some degree, although it's a lot less than it was before. I worked on improving my ability to believe in myself and making myself uncomfortable, and a lot of things I've done have put me in positions to strengthen my character, like hiring employees and growing my business.
And expanding beyond my comfort levels and taking risks with this company. And it's all been a great experience to help me build my confidence. And I think if you can reflect as a Dietitian and ask yourself, take a piece of paper, write down in a notepad what are the things that you wanna do that you are uncomfortable about, but that you can't stop thinking about.
And maybe it's, you know what? I need to ask for more money as a Dietitian because you've got a nine to five. Or maybe it's, I really wanna start that business. Or if you've started your business, it might be, gosh, I really need to promote myself and actually tell people I. That I'm taking paying clients, right?
Cuz you might have started your business, but you're not actually promoting yourself. You're not engaging in sales behaviors, which is what I also see so often. And so I want you, no matter where you are in your trajectory in dietetics, I want you to take a moment and think about what is it that is making you very uncomfortable.
Or what aspects of your life do you feel insecure about and do you question your competence or capabilities and reflect on them? And you can write this down, you can work with a friend or a family member. You can join the academy and work with me and my team. On overcoming your limiting beliefs, but you can't overcome anything until you first identify them.
So the first step is really acknowledging and naming what is the problem. I want you to know that imposter syndrome is statistically, it's really prevalent in dietetics, and it's also really prevalent in healthcare, and it's also very common in women. And I want you to know that it's something that I do struggle with and I struggle with it less and less.
As I, as I break through and I identify my living beliefs and I make myself uncomfortable, but I still do have moments where it's there and I acknowledge it and I name it, and I try to be open and honest about it, and then I work through it. And I hope that that inspires you to do the same. And I can tell my story, but I think what's also really inspiring is when we have our clients come on air and share their stories at different stages.
So you get to learn from Dietitians who are students, Dietitians in different industries, Dietitians that live in different parts of the world, and you get to hear their experience of overcoming their limiting beliefs, of showing their face, of deciding their specialty, of creating a profitable idea that turns into a business of building out these programs like memberships and courses and signature programs that.
People purchase and that change people's lives and all of that is possible. After we take that first step of identifying what is the problem of naming, what is it that is actually getting in our way and in what areas do we feel are we, what stories are we telling ourselves about our level of.
Competence or incompetence in capabilities or in capabilities and what we think of ourselves and how others perceive us are not always the same thing. And so I hope in today's episode I've helped you think about some of these ideas. Now you probably know Dr. Heather cuz she's on our podcast very often with episodes, and I wanted.
To share with you that she actually goes through meditation exercises and she creates courses and materials inside of our membership as well as a resource which can be really focused on this whole topic of imposter syndrome. I would say she is a great resource. This is definitely an area that. Would be her specialty in this business, which is so nice cuz you get a combination of me and my ability to create the Dietitian boss teachings step by step framework for business skills and progression.
And then you get her to sit and hold extra space with you. And she has endless levels of empathy because she identifies as a healer, that's her number one role in this world. So when you work with us, you get that combination and I'm so grateful to be able to offer you a business aligned with our values of collaboration.
So you can really see we're both iceitioners. She's a naturopath, I'm a Dietitian, and you get to work with us and learn and, and reflect on your limiting beliefs so that you can identify them and move past them.
If you're looking for support to start, grow, and scale your Dietitian private practice, I wanna invite you to work with me and my team. We have a few different options. Head over to Dietitianboss.com and apply to have a conversation with somebody from our sales team. To discuss your options for your budget and stage of business, head over to Dietitianboss.com and we look forward to connecting.
