All right. Then we are going to get started. Recording and progress. Hello. Hello and welcome. I'm so excited today to be here with Leonila Campos. She is a registered dietitian with over seven years experience as a dietitian. She's a vegan dietitian with a passion for helping vegan moms learn to make healthy, delicious, and nutrition.
True nutritious meals in 10 minutes are less. She's also a mom of two boys and her therapy is weightlifting five to six times a week. Leonila is a dietitian boss alumni at which I'm really excited about. And her website is fueled by leo.org. Her Instagram handle is vegan dot motherhood. Welcome to today's episode.
Thank you so much, lady for having you, I'm so excited. Oh. Thrilled thrilled to have you. So where do we start? Let's see. Can you share a little bit about if there are anything, is there anything that I missed when describing the bio about you or what you do that you'd like to share with the audience?
Let's see. No, no. I think you captured that.
Yup. Well, There's a lot of fun facts about you. In addition to you loving to lift weights five to six times a week, which you, which you do share on your Instagram, I know you have sisters, right? And they're also in, are they in health as well? Yes. So I have two younger sisters. I am the oldest.
My middle sister. She is the certified personal trainer. To use to be an elite runner. We actually went to Boston. For her to run the bus. That's fun. Oh, my goodness. Okay. So, yeah, that was. Oh, this is going. And my youngest sister. She is a, she graduated with a psychology major. And since she's also into health and wellness, that's wonderful. Yeah. And I know that because you do a great job of telling stories on your social media account, which everybody should follow. So you posted a picture of you and your sister is looking strong and powerful and confident. And I love that because I love that you're showing your face.
Yes. Yeah and talking. Yeah. And talking about what's important to you, family and your sisters. And I know you also speak Spanish. So do you do a lot of help with helping Spanish speaking communities? Is that a part of your line of work as a dietitian? Yes. So I do I have some work that I've done in the community, which I love when I do presentations and cooking demos for.
Hello. Single community mostly. And it's paid so. It's great. Yeah. And I love it because a lot of our community wants to learn how to cook properly without losing their heritage rice hill learning to cook. Our Mexico meals in a healthier way. Amazing. Yeah. I love that. And thank you for representing that.
In our field and being able to help with your Spanish speaking abilities. I don't, I know that. There's a need for more Spanish speaking, dietitians and dietitians who have cultural sensitivity. So you're doing great work. By helping and being able to be bilingual right. And use that skill in dietetics. So that's awesome. And represent veganism. Right. Which is really cool.
Yes. Thank you. So can you talk a little bit about how did you come to owning that niche? Like what helped you decide you want to specialize first in veganism, and then secondly, as your bio indicates helping vegan moms can you talk a little bit about that journey and some of the roadblocks, you know, that that's a popular topic among dietitians, especially those that follow our, my company, dietitian boss.
Right. So I am a vegan and so I've been vegan for over 20 years.
I started when I was 14, 14, 15. Yeah. And so just that alone. Mexico was a huge change. Sure. My mom was even, this is crazy. Then you ought to go malnourish you're going to get sick. But you know, she supported me and notes. Till this day, she makes vegan meals for me though. So amazing.
And so why I decided to niche down into helping the young moms is because I'm also a mom. And so learning to cook meals that don't take so long, right. Who has an hour. Time after picking up kids since day one at a time. You don't want to spend hours by trying to make a balance healthy meal. And so I found that that was that it was a need or there is a need.
And making vegan meals that are more balanced, but don't take so much time. So I'm trying to, to advertise that more to market that more. But yet someone with their. A lot of blogs actually, before I took your, your course. Getting the handle, right? Like to choosing my name. And so I work with with the team and like feeling out what is going to resonate better and why this is going to help me. And so we came up with it's like vegan that motherhood.
Which is essentially what, you know, what I am. And I love that. And so the other thing is Really really resonating with, with your niche, by with moms and whether they need a, what, why are they looking for? And so, as I did my research. You know, my marketing, marketing, research which you help as well is Like listening by listening is not necessarily something looking like, why moms. Looking for why are moms searching in terms of like meals and and meal planning? And so that was one of the main ones. Like easy pick meal. That are healthy. And that sounds really thank you for sharing that. And I love your handle. I think it's really clear. And I do think it's focused in the realm of veganism helping mothers. So how did you, well, you just mentioned is higher level marketing, right? Really listening to what they want, providing content for what vegan moms are looking for.
Talk about, were there any roadblocks and you coming to that mindset or what helped you shift to really think about their needs? Tends to be a struggle for dietitians to put themselves in the shoes of the person purchasing and not in the shoes of what we think they want. Right. That's a big, big thing.
It's huge. Because us professionals and because we not so much. We kind of forget why they need the basic needs are right. They go, they shoot all the way up carpet so they should know what I'm putting is how to make meals. But not necessarily. So one of my name chefs was to not talk about about me only write about.
More of scientific information because that can go and it's just so much for busy people and like for moms. Thanks to crawling really fast on social media. They want something that it can use right away. And so I think just shifting my mindset into okay. As a mom, right. Why do I want to see it? Why, why don't my needs.
That it's going down. It's going to help me. Was that was one of the main road blocks. Thank you for sharing that. Was there a specific exercise or activity or situation that helped you do that, that helped you make that shift and really think about what they want to look for. Your tracker.
It looks overwhelming, right? It is so helpful because it really helps you to understand your marketing. In what way? You, once you, I can say that that is all dietitians least favorite tool that I have. Because, so the market research tracker, and if you're listening, you can create your own version of this on Excel. Of course, mine has some, some extra details, but it really helps you put out on paper when you talk to people and narrow down their wants and needs and, and really use some analytical skills which we have as dietitians, such as what are the, the, the themes we're seeing, what are the common words people are saying?
And the data on our tracker or our Excel sheet is only as good as our ability to first think about what that group that target market has in common. And so you already. He had that, right. You were saying, okay. veganism, that's pretty clear. And then moms. So from there, it's more about what are the moms who are vegan or aspiring to be vegan? What do they want or need, what are they searching for? What solutions in the realm of nutrition can you provide them for? And that are digestible for somebody who's busy.
Right? So I, I feel like it was, it might, you might've had one step ahead in filling out the tracker because dietitians who don't even know what their target market is, they need to go back to writing a rough draft of who it is that they want to serve. Even if it's not. As specific as pregnancy or IBS, it could just be somebody who has some nutritional concern, but you want to find something that is not going to be so general. And so you've done a great job at that.
If it wasn't for your work, the market research tracker would have been a little more challenged. It would have been the second step, right. You would have had to do more work with documenting the ideal client first. Right. Absolutely. So. I'm glad to hear that. And was that where you, when you shifted your mindset and you started.
Analyzing some of what you saw. Did you see any differences in your marketing or any differences in your ability to connect with people? Like how did that, did that change anything? Or was it just yeah, talk a little bit about how that supported any of your. Your marketing processes or even your communication.
Processes with clients or aspiring future potential clients. Right. So I did see more in like statistics right in. Like my social media and Instagram, like there were more views or more likes And just comparing to, you know, what was I, why I was doing previously, there was a growth, and then I got more followers. So essentially that.
And then people saving the post or sharing it. And so that, that, that really helped. And obviously, you know, it motivates us, encourages us to continue to do that work. And so yeah, that just shifting that mindset really helped to create more content that is shareable. Right. And that can be applicable right away. Awesome. Well, I'm glad to hear that. And I think that that's a nice reminder for the listeners to hear in terms of.
What works and how can you make your content creation and your marketing work more? And the answer would be to think about the person you're marketing to and what they want and need. And putting that pen to paper is a great way to get started. And I just want to remind the listeners that it's okay if you don't have every detail figured out, and this isn't a process that they can become more clear with time and actually any tips that you have for the listeners for dietitians about that, because you probably know that that is a very.
Huge accomplishment that you were able to progress in that area of your marketing. And that's something a lot of dietitians have a roadblock. And do you have any tips for the listeners if they're feeling stuck in that area?
Yes. So some things, so we are type A everything to be perfect. And then you have sure. Finishing before we can. You know, post anything. Totally. You know, showing your face can be so overwhelming. And I just, you know, just doing it. I know I've talked to Heather and she said, you know, .
Just do it by. You're not going to lose anything. If you just go ahead and go, essentially. And so I think there's a huge so you just step for dietitians because we get so afraid of doing things that maybe weren't out there. Comfort. Some insight. I think it's important to, you know, if you were thinking about something, just go for it. Right. And then you you'll be okay.
And it doesn't have to be perfect. You can always change it and you can always modify, add the two. But yeah, it may. The main tip. It wouldn't be just, just do it, just go for it and be okay. Thank you so much for sharing that. It means so much coming from you and having the listeners hear about your story, your background, hopefully following connect with you and get inspired by the work you're doing. So.
I really appreciate you taking the time to give some tips to the community. I believe that when more dietitians are visibly growing online and growing their businesses and doing work like you, which we'll get to in a minute, it shares, it opens the door for other dietitians who had no idea. It was possible because we have stats that show 68% of dietitians own a business.
But that doesn't mean they own a remote business that doesn't indicate the stats of those who are using online marketing compared to traditional tactics, which there's nothing wrong with traditional tactics per se. But I believe in order to scale and then grow your business with a larger magnitude using other modalities, such as the internet are going to help you increase your reach. So it's really.
You can share stories the more.
There's room for me to. Because you are right, we are type A and things fill, can feel really uncomfortable if you're the one pioneering the space, the way that you have. So I have a couple of questions I want to ask you about your revenue streams. Cause you're an impressive mom and woman and dietitian.
And I also want to ask you, I might want to ask you this one first. Can you share your story about showing your face and what made you more comfortable doing it? And do you still have kind of qualms with it?
Yeah, so practice, but I just think with. Yeah. We tell our patients right. You know, way in. The more you do it, the better it is the easier to become, same thing with like showing your face. I remember the first time that I did it, I was horrified. And I think I videotaped day, like. Thousand times. And I was thinking.
Well, this one is okay. But yeah, the more I did it that easy, a. It got, and then I still get nervous and I still like check things and, and that's just our human. Nature. Again, our type a, but they, just go and be like, it's okay. You know? I'm not dying. Nothing is happening to me.
So this, you know, and helping others. Absolutely. Is there a mantra or was there something, some tactic like. Some of our clients will practice breathing tactics. Is there anything like that that helped you get over the fear particularly, or that you can remember? Yeah. So I usually tell myself like, everything is going to be okay. Take five deep breaths and interesting days that I tell that to my children too. Like if something is happening to them,
We do a deep breathing in. Yes, that one there's and then I get it done and then I feel better. I love that. Thank you for sharing that you teach your children some breathing tactics, which is really powerful and that you role model and practice that too. That can go a long way and that's practicing mindfulness, right?
So my, my answer is a bit more robotic. I'm make a task list and. My project management system and I just do it. If it's in my task list, I just do it. But yes, all of the other aspects of mindset and taking breaths and, you know, offer affirmations and journaling, those can all attribute as well.
To your success. So thank you for sharing that kind of moment, that are the moments that help you. Alright, next topic. Can you share what you do to make money?
Yes. So I am a private practice. Dietitian. So pretty much all my string comes from owning my own business. But again, because we have. So in my case, I am always thinking ahead. Okay. What if this happens? It has to make sure that I have enough income coming in. So I also do some consulting work on this side. I have a stillness. The facility that I go to, I used to have to, but I, in order for me to grow my business, I have to spend time in the business. And so I wanted to let go of the other one to be able to focus on my business. More. I do community events. So community Talks and I charge for that too.
And my sister and I partner with. Fresno unified school district. Last year for good for the summer camp. And so what are we just spent, you know, three weeks. During the summer of teaching children about nutrition, about fitness. And so this year we were lucky we were, we got. Thankfully, we also will be doing that.
And it's paid for too. So. We so different, different revenue streams. I also have my online courses. That, you know, I created with the help of a dietitian boss. And then I created a. Of course. And of course of how those two. I also given me some, some revenue. Awesome. That's fantastic. So with all of your very inspiring.
And one thing I want to mention from what you listed with your revenue streams. Is that, what I heard is that you had to give up something to be able to dive into another thing. Can you shed a little bit of light or talk a little bit more about what exactly that means and how hard that was, because we know that's hard to do that.
Right. Yes. It's just, you know, at the beginning was hard because, so they fear of not having that income steady income. But I was, as I was looking at my hours and they only have so many hours to allocate to my business and to the other jobs. I had to made it, make this decision of do I want to.
Continue to go with a full flow without, you know, spending time in, they made me be doing more marketing or more content creation. Speaking more to a new followers. And so in order for me to be able to do that, to how those hours And that was because I was taking away eight to 14 hours of my time. A lot of times. Sure that business owner. And so in order for me to be able to grow my business I needed to give that up. And it was scary, but you know, now that I'm and to what is it a month already? From doing that, I, I can stay that. Yes.
I'm definitely spending more time in a concentration in just building, building the business. And that's that's a great achievement. So congratulations. Was there something that helped you make that decision? Because I know it's tough, even though logically, we can say you need the eight to 14 hours to dedicate in the business. What helped you finally pull the trigger, so to speak and really.
Eliminate some of the other revenue streams.
Talking too, has been talking to you. Because everyone's actually that we we had a call. My husband said, you know, It's going to be okay. You have a business, you just, you know, Bringing the income and you'll be okay. And so I think just reassuring about. Having no insurance or they guess things will be okay and it will be able to make it happen.
Is there. I'm so happy to hear about the support system. And are you really glad you made that decision? Yes, I am glad, so much, so much growth for you to find these opportunities and seize them. Work with your family and then have a supportive husband who is encouraging when you're kind of making things work and tweaking them along the way, because nothing perfectly lines up magically as a business owner, right. There's always going to be things that come up and you might need to let go of something and gain something new to make it all work.
So I'm really glad to hear that you have that support system in place. Did you experience just because I hear a lot of dietitians and in business feel that learning business is so foreign because we weren't taught in the field like that in school, these feelings we're talking about and making these decisions. Did you have any similar experiences of making those decisions in your schooling as.
A dietitian or, and your dietetic internship, or do you feel like these are all new skills? So I have to tell you that. Yeah. So everything is foreign. We don't learn business in dietetics at least know when I was going to school. So I went back to the school for my MBA. Because I wanted to learn about business, right.
But even, even then, right? There's no like live situations of. You know, like when we have these business at tuition and this is why you do is just, you know, just learn as you go. And so yes, making financial decisions and essentially, you know looking at your financials that really keen.
Like your numbers. Projections and things say that it can be very overwhelming. Especially for us dietitians that have no experience in that. Absolutely. Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing that. And that's, I'm sure that your MBA and all of your experience in education have helped. I can say that you have shown in this episode and just in talking to you so much growth with your ability to grow as a dietitian and make decisions that help you and your family and your brand grow.
And I'm super excited to see you in the future and where your brand will take you and all of the opportunities. So thank you for your contributions to dietetics. And it's been a pleasure to talk with you. Is there anything that you want to leave the listeners with and today's episode as we wrap up.
Yes, I actually have taken, you know, gave kudos to you and your team. And they had their, because in the times when I was just like They doubting myself. Right. And they'll know me like what to do, like what steps to take. Heather was always dare to say, Hey. How can I help you to break it down in a way that you will be able to achieve it? Right. So I think having that support from all their dietitians that are in the same field
And having a team to help you do that. It's it's a huge, you know, it's. I huge help one because when you're in a business owner, Essentially you. You're alone. Right? So you'd like making decisions all by yourself. But when you have a team or when you have other mentors or other. People that are helping you, guiding you..
That makes it easier in that sense. But it's also gives you those tools that you need to be able to continue to grow and be successful. Really, really happy to hear that. I will tell coach Heather, you gave that feedback. That's so nice. And we will be continuing to root you on. And years to come. So thanks again. If you just mentioned your social media handles so that the listeners can follow you and then we'll wrap up.
Yeah. So my I. Instagram social or handle is Vegan motherhood, so you can follow me, ask me any questions if. dietitian that is on the fence. I'm always willing to help my fellow dietitians and RDS to be so wonderful.
