[00:00:00] If you're looking to grow your business as a registered dietitian, you've come to the right place. If you're not sure what to do or what steps to take next so that you can create flexibility and freedom in your life, then you're going to learn a lot from tuning into our podcast here at Dietitian Boss.
[00:00:17] I'm Libby Rothschild, the founder of Dietitian Boss, a [00:00:20] fellow registered dietitian and business owner. And in our podcast, I share the highs and the lows, and I talk all about how to grow your business. Get it started. And I interview our clients to date. We've had over 200 interviews from clients who share their journey on our podcast dietitian boss.
[00:00:37] [00:00:40] Today's episode is pulled from a very popular YouTube video that we recorded. I hope that you enjoy.
[00:00:49] Libby: Are you ready to start your private practice as a registered dietitian? Whether you're still in school, finishing up your internship, or you're already working in clinical, or they're [00:01:00] paying you peanuts, now is the best time to get started. There's two complaints I hear from dietitians about working in a traditional 9 5, typically clinical job.
[00:01:11] Libby: Number one, that we are underpaid, which we are. Statistics show dietitians make an average of 60, 000, but we had to [00:01:20] finish our master's degree and complete our dietetic internship, which cost a lot of money. We're significantly underpaid and specifically in the clinical world, but 60 percent of us, according to the Academy of nutrition and dietetics compensation survey guide are in clinical.
[00:01:37] Libby: So there's this huge disconnect from the amount of [00:01:40] money we pay to become a dietitian and the amount of time and energy. But then how much we're paid. And so this is a huge issue in dietetics that we are underpaid. The second issue that I see is dietitians don't love working with people, clients, patients, and in a clinical setting, they're called patients, right?
[00:01:58] Libby: We don't love working with [00:02:00] patients that don't want to see us. Now I can speak from personal experience after working in clinical for five years. That I've mentioned five years, that was a really long time. I had to work with patients that didn't want to see me, a staff that didn't value me. And on the stages of change model, my clients or patients were in the [00:02:20] pre contemplation stage.
[00:02:21] Libby: So seeing them was like pulling teeth and I didn't feel very valued. Now, I know other clients of ours are very strongly against weight loss and in a clinical setting, they might be forced to advocate for low calorie diets and that's against their beliefs or other clients might really be into some kind of [00:02:40] a specialization and they might really be into hypothyroidism or diabetes or some kind of, you know, special chronic disease state, but they don't have an opportunity to work with those types of patients because they're working in some kind of a clinical setting, whether it's outpatient or inpatient and they see a mixed bag.
[00:02:54] Libby: And it just doesn't make them feel stimulated. So again, as a recap, the two biggest [00:03:00] issues I see that most of you struggle with is lack of pay. And then not feeling appreciated because your clientele is not motivated, typically because in a clinical setting, the way that the healthcare system works, you might not be getting super motivated clients.
[00:03:15] Libby: And that's true for insurance as well. And now not everybody, but typically people that [00:03:20] use insurance might not be as motivated as somebody who's actually paying, right? Because when people pay for a service, like from your cash paying dietitian, online, practice. They're going to be invested. And so keep in mind that when you are putting the effort forth To attract a type of person, a client that is higher on that [00:03:40] stage of change model that wants to see you, that is motivated to get those results and willing to pay you cash.
[00:03:45] Libby: Those are the types of clients that are going to be in the action phase of the stage of change model, and they're going to be ready and willing to pay you. They're going to be excited. They're going to stimulate you, and then you're going to make more money. It's a win win situation. So maybe you're wondering, [00:04:00] How do I get there?
[00:04:01] Libby: And I'm going to share that in today's video. I'm going to share five tips to help you get started in your private practice before you even thought it was ready. Now, many of you wait too long to start your private practice. It's very rare that I get a student or brand new dietitians becoming more common.
[00:04:18] Libby: That many of you go into [00:04:20] clinical for 5 or 10 years, become jaded, hate your life, and then come to me. And it's harder for you to make a move because you've been so used to that clinical setting. Wherever you are, whether you've been in clinical for a long time, or you're just fresh in school or coming out of school, you can start your private practice.
[00:04:37] Libby: And now is the best time to [00:04:40] really put yourself out there and attract those clients that want to see you. Now, the first five tips I'm going to share today are what I call a phase one approach.
[00:04:49] Libby: One of the most common mistakes I see at all levels, but specifically with the beginner phase dietitians, beginner meaning you're getting started with your private practice. Is your [00:05:00] inability to focus and it happens for a lot of reasons and business. That's called show me object syndrome, whereas entrepreneurs kind of have our eyes all over the place.
[00:05:09] Libby: Right? And we want to do the next best thing. We're not sure where to focus. When you do put your head down and focus, you will see exponential results, not just in your [00:05:20] profits, but also in your satisfaction level. It's really important that you focus on what matters and that will get you to the next level.
[00:05:28] Libby: I'm going to break down specifically what I mean. The first tip in my phase one approach is very obvious and that's to start. And I have to say it, even though you're probably like, do you [00:05:40] have something more specific? Because starting is often the hardest part, and many of you will watch my content.
[00:05:46] Libby: Listen to my podcast, follow us on social media, but wait five more years to get started. And I want to challenge you and ask why. So my hopes are that the content that we put out in these videos will inspire you to get started earlier, especially when you [00:06:00] see your colleagues at various levels and different specialties that live all over the world, that they're able to do it.
[00:06:05] Libby: There's no reason why you can't as well. Starting takes three steps or skills. Number one, confidence. Number two, courage, and number three, consistency, having the confidence to know that you are an expert, [00:06:20] you don't need more experience, you don't need another cert, you don't have to do 12 things that have low return on investment, focus on what matters.
[00:06:28] Libby: Put yourself out there, listen to the exact tips I'm going to give you in the sequential order and you should be good to go. Consistency is super important, but it usually comes with confidence. So number one, getting your [00:06:40] confidence, you know, building that and having a baseline will help motivate you to be consistent and having the courage to do something different and put yourself out there.
[00:06:48] Libby: The more that you take action, the more you build your confidence. And I understand where you're coming from because it's dietitians statistics from CDR and also the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Compensation Salary [00:07:00] Guide show that dietitians anywhere from 3 to 10 percent own a business, right?
[00:07:06] Libby: It's a really small statistic where over 60 percent of us. Go into clinical. So because we've been, you know, in this bubble of what's normal, this traditional path where the curriculum and dietetics hasn't been updated in nearly a century and [00:07:20] entrepreneurship might be discussed in some internship programs, but it's not standardized.
[00:07:24] Libby: We're still following this traditional trajectory that those behind us have followed. So anytime you do something a little unique or a little different, It's going to take courage and confidence, and I understand that that's hard, but I also ask you to give it a [00:07:40] chance and watching these videos and learning from your colleagues will help you take action.
[00:07:45] Libby: I want to talk about entrepreneurship. Being a private practice dietitian means that you're an entrepreneur, you're embarking on entrepreneurship, and I want to take a moment to describe what that means and how it ties into confidence, courage, [00:08:00] and consistency. So firstly, Entrepreneurship I've heard is like falling off of a plane without a parachute.
[00:08:06] Libby: Right. That's a quote. I can't remember who, but basically you're taking a lot of risks and it's exciting and it's fun. And it's also scary. There's so much professional and personal growth and opportunities to learn [00:08:20] yourself in entrepreneurship. And since as dietitians were trained in the field of science. Some of these concepts can feel really new to us and the learning curve can feel steep. Just remember that taking action helps build confidence and with more confidence, you'll be more courageous. And as you continue and you're consistent. That's going to help you get to the [00:08:40] result faster, whether that result is helping more clients, whether that result is putting yourself out there and becoming more visible and or making more money in entrepreneurship.
[00:08:50] Libby: There is going to be a lot of mindset challenges. For example, when I first started, my mindset wasn't as strong as it is today. I've had to go through a lot of [00:09:00] growth moments and I am in peer groups, professionally coached. I have a team. I invest in leadership opportunities for my team. And I, I'm also involved.
[00:09:11] Libby: I give back and I'm on boards for entrepreneur programs and all of my areas and my involvement in the community help build my mindset. But [00:09:20] I want to share with you that when I first started, I refused to coach competitors. That's a school of thought, whether you choose to do that or not, but my mindset has strengthened so much from when I first started my business.
[00:09:33] Libby: That now some of my biggest competitors have been trained by me following my framework and they've been [00:09:40] directly coached from me, numerous of them. And I've accepted that now because my mindset is stronger than what it was when I started. There's so much opportunity for growth when you're able to have an abundance mindset.
[00:09:53] Libby: And when you adopt that abundance mindset, you'll see there are so many more opportunities and it's really helpful. [00:10:00] But it doesn't happen overnight, a mindful practice routine, journaling, practicing gratitude, being consistent. All of those aspects I just mentioned will help you, you know, grow a stronger, abundant mindset and it can happen with time, but being an entrepreneur means you're accepting that your mindset is going to be challenged.
[00:10:19] Libby: Number two, [00:10:20] rethink how dietitians are trained. Now, remember what I mentioned earlier, anywhere from three to 10 percent of dietitians. According to the most recent statistics, both from CDR and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Compensation Survey Guide, own a business. Now that's a very small percentage of dietitians, especially [00:10:40] down to that 3%.
[00:10:41] Libby: And owning a business doesn't mean that they're profitable and operating and growing. Alright, so that rough statistic of anywhere from 3 to 10%, These, there's a lot of opportunities because if you look at the consumers that need help with various health outcomes, from chronic disease management, to weight loss, to food, freedom, to eating disorder, recovery, to life cycle, to [00:11:00] performance.
[00:11:01] Libby: There are so many of us dietitians, right over, I believe, 900, 000 in America alone, they can help consumers achieve their health outcomes. Yet if only three to 10 percent of us own a business, there's a gap, there's a gap in the market and an opportunity for us. To start something. And it's okay if you start [00:11:20] small, but you definitely have to start.
[00:11:22] Libby: That being said, our business and what we do here at Dietitian Boss is disruptive. I came into this space wanting dietitians to be seen as experts. Wanting dietitians to be paid more and wanting dietitians to really help feel aligned with the work that they do. And that's not normal. So you [00:11:40] have to remember on days that are difficult, when you're motivating yourself to take action or you're taking action and things aren't going exactly how you want them to, which is part of entrepreneurship, remind yourself that you are part of the minority in dietetics that's going against the traditional norm.
[00:11:55] Libby: By starting your own thing, knowing that, that it's [00:12:00] disruptive to do something that you weren't told in school to do, that it's not traditional to be on social media and make 90 to a hundred percent of your monies from leads that find you on Instagram, it might make you feel more confident knowing that you're a trailblazer.
[00:12:16] Libby: That being said, you're not alone. There are other dietitians, [00:12:20] especially in the Dietitian Boss community, those I've interviewed on our podcast, shared with them here on YouTube, that have been able to forge that path for you so you can learn with them. The third tip to starting your dietitian private practice is choosing if you want to be virtual, in person, or some type of hybrid.
[00:12:38] Libby: Now, of course, here at Dietitian [00:12:40] Boss, we want you to either go virtual or some type of hybrid because not only does it save you money because you don't have to pay for overhead or you're paying less for overhead, but you also have a wider access to different types of people that might not be able to physically visit your location.
[00:12:57] Libby: That being said, I'm a huge, huge, huge [00:13:00] fan of virtual. It's how the future is headed. It's convenient for clients, and it's also very convenient for you. You can literally work anywhere, take vacations at your leisure, and you can set up your home office to benefit what you want. And that's just really cool.
[00:13:15] Libby: Now I know in the last tip, I talked about how being a private [00:13:20] practice dietitian is still not seen or accepted as the norm because statistics show very few of us. I own a business where more of us go into clinical because that's the traditional path. It's the same with virtual. So a virtual private practice dietitian is a unicorn.
[00:13:37] Libby: We're looking at the statistics in total [00:13:40] and now our business is changing that. Our mission is to create more private practice operators while disrupting the field and changing that statistic from three to 10 percent and increasing it for private practice owners. That being said. Keep in mind that going virtual and being a hundred percent virtual, although accepted more with COVID is still [00:14:00] not normal.
[00:14:00] Libby: I remember a peer of mine and an entrepreneur group I'm in called EO, called me in late 2020 and said, Can you tell me a little bit about your business and why you went to virtual and how has it helped you? Because this peer of mine was losing a lot of money and struggling with his company because he was spending over four [00:14:20] grand on rent for an office.
[00:14:22] Libby: That meant the staff that worked there, you know, a diverse staff, about 10 plus employees had to go to this physical location that he paid 4, 000 rent for. So that meant he was limited to who the staff could be because of location. And he was out 4, 000 in rent. And when we talked about [00:14:40] it, I let him know, you know what, I've been virtual the whole time.
[00:14:43] Libby: And because of that, I've never had to pay overhead. And because of that, I have a staff from all over the world. We have a global staff. They get to create their own virtual office at home, and we are able to bring them together with the culture we've built here at Dietitian Boss, and we've [00:15:00] always operated virtually.
[00:15:02] Libby: And because we've done that, we can role model for you. That being said, I understand that's not traditional. I understand it's still new and exciting. And I want you to know it is possible whether you're adopting hybrid model or just virtual, the benefits are numerous. In addition to being comfortable, you're saving money [00:15:20] on your Balance sheet.
[00:15:21] Libby: And it's really important that you know what that means as an entrepreneur, and you're able to understand your numbers, profit margins, how much you're spending on your expenses, including staffing and your top line revenue and what your goals are with your balance sheet. And then number two, Staffing's important.
[00:15:35] Libby: So when you run a company, you want to know if you're not an in person office and you've got [00:15:40] staff all throughout the world or in the United States, you have a wider reach who can help you when you're not confined to one space. The fourth tip to starting your dietitian private practice is focusing on networking.
[00:15:53] Libby: They definitely don't teach us this in school. I don't remember any courses or options about [00:16:00] entrepreneurship or networking, and I can tell you networking was one of the most important things that I value in this company and that I value in general as a business owner. You want to make an effort to meet people.
[00:16:11] Libby: Now I get it. You might feel intimidated and that's completely understandable. Think about your local community. If you're religious, maybe you're involved [00:16:20] with, you know, some kind of a religious organization, Or if you are really involved in some type of advocacy, that might be an area where you can go meet people like environmentalism, sustainability, et cetera.
[00:16:32] Libby: And it's really important that when you look into your community and your interests, that you're able to connect and let people know who you are. [00:16:40] And also when you meet people, tell them, I'm a registered dietitian. Do you need help with nutrition? If you know anyone who does, here's my phone number and email, right?
[00:16:47] Libby: So you're constantly. Talking to people, using those calls to actually to tell them or take clients asking if they know anybody. And then also you want to be a valuable resource to them. And it just makes sense. If you go to [00:17:00] places that align with you, for me, I enjoy running. My husband and I are in a local running club.
[00:17:05] Libby: I'm also on board for various entrepreneur organizations. So it's important that I get involved in those aspects. So I want you to think what makes sense for you, whether it be philanthropy, religious, some type of community involvement, an event would be [00:17:20] great for you to find a way to position yourself locally.
[00:17:22] Libby: Now with the local positioning, you might be thinking, okay, The people in my flower shop only have, you know, this much reach, right? Assuming that flower shop is something you might be interested. I personally love my local plant shop. That's where I bought Maui, my beautiful plant here on the side. It's real.
[00:17:39] Libby: I love [00:17:40] real plants. Now, I understand that there's a limit to in person networking. There might be only so many people that you can meet. It's great and important, but the reach can be limited. And that's where social media comes in. And you knew I was going to talk about that, right? So using social media is an excellent way, in addition to in person networking, for you to [00:18:00] expand your reach.
[00:18:01] Libby: Showcase your values and your expertise and really create a visibility strategy that you're able to implement on a regular basis, and that's going to help you start your practice. The fifth and final tip I have to share is to begin an online presence using social [00:18:20] media to start your private practice.
[00:18:22] Libby: Now you couldn't do this soon enough. Starting your online presence is hugely important and now online presence is kind of a broad term. So for purposes of today, I mean starting a social media profile. Now I'm not saying you need to be on every single platform. You can start with one.
[00:18:39] Libby: What's [00:18:40] more important is that you're consistent. You have some level of mastery and you're getting results. Now results could be people reaching out, sending you messages. Results could be people booking a call and buying from you, but you want to be able to have some tangible results that are consistent.
[00:18:55] Libby: Before you move on to other platforms, otherwise you're spreading yourself super thin [00:19:00] and that's going to decrease your confidence and that goes back to shiny object syndrome that I've talked about before, which is very typical for entrepreneurs to kind of have their eyeballs all over the place and not know how to focus.
[00:19:10] Libby: And when you lose your focus in business, you don't get to the end path fast enough. And that means you're not going to hit your goals. You're not going to feel aligned [00:19:20] and you're going to decrease your confidence and it causes a lot of anxiety. So being really focused about how you're positioning yourself, where and what that looks like is absolutely the first step.
[00:19:31] Libby: So having a social media presence on one platform to start with consistency is going to be the first step in getting started with [00:19:40] your private practice. Social media is free. Everybody's on social, whether you believe it or not. Let me kind of go over some scenarios. Let me ask you, where did you go to look for somebody to cut your hair?
[00:19:54] Libby: What did you do when you were looking for a local drink, a cocktail, or maybe there was something in the [00:20:00] community and you wanted to find out about an event or a marathon or something related to, if you're religious, a church or a synagogue or something of that nature? Now, I don't know about you, but I live on social.
[00:20:12] Libby: I find out all of my information, I get my hair cut from social, I bought this dress from social, I buy my makeup, I look at, you [00:20:20] know, styling for my apartment, everything, art. I'm like, I literally live on social media. Now that doesn't mean I'm there all day, but I don't go to shop in person anymore.
[00:20:31] Libby: Everything is done online. And now you might not think that that's true for you. I've heard dietitians tell me, Oh, but I don't do that. Fair enough. [00:20:40] But many people do. In order to be in business, a successful business, a profitable, sustainable business, you need to think in terms of what do consumers do.
[00:20:49] Libby: Consumers, meaning people who might purchase your product or service are absolutely on social of all ages. I believe Instagram has over a billion monthly [00:21:00] active users, a billion. People are on there hanging out. Looking at funny videos or memes or TikTok dances or whatever. And it's in your best interest to be positioned as a resource on social.
[00:21:13] Libby: The sooner, the better. So in recap, keep in mind that even if you're not looking for things on social [00:21:20] media, whether it's a product, service, or a combination like me, I know I am. Your client or potential client probably is looking at the statistics of monthly active users on various social media platforms.
[00:21:30] Libby: Now you better believe that people are looking up information about health outcomes on social. They're looking at how to lower their A1C. [00:21:40] They're looking how to lose weight sustainably. They're looking how to find food freedom. They want resources and encouragement about binge eating disorder. They're absolutely looking to achieve a feel good pregnancy.
[00:21:49] Libby: They want to know how to introduce solids. They want to know what intuitive eating means for their child. They want to understand what veganism means. If they're growing a child, or if they're growing a baby, or if they want to, you know, lose weight, [00:22:00] and they want to, you know, keep with ethics or follow some type of a vegan dietary pattern.
[00:22:04] Libby: Whatever your area of expertise is or the angle where you want to position yourself, People are searching for solutions and it's imperative that you show up as an expert and it's free creating organic content. And I mean, you're not pushing [00:22:20] ads, you're showing up and finding a way to be effective for what social wants to see is the fastest way and the cheapest way for you to increase your reach in front of a potential customer.
[00:22:32] Libby: You want to be relevant to the platform. For example, Instagram right now is pushing out reels and carousels. And so that means [00:22:40] you want to be pushing out reels and carousels so that you're relevant and the platform is going to push out your content versus someone else's who's not. You know, putting out the features that Instagram wants to see, but that's not enough.
[00:22:52] Libby: That's a good start, but it's not enough. In addition to using the features that Instagram wants you to use. And I'm choosing Instagram as an example. [00:23:00] You also want to make sure that your content is showing an outcome that your potential client wants to achieve. Maybe that's 20 pound weight loss. Maybe it's finding food freedom.
[00:23:10] Libby: Maybe it's growing a pelted child at six months old, introducing salads from four to six. Okay. Whatever it is that your business achieves needs to be translated effectively onto [00:23:20] your content in a way that's vulnerable and connects with your ideal client. That's why it's really important to define who are you talking to in your content and your marketing message so that those people feel connected.
[00:23:31] Libby: So as they're searching for, let's say a one C, let's say they have type two diabetes. We want to lower their a one C and they're looking for information on social that go on [00:23:40] a hashtag. Your content pulls up and it's. It's vulnerable, authentic. It's being pushed because you're using a feature Instagram wants to see you're more likely to get a sales call booked or someone to reach out to you and ask to pay you because you stand out in the sea of people who aren't using the features that are being pushed, who aren't creating better, more effective [00:24:00] content.
[00:24:00] Libby: So I want you to keep in mind how powerful that is, and that is what we teach our clients how to do. And if you look up dietitian hashtags and you look up top performing posts. 8, 9 out of 10 are going to be our current or past clients because most of them have followed our framework effectively, specifically on Instagram, of course, TikTok, and that's where a lot of consumers are looking for [00:24:20] health outcomes.
[00:24:20] Libby: I feel like I can't do a video without talking about your niche because you know, I am the queen of niching down. So I don't want to say that you have to have a niche to start your practice because let's define what starting a practice means. It means making money. And so many of you hold back and delay making money for various reasons, [00:24:40] mostly confidence
[00:24:40] Libby: that being said, getting started without a niche is possible. If you follow my tips, you're going to go network and tell people you're accepting clients, tell people that if they need help with nutrition, which is broad, you can help them and you might get a client or two. If you're showing up regularly in some capacity, whether online or in person.
[00:24:58] Libby: You have a higher chance [00:25:00] because that is a visibility strategy. Now, that being said, you can get clients without a niche, but to sustain a system and have people continually reaching out to you with predictability, that's going to require that you've defined your business very well. You have an ideal client that makes sense.
[00:25:19] Libby: You know, the [00:25:20] outcome you're solving, you're showing that transformation in your content. You're consistently showing up, you're vulnerable with your market. And in all of those aspects that I've just mentioned, pushing out content that's respecting the features of social, let's say for Instagram is going to be reels and carousels.
[00:25:35] Libby: When you're following what I said and you've niched down, you've defined who you're [00:25:40] talking to, you will blow up, you'll find that you'll have more consistency and people who are applying. And then when you focus on your sales skills, you'll have consistency and people who pay you. But to get that demand and those people who know that you exist as a resource to help them achieve the outcome that they're willing to pay for niching down is absolutely the solution.
[00:25:58] Libby: So I don't want you to get [00:26:00] overwhelmed. Thinking that you need to figure everything out all at once. Cause that's just not the case. The phase one approach of starting your practice is going to include all of the five tips that I gave you. A phase two approach might include niching down. So once you've made money, then you're going to start to hone in on how you're different.
[00:26:18] Libby: From the next dietitian so [00:26:20] that you can stand out for being vulnerable, authentic, mostly solving problems because as business owners and entrepreneurs, we are here number one to solve problems and you will stay in business if you can figure out what that means and how to do it and how to solve the biggest problem.
[00:26:36] Looking for support to grow your dietitian business or even get [00:26:40] started, I invite you to join the library, our monthly affordable membership that shows you exactly what to do every step of the way so that you can create the business of your dreams. Not sure if it's the right time, the membership gives you an option to.
[00:26:54] Go at your own pace. We have modules, a roadmap to show you exactly what to do and [00:27:00] monthly live calls, as well as new content that we release every single month based on requests inside of the library. We have four stages of business. So whether you come in getting started or you want to enter the membership and grow or scale your business, we have the appropriate resources for you.
[00:27:15] And our team, including myself available to answer your questions, head on over to [00:27:20] dietitianboss.com and check out the library today. We'd love to see you there.
