[00:00:00] Libby: 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] Libby: I'm Libby Rothschild, the founder of Dietitian Boss, a fellow [00:00:20] 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] Libby: Morgan Mullins MSRD LDN is a [00:00:40] registered dietitian specializing in prenatal and postpartum nutrition with over a decade of experience in clinical nutrition research and communications. Morgan offers a compassionate evidence based approach tailored to the needs of expectant mothers inspired by her own pregnancy and postpartum journey.
[00:00:56] Libby: She provides personalized support to help clients navigate the unique [00:01:00] challenges of motherhood from morning sickness to food aversions to postpartum recovery. Morgan's goal is to empower all mothers. All mothers to feel confident, nourished, and supported during this time. Welcome to today's interview, Morgan.
[00:01:11] Libby: Glad to have you.
[00:01:12] Libby: I'm so excited to have you here today, Morgan. I was wondering if you could share a little bit about how you got started as a dietitian and [00:01:20] what led you to pursue your current specialty.
[00:01:23] Morgan: Thank you, Libby. I am so excited to be here and share my journey. I did my Master's in clinical nutrition and dietetic internship at Rush University here in Chicago, where I'm based.
[00:01:37] Morgan: And after that [00:01:40] point, I kind of was interested in a lot of things that were really, I'm sure exactly what path per se, I really wanted to take. And I ended up going into food service a little bit for a little bit, and then I quickly transitioned into nutrition communications, which is [00:02:00] where I spent a majority of my career working for 2 different companies.
[00:02:04] Morgan: 1 was a PR, communications agency, and the other most recently was a large health care company for both roles. I worked in nutrition communications, so I basically was acting as the [00:02:20] science translator. Taking complex nutrition topics and relaying them in a way that was much more easy to understand for the consumer.
[00:02:29] Morgan: So that's kind of how I got started and what had led me up into this point before I ventured off into private practice.
[00:02:39] Libby: Awesome. So [00:02:40] I want to talk about venturing to private practice, but I want to take a moment and talk about how cool those positions sounded. Did you enjoy that line of work? And how did you get that line of work?
[00:02:48] Libby: Because those are very sought after positions. That sounds like a lot of fun.
[00:02:52] Morgan: I really did enjoy this. I truly mean that. I will say of my group of 12 in [00:03:00] my, school class. It was probably the black sheep in that. I was the one of the few that like was okay, not going into clinical. Many of them wanted to go that route, which is great.
[00:03:11] Morgan: But I think that the whole realm of nutrition and communications is something that we don't often learn in our dietetic internship as [00:03:20] like a route that we can take as a dietitian. And that's truly a topic for another day. I have so many thoughts on that. But the RD's role in a food company or a healthcare company really can be so expansive in what you're able to do.
[00:03:37] Morgan: And so I think much of what I had [00:03:40] learned in those early days in clinical and grad school was how you look at research. And so my role at these companies was really like diving into that research and being that expert to basically be like, okay, This is what the nitty gritty of the research saying, but this is really [00:04:00] what consumers want to know about it.
[00:04:02] Morgan: And how do we bridge that gap and make this much more easy to understand for them? So whether that's creating graphics or articles or videos, little snippets to communicate that in a more relatable way. I really did love this. And I [00:04:20] do think That there are qualities in that job, for sure, that I will take with me as I start my private practice,
[00:04:29] Libby: incredible.
[00:04:29] Libby: Thank you for sharing that. And what a great background that also translates really well to learning about marketing, which I'm sure we'll talk about later because, as you know, a lot of dietitians struggle to take [00:04:40] complex topics and the nitty gritty and extrapolate that into easy to digest information, whether it's in the format of a graphic video, whatever type of visuals.
[00:04:48] Libby: So you definitely have that skill and awareness of how we can better address the public. Thank you. Yeah. So then let's transition. You gave your background about your roles and then what [00:05:00] led you to pursue your current specialty in your private practice? What made you want to take that leap?
[00:05:05] Morgan: There has always been this part of me that has wanted to.
[00:05:08] Morgan: with clients again like one on one truly help them. And I have been thinking about this for a very long time and [00:05:20] have been wanting to make this jump for a very long time, but I hadn't really pinpointed exactly what like specialty I wanted to go into until the point where I got pregnant and experienced the pregnancy and postpartum journey myself.
[00:05:38] Morgan: So that for [00:05:40] sure was the impetus to like get my wheels starting to turn in terms of like, okay, this feels most aligned with like what I feel most passionate about in terms of, Like really helping people in this area, and I'll give you a little bit more detail into like how [00:06:00] that came about.
[00:06:01] Morgan: So, during my pregnancy, I was diagnosed with hyper emesis gravidarum, which for those that don't know is an extreme form of nausea and vomiting and my options. were basically a clinical trial that they put cancer patients on, or [00:06:20] a medication that had some neurological side effects. Neither really felt like the right choice for me, and so I resorted to an anti medic throughout my pregnancy.
[00:06:29] Morgan: And even with this, I was still sick multiple times a day from week six of pregnancy until one day postpartum. So this period was really, [00:06:40] really challenging for me. I then had an unexpected C section and began breastfeeding. And so it really was the combination of going through a hard pregnancy and then hard postpartum in those early days.
[00:06:55] Morgan: And. Out of all of this living, I hope to be [00:07:00] the resource I wish I had. I am a dietitian. I know more than the average person about nutrition. But even so, in those moments, I needed more guidance. I needed someone in postpartum to tell me, Listen Morgan, you just had a major abdominal surgery. and [00:07:20] your breastfeeding.
[00:07:21] Morgan: What that means is that you need to eat this many more calories and protein. Like, you know, I really needed that guidance. And so that is why I've chosen this specialty because it struck a chord so deeply for me and I feel so passionate about [00:07:40] helping others. In this time. Pregnancy comes with its own challenges and postpartum also comes with its own challenges.
[00:07:48] Morgan: I'm sure that you can speak to this as well, given you also had a baby just about a year ago.
[00:07:53] Libby: Yeah, definitely. Well, thank you for sharing that story. And with the regular challenges of figuring out [00:08:00] how you're adjusting to your new life and balance and your health, I can't imagine that diagnosis. And the unexpected C section.
[00:08:07] Libby: So thank you for sharing your story. That sounds like a lot and know the education for and pregnancy nutrition can be sparse. I know that there is some advocacy, but it's not necessarily maybe [00:08:20] as known or commonplace as or other education in the clinical sphere.
[00:08:26] Libby: So like I said, I know there's advocacy out there, but what you're doing is really incredible work. And I do know that the education is lacking.
[00:08:32] Morgan: Yes, you hit the nail on the head. It's lacking. And the further I explored this [00:08:40] as someone who is a professional and wanted to know more about this topic in general for myself, I realized this, like, that it's very and I think it's important for us to understand that this is farce, far and few between in terms of resources, but even more so for professionals who want to get more of this education and then [00:09:00] looking through, like programs that I could take to, like, further enhance my knowledge.
[00:09:05] Morgan: This is very clear to me that this is for sure there's a need out there for both professionals to learn more about this and also, nutrition education for clients.
[00:09:16] Libby: So why don't we talk a little bit about how did you land on your [00:09:20] ideal client and craft your message. I understand that you have a personal connection to your specialty, but how did you further narrow that in the space?
[00:09:29] Libby: And what did that look like?
[00:09:31] Morgan: So I started pretty scrappy with this. I first enrolled in your program, and so I went, like, step by step at the very [00:09:40] beginning stages. And in the stage where I was really, like, gathering information about this target market, I created a Google form, and I put this out on my personal social media.
[00:09:53] Morgan: And it was not fancy at all. It was literally 10 questions. Majority of them were multiple choice, and I think one of them [00:10:00] was open ended. And this was really my, like, just gut check to figure out, like, think this is a needed market, but like, is it actually, what are people's pain points?
[00:10:12] Morgan: So that's what I did first. And I got 58 responses in one day, just by like my friends, mutual friends, [00:10:20] that sort of thing. And I was serving both pregnant. And so this survey helps me to identify what those top three pain points were for pregnant women and postpartum women, and I'm not going to go into, like, the nitty gritty of the research, but there are [00:10:40] just a few points that I wanted to, like, underscore because this helped to motivate me.
[00:10:46] Morgan: So of the 58. People that took the survey, nearly half of them, 45 percent didn't receive any nutrition education during pregnancy and postpartum. And of those that [00:11:00] did, only 5 percent of them saw a dietitian. And so I think that's pretty powerful to show the case for nutrition education certainly being needed in this area of life.
[00:11:13] Libby: I love that. So firstly, I just want to mention how prepared you are and how much you impressed your team, because when you showed up [00:11:20] to our live calls, you brought this information. And I am not surprised at all with your background on extrapolating complex topics and breaking them down because.
[00:11:28] Libby: I can tell you have that gift. So you came prepared, you put yourself out there and put your survey out and got great responses, not only to show that your assumption was validated with the findings, but also [00:11:40] that there is a need for what you do, right? Two things. So like, is this a good idea to pursue, which is yes.
[00:11:45] Libby: And then is there a need in the market? Those are two really important things to think about when you're approaching a topic. So you did such a good job of taking those initial steps to do some market research. And I love how you're able to recite the data and [00:12:00] it's obviously you have a skill.
[00:12:01] Morgan: Thank you, Libby. I appreciate that. This was very much Like a good starting point for me, I think to, as you said, get some validation.
[00:12:11] Libby: Yeah, absolutely. And so did that validation and that survey help you with crafting your ideal client and your message? So is there anything further you want to share [00:12:20] with that process that helped you?
[00:12:21] Morgan: So what I did from there is. identify the top three pain points for pregnant women and postpartum women. Then I started having conversations with these people that took the survey. So I wanted to dig into these pain points a little bit further. From [00:12:40] that, I identified like a top main problem for pregnant women and a top main problem for postpartum women.
[00:12:47] Morgan: Now, what I wanted to share here Is that I'm still in the very beginning stages of this private practice. And one thing that you have assured me of is that this may change. And so I keep reminding myself of [00:13:00] this is I have the ideal statements written out for. Pregnant woman and for postpartum women.
[00:13:06] Morgan: But my hunch is that they likely will change over the course of my practice.
[00:13:12] Libby: Sure. And so when you say change, you mean like evolve based on learning more about what folks want and need and narrowing. Yeah. I mean, that's the [00:13:20] process. And why do you think that's hard for so many dietitians?
[00:13:24] Morgan: It's a good question.
[00:13:25] Morgan: I mean, it's hard when to put it like this. Okay, so pregnant woman, I mean, you've lived this, like, I'm sure that throughout your pregnancy, there is more than one issue that [00:13:40] you experienced, whether it was nausea and vomiting or managing food aversions or figuring out like what supplements you should be taking or just like merely being confused.
[00:13:51] Morgan: Right? And so right there, it's like. Okay, as a dietitian, I want to help you with all of these things, but like, what [00:14:00] is your biggest problem? And when it comes to figuring out how I market myself to that person's biggest problem, That's really hard to do.
[00:14:11] Libby: It is hard. And you hit the nail on the head there.
[00:14:14] Libby: It's a matter of, yes, all of those topics can be addressed, but it's about [00:14:20] identifying what are the main topics that they find most important, and then the other topics will be covered, but perhaps they won't be prioritized in your messaging. Right? So a lot of things will come about in your relationship, but they might not be communicated initially.
[00:14:35] Libby: Right. And that's where you build trust and other things will come up, but typically it's the biggest problems [00:14:40] that we market and that we have to really grasp the pain points, right? Not knowing what to eat, not knowing how to manage the symptom, not knowing which prenatal to choose.
[00:14:47] Libby: Like, those are all ways we can help them navigate that might be more imperative than other topics that they're struggling with. So it's just about. Navigating that, but I love that you're open to those statements, modifying, knowing there will [00:15:00] be adjustments in your business.
[00:15:01] Libby: So thank you for sharing that. And in terms of, we've already talked about what motivated you to start your practice. It was the fact that you went through a personal experience, you had severe nausea for basically your entire pregnancy, and then you had that unexpected C section and breastfeeding.
[00:15:17] Libby: And so there was a lot of like major events. [00:15:20] throughout your journey. Is there any tips that you have for dietitians who are considering a similar path? Maybe they don't yet feel connected to their story the way that you have. Your story is so profound. What would you say to a dietitian who's scared and wants to make that leap, but just hasn't done it yet?
[00:15:36] Morgan: I would say to start simple. I am certainly no [00:15:40] expert here, but based on the journey that I have taken in terms of being in a corporate position and then taking the jump to fully focus on starting a private practice. All of the steps that I took along the way, we're just starting simple, like having a few small goals right in front of me, [00:16:00] accomplishing those and then moving on to the next.
[00:16:03] Morgan: And I think as I continually chipped away at that, I, Gained more confidence in my own abilities and also receive the validation that like, this is really what I want to do.
[00:16:17] Libby: Yeah, so
[00:16:18] Morgan: my advice would really be [00:16:20] start simple. Like, it can be so overwhelming, but just start by creating. Small achievable goals.
[00:16:26] Libby: Yep. And you gave the example, you got a survey of 10 questions. One of them was open ended. The other one were multiple choice and you sent it out to those folks that you know, right to your network. And it started from there. So that's a great example of getting [00:16:40] started because then that helped you identify further what to focus on.
[00:16:43] Libby: So some of our clients and community members take a little longer to identify what you did. So well, so eloquently. So I just want to encourage the listeners that surveys are helpful. Having conversations are helpful, but I do notice a lot of dietitians are nervous to do that. They don't like talking to people or asking surveys or talking [00:17:00] to folks that might be their ideal client.
[00:17:02] Libby: So do you have any tips for that in terms of, were you anxious to send out the survey? Did you have any reservations or are you just like, ah, it's part of part of business?
[00:17:09] Morgan: Oh, I was so nervous. I'm very nervous about putting myself out there. I have been attending events like in my community that are related to pregnancy and [00:17:20] postpartum and here's an example of, like, quite literally creating a small, simple goal as I was sitting in this event.
[00:17:29] Morgan: A few nights ago, like I didn't know anyone there. I was like, Morgan, just introduce yourself to two people like two people. And so I introduced myself to the [00:17:40] coordinator and said, I would follow up after the program and share a little bit about myself because she creates more events like this. And then I introduced myself to one of the panelists and like, even just like giving myself like, yeah, The reassurance, like in my head, like, just go talk to the people like yeah, for sure.
[00:17:58] Morgan: I'm nervous. And I think it's just [00:18:00] something that I'm going to have to, like, sit with and kind of get comfortable, like being a little nervous.
[00:18:06] Libby: Yeah, and that's really inspiring. That's a great example of getting putting yourself out there in person. So did you find those events in your local community?
[00:18:13] Libby: Did you just do a quick search? How did you identify where to where to go?
[00:18:16] Morgan: Yeah. So as part of my marketing strategy, I've been [00:18:20] putting together like buckets of places. that I can start to promote myself. And so one of them was retail stores. There's a baby store down the street, and then there's a maternity clothing store down the street.
[00:18:34] Morgan: And they these places host events all of the time for pregnant and postpartum [00:18:40] moms, all different types of courses, like whether it's like yoga or Pilates or just like panel discussions, or they might bring like a book author in. So that was like one area that I've been Starting to go to events like that.
[00:18:54] Morgan: And then another was fitness classes. So some yoga studios or dance [00:19:00] cardio studios that I go to have been creating like some programming for pregnant and postpartum moms. So I've been in contact with studio owners to do like tabling after a class or, like to market myself at the studio in [00:19:20] various different ways.
[00:19:21] Morgan: So those are like a few, I have more on the list in terms of doctor's offices and like the chamber of commerce in my town, they have like a full calendar of events and sometimes they'll do like virtual calls that the community members can attend. So I'm kind of just like. [00:19:40] Going broad in and within these buckets and trying to figure out places that make sense for me to market myself.
[00:19:46] Libby: It's amazing, Morgan. So great, great work. And I love how you're really looking at the resources within your community, which is a great way to put yourself out there. 1 of the last topics I want to bring up today. Would be, what are you [00:20:00] thinking about or doing in terms of online? What's your current relationship?
[00:20:03] Libby: Are you focusing more on the community or have you started to focus on online presence?
[00:20:09] Morgan: Talk about nervous. Like this is probably the most. nerve wracking part for me is putting myself out there. So my social media account is launching this week.
[00:20:18] Morgan: This is [00:20:20] where my link to my electronic health record booking system will be housed. And so that is really what I'm leaning into primarily as my biggest like marketing strategy right now is social media, word of mouth. And then within Q one, I hope to kind of [00:20:40] unlock some of these other opportunities in the community.
[00:20:42] Morgan: But I have a lot to learn when it comes to the virtual space. I do. But I also have learned a lot so much, so much through your program. And so yeah, I'm trying to give myself grace for sure. But I'm really excited for what's to come.
[00:20:58] Libby: Well, I'm excited for [00:21:00] you and I love your attitude. You seem to have really positive outlook in terms of all of the great stuff that you're focusing on.
[00:21:07] Libby: So yes, you're not alone in thinking that it's uncomfortable to put yourself out there, but just like anything, it gets more fluid with time. Can you mention what your handle is? So the listeners can support you.
[00:21:18] Morgan: Yes, I would love to. My [00:21:20] handle is Morgan Mullins nutrition.
[00:21:22] Libby: Okay, awesome. So we'll make sure to put that in the show notes as well so that all the listeners can connect with you and support you on social media.
[00:21:29] Libby: Is there anything else, any other stories or anecdotes that you would want to leave the listeners with today before we wrap up our conversation?
[00:21:36] Morgan: I would love to share one last thing for what it's worth. [00:21:40] If this resonates with anyone out there last week I was getting my haircut and I was telling my hairstylist about what I'm doing.
[00:21:50] Morgan: And I said to her, but what if I fail? And she said back to me, but what if you fly? And I learned that this is a quote from Hoda Kopi, [00:22:00] but I nearly started crying in my chair and I've written this everywhere. Like, what if I fail? For sure, what if I fail? But what if I fly? And I won't know unless I try.
[00:22:10] Morgan: So, if that resonates with anyone, I hope you take that with you.
[00:22:15] Libby: I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that story. And it's been an absolute [00:22:20] pleasure to have you on and to have the pleasure of, you know, working with you and seeing you grow. And I can't wait as you launch your presence online and you continue to grow your practice to support you and see what you're up to along the way.
[00:22:32] Libby: So we'll make sure that the listeners follow you and support you on social. And thank you for joining us today, Morgan. Thank you so much, Libby. I appreciate [00:22:40] it. Pleasure is mine.
[00:22:41] Libby: Looking for support to grow your dietitian business or even get 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.
[00:22:59] Libby: Go [00:23:00] at your own pace. We have modules, a roadmap to show you exactly what to do, and 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 [00:23:20] resources for you and our team, including myself, available to answer your questions.
[00:23:24] Libby: Head on over to dietitianboss. com and check out the library today. We'd love to see you there.
