Dietetic Career Spotlight: Lisa Nelson, RD, Online Private Practice
By SARAH KOSZYK, MA RD on MAY 30, 2012
Straight from a virtual RD’s written words, Lisa Nelson excels in her virtual, online private practice where she assists clients, develops websites, and hosts virtual health retreats.
What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics?
Food as medicine – I’ve always been anti-medicine and love the concept of being able to treat yourself with natural options versus pharmaceutical.
Your Job Title?
Registered Dietitian/Owner
Company you are with now?
Lisa Nelson RD LLC
Website
http://lisanelsonrd.com and http://healthpracticesonline.com
Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
Drop my girls at school, head to the gym for 45 minutes, work for ~2 hours (check calendar for the day, check & respond to email, work on client projects), pick up daughter from preschool, feed the two of us lunch, return to the computer to continue client projects (this could be anything from writing articles, to building a website, to communication with subcontractors, to completing a nutritional assessment, etc.), put daughter down for nap and continue work, wake daughter up and run and get second daughter from school, go through school work, send girls off to play, tie up tasks I’m working on and ideally I’d be shutting down for the day here. . .but you asked for typical, so — fix supper, feed the family, brush teeth, read stories, tuck girls into bed, and run back down for another 30 minutes or so of work before calling it a day. :)
How did you get your current job in dietetics?
Back in 2005 I was blessed with daughter #1 while working a full time dietetic job outside the home. When she was 9 months-old my husband accepted a position in Yellowstone National Park and I decided I’d be a stay at home mom – yay! That lasted about 12 months. Six months pregnant with daughter #2, I decided to start my own business. Due to location it had to be 99% virtual. In May of 2009 I hosted a Virtual Health Retreat. One of the guest speakers was a medical doctor who asked me to organize a similar event for her to host. I agreed and this led to the development of a second branch of my business where I also assist other health professionals establish their online presence.
What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I was born (or quickly obtained) organization and time management skills. I also have the ability to quickly weigh pros and cons to come to a decision without wasting a lot of time. Let’s not forget self motivated. If you are going to run a business by yourself, you have to be able to get things done without someone looking over your shoulder. I learned all the technical information I need to do my job along the way – dietetic knowledge, marketing knowledge, webmaster knowledge, etc.
What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Be patient. You can’t expect to have a thriving private practice overnight. It takes determination and commitment. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. You have to start somewhere!
If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
Time to do the things I want with those I love.
