Meet Amy Roberts, Ph.D., Nutrition Epidemiology, founder and CEO of Healthy Bytes. Ever thought of living your dream and running your own company? Read on to learn how Amy is doing it all. – Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? I started my career working on a variety of clinical trials with psychiatry, cardiac rehab, and lung transplant teams. One key factor always popped up as being a critical issue- the patient’s nutritional health. I decided at that point to go for my masters in nutrition to better understand those connections.

Your Job Title?  Founder, CEO Healthy Bytes

Company you are with now? Healthy Bytes

Website: – http://www.healthybytes.co/

Other Social Media links you would like to include:
 – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthy-bytes
 – Twitter: @HealthyBytesCo
 – Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyBytesCo

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? When I get into the office, I always start with a cup of coffee and scanning the news for any changes in the insurance, health care or business world.

At Healthy Bytes, we handle all the less-than-pleasant parts about taking insurance, so that dietitians can focus on their clients – as the CEO, everything I do revolves around helping Healthy Bytes and my team do that as efficiently as possible. Every day is different. Yesterday, I spent my day designing and programming our new website based on feedback from our current customers. Last week, I was traveling to present the company to health care investors and meeting with other healthcare companies to find a solution to some of the bottlenecks in the insurance world. On Friday, it will be working with my team to do the books, and invoices for the month.

How did you get your current job in dietetics? The idea to start a company grew out of my research and realizing that if we give dietitians better tools, we can have a big impact on public health. Technology in the health care field is far behind other fields- we want to fix that.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? As a little girl, I was always called bossy, so the entrepreneurial spirit has always been there. Learning how to channel that into something productive has been an ongoing process. The skill I find most challenging and interesting is learning how to communicate effectively- especially in a field like insurance that is so full of jargon. Learning to break down that jargon into clear- possibly fun- bites can be tricky but is really rewarding when it works.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Explore widely and don’t be afraid to fail. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but you don’t have to start with something big. Get out and do things you know you’ll be terrible at (a new gym class or an art class outside your wheelhouse). You actually have to practice being in uncomfortable situations, and facing the fear that pops up in your stomach. As you start to become more comfortable with uncertainty, new, exciting opportunities will start coming up.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what  would it be? Coffee and boat rides

Sarah Koszyk is founder of Family. Food. Fiesta. A family-based wellness program and blog focusing on recipes, family health tips, and videos with kids cooking in the kitchen. She is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach specializing in sports nutrition and adult and pediatric weight management. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or LinkedIn.