Chere Bork, MS RDN, LD is an inspiration to me. She simply radiates positivity, energy, and kindness. Chere is a dietitian who helps hundreds of other dietitians enhance their careers and find their paths. I was so excited when Chere agreed to do a spotlight because I wanted to learn about her personal drive and motivation. I’m delighted to share her story because she is a true inspiration to our industry. – Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? I wanted to be a doctor but my mom and my esteemed Grandma Lily said it was too hard for a girl. They said people will always be sick and always have to eat. So my RD sister Laurie and I had two options — becoming a RD or RN. My first job was a dietary aide at hospital in Milwaukee. I noticed the dietitians were nice and “had lots of coffee breaks.” Luckily I love this field but am not a traditional RD in any way.

What was your pivotal moment that lead you to what you are doing now? Eighteen years ago in 1998, I was giving an outpatient diet instruction at a hospital and asked an elderly overweight woman why she was eating all her meals on the couch. She replied that her husband always ate his dinners on his lazy boy recliner. I realized she was feeding herself love with all the extra food. That very moment I realized it is not what people are eating as what is eating them that is most important.

Then I went into coaching. I have been a life coach since 2000 before it was “popular” and people asked me, “What sport do you coach?” I have found my passion helping RDNs find the confidence and passion to grow their lives and their careers. They are the experts and need to believe in themselves. I have had my own coach since 2000 who helps me to grow my coaching business, my speaking business and my life! To be a coach you must be a role model and be coached! I would not be earning 6 figures without a coach! I told my husband, Gary, that I will have a coach until I die and he just rolls his eyeballs! This past week I was in Milwaukee and my darling 86 year old daddy said again, “Really? People pay people to talk to them on the phone and they pay you!” All I say each time he says that, “I can’t believe it either, dad!”

Your Job Title and company you are with now? I am the owner and founder of Savor Your Life Today, Inc. I have branded myself the “Energy Igniter” as that is the common word that pops out from the evaluations from audience members (when I speak at their events) and from my coaching calls with clients. I live life energetically and want to leave my audiences and clients feeling energized, too!

Website:  www.cherebork.com

Social Media:
 – Twitter: @cherebork
 – Professional Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SavorYourLifeToday
 – Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherebork
 – Blog: http://cherebork.com/blog/
 – Linked in:    https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherebork?trk=hp-identity-name
 – Instragram: cherebork

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? I coach between 4-8 RDNs (or their spouses) who just want “more” but aren’t even sure what “more” is. I work on articles for my newspaper column, my Taste Life Ezine, or blog. Some days I am developing or giving presentations on energy management and living authentically. Right now I am excited to interview RDNs from Missouri for the Missouri AND keynote I am doing in a few months.

Each week is filled with lots of volunteer work on behalf of the Nutrition Entrepreneurs DPG board. I try to manage my time by putting myself first with swimming several days a week at 8 am and close my day with a candlelight sit-down dinner at 5:30 or 6:00 with Gary. Gary retired July 1, 2015 and I am still trying to figure out this next chapter for us. When he says, “Do you want to go to Costco?” I want to go just to get out of the office and be with him but I have emails and clients waiting for me.

I do an Energy Alignment Technique before I go to bed, noting my gratitude for the day, and when I wake up I do the same Energy Alignment Technique again to create a day that perfectly unfolds! Actually, I practice law of attraction principles which I would say save my day. I should say “create” my day! J

How did you get your current job in dietetics? I don’t really know when I started empowering RDNs. When I first began coaching I was coaching mainly female engineers and scientists on work life balance and finding their purpose. Eight years ago I got involved with NE as the Coaches Specialty chair and started noticing a common theme with RDNs who were lacking confidence, being consumed with being perfect before they take action and comparing themselves to others, ultimately creating “analysis paralysis.” I started giving more keynotes at state dietetics meetings and my message must have resonated with RDNs and they started to hire me for 1:1 coaching. An extra blessing is coaching their spouses to live more authentically with lots more happiness.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? In high school I was a wall flower and was never even asked to one dance. Something happened when I went away to college and I started to speak up. My first performance as a RD was back in the 1970’s when I donned the Nutribird outfit (a big green bird who promoted healthy nutrition) for a health fair. I think I was born with a love for being in front of people. I still get nervous for keynotes but the risk is worth the anxiety.

I do PRINT Assessments with clients and mine shows that I am motivated to be successful and that I need independence. I am very independent which has motivated me to run my own business. I like to say, “My best day as an employee was better than my worst day as an entrepreneur.” I also think a skill that my family doesn’t value is I can talk to anyone about anything. I like to say, “I can talk to a wall and the wall talks back.” I rather be interested than interesting.

As a nutrition entrepreneur I have learned to do it all with lots of support. I have learned Quickbooks and accounting, presentation skills from being a member of National Speaker Association and how to fix my office equipment. (Yuck!)  I have also learned to hire key people who help with my IT, editing, accounting, newsletter management, blog and website management. Hire out what you are not good at! Remember success is building on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Ask yourself what am I passionate about? Passion is a want, not a need.

You don’t start a business; rather you solve a problem. People want a solution for their situation. Deliver the endpoint, and don’t get stuck in the means.

Try your best and let go of perfect. Perfect does not exist. We need to take small baby steps and some work and some don’t. My biggest failures include when I received a poor evaluation following a speaking event; when I did not pass a huge coaching exam, or when I was fired from a job. All were horribly hard but they contributed to my success today. I learn the most from failure.

Ask yourself: How do I define success? What does a successful day look like? Ask yourself: How do I define happiness? What does a day filled with happiness look like?

Attract success. Don’t chase success. Since 2000 I have studied Law of Attraction and became a Certified Law of Attraction Facilitator. It was life changing. There are only 3 steps to attract what you want. One, What do you want? Two, give your desired attention. Three, allow it to happen.

The biggest secret to having success is to focus on the power of your beliefs. Notice if your beliefs are limiting like “I cannot own my own business as I provide the family’s health insurance.” Replace limiting beliefs with empowering beliefs. An example of an empowering belief is: “My nutrition business will be wildly successful and I will afford to pay for health insurance.”

Be true to yourself. Follow your passions and don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things. Get clear about what makes you happy and what makes you feel the most alive and then go out and create it instead of pretending you can’t have it or, worse yet, that you don’t deserve it. Imagine you have one life to live. You better get busy!

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what  would it be? I would be an actress and star in a TV show like Candid Camera. Candid Camera was a show that captured via camera very awkward and hilarious situations. I would love to pull off some fun as a waitress telling people what they should order. At a grocery store, I would like to have a candy machine dispense Brussel sprouts or have free samples of chocolate covered fish or would love to take food items out of customer’s grocery carts and see their response. You get the point! Fun! I would like to film these around the world and of course have free travel for Gary and the kids.

I don a six foot banana peel and am known as Chere Banana and provide “edutainment” to grade schoolers helping them see how much nutrition can be and tastes good too.

Chere Banana wants to wish you an “a peeling” day!!

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.