Meet Elaine Magee, MPH, RD, who is inspiring, motivating, and uplifting. She has had an incredibly diverse career ranging from consulting with professional sports teams, writing over 25 books and cookbooks, working in corporate wellness, acting as a nutrition expert for a bi-weekly radio segment, and more. Read on to learn about how you can have multiple careers within the field of dietetics. - Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? 
When I graduated from high school 40 years ago, I had a very untraditional vision of the career in nutrition that I was hoping to create. I wanted to move people toward health in mind, body, and spirit by writing books and articles, developing recipes, working with athletes, and educating and inspiring through television and radio. Mind you, this was BEFORE personal computers and the internet! The field of nutrition brought together many of my passions/interests I developed in high school such as anatomy and physiology, photography, culinary arts, writing, and most of all, helping people. I am so very grateful that I have been able to check many of these hopes off my dietitian bucket list from consulting to professional sports teams (San Jose Sharks, Oakland Raiders) to having a syndicated column and writing books/cookbooks (I’ve written 25), contributing to many magazines and websites over the years, being the nutrition author/expert for several satellite media tours, and working in several community nutrition agencies to improve the health of at risk populations, etc.

Your Job Title? 
Wellness Services Corporate Dietitian

Company you are with now? 
Albertsons Companies

Instagram:
 @therecipedoctor

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
Every day is different but if we use today as an example...I started my day doing my biweekly radio segment for a large radio morning show (I’ve been their nutrition expert for seven years). I prepare my notes the night before and then sit in my car in the parking lot while we do the segment by phone. Once I get to my office, I answer emails and attend to various details related to a handful of programs that I direct for the company which today included typing up and doing the nutrition analysis for several recipes I developed for our June dietitian demonstration campaign. I also had a few phone meetings, one with a potential future partner/sponsor and one with a dietitian who wants to join our dietitian network. I finalized the content for a tour guide for a new program we will be piloting in a couple of months. And tonight, I re-tested (and photographed) a recipe I am developing for our dietitian demo campaign in August. 

How did you get your current job in dietetics? 
I had been the Wellness & Performance Nutritionist for Stanford University for five years and truly loved my time there but my husband and I were ready to explore a new state and lifestyle after putting our two girls through college. I was looking for “my kind of job” in a few cities that we were most interested in moving to and after many months of searching, I saw this new position for Albertsons Companies in Boise, Idaho. I had been a Consultant Nutritionist for an upscale supermarket chain in the 90’s and my 5 years at Stanford involved creating and evaluating programs, so it seemed like a great fit.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? 
I was a happy, creative child with a love for cooking and the gift of gab. I found it easy to express myself whether it was through my sport (dance) or through poetry and writing. My degree in nutrition and master in public health nutrition provided an amazing foundation of knowledge and hands on experience for what I would need to start my career. With each position, I added new skills and experiences. For example, at WebMD.com I wrote hundreds of articles and blogs, wrote the scripts and performed in videos, and was the expert on several community boards. At Stanford I helped create, implement, and evaluate programs such as performance dining and a gluten-free micro-kitchen for students. At Stanford, I partnered with chefs and sustainability and food safety experts. While in my current position, I partner mainly with pharmacists and marketing experts.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? 
First, find your passion and let it inspire and guide you. Secondly, follow the 80/20 rule…that you are doing pretty darn well if you enjoy about 80% of the work that you do in your position. There’s always going to be a small percentage of work you might not enjoy as much. Nothing is perfect. No job is 100% and you’ll be happier if you just accept that from the beginning. Lastly, go out of your way to give credit and praise to the people you work with and for the people that work at levels below you, take the time to understand their professional vision and aspirations and do what you can to support them and champion them so they can move forward. 

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what  would it be?
Spa services (ha ha)! Massages, facials, and pedicures!