Dietitian Job Spotlight

Meet Jenny Pitcher, RDN, LD, CHWC, RYT-200, who practices what she preaches and lives by the statement, “Everything we do is about creating connection.” She has networked throughout her extensive dietetic career. She’s had multiple jobs nationwide which helped her enhance her practice and live a flexible lifestyle. And all the people she has met along the way have helped her become who she is today. Jenny hosts a fantastic podcast with her partner, Toni Toledo (whom we have also featured in a spotlight), PATH Positive Approaches To Health. Check out her story and all that Jenny does for our industry. - Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics?

My mom was a huge influence on me choosing nutrition as a field of study. She was a public health nurse for the county in Kansas City where I grew up. She prioritized dinner at home every night as a family and maintained a huge garden every year. She would freeze and can all kinds of wonderful veggies for us to have all winter long. I did not realize it at the time but she was such a wonderful role model for me as a young girl. Food was always positive and I grew up loving food, although I was somewhat picky. I was super-interested in nutrition at a young age – I did my first cooking demo in 4^th grade. No joke! I read a book about bread making and decided to teach my 4^th grade class how to make bread. I loved that book lol – I kept checking it out from the library all year long. As I grew up, I was active; riding horses, playing soccer, running track, dancing and biking and I became interested in exercise and teaching group fitness. I taught group fitness all through college to make extra money. I started college determined to major in exercise physiology, but after I took my first nutrition course, I was hooked. I switched my major to human nutrition and foods with a minor in exercise science and graduated way too long ago to mention from the University of Missouri. My first job took me to St. Louis, Missouri with Emerson Electric at their world Headquarters. I worked in their fitness center, which was literally my dream job. Ha! I went back to school during that time to take classes to allow me to apply for a dietetic internship and I have been lucky enough to work with amazing colleagues and patients in many different cities across the US.

Your Job Title?
Wellness Consultant, Private Practice Owner, Podcast Host

Company you are with now?
OhioHealth, JennyLynn Nutrition, and PATH Positive Approaches To Health

Website:

https://www.jlynnutrition.com/

https://www.thepathpod.com/

Social Media:

- Instagram: @thepathpod

- Twitter: @JenPitch

- LinkedIn: JennyLynn Pitcher

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
Well, what I call my “real” job is my role with OhioHealth as a wellness consultant. OhioHealth is a large hospital system in central Ohio and I work in their Employer Services division delivering wellness services to employers in Columbus and outlying areas.

Every day is different, which I love. It could be working on program development, meeting with our clients to help determine the best incentive strategy for their population or teaching yoga classes and wellness programs to employees.

The majority of my work is focused on one of our larger clients, Franklin County. We have approximately 8800 covered lives that we try to gently nudge in a healthier direction. I work with a team so there is a lot of collaboration and support which is amazing.

In the evenings and on weekends I spend some of my time meeting with my Podcast co-host, Toni Toledo; planning interview strategy and recording interviews/podcast content or uploading audio and writing show note content.

I also maintain a private practice within a mental health therapy practice and see patients who are interested in learning how to improve nutrition to help with their depression or anxiety and tune into themselves with a mindful eating approach. So, there is some scheduling via phone &/or email that has to happen on a daily basis as well. Luckily, we have an incredible office manager who takes care of billing and back end insurance issues so I can spend my time on seeing clients.

My days are long but I love what I do so it rarely feels overwhelming. I try to balance my work-load with my meditation practice, yoga, walking, spending time with my family, and making yummy food!

How did you get your current job in dietetics?
Since becoming a dietitian in the mid-90’s I have worked in the outpatient space in a variety of capacities – general, weight & behavior change management, and cardiac rehabilitation. I have been able to experience different cultural areas of the United States including Augusta, GA, Greenville, SC, the San Francisco Bay Area, a short stint in Chicago, and for the last 20 years in Columbus, Ohio.

The last 10 years of my life have been interesting, to say the least! I started working at Ohio State University Health Plan in 2009 and helped them start their health coaching program for staff and faculty. I left there in late 2015 because I wanted to get into retail dietetics to shake it up a bit. I took a job share role with Meijer grocery store chain and was responsible for the Columbus, Springfield, and Dayton markets.

The job share allowed me the time to start my private practice, and my experience in managed care with OSU gave me a leg-up in contracting with insurance companies to cover nutrition services. Then, life happened… my 15 year old son became ill with a rare blood cancer and 4 months later my job with Meijer was eliminated.

The next year was spent picking up the pieces – helping my son through cancer treatment and getting him on the path to healing and being well while maintaining some semblance of a private practice and looking for a new job.

I finally found an outpatient role with OhioHealth in 2018. I spent a year working part time in that role until a wellness consultant position with employer services became available. Thankfully, I was able to interview for and move into that job in March of 2019.

During that same time period, I thought it was a great idea to go through yoga teacher training and start a podcast with my dear friend and colleague, Toni Toledo. LOL! I tell this quite candid story, as I believe it may help others who feel lost or frustrated on their professional journey and cannot find their way.

For me, it was so important to keep moving forward and growing and being open to possibilities that allowed my current job(s) to come to fruition. In addition, I cannot tell you how important it is to network and create connections with others. Because, in the end, everything we do is about creating connection.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I was born with an adventurous spirit and the ability to easily connect with and be of service to others. I developed a hard work ethic at a young age from riding horses and taking care of my own horse.

I got my first job at the age of 14 as a hostess at a local Italian restaurant and have always worked, many times multiple jobs at the same time.

I have learned over the years to be creative and think out of the box – I am not sure that comes as naturally to me. As I have grown older, I realize the importance of leaning into my strengths and at the same time pushing the envelope and going outside my comfort zone. Those two things have definitely allowed me to go into areas I would not have otherwise ventured.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Never, ever give up! Be up for the adventure and the twists and turns. Be open! Connect, connect, connect! Be curious – never stop learning and growing.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
I get paid on a daily basis with story and connection. I am gifted with hearing the stories of my patients and clients, my podcast guests, and my colleagues each and every day. As a result, I feel a deeper connection to them, my community, my work, and my life. Some would say the money is necessary, and it is, but I would argue that connection is just as important, if not more so.