What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? Food! I loved to eat growing up, admittedly sometimes that meant nachos for breakfast or Cheerios with 5 tablespoons of sugar on top. My family farmed commodity crops and animals so I always had a good understanding of where food comes from. In high school, I took two home economics classes, one on nutrition and health and one on food and cultures, and I loved it. Not only did I like learning about how our health is effected by nutrition, but I also was interested in how our culture effects our relationship with food. I didn’t know that I could have a career in nutrition until I saw the word “dietitian” for the first time in a Fitness magazine article.

Your Job Title? Clinical Dietitian

Company you are with now? Owner, Lynn Kline Nutrition, LLC (home enteral nutrition consulting)

Part-time Clinical Dietitian at two local hospitals.

Website: http://LynnKlineNutrition.com

Social Media: 
– Facebook: @LynnKlineNutrition

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? The bulk of my day starts like most clinical dietitian’s day. I get to work with everything from subacute care to critical care and I love having other dietitians to work with. When I get home, I start to work on my own private consulting. I launched my business in October of this year after seeing so many tube fed patients in the hospital that didn’t have access to a dietitian at home. Most of my evenings are spent working on content for the blog and marketing materials or seeing clients virtually.

How did you get your current job in dietetics? My husband and I have moved around a bit so I’ve kind of perfected this one. Getting involved with the local dietetic association early in my career was a huge help for networking and resulted in two jobs over the past 5 years. I’ve also gotten two jobs in the past few years by cold calling hospitals and talking with their clinical nutrition managers about upcoming positions. I opted for two part-time jobs, rather than one full-time, so I could have more flexibility with my schedule and have some time to start my own company.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? This is a deep one! I was born with the desire to work hard and have a positive outlook on life. Along the way I have had to learn a lot. I’ve had to working on being flexible with my schedule and plans. I have also had to learn how to ask for things, whether it’s advice, being sent to a conference, or for a resource at work. It’s great to see how many people truly want to help.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Always keep learning and say yes to new opportunities. You never know what you will learn from them or where they may take you.

Also, the dietetics world is pretty small, so always maintain good relationship with dietitians you work with or meet.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be? Part of me wants to say a maxed-out 401k plan, but the other part of me wants to say international travel. Let’s go with travel!

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.