What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? I have always loved food, cooking and in high school became interested in nutrition. I shadowed an RD in a nearby town and knew it was for me! Side note: I grew up in a rural area on a wheat and alfalfa farm so there weren’t any RDs in my town.

Your Job Title and Company you are with now?  – Founder/Owner, Megan Boitano Nutrition, Private Practice

– RD2RD.com, Online Business/Marketplace

Websites: 
meganboitano.com
rd2rd.com        

Social Media: 
– Facebook:@meganboitanonutrition@rd2rd 
– Instagram:@meganboitano.rd@rd2rd_marketplace
– Twitter:@meganboitano  @rd2rd_market

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? As an entrepreneur/business owner, I typically wear many hats. This is not so different from my years working as a clinical nutrition manager at a large, trauma hospital. In that role, I would routinely go from presenting at a medical staff meeting to answering calls in the call center to interviewing job candidates. I like lots of challenges and variety in my day!

In my current “job” I’m balancing two different businesses. This gives me plenty of opportunity for variety. Typically, I spend time each day working on marketing for my private practice, interacting with clients and networking (locally and online). For R2RD, I spend time managing the ecommerce website as well as the other aspects of growing this online business.

How did you get your current job in dietetics? My current job was the result of a cross-country move from San Diego to Boston for my husband’s career about 18 months ago. My second child was 8 months at the time and I decided that I wanted to stay home and be a mom. After working long hours in a demanding corporate job, I was burnt out. It didn’t take long after getting my family settled in Boston, that the itch to get back to work started. I had a number of opportunities to go back to a position as a clinical manager, but I knew this wasn’t the right fit. A private practice had been on my mind for a few years, so I decided to go for it. During the launch of my private practice, the idea for RD2RD was born. I wanted to make it easier for RDs to buy and sell tools such as handout, forms and presentation and more that we develop for our own use. I launched RD2RD in November 2017.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? I’m a very creative person and very organized. As a small child, I always had my toys lined up in near rows. Along the way I have learned to leverage my creativity and organization to develop optimized workflow and processes. This was very beneficial as a clinical nutrition manager as I routinely implemented new processes to improve quality and save money. I was continually recognized for these efforts and published a number of papers on topics related to quality and efficiency. In my current role as a business owner these skills are even more valuable as everything has to be built from scratch!

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Get uncomfortable! Take on projects that are too big. Apply for jobs that you aren’t qualified for. Network and build relationships (not just online). Find a mentor (not necessarily an RD) that will give you honest feedback and challenge you to grow and see your skills and strengths in a new way. I’ve been blessed to have had a few key people in my career that gave me direction and support at influential times. I’m grateful for these people and continue to seek out mentors and those that can help me improve.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be? Great question! For me, nothing is more rewarding than feeling like I solved a problem or created something that was useful. If one day, I could be paid in stories from people I’ve helped, it would be a great 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.