Meet Sade Meeks, MS, RD, a Foodie who found her passion during her undergrad and landed her jobs by applying online and moving from a brand ambassador into a paid marketing position. – Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics?
I’m a Foodie (Passion grew as Culinary Arts Major in undergrad) and a Nerd so my connection to the field was almost inevitable.

Your Job Title?
Dietitian; Marketing Dietitian

Company you are with now?
County Health Department and Freedom Foods

Website: sademeeks.com

Social Media:

 – Instagram: @sademeekss

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
I’m fairly new to the public health department, so I am still learning what a “typical” day looks like. However, I get to see all the diabetes patients and counsel them. Alongside the CDE nurse, we work as a team to help patients manage their diabetes. I receive all MNT referrals and counsel patients who may need help managing conditions such as hypertension or hyperlipidemia. I will soon begin facilitating a lifestyle change program for patients with pre-diabetes. I just started in October, but I am so excited about the other creative things I foresee myself doing in the future.

When I get home, the work is not done. I work remotely from home as a marketing dietitian for Freedom Foods. Tasks involve organizing expo events, writing articles, assisting with the content development for social media, and utilizing my creative skills to disseminate nutrition information in a consumer-friendly way.

How did you get your current job in dietetics?
With the public health department, I responded to a job posting online and interviewed for the position.

For the Freedom Foods Marketing position, it’s been a fun journey here. I literally started off as a brand ambassador. After working one expo event, the marketing director reached out to me and expressed how impressed he was with my organization and work ethic during the event and offered me a job opportunity. I was still in school and preparing to graduate at the time, but literally the day after I graduated, I followed up with him. The position was still available and I was later hired as a marketing intern. Honestly, I was thinking, I just need a job until I am able to pass the RD exam. However, only days within the position, I knew it would grow into this nontraditional role I would enjoy. I was able to use my background in nutrition along with my creative and writing skills together and add value to the company. Value was reciprocated. I began to develop skills in marketing that were once foreign to me, yet, now were helping me grow as a dietitian. My job title soon evolved into the marketing dietitian I am currently in now.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I was blessed with the gift to simply connect with people. I think that is so important when you are trying to impact and empower individuals to change something so complex as diet. You realize how complex diet is when you connect with a person and learn how many factors play a role in how a person eats, what they choose to eat, why they choose to eat, etc.

I have developed strategic, problem-solving skills. It is so easy to see a problem and want to “Save the world”. But in both job positions, I’m constantly learning strategies that will enable me to be the most effective in problem solving.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Share your passion. It is one thing to just “put yourself out there,” but when you share with others what you are passionate about, it opens the doors for so many connections. Passion inspires and you will notice inspiration is hard to forget. Also important is while you are sharing your passion, be open to receiving inspiration from others. That’s how we will continue to grow.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what  would it be?
Trips all around the world.