Meet the incredible Susan Stalte, MBA, RD, who specializes in helping RDs-to-be get placed into internships. Read on to learn how she started her alternative career in dietetics and where it is now. - Sarah

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics?
An elective nutrition course at the community college. I was an undecided major out of high school. At this same time in my life, I also was helping to care for a sick parent. Learning the connection between disease prevention and management with nutrition sparked my interest in the career possibilities of dietetics! While I immediately enrolled in a DPD program and was fascinated with nutrition science, I always knew that a non-traditional job was the one for me. I didn’t know what that “dream job” looked like at the very beginning but went along with the journey. There is so much that you can do as a dietitian.

Your Job Title?
Founder at NutriGig and Director of Operations at All Access Dietetics

Website:

AllAccessDietetics.com

Social Media:

- LinkedIn: Susan Stalte

- Instagram: @AllAccessDietetics

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
I’m grateful to have a flexible schedule and work remotely. I start my workday around 9 AM and complete my top 3 “must-do” tasks of the days which are listed out in my planner the night before. My Passion Planner along with block scheduling are two-time management tools that I live by to stay productive, I also only check email at certain times of the day. My tasks can range anywhere from group workshop presentations, LinkedIn networking, dietetic internship application edits for student clients, emails, interview coaching, and much more. Every day is different.

How did you get your current job in dietetics?
A combination of creating it and working my way up! I’ve always been interested in the career and business side of dietetics but explored different areas before landing a job at All Access Dietetics. I’ve worked in home health, long-term care, telehealth, and recruitment and operations for two healthcare start-ups. Try to take a learning experience out of each job, everything will build on each other over time.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I’ve always felt confident with communication and people skills, being able to work well with people is what will get you far in any career. The skills that I’ve learned along the way would be more entrepreneurship and business-focused, which are skills I believe every dietitian can benefit from even as a 9-5’er. Healthcare is a business. I have an MBA but learned a lot of what I know today through my 4+ years in online business. Even today, we still make mistakes and are always learning.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Your career is an experiment, I encourage you to dabble in different areas to determine the job responsibilities that you enjoy the most and find the work environment that you thrive in. You’ll get career clarity and build your network along the way. Rarely do people stay in their first job for 40 years anymore. Dedicate time to exploring and know that you can pivot at any time, even as an entrepreneur. I recommend PRN positions for dietitians at any phase of their career, these are hidden gems to explore an area of dietetics without a part-time/full-time commitment.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what
would it be?
Messages from those in the dietetics community that I’ve helped in any way. I often receive direct messages or emails from future and current dietitians letting me know that a tip of piece of content I shared resonated with them. It’s rewarding to know that we each have an area of expertise that can help another person with and quickly solve a pain point.

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Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist specializing in Weight Management and Sports Nutrition for youth and adults. She writes articles for multiple publications, provides customized nutrition coaching, and is a brand spokesperson. She is founder of MIJA, a superfood supplement company, and Haumea Health, a fertility wellness clinic. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.