What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics? After my third or fourth round of dieting in college, I thought, “I like this and I’d love to help people do this.” I started out in meteorology and that was turning out to not be my cup of tea. 

Company you are with now? Right now, I work with MilkOnTap, a baby food company, a local supermarket chain, and the Pacify app. I love having a bunch of different jobs – it keeps things interesting!

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? If I’m not working my infant feeding chat job, then I am seeing patients virtually and working on my grocery store work in-between. I only work 2 full days per week with some additional chat hours. It makes for very busy days but then it allows me to spend time with my little ones on my “off” days.

How did you get your current job in dietetics? I thank my first WIC/outpatient job for opening up these opportunities for me. I found my passion working with breastfeeding and pregnancy while working for WIC, which allowed me to get my chat job. WIC also afforded me the opportunity to get my CLC (Certified Lactation Counselor) and then my IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) and the outpatient part of my job allowed me to accumulate hours toward my CDE! I was hired in a couple of my jobs thanks to my lactation and WIC experience, and the other ones were from connections I had made.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? I was born with a natural sense of empathy and a strong desire to stop at nothing to make sure someone has what they need. In other words, if I’m going to help someone, I’m going to fully help someone or make sure they are connected with a place that can help them.

I’ve had to learn how to manage stress and think before I speak. Active listening is definitely something I have had to hone and continue to hone along my journey.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? I wish I could say “take risks”, but, honestly, I am not a huge risk taker. I think once you find your passion, it’s easy to put your all into an interview or conversation. I personally can feel the difference between me applying for a job or contract out of necessity versus actually feeling excited by the job. I think that enthusiasm really shines through. It’s OK to take on things in order to pay the bills, but once you find your niche, you will know it!

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be? Wine? Haha, just kidding! I’d love to be able to go to any conference or educational day I want without having to worry about child care or fees or travel. I’d also love to get paid in interior design help . 

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.