Speaking engagements can be a powerful career growth strategy for dietitians. It can drive awareness if you have a business, open doors if you want a promotion or a collaboration, and create a meaningful income stream where people literally pay you to share what you know. It can also establish you as the expert that you are!

I've written about getting virtual speaking engagements with Toni Toledo, MPH, RDN but this article is more about leaning into getting in front of people, about in-person speaking engagements.

Not only have I written about speaking opportunities for dietitians, but Jessica Setnick, MS, RD, CEDRD-S, has as well. In fact, she has lots of resources and a book on the topic!

In 2025 I gave over 12 substantial talks, both in-person and virtual. That was about one a month. That doesn't include the many podcast episodes for which I was a guest and webinars I hosted (I should add those up too!). Most paid a lot, some paid little to nothing. But the brand and business connections I make speaking were priceless. That idea that I say yes to small honorariums for local dietetic conferences or dietetic internship programs might seem odd to you. But those venues help me connect with the next generation of dietitians or dietitians who may not have heard about my services. Dietitians who will need my services later. It always works, actually.

But back to you - let's get you out on the stage in 2026. There are dozens of “stages” where you can get paid to educate, inspire, and solve problems - many of them smaller, more accessible, and easier to book than you think.

Why dietitians should seek speaking engagements

Speaking can become a career and business shortcut because it quickly builds trust. When you deliver a strong talk, people stop wondering if you are credible and start asking how they can work with you.

A few practical reasons to prioritize speaking in 2026:

• Authority and visibility: Being introduced as the expert gives you instant credibility that carries into referrals, job opportunities, media quotes, and collaborations.

• High-trust leads without “selling”: A talk lets people experience your teaching style and approach. The right attendees follow up because you already helped them.

• Measurable resume wins: Talks, audience size, CEU sessions, feedback scores, and repeat invitations become concrete career proof points.

• Expanded impact: Speaking lets you help 30, 300, or 3,000 people at once instead of only 1:1. It can also help you get the next speaking gig.

• Income diversification: Paid keynotes, workshops, corporate trainings, curriculum development, brand partnerships, and consulting can all originate from one stage.

And if you have ever hesitated because you do not “look like a speaker,” it is worth noting that women remain underrepresented among professional event speakers. One widely cited analysis showed female speakers declined from 33% to 32% between 2017 and 2018 (www.shrm.org). Your voice is needed - and your expertise is valuable.

Types of speaking opportunities to target in 2026

Use this list as your pitching roadmap. These are all real “stages” dietitians can pursue:

Corporate wellness

• In-house lunch-and-learns

• Employee wellness series

• Leadership wellness trainings

• Behavior change coaching programs (group-based)

Events - in-person and virtual

• Webinars for local groups, nonprofits, and community organizations

• Seminars for professional associations and specialty groups

• Workshops for gyms, community health programs, or employee resource groups

Industry conferences

• FNCE, state affiliate meetings, and regional conferences - works better to collaborate with additional dietitians for a panel experience

• Specialty practice group events and member trainings

• Sponsor workshops with aligned (disclosed) brands

Educational settings

• Guest lecturing for universities and internship programs

• Curriculum development and teaching modules

• Professional development trainings for students and dietetic interns

Content creation (speaking-adjacent)

This counts because it builds your “speaker proof.”

• Recorded trainings, mini-courses, and workshops

• Writing articles or a book

• Short educational videos that demonstrate your teaching style

How to get started and build your brand

Step 1: Develop expertise people will pay for

The more specific your expertise, the easier you are to book. Choose a lane where you can confidently deliver outcomes. Examples:

• Food trends and consumer behavior

• Culinary innovation and recipe development

• Nutrition labeling, claims, and regulatory basics

• Gut health, diabetes care, cardiometabolic health, sports performance, renal, pediatrics

• Workplace wellness outcomes (energy, focus, stress, sustainable habits)

Step 2: Build one signature talk

Event planners are not hiring “nutrition education.” They are hiring an outcome.

Build one signature talk that answers:

• Who is this for?

• What problem do they have?

• What changes after they hear you?

A simple structure:

1. Hook: the problem in one sentence

2. Credibility: why you care, and what you learned (including what you did wrong)

3. Framework: 3 to 5 key takeaways

4. Tool: a checklist, template, or protocol

5. Action: one next step the audience can do in 24 hours

Step 3: Create your “speaker kit”

Make booking you easy. A simple one-page PDF (or a web page) works:

• 2 to 3 talk titles + descriptions

• 3 learning objectives per talk (especially for CEUs)

• Bio + headshot

• Past audiences (start with what you have: staff in-services count)

• Testimonials (ask every time)

• Logistics (virtual options, AV needs)

• Fee guidance (range or “available upon request”)

Step 4: Practice and start small (on purpose)

If you are newer, start where “yes” is easiest:

• Guest speak at a local school, nonprofit, library, or community group

• Present for a dietetic internship, hospital department, or employee group

• Offer a webinar for a professional group

Your goal is reps, testimonials, and a short video clip you can share.

Step 5: Network actively and ask for introductions

Speaking is often relationship-driven:

• Attend conferences and introduce yourself to session chairs and organizers

• Join professional groups and volunteer to present

• Ask colleagues, “Who books your speakers?” and request an intro

Setting your fee and getting paid confidently

Your fee is shaped by experience, clarity of outcome, and willingness to ask. The excerpt you shared highlights a helpful benchmark: once you have a signature talk, $2,000 - 3,500 can be a strong foundational paid speaking fee (and you scale from there based on demand and results). You can increase your rate from there. I currently charge $2,500, plus travel expenses, for in-person speaking engagements for my signature talks.

A simple way to price without overthinking:

• Virtual keynote (45-60 minutes)

• In-person keynote (plus travel)

• Workshop (interactive, includes tools/templates)

• Add-ons: breakout session, panel, follow-up Q&A, team training, content licensing

One powerful question: “What budget has been allocated for this speaker?”
You are not being awkward - you are being professional.

Key skills that make dietitians excellent speakers

Dietitians are naturally positioned to succeed because we are good at translating complex science into real life. The skills that get you booked (and re-booked) include:

• Engaging audiences (stories, interaction, clarity)

• Translating science for consumers (without losing accuracy)

• Solving a problem that the audience is experiencing or feeling (nutrition overwhelm)

• Content creation and digital presence (proof you can teach)

• Networking and collaboration (making organizers’ jobs easier)

Your 2026 speaking action plan

If you want this to actually happen, give yourself a simple pipeline:

This week

• Choose one niche + one signature talk topic

• Draft 2 talk titles and 3 audience outcomes (that they will feel or accomplish)

In the next 30 days

• Build your one-page speaker kit

• Pitch 10 places from the opportunity list above

In the next 90 days

• Deliver 2 to 3 talks (even small ones)

• Collect testimonials + a short video clip

• Raise your fee or add a workshop option

Speaking is not about being perfect (you already are!) It is about being useful, clear, and memorable in the eyes of your audience. If you do that well, 2026 can be the year your expertise stops being “hidden” and starts being paid, shared, and amplified.

Get On The List

Looking to take your dietetic career to the next level? Consider joining the NutritionJobs Career List! Our newsletter is packed with resume help and LinkedIn tips, dietitian job postings, dietitian salary data, career resources, and tools to help you thrive as a dietitian on your way to more awesomeness. Don’t miss out on Stacey’s curated picks, checklists, and downloads. Subscribe today and stay ahead of the curve as a nutrition professional.

Search for Jobs on NutritionJobs

Are you looking for a new job or just want to see what else is out there? Browse all jobs on NutritionJobs today. Also, check out the Featured Jobs on NutritionJobs. Share with a friend in need, as well!

Search Salaries on DietitianSalaries.com

Are you curious about which dietitian job titles pay the most, or the least? Search the sortable database of real dietitian salaries from thousands of dietitians in real-time on DietitianSalaries.com.

About the Author

Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, is the Founder Owner of NutritionJobs and DietitianSalaries.com and is an established dietetic career expert. She helps steer dietetic and nutrition professionals to a successful job search process with the top-ranked dietetic job board platform, NutritionJobs.com. Stacey is the author of The Dietetic Resume Guide and numerous dietetic career action-ables. She gives the tools to create a modern standout dietetic resume to land that job interview, help with job interview prep, and with creating Compelling LinkedIn profiles. Stacey has interviewed and hired many dietitians. Since running NutritionJobs in 2000, she has reviewed thousands of dietetic resumes. She works closely with dietetic hiring managers and recruiters to know the standout elements on a resume that land a job interview. Stacey speaks on successful compensation negotiation at professional conferences and frequently consults with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at FNCE and co-created the webinar series, Dietetic Career Hack: The Complete Networking and Resume Guide and Dietetic Career Hack Part II: Interviewing Tips and Tricks. Her previous dietitian jobs have been in clinical, nutrition support, and research.

Affiliate Links

Please note: This page may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a product using my affiliate link, I will receive a small commission or bonus. This will in no way impact the price you pay. Affiliate links on this page are denoted with an asterisk (*).

Other Articles You Might Like

Dietetic Work Journal Article

Dietetic Work Journal Download

Dietetic Work Journal Template 2025

Work Journal Template Download for Leadpages

Dietitian Side Hustles to Increase your Dietitian Salary

Virtual Job Interview Checklist

Letters of Recommendation Checklist

How to Become a Dietitian

How to Become a Sport Nutritionist

Highest Paid Dietitian Jobs

Highest Paid Dietitian Jobs by Location

Best Alternative Jobs for a Dietitian

Dietitian Side Hustles

Dietitian Leadership Skills