Meet Jess Serdikoff Romola, RDN, of Empowering Dietitians, a registered dietitian dedicated to helping other dietitians overcome their perfectionism, burnout, imposter tendencies and self doubt. I discovered Jess on social media when I too was feeling this pressure and did not feel supported or validated as a dietitian. Jess saw a need in our dietitian community for more support, and therefore created a business around supervising and empowering fellow dietitians. How awesome is that! - Katie

What attracted you to the field of nutrition and dietetics?

Honestly, it goes back to my nature as a pot stirrer all throughout my life. I'm rarely one to take a statement at face value; I always want to understand the why behind something. (As a kid I even had a book called "The Big Book of Tell Me Why" - anyone else?) I started to ask questions like, "I know everyone SAYS vegetables are "healthy" but what does that really mean? WHY are they considered "good" for us?" No one in my life at the time could really answer those questions, so I went out in search of them myself...and wound up switching my major to nutrition and dietetics at the end of my freshman year of college. My philosophy around food and well-being have evolved dramatically since then, but it's still that drive to understand issues intimately and go deeper than the surface that underlies my work.

Company are you with now?

Empowering Dietitians

Your job title?

Dietitian Supervisor & Owner

Social Media:

Website: www.empoweringdietitians.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/empowering.dietitians

Empowering Dietitian Podcast: www.empoweringdietitians.com/podcast

10 Day Dietitian Journal for Burnout & Imposter Feelings: www.empoweringdietitians.com/free

A typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?

It depends on the day! Being a business owner who works from home, I've had to do a lot to create structure for myself in a way that makes sense - I need enough stability that I don't feel scattered or unfocused, but enough flexibility that I can lean into the ebbs and flows of my energy, mood, and bandwidth. Mondays are usually my admin days: a quiet day (in my pajamas if necessary!) spent checking emails, prepping client calls or podcast episodes, planning and creating social media content, things like that. Tuesdays through Thursdays I have calls with my dietitian clients and group participants and usually some spare time to work on additional projects. Occasionally I have a later evening to accommodate my clients who work during the day or are in different time zones, but otherwise aim to be done around 4 or 5pm as much as possible. Fridays are my "me" days - when I'm feeling particularly burnt out, I simply start my weekend early and take the day fully off. Otherwise, it's my day to prioritize my own personal and professional development: webinars and trainings I missed, non-fiction books and podcasts I've been meaning to check out, really whatever I feel drawn to that week. "

How did you get your current job in dietetics?

I felt like support was missing in the field so I started a business to address it!

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?

Oh geez, I'm not totally sure what skills any of us are "born" with versus what society brings out in us or conditions us to have from an early age. I definitely have always been a pretty meticulous "Type A" person, even as a kid - I would organize my holiday gift "wish lists" for family including what stores you could find each item in, which they'd always tease me about. So I'm naturally pretty organized and have an eye for detail. I've also always had a passion for writing, and have always felt pretty comfortable speaking publicly. On the other hand, I've had to work much more diligently on balancing that Type A perfectionism with learning to embrace imperfection and mistakes (like not only tolerating them but actually seeking out opportunities to experience them) and developing emotional and nervous system regulation skills to be able to sit with and withstand discomfort when it arises in stressful or new situations.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?

First and foremost, it's that I don't always feel successful and fulfilled! That's ok. It's easy to read snapshots like these interviews or glance at someone's social media platforms and think their life is perfect, and that's definitely not the case. In fact, this year my business actually brought in half the income it did last year - that's been tough! It's also the nature of business sometimes. So keep in mind that all these people we put on pedestals may not be as successful and fulfilled as their highlight reels suggest - which leads me to the second piece of advice, which is...make sure you're defining success and fulfillment on your own terms, not someone else's. Success doesn't always mean money or notoriety. Fulfillment definitely looks different from one person to the next. So rather than trying to live up to someone else's picture of these aspirations, to be as "successful and fulfilled" as someone else, take the time to know what you want your own life to look and feel like, and focus on that.

About the Author

Katie Padva, MS, RDN, LDN, is a Registered Dietitian passionate about delivering nutrition education through writing, teaching, and counseling to help prevent and manage chronic diseases. She works in a private practice helping individuals be the best version of themselves through healthy nutrition. She also works as an adjunct instructor at a University educating students on nutrition concepts. When she is not working, Katie enjoys being outside, running, writing, cooking, doing yoga and hiking! Connect with her on LinkedIn.