Great things happen when dietitians work together. NutritionJobs has heard hundreds of stories from dietitians and dietetic students sharing how they enhanced their career through various collaborations with other dietitians.

The power of collaboration builds relationships, enhances career opportunities and can boost your dietitian salary!

Even our founder, Stacey Dunn-Emke, has experienced success through her collaborations with other RDNs. Maree Ferguson, MBA, PhD, RDN, FAND Director, founder of Dietitian Connection, shares, “I first met Stacey at FNCE quite a few years ago and since then we have collaborated over the years. This has resulted in us working together at the student lounge at FNCE for the past two years. You never know where one conversation with a new connection will take you.”

Empowering Dietitians through Collaborations is imperative to the growth and sustainability of our dietetic industry.

5 Benefits of Collaborations

Collaboration is defined by Mirriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor.”

Here are 5 reasons why collaboration is vital to one’s success and growth.

1. Innovation: “Collaboration connects you with new ideas and/or people that you wouldn't have been able to do by yourself,” describes Ferguson. The ability to learn, develop, and grow can enhance one’s career and knowledge.
2. New & Unique Perspectives: Toni Toledo, MPH, RDN, co-founder of the Podcast, The PATHPod, notes, “There are so many smart, creative and resourceful professionals in this field. We all have so much to offer each other. And, the input you get from a fellow RDN might just be a slightly different angle but it gives a fully different perspective.” These unique and respected perspectives are very valuable.
3. More Visibility: Melissa Joy Dobbins MS, RDN, CDE, The Guilt-Free RD® and Host of the Sound Bites® Podcast, provides two specific examples. “My Sound Bites Podcast is technically 100% collaboration since I interview guests on my show, many of whom are dietitians. By interviewing guests and giving them a platform to communicate their work I also gain visibility and reach new listeners. The second example is speaking at FNCE. The first time was a direct result of being on the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group board and having them nominate me and Julie Beyer to speak at their Spotlight Session in 2015 on communications beyond traditional media (videos, podcasts, and self-publishing). The second time was when Maree Ferguson and Kate Agnew from Dietitian Connections asked me to join their session on podcasting. After that presentation Maree & Kate submitted our session to speak at the International Congress of Dietetics in Cape Town, South Africa, and it was accepted!”
4. New Friendships: Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, a plant-based registered dietitian in the New York City area and owner of Plant-Based Eats, informs, “I’ve become such good friends with fellow nutrition entrepreneurs that we travel to see each other (when there’s not a pandemic going on). When I get to go to nutrition conferences and events, I get so excited to see ‘my people’ in person!” Collaboration definitely brings people closer together and builds strong relationships.
5. Increased Efficiency: Working independently has many advantages. And working with others, especially when projects are demanding and complex, can help alleviate the heavy workload, find solutions to challenging situations, and/or keep tasks focused and deadlines in check. As the Beatles sang, “We get by with a little help from our friends.”

5 Challenges of Collaborations

Collaborations can have challenges, too. It’s important to be aware of potential roadblocks. The most common are misunderstandings or miscommunications. Keeping an open dialogue is key to solving that problem. Here are 5 other challenges and how to fix them.

1. Find People Who Complement You: Gorin clarifies, “Most important is working with someone who complements your skillsets well. You may not want to work with a clone of yourself—rather, if you’re starting a project, think about working with someone who offers the skills that you don’t consider yourself strong in.”
2. Different Work Ethics & Styles. Dobbins adds, “Not everyone has the same working style/personality. I was fortunate in both of the cases I shared about speaking at FNCE. I didn’t know Julie, Maree, or Kate before working with them, and yet, we had a wonderful working relationship and became friends. I think it’s important to be flexible, respectful, and communicate openly throughout the process.”
3. Lack of Complete Control. Dobbins also remarks, “A potentially negative aspect is not having complete control over the resulting product or project which could potentially reflect poorly on you. But I believe the benefits outweigh the risks.” Complete control isn’t necessary if the collaboration emphasizes a joint contribution including a joint review of the work.
4. Different Views & Goals. Toledo explains, “When collaborating, I think it is important to be sure you are ‘on the same page’ philosophically with other professionals. Granted, it might be hard to be certain. But ask questions. Look for common goals and similar work ethics and values. That has helped me tremendously in the past to find the right people to collaborate with.”
5. Legalize It: As in all areas of business, Gorin emphasizes the importance of entering into any formal business collaboration legally. Gorin advises to get legal papers drawn up to protect both parties. In addition, by having legal documents, you can clearly note the expectations, jobs, tasks, duties, and goals of the project.

5 Tips to Find the Perfect Collaboration

Don’t lose sleep over your next collaboration. Find your ideal person or group to work with using these 5 tips.

1. Be-You-Ti-Ful. Toledo advises, “BE-YOU-TI-FUL. This is one of my favorite sentiments. It is key that we honor who we are. Be ourselves. Be authentic. Lead with who we really are. That is critical. Nobody else can be you and the more we all embrace that in ourselves, the better we will be positioned to support, collaborate, and lift each other up. Including lifting up our whole profession.”
2. Get a Personal Introduction. Ferguson recommends, “Ask someone to introduce you to the person you would like to collaborate with. You will have greater success in connecting with them than reaching out cold by yourself.” Who we know matters and personal recommendations are always helpful.
3. Image is Everything. Dobbins comments, “Pay close attention to how the person you want to collaborate with portrays themselves and our profession. Make sure you genuinely like what you see and want to have your brand/work associated with them.”
4. Trust Your Instinct. Gorin suggests, “You’ll know when the opportunity feels right, and it will organically happen. You both need to be excited about the project you’re working on and to have a baseline respect for each other.”
5. Be Clear with Your Goals. Finding the right person to collaborate with will be easier if you are clear with your purpose and goals. When you know what you are looking for, it is easier to find it. When I started my company, I was looking for specific people which had specific skillsets. It was easier to find the right people when I had an idea of the type of people I wanted to meet.

6 Reasons Collaborations Can Help Grow Your Nutrition Business

Ana Reisdorf, MS, RD, a dietitian who runs a nutrition writing service, shares how collaborating with others can help grow your nutrition business:

1. It will INSPIRE you and promote you to think in a new way.

2. Helps to GROW YOUR NETWORK, your business is founded on a relationship and although you might not collaborate with everyone you’ve at least made a new connection.

3. They’re EDUCATIONAL because successful collaborations entail 2 professionals who have completely different skill sets and perspectives on the playing field.

4. Helps you SAVE MONEY because you are splitting the workload between you and your partner, each person is contributing their share to the project.

5. SOLVES PROBLEMS, when we find ourselves stuck we reach out to someone for help with a different perspective and get the job done, collaborations are exactly that.

6. When you work together to offer completely different services that speak to the same clientele everyone WINS

Check out Ana's Freelance Writing for the RD: Guide and Course, as well.

Collaboration Success Stories

Here are success stories how collaborations have optimized, enhanced, and grown these dietetic practices and businesses.

Melissa Joy Dobbins shares: “Collaborations have been rewarding both personally and professionally. Since my target audience for my media/communications trainings and podcast outreach is dietitians, I’ve been able to gain more exposure and reach through various collaborations.”

Maree Ferguson shares: “Dietitian Connection is all about community and collaboration. We all do better when we unite together.” Her entire business is based on collaborating with others and has been proven to be a successful business model.

Amy Gorin shares: “Working with other dietetic professionals has helped my business tremendously. One major way I work with other RDNs is through a mastermind group. We help each other think through business strategy on a daily basis and provide emotional support to each other. This is very important when you’re an entrepreneur working on your own. I also started the Master the Media e-course with a fellow RDN, Erin Palinski-Wade, through which we media train other dietitians. We want there to be as many credible experts out there sharing nutrition information, and so we love helping other nutrition professionals get their names in the news.”

Toni Toledo shares: “Simply put, collaboration is the bedrock of all I do. Whether it is brainstorming ideas for training, creating content for any media, or just problem-solving, RDNs have so many varied and excellent perspectives. I find it helps me in nearly every aspect of what I do in my work (and have done over 3 decades).”

What’s stopping you to collaborate? Contact us and share your successful career path in one of our Spotlight stories. Our spotlights highlight dietetic and nutrition professionals as they grow and enhance their profession. We want to collaborate with you!

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About the Author

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.