Meet Stephanie Congdon, RDN, who I originally met through social media. Stephanie is an incredible second-career dietitian who has found her passion after years of having a previous career in accounting. She shares, “Once you have decided what you want to do and what direction you plan to go in the dietetics field, just jump in. There isn’t a perfect time and you might change your mind 10 times before you find the area of interest that is right for you, but you will never know if you don’t start.” And when she started, she began networking with other dietitians and building strong, meaningful relationships, which she still continues to do to this day. Her connections have helped her grow her successful practice. Read on to learn about her inspiring career path.

Your Job Title?
Registered Dietitian, Recipe Developer & Content Creator, Dietitian and Founder of The Nourished Dietitian Private Practice

Company you are with now?
The Nourished Dietitian

Website:
www.nourisheddietitian.com

Social Media:

- Instagram: @the.nourished.dietitian

- Facebook: The Nourished Dietitian

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
I start my work day with a collagen green elixir followed by coffee and quick journaling. I try my best to start the day in a space that feels right and sets the tone for a day of positive energy. Some days this means I stay away from emails and social media until I am mentally ready to tackle my work day. I’m a huge list maker, so after I review my calendar and get through emails, I will create a list for the day. What I love most about my job is the variety of tasks that my day-to-day holds. I enjoy that each day my schedule can be very different and I like juggling between the many hats (managing finances, marketing, content creator, SEO management, website design, etc.) that I must wear in order to run my own business. I find it very rewarding.

Most of my days are spent holding virtual 1:1 nutrition coaching sessions. I work mostly with women to help them to restore their gut health, balance blood sugars, balance hormones, weight loss, and overall health and wellness. I practice an integrative and functional nutrition approach, so I can help my clients get to the root cause of their health concerns and symptoms. In between creating personalized nutrition plans and custom meal plans for my clients, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen creating healthy recipes, videos, and nutrition tips for my community on Instagram. I have been so fortunate to connect with brands, health experts and professionals to collaborate on topics such as gut health and women’s health. I work with health food brands to build partnerships that meet a variety of their company’s business needs such as; testing and reviewing products, creating content and recipes, food styling and photography.

My goal is to reach as many people as I can to help them feel their best. I understand that not everyone is able to work with me for private 1:1 sessions, so it’s my goal to launch a variety of gut health and women’s health nutrition courses and meal plans over the next year. Stay tuned!

How did you get your current job in dietetics?
Throughout my 20’s, I worked in the accounting industry and did quite well for myself but was never fulfilled and always felt like I was destined to do something that made an impact on others. I have always had a passion for cooking, nutrition, and health and wellness in general. I started teaching pilates in the early mornings, late evenings, and on the weekends as a hobby outside of my day-job. I spent the majority of my personal time learning about nutrition and creating healthy meals for friends and family. I woke up one day and knew I had to pursue it, so I took the leap and went back to school to start my nutrition journey.

I always knew I wanted to work for myself and create a business that allowed me to connect and help others, so becoming a Registered Dietitian was always the goal once I took that leap of faith. I also learned a lot while interning with a Dietitian that owns her own business and has many years working in the industry. My network here in San Diego of health and fitness professionals has provided me with wonderful opportunities to work as the Registered Dietitian for local fitness studios. I am so thankful to connect with so many like-minded individuals.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I have always been someone that enjoys helping others and building relationships. I thrive on getting to know people, learn about their stories and being an ear for them if needed. Thankfully, I have naturally been an empathetic person the majority of my life and it has taught me the importance of listening to understand people, instead of listening to just reply. Building genuine and deep connections with people is a skill I was born with but have learned along the way that building a deep connection with one’s self is just as important. I preach to my clients to make more time for themselves and practice self-care, but that is definitely something I need to do more myself. I’m naturally a giver and people pleaser. Over the last year I have had to learn the importance of creating boundaries professionally and personally so that I can restore the energy I give to others throughout the day.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Follow your passion! Just do it and don’t look back! Once you have decided what you want to do and what direction you plan to go in the dietetics field, just jump in. There isn’t a perfect time and you might change your mind 10 times before you find the area of interest that is right for you, but you will never know if you don’t start. Connect with other professionals in the industry and ask as many questions as you can. Take that person you look up to out for coffee (or virtual!) to get advice and tips about how they got started. If you can find a mentor and learn as much as possible.

Finally, do your research, make a plan, know your strengths and weaknesses, learn more about your weak areas, set goals (realistic goals!!), and just start. You got this!

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what
would it be?
Family style meals, weekend trips, and gatherings with my dear friends and family! I miss seeing and catching up with people in person! I wouldn’t mind a date night with my husband and anything with truffles (the mushrooms!) involved works for me.