What RDs Do: Vanessa Yurchesyn, RD, CFE, MBA (candidate)

VANESSA YURCHESYN

ACCOUNT MANAGER

COMPLETE PURCHASING SERVICES INC
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Vanessa was excited about the opportunity to share her non-traditional role, especially since she loves the work that she does. Her passion also fits very well with the purpose of this series. She is 1 of 3 dietitians on Complete Purchasing Services's national account management team with the President Brian Emmerton and one of the VPs, Cristina Dee-Ong.

Why did you become a RD?

First and foremost, I love food! I job shadowed dietitians in a few practice areas in high school, and the diversity of the profession was something that I was attracted to – I knew that I would always be inspired to try something new!

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Business & Industry

How would you explain what you do?

I am an Account Manager with Complete Purchasing Services (a Group Purchasing Organization and a division of Aramark). I am responsible for servicing and developing the Complete Purchasing Services primary market (mainly senior living facilities) in Nova Scotia. We provide best value pricing on products and services utilizing the combined purchasing power of Aramark and our client locations.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

I manage our Nova Scotia account base, which is mainly senior living facilities but also includes schools, child care centres, social enterprises and camps. I work closely with our distributor, manufacturer and supplier partners in the industry to assist our clients in maximizing the overall benefits derived from a CPS membership. In an ever-evolving business environment, I must keep up-to-date with client and industry issues and requirements. We offer a number of core operational tools and resources from menu programs to ordering platforms and educational events, so I promote these value-added services to our members. I am also responsible for growing our business, which is fun and motivates me every day!

What has been your career path?

When I completed my internship in 2011, I took a 1 year contract with Shannex as Manager of Support Services (Foodservices, Housekeeping and Laundry) at a long term care facility in Halifax, NS. I then worked part time as a clinical dietitian at two long term care facilities in Saint John, NB while starting a consulting business ‘All Foods Fit Nutrition Consulting’ where I did workplace wellness programs, individual consultations and media work. In May of 2014, I started with Loblaw Companies Ltd as a retail dietitian and worked for 2.5 years providing nutrition services to five Atlantic Superstore locations in New Brunswick. This brings me to my current role as Account Manager with Complete Purchasing Services. January 2018 will mark five years of being a Registered Dietitian!

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I am currently completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialty track in Innovation Leadership at the University of Fredericton Sandermoen School of Business. I will graduate in the Spring of 2019.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

Consumers don’t worry about the food that they eat, food is increasingly treated as medicine by everyone including food companies, and dietitians are known to all as food lovers not food police.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I am passionate about celebrating the diversity within the dietetics profession. I love sharing my non-traditional career path with students and interns, as well as seasoned dietitians. I enjoy experimenting with and learning about how a dietitian’s skill set can put them in positions that were never imagined.

What is your favourite meal?

Of course, the answer depends on the season! In the Spring/Summer, I love fish tacos with grilled fish, a mango/cucumber salsa and red cabbage slaw. In the Fall/Winter, I enjoy a hearty beef stew over creamy mashed potatoes. Crème brulee or anything with chocolate are my favorites desserts.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

Life is too short – we should be able to enjoy what we eat and drink. With that said, practicing mindfulness and being active every day are just as important!

More about Vanessa:

Email: yurchesyn-vanessa@aramark.ca
Instagram: @allfoodsfitrd
Facebook: Vanessa Yurchesyn
Complete Purchasing Services: www.ecps.ca

Thanks Vanessa! Find out more about What RDs Do.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Katie Proctor, MBA, RDN

KATIE PROCTOR

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE & BUSINESS COACH

 ELEVATE WITH KATIE

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I 'know' Katie from a few facebook groups and you'll see below that makes sense! It's always great to learn about the journeys and unique backgrounds that lead dietitians to do what they do. Our jobs evolve and it's exciting to see all the different skills we have. Katie has done and is doing many things. I've been learning about running a business, marketing, etc. along the way the last 6 years, so I can appreciate where she's coming from, plus I know we'd enjoy sitting down to a meal together!

Why did you become an RD? 

I was one of those people who had 7 majors while I was an undergrad because truthfully I didn’t know what I wanted to do nor did I understand all of the opportunities out there. I don’t really have a glamorous “why” except for that I had been interested in food since high school and decided nutrition would be a great alternate career path when I decided med school wasn’t for me.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I have my own health coaching business and with my marketing and brand management background I also am a business coach for health, food and fitness entrepreneurs.

How would you explain what you do? 

On the nutrition side, I run monthly health and fitness-related online accountability groups to help busy women put themselves back on their to-do list.

On the business side, I work 1:1 with entrepreneurs who are looking to take their businesses to the next level. Each session is dictated by the individual’s needs, but some topics I address are finding a niche, content strategy/visibility, productivity/systems, creating an offer (what it is, how to price, how to deliver to target audience) and marketing strategy.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

For my health coaching clients, I post daily motivation in our app and encourage them to “check in” daily with their workouts and healthy meals. I also spend a lot of time on social media whether it’s managing my own Facebook groups, connecting with current and potential clients and engaging in other relevant Facebook groups. I write blog posts for my own site and guest posts on others and prepare for my 1:1 business coaching client sessions by hosting free discovery calls, reviewing client welcome packets, hosting our sessions and following up with action steps. I should also add that I have a part-time freelance role helping two well-known food bloggers launch a new membership site. I love what I do because no day is ever the same!

What has been your career path? 

From day one as an RD, I’ve been obsessed with business and marketing. I spent a lot of time as a student getting to know entrepreneurial RD’s I admired and believe those connections paid off heavily when I entered the profession. I was one of the co-founders of All Access Internships, a dietetic internship resource and coaching platform for students looking to stand out during the application process, when I was a junior in college and still actively coach students today.

After I graduated from my DI at Vanderbilt, I became an Account Executive at a well-known PR agency working on consumer and B2B (business-to-business) integrated marketing campaigns for food clients across the country. From there, I moved into digital marketing for the organic and natural division of General Mills where I managed all of the consumer touchpoints including social media, email, website and even copywriting for packaging. Most recently, I was the brand manager for a smaller organic food company and really got to hone my product development and traditional marketing skills that were more operations, sales and price promotion focused. I am so grateful for all of my experiences that lead me to where I am today. I worked my coaching business “on the side” for about a year when I decided I was finally ready to leave my full-time job and pursue my entrepreneurial endeavors full-time!

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have an MBA and have also taken many online business training courses from Marie Forleo, Amy Porterfield and other high profile online entrepreneurs outside of our industry to learn the ins and outs of list building, sales funnels, offer creation and more.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

I would love for business curriculum to be more commonplace in our undergraduate and graduate training and not just the information that serves more traditional roles such as foodservice or dietary management.

What do people think that you do for a living? 

I’m pretty sure my husband thinks I am a professional Facebooker ;).

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

I am passionate about helping other RD’s promote their services to more people online and not be afraid of selling. 

What is your favourite meal? 

Curry of any kind.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Make connections with people both inside and outside our industry whose career paths you admire. I had so many mentors help me along the way and I am always willing to give back to others because of this. Sure, some people may so no or not respond but you never know unless you ask.

More about Katie:

Website: www.elevatewithkatie.com
Email: elevatewithkatie@gmail.com
Instagram: @elevatewithkatie

*If you are an entrepreneurial RD, join my private Elevate Your Business Facebook group where we talk about all things biz and branding.

Thanks Katie! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Jean Caton MS, MBA, RDN

JEAN CATON
THE BUSINESSWOMAN'S COACH
HOST OF COLOR MY WORLD CONFIDENT PODCAST

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I love hearing about the non-traditional roles that dietitians have, I think it says a lot about our skills. Jean has created a unique business based on her career experiences, and I love that she's focused on helping women build confidence and succeed in the corporate world. She has interesting thoughts on the future of dietetics and I agree that we need more specialists, not generalists. 

Why did you become a RD? 

I did not have a clear career vision for sure. My reason for becoming an RD was that chemistry was my favorite subject in high school. Becoming an RD was not a common or well known career path when I entered the field.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I no longer work in dietetics. In my early career, I worked in dietetics for nine years - briefly as a Clinical Dietitian at a community hospital and then was promoted to Chief Dietitian. I then took a position as Education Coordinator at a Harvard Affiliated teaching hospital where I was Assistant Director of the Nutrition Department and co-developed an Internship Program that I coordinated. Next, I then moved into the business world, leveraging my RD credential and my MBA, and took a position as Product Manager for an enteral feeding line of devices and nutritional supplements.

How would you explain what you do? 

Currently I am a Business Woman’s Coach, Professional Speaker, and Podcaster. I leverage my nearly 25 years as a senior business leader in corporate America to support women, primarily in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields including many RDNs. I coach professional women to help them achieve their goals of greater career, business, and communication confidence using telephone or Skype. I also speak to professional women associations and organizations on career advancement and have a podcast, Color My World Confident, that is on the topic of confidence.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

I have a very flexible and abbreviated work week working 15-20 hours. My time is spent primarily coaching clients who find me via my speaking engagements, through referral or by word of mouth. By batching my weekly podcast recording, I record interviews approximately two times a month and outsource the post production. I spend a modest amount of time on social media promoting my podcast.

What has been your career path? 

(See above).

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have a MS in Food & Nutrition and an MBA. I am a graduate of the Advanced Coach Training Program of Coach U. I went from being a dietitian to corporate America where I spent the majority of my career as a business leader for four Fortune 500 Companies. I started my own business after I graduated corporate America and had stashed away a lot of money. I had early interest in my own wellness business but went into the corporate world instead because I was a bit risk averse. That is why I consider myself a ‘chicken entrepreneur.’

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

I see a nutrition profession/industry divided down the middle into two major segments. In one segment is the Advanced Clinical Practitioner (no generalists) who is highly specialized in one of many areas (somewhat similar to the MD model of Cardiologist, Oncologists, Pediatrician, and the evolving Neuroscience, Gut, and Genetic Personalized Medicine fields etc.)

The second segment will be consumers facing health and wellness focused practitioners who are highly skilled in Communication strategies, Psychology and Human Behavior (including skills in coaching, motivational interviewing and psychology), Marketing and Self-Promotion.

Corporate wellness programs will become more in demand with a more comprehensive approach including mindfulness and other modalities that link the emotional and stress related aspects of health and nutrition. Only the more confident and assertive partitioners will thrive among the increasing competition from the evangelistic, self-proclaimed experts as well as MDs, RNs, Personal Trainers, and the countless other professionals and non-professionals whose opinion is heard and respected.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

That RDs are not well paid. Although true for some RDs there are countless RDs making six-figure salaries that reflect the value they are contributing to their organizations or their entrepreneurial endeavors. It is up to each individual RDN to take the necessary steps to assure they are paid what they are worth.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

The RD still has an image problem. And personally I don’t think advocating for eating a hot fudge sundae or other decadent foods is the way to make them more human.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

There are two areas that I have strong beliefs about: My professional passion is my campaign to boost the confidence of dietitians and help them think a lot bigger and play a much bigger game. Playing big will translate into true leadership at a very high level on the world stage.

What is your favourite meal? 

I’m sorry to report I eat to live and do not live to eat. That said, breakfast is my favorite meal. Bob’s Red Mill multigrain cereal with local blueberries and real maple syrup proceeded by a cup of strong, black coffee. Also, I love plain cheese pizza, African Peanut Stew, and fish I buy at the market in the afternoon when it was caught and cleaned that morning.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Believe in yourself. Anything else you’d like to add that you feel would be valuable:

More about Jean:

Website: Coach Jean Caton
Podcast:  Color My World Confident

Linkedin: Jean Caton

Twitter: @JEANCATON

Facebook: Color My World Confident

Email: JeanCaton@CoachJeanCaton.com 

 

Thanks Jean! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Marjorie Geiser, RD, MBA, BCC

MARJORIE GEISER

BUSINESS COACH - MEG ENTERPRISES

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Marjorie is a dietitian that no longer provides nutrition services. She has gone from a hospital setting, to in-home counselling, to virtual business coaching - which includes coaching other dietitians. She is living the life she dreamed and passionate about helping others to do the same.

Why did you become a RD?

I wanted to work with clients in my own business.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

When I started, I worked at a county teaching hospital, covering all departments. By year 5, I received my nutrition support certification. By year 6, however, I was ready to quit and start my own business.

From 1996 to 2010, I ran MEG Fitness, providing in-home personal fitness training to previously unfit adults, as well as sport nutrition counselling to amateur athletes.

In 2003, I started my coach training, which led me to start coaching other health professionals who wanted to start a business. That led me back to school to get my MBA (Master of Business Administration) in Entrepreneurship, to write my first book, “Just Jump,” and to start MEG Enterprises.

After setting up systems, processes and a clear, consistent plan, today I work 3 days a week, making over 6 figures a year. And this is what I help others set up, too.

How would you explain what you do?

I help dietitians and other health professionals and coaches create the businesses of their dreams.

I do this through my book, “Just Jump: The No-Fear Business Start-up Guide for Health and Fitness Professionals,” I am a CPE (continuing professional education) provider through CDR (Commission on Dietetic Registration), and have multiple home study courses, I offer several products that include group support, a low-cost membership program for start-ups, and work with just a limited number of private clients. I also speak around the country to various dietetic groups.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

I have a team of 6 who manage all but the tasks I like, which allow me to work 3 days a week.

I work with clients virtually (mostly over the phone and Skype), I create new programs, products and services, and I plan out the year of what to offer and when. I collaborate with partners on various projects, primarily, as a CPE provider through CDR, courses for RDs.

I also spend time writing and networking. I have a very clear schedule: Mondays are blog days, Tuesday is off, Wednesday I work on projects, and Thursday is the day I write my weekly newsletter. Fridays and the weekends are off.

What has been your career path?

I started working in a hospital as a clinical dietitian. When I found myself butting heads with the docs over them questioning my area of expertise, I started looking around for what was next. By that time, I was exclusively working with trauma and neurosurgery patients, most of whom required nutrition support.

When I originally went back to school to get my nutrition degree, I had a vision of working for myself. I had lost that vision of working at the hospital, but when I realized my job was no longer fun, I did some major soul-searching and came back to my original vision, which now had ‘legs.’

I put my plan in place, and quit my job in June of 1996, starting MEG Fitness.

Today, I am doing exactly what I love doing, helping people create their dreams, and making a difference in the world. My vision has always been to help people live up to their potential.

But, I feel I can’t address this question without including this: None of us are really ‘stuck’ in a job. We TELL ourselves we are, mostly because of fear; fear of the unknown, of what the future will bring if we were to risk.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

• MBA with emphasis in entrepreneurship
• Board Certified Coach (BCC)
• Coach training through Coach Training Institute (CTI)

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

Dietitians in both business and as employees are making more money, understand marketing, and are known as THE experts in helping people achieve their health-related goals.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

People think RDs are just people who work in hospitals (“wear a hair net”). They don’t know what RDs do, but they CAN tell you what nutritionists do! When you ask them who they’d rather see, they will say a nutritionist. That needs to change.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD?

I don’t at all, because I have never felt that being an RD was LIMITING me. I feel that my education has allowed me to strive for all I imagine.

I WILL say that people just don’t know what an RD is, so often today, I’ll explain it as a ‘nutritionist,’ lol. They know that one!

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

TOTALLY am! I am a HUGE advocate for getting more RDs out into the market place AND to help them raise their income level! Too many RDs think they can’t make a lot of money. That is NOT true.

What makes RDs unique/different from other nutrition/wellness professionals?

They really are THE nutrition experts. Other health professionals get a TOUCH of nutrition education. They don’t understand it in their bones like RDs do. And the value of becoming an RD is the internship; that’s what sets them apart from professionals who just call themselves ‘nutritionists.’

Also, after working with literally HUNDREDS of RDs through these last 10 years, I have to say that RDs have an unlimited capacity to rise BEYOND what they think they’re capable of. They are willing learners. They are driven when pushed. They are extremely honest and ethical. They tend to be perfectionists (thus, I teach them “Completion, not perfection” to get things done), and would prefer to research to the end of their days.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

If you have a dream, go for it! It seems tragic to me to think of ANYONE looking back at their life with regrets for not doing something they dreamed of doing. Life is way, way too short.

More about Marjorie:

Facebook: MEG Enterprises
Twitter: @megfit
LinkedIn: Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, BCC

Thanks Marjorie! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Crystal MacGregor, RD

 CRYSTAL MACGREGOR
EPICURE
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We are very happy that Crystal found time to share her insights with us. She uses words that I love, like passion and inspiration, and you can tell how much she loves what she does, and she takes her knowledge across our great country. With epicure she aims to help people change their plates and how they think about food - it's all about being healthy, easy, and of course delicious. I would love to attend a tasting session with her and her team!

Why did you become a RD?

I became an RD because as I am passionate about everything and anything to do with food! I’ve always been curious by the science and artistic beauty of food by nature and find myself continuously perfecting cooking easy, delicious and nutritious meals using wholesome, real food by nurture. Cooking and sharing good food is an act of love, for me it was love at first bite! I followed my passion to help nourish a nation one bite and one step at a time helping other live life deliciously. As best put by Hippocrates “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food”.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I work in the fast paced, exciting world of business and industry and am thrilled to be the Director of Innovation Research & Development for Epicure.

How would you explain what you do?

I am privileged to lead a brilliant team of professional chefs and an industrial designer while working closely with our dynamic sourcing team to create time saving cookware and expertly blended herb and spice blends that meet Epicure’s high quality, clean ingredient mandate without ever compromising on taste. Working with our masterminded President and CEO, who travel the world to bring trends to Canadians everywhere, together we innovate and change the way people think and enjoy good food experiences. We are all about inspiring healthy eating and make it easy to get meals on the table fast with our solution-based approach to cooking. Simply put we are modernizing cooking by inspiring and teaching others to enjoy Good Food. Real Fast™ through at home cooking classes.

Check out our new product innovations in our NEW fall/winter catalogue: https://www.epicure.com/en/catalogue

To find our more about Epicure which is one of Canada’s leading direct sales companies check out www.epicure.com

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

What I love most about my job is that it is fast-paced; every day is different and offers a new set of challenges and opportunities to do great work.

My typical workday is strategically and project focused to meet business driven deliverables. I typically spend 50% of my time in BC and 50% working out of my home office in Ontario. And yes, my job could not be more delicious! When I am in BC it means multiple face-to-face meetings, hands-on working in our test kitchen with my incredible team, tasting new products, assessing cookware designs/prototypes, researching or presenting the latest trends our President and CEO find, and working collaboratively with operations, sales and marketing teams to inspire new opportunities to inspire healthy eating solutions and new product innovation to wow consumers. The only difference while I am in Ontario is the meetings change to conference calls or Skype and at times I may end up wanting to lick a computer screen instead of a tasting spoon.

Launching new products. Epicure’s National Conference 2015  

What has been your career path?

I have been lucky to live from coast to coast, literally (PEI, NS to BC, then SK to now ON) and had such fortunate opportunities to work in diverse dietetic positions with so many amazing people, building my skill set and knowledge along the way. After my UPEI Integrated Dietetic Internship I dabbled in private practice and then found myself working as the Provincial Coordinator for School Healthy Eating Programs in PEI. I then decided to work as a dietitian for the Atlantic Superstore where I could impact point of purchase, where it can really make a difference, the grocery store. There I counselled clients, conducted cooking classes, and provided numerous health and wellness sessions. I was then recruited to fill a temp maternity leave position as the Community Room Marketing Manager, working in Atlantic Superstore’s head office, marketing division. Next, I met my loving husband and moved to Victoria BC. There I worked as a clinical dietitian in various areas. The people and clients were amazing although part of me longed to follow my passion and focus my efforts on chronic disease prevention and empowering consumers to change the way they think and enjoy good food. I was lucky to find myself at Epicure working in various positions and am so fortunate that as I moved (the happy life as a military wife) I was able to keep working for Epicure. I am honoured to have been working with Epicure for the past eight years now and I love that I am working with a business that is as passionate about healthy eating as I am and together we are on a mission change plates everywhere! Taste buds get ready.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I am an avid learner and pride myself in always learning ways to improve, learn more, grow, inspire and adapt. A few years ago, I did complete my Personal Training Specialist certification, as I wanted to expand my knowledge of how to positively impact others and motivate them to move more.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

I think the industry will continue to be a goldmine of opportunity offering diverse opportunities for dietitians willing to seek them. The world needs more dietitians who can share our love and passion for good, wholesome, real food, while staying up to date and providing evidence based research to empower consumers to change what is on their plates and how we think about food.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

Follow your passion, continue to seek out opportunities to grow and challenge yourself. As recently inspired while attending The Art of Leadership Conference in Vancouver a few quotes resonated with me as I hope they do you.

“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable”. – Dr. Liane Davey

“There is nothing that you can’t make worse.” - Chris Hadfield

“If we just create, preserve and don't eliminate we can never change.” – Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

“You are stronger than you think.” - Captain Phillips

And most relevant to us as a dietitian community of talented RD’s,

“Change yourself, change your organization.” – Dr. Liane Davey

It all begins with you, and with me. We can drive positive change and it starts with each one of us. It is important that we constantly improve- learning and adapting to the world we live in now and together we can change what people think of RD’s, good food, and health. Together we can make the world a healthier place and positively impact our planet.

More about Crystal

Twitter: @crysmacgregor
Facebook: Crystal MacGregor
Linkedin: Crystal MacGregor
Instagram: cmacgregor
Epicure Website: epicure.com

 
Thanks Crystal! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!