Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health & wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Betsy Thurston, Founder of Betsy Thurston RD, located in Marietta, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I offer private counseling, nutrition education, and life coaching for people who struggle with eating issues. I also offer an online class that focuses mainly on the therapeutic modality called internal family systems.
My customers include people who can’t lose weight, who have eating disorders, who yo-yo diets, who chronically sabotage their efforts to eat healthily, or who habitually overeat during specific periods of the day.
Tell us about yourself
I have been a dietitian for over 30 years but got into this niche of “eating problems” because of a son who struggled with drug addiction. I realized immediately that the problems my clients had with eating had a lot less to do with knowledge of what to eat and planning meals or goal setting and more to do with the mind.
I realized that people could not follow through with what the dietitians or diets or health plans had prescribed because of long-standing mental habits frequently rooted in the past, subconscious blocks, past traumatic experiences (typically not thought of as trauma), and personality.
The more I delved into trying to fix my addicted son and struggling clients, the more I realized that I, too, had a great deal of anxiety. I was getting migraines and other health issues. My dietitian practice began making radical shifts as I dedicated the next ten years of my life to personal growth, therapy, life coaching, and spirituality. I became trained in the model of IFS, or internal family systems therapy.
The more skilled I became in underlying healing issues, the more I was able to help my clients make lasting changes with eating and develop a new relationship with food. Because I instinctively needed to fix myself and my family members, I acquired an enormous tool kit that was helpful for my clients. My motive was easy because I was teaching things I needed to learn and remember for myself.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Learning how to figure out technology, putting out a podcast with continuous fresh and exciting content, and learning how to maintain a balance between being a business owner and maintaining personal time.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The money piece. I have little interest in money-earning, taxes, and paperwork. I am interested in my content.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Pick something that you are interested in.
- Commit to staying current and expanding your knowledge base.
- Be generous with your time, talents, and money. Stay heart focused.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.betsythurstonrd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atlantanutritiontherapy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Betsy_thurstonrd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rd_thurston
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-thurston-7a1570186/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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