Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jennifer Broxterman, CEO of NutritionRx, located in London, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a Canadian nutrition counselling company made up of a team of caring Registered Dietitians, where we help people find their way back to a HEALTHY + HAPPY relationship with food. We work with regular folks who want to look and feel better, to clients with eating disorders who are looking for recovery support, all the way up to Olympic and Team Canada elite athletes who want to use nutrition to propel them to the podium.
Tell us about yourself
My background as a dual varsity athlete (ice hockey and rowing), followed by being a top CrossFit athlete, fuelled my love for healthy eating, exercise, and promoting a positive lifestyle to others. My dad also had a pretty serious heart attack when I was a teenager, and I knew I wanted to be a part of the preventative healthcare movement vs. helping out with "sick care" in our hospital systems.
So, taking a leap of faith, I signed up for a student entrepreneur program while still in university, decided to follow my passion for nutrition coaching, and launched NutritionRx. In 11 years, we've now helped thousands of clients and grown to a team of 8 Registered Dietitians, all working towards the same mission of health and wellness with our NutritionRx clients.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment that came out of some very dark days was going through a stage 3 ovarian cancer diagnosis in my early 30s while continuing to exhibit calm and confident leadership to my team. I trusted them to step into their potential while I was off from work going through my cancer treatments, and my business came out stronger and better because of what we all went through. I'm also very happy to say that I've made a full recovery, and my cancer is in remission despite being given only an 8% chance of survival!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It can be very lonely at times. You can't necessarily share every confidential struggle or detail with your team, so that's why it's so important to connect with other incredible entrepreneurs in similar and different industries to gain support and have other people in similar roles to bounce ideas off of.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Borrow books from the library (or have a small self-education fund), and read WIDELY a wide variety of business books. Learn about marketing, sales, leadership, growth, overcoming hardships, and more. Never stop learning, especially from experts who can help you get there faster by leaning into their knowledge shared in books, courses, seminars, etc.
- A business plan is over-rated. Have a rough 'plan,' but stay flexible and loosely attached to your original idea. Pay attention to changing market conditions and how to offer value to your clients in new ways. Opportunity is everywhere if you stay flexible and keep your eyes open.
- Work on your mindset and self-talk. Entrepreneurship is very up and down emotionally. It's amazing, and hard, and amazing all on the same day. If you can stay calm and clear-headed and always keep the big picture in mind, the day-to-day struggles don't turn into demoralizing mountains. But trust me, the work you put into your mindset will have one of the highest ROIs for your business in what you believe you're capable of accomplishing.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Be genuine, and always do the right thing - for your clients, staff, and business. Play the long game, and know that the quality of your relationships and how you treat others is one of the most important "assets" you have. Show gratitude, compliment good work, and continue to be the best human you can be. It all comes back depending on what you put into the universe.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://nutritionrx.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionRxCanada/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_rx/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-broxterman/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.