Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shawna Melbourn, Founder of ED for RDs: Eating Disorder EDucation for Registered Dietitians, located in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
ED for RDs: Eating Disorder EDucation for Registered Dietitians is built by dietitians just for dietitians. It hosts online training tools for dietitians to build and hone their skills to best support individuals and families living with eating disorders.
Eating disorders are not a topic that dietitians learn much about in school. Yet, we are in prime positions to detect and assess eating disorders at its earliest stages. When we know that early detection leads to better outcomes, it only makes sense that all dietitians are better equipped to support eating disorder treatment.
Tell us about yourself
I became a Registered Dietitian almost 20 years ago and had been working 1:1 with individuals during this time. Early on, it became clear that being a dietitian was much more than applying the science of food - but rather weaving the emotional response to food, connecting with people, and understanding eating behaviours. This led me to a deeper appreciation of the struggles that so many people experience regarding nourishing their bodies, brain, and selves.
I began concentrating my area of expertise in eating disorder treatment, and I have never left! It's an area of dietetics that I'm passionate about. While eating disorders behave similarly from person to person, the personal journey is extremely intricate and different from person to person - this is what really keeps me going - learning about each person, their history, their experiences, and walking beside them as they take the brave steps towards a more recovered life.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is seeing dietitians become more skilled and competent in detecting, assessing, and treating eating disorders. I see our profession growing and understanding this illness while approaching it with compassion and curiosity. I see a greater capacity to learn about this population, and I feel very proud of the dietitians who have used their extra-curricular time and brain space to open their hearts to eating disorders.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
I think the most difficult thing about being a business owner is planning! I'm naturally a person that doesn't like to plan - I enjoy taking things as they come, and planning is something that I find boring and suffocating! Yet, I absolutely appreciate how important planning is! I really have to apply myself to hold these two dichotomous ways of thinking at the same time.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Patience. It really takes patience and a lot of time to create and build a business that reflects your brand and business values.
- Reframe how you feel about 'failures.' When an idea doesn't work out the way you anticipated, it's not a 'failure.' Rather, this is a time to reflect with patience and compassion on how you and your business grew and shifted.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.edforrds.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawnaMelbournRegisteredDietitian/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edforrds/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawna-melbourn-92730aa3/
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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