We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Andrews recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

In addition to my two daughters, I hope my food pun business will be my legacy. I started making a line of food pun merchandise about 5 years ago. I started with tees but also sell notecards, totes, mugs, etc. They are meant to start a conversation about food, poke fun at diet culture, and create awareness and support for food insecurity. Part of my sales goes towards programs that reduce hunger such as La Soupe and Our Daily Bread.

When celery juice was popular, I made a design of celery that simply said, “Stalker”. If you have to plug your nose to eat or drink something, it’s probably time to find something else to consume. My motto is “food is for eating”. It should be pleasurable and never punitive.

I started adding puns to notecards, too. During the pandemic, I used quite a few of my cards to stay in touch with friends and family. I’m thrilled to have them in a few coffee and gift shops. I love when someone gets my food pun jokes. They are just part of my DNA and I’m continually making more. I’d love for this part of my business to grow.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As a registered dietitian, “nutrigirl” was one of the first email names I used and I just kept it as my social media handle. I began my career as a clinical dietitian at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. where I became well-versed in illness. My main job was in the ICU with super sick people. I learned a lot but it was emotionally taxing.

Over time, I just got burned out. After getting my master’s degree, I worked part-time at the hospital and gained experience writing, presenting, and providing cooking demos through my work at the Nutrition Council of Cincinnati. I love to teach and have also been an adjunct instructor for the University of Cincinnati. I teach high school nutrition one morning per week now, which is big fun.

I launched Sound Bites Nutrition in 2008 while still working at the VA. I gradually built up business and then left the VA in 2014. My services are a combo platter of freelance writing, counseling teaching, and creating food pun merchandise. I’m really well-versed in diet and disease prevention through my past clinical work and freelance writing. 

People seek me out to help them prevent or manage diabetes, lose weight or help with meal planning. I work with companies doing online webinars and in-person presentations or cooking demonstrations. I also write for a few online platforms and my own blog, https://soundbitesnutrition.com I’ve consulted with the Cancer Support Community, Civic Garden Center, Kroger, and La Soupe. 

I’ve done work as a Brand Spokesperson and have written 3 cookbooks. I use my nutrition knowledge through recipe creation, social media posts, articles, and other collaborations. I’d love to design brand campaigns for food brands, restaurants, or other health professionals.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

My favorite sales stories happened just recently. As I mentioned, I’ve been designing food pun gifts for about 5 years. I’ve had some success getting things into small stores, but to be honest, I hadn’t hit the streets in a while due to Covid. My items sell at farmer’s markets and other foodie events, but I really want them in gift shops or coffee shops.

On a whim, I popped into the Bonbonerie. I love the quirkiness of all the teacups and beautiful pastries that surround the quaint bistro. By chance, the owner was in. I asked one of the baristas if I could show them some of my cards. She must have liked them and got the manager for me.

After a 10-minute meeting, she asked if I had any pastry puns. I kind of laughed since I’m a nutrition professional. But of course, I could come up with some pastry puns. Challenge accepted!

I made 7 new designs for them. I’m over the moon that they’re carrying my cards. They can also be found at Sally’s Treat’s and Treasures, Scintilla in Milford, Morsel & Nosh, and Artichoke OTR.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot I had to make in my life was when I got “unengaged”. I was 27 at the time, and all my friends were getting married and starting families. I felt the pressure to conform. I met a medical student at the VA Medical Center where I worked. He checked all the boxes- Catholic, handsome, funny, and soon-to-be a doctor.

But I had a gnawing sense that getting married was the wrong move. I remember being at the mall to register for gifts and feeling this overwhelming sense of dread. What am I doing? I kept asking myself. It all felt wrong.

The anxiety got so bad I just couldn’t be around him. It was the worst feeling. We broke up, reunited, broke up, blah blah. Eventually, I knew I had to move on. He wasn’t the right guy for me. My gut was clearly telling me this.

I decided to go to grad school while I worked at the VA. It was the best decision I’d ever made. It opened doors for me as an adjunct instructor and freelance writer. Steve- wherever you are in the world, I hope you’re happy! Trust your gut. It’s telling you something.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://soundbitesnutrition.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrigirl
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soundbitesnutritionllc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-andrews-med-rd-ld-soundbitesnutritionllc/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nutrigirl