We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tara Durden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Instead of staying stagnant, I took a risk, as any “manifesting generator” would.

During my dietetic internship, I loved how busy I was in the hospital setting, though I was extremely nervous to start since I never felt comfortable in hospitals. I was constantly learning something new and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team. At this point, I thought “this could be it,” my forever career. I continued dedicating all of my time to finishing my graduate courses, doing my unpaid supervised practice hours, and attempting to work part time (hello burnout!)

Just as I was sitting for the national credentialing exam, the pandemic hit causing SO much uncertainty in the world. Everything shut down, but I was still able to work remotely with the pediatric outpatient clinic I started with during my internship. With the extra time on my hands, I started to dabble in the world of social media. I started a dietitian page featuring cooking demos and random recipes but never thought anything of it. It turned into my creative outlet.

The more I used Instagram, the more I connected with women who were on a similar boat to the one I was once on, chronically dieting, with a poor relationship with food and their bodies. It dawned on me that it may be an opportunity to help them.

I looked into starting my own practice but I was under the impression that doing so required years of experience at a hospital or a skilled nursing home first, so I continued working at both. Then, I figured why not start a little nutrition coaching “side hustle.” And that’s when my company evolved.

Tara, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a Functional Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist specializing in women’s health. I have worked with women all over the country struggling with hormonal and digestive issues using a functional and sustainable approach to optimize overall health and without sacrificing their well-being.

I first graduated with a degree in sociology and no real plan. I applied to graduate schools to be a speech pathologist, my high school dream, when it suddenly became clear – this career path no longer aligned with my dreams. After consulting with my partner (now husband), I came to the decision that what was best for me was to pursue a career in something that I loved.

I was influenced by diet culture at a young age. Little did I know the damage I was doing to my metabolism, hormones and overall health. Tack on over a decade of oral contraceptives to the equation and that was a recipe for disaster. I knew this was not a sustainable way to live. With my love for food and exercise, I began taking nutrition courses and almost immediately it clicked – nutrition is my passion. Fast forward several years, I graduated with both my Bachelor and Master degrees in Nutrition. I then sat for the national credentialing exam to become a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist. Soon after, I became certified as an Advanced Lab Testing Practitioner.

Using a functional nutrition approach, I was able to optimize my hormones and gut health. Now feeling the best in my body that I ever had (even as a new mama with another baby on the way), I am passionate about helping clients feel their best. With almost a decade of experience, I help women optimize their hormones, mineral and gut health combining both holistic and scientific methods. I tailor my functional nutrition program with specialty lab testing unique to each client I work with. I guide and support clients on their whole body wellness healing journey.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Two books that have greatly influenced my entrepreneurial style of thinking are:

1) You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero – she empowers you to not only want to change and do your best as an entrepreneur, she inspires you to do it. She helps you release those negative beliefs about starting your entrepreneurial journey and really dive into pursuing your dreams!

2) The Optimized Life by Megan Poczekaj, RDN, LD. It’s a wellness blueprint written by a Dietitian for entrepreneurs to strive and achieve their best health. Even as a Dietitian, I found so much joy in reading this book and recommend it to several of my clients who are also in the small business field!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Being open minded and teachable are great attributes to carry in my field. Dietetics and nutrition are specialty fields but they are SUCH young sciences that continue to grow. Specializing even further in the functional nutrition realm has led me to realize that there is still so much to learn about to best help clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nutrition-thyme.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nutritionwithtara_
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tarajdurden

Image Credits
Millennial Media Group