Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Babb
Michelle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my career in marketing and communications and was fortunate enough to work for a unique company called HealthComm that was helping educate healthcare professionals on the benefits of using food as medicine. It was that job, along with my experience at a PR agency where I had food and nutrition clients, that made me decide to go back to school later in life. I earned a master’s in nutrition from Bastyr University and became a registered dietitian. I opened a private practice in 2008, started teaching cooking classes, and wrote a few books on anti-inflammatory eating and mindful eating.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Making the decision to quit a lucrative job in PR and go back to school came with its own set of challenges. I hadn’t a been a student for 13 years and the program at Bastyr required a lot of prerequisites and was a full-time endeavor. After I graduated from the program and did my internship, I opened a private practice, hoping that “if I build it, they will come.” Of course that’s never how it happens. So I really had to hone my marketing skills again and find a way to generate awareness of my practice and build community with other healthcare providers. It took about four years to get my business to a level that seemed like it would be financially sustaining, and there were lots of ups and downs in those years.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I specialize in anti-Inflammatory eating and tend to work with a lot of clients who struggle with digestive issues. I also use an anti-dieting approach to help people who are interested in changing their relationship with food and working on body appreciation. My most recent book is called “Mastering Mindful Eating,” and it was definitely a passion project for me. Everyday I see people in my practice who have struggled with their weight, their body image, and their self confidence because of our diet obsessed culture. It’s been so rewarding to see clients ditch the dieting mentality and really embrace the concept of mindful, intentional eating. I also teach cooking classes through PCC Natural Markets to try to make healthy eating more accessible to those with limited cooking skills.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eatplaybe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eat_play_be/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Michelle-Babb-Nutrition-Lifestyle-Coach/100063439854390/
