We recently connected with Alex Leibold and have shared our conversation below.

Alex, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I was completing my masters in health and human nutrition simultaneously while completing my dietetic internship. Your internship is really a chance to try see different types of jobs for dietitians and see what interests you. I was going through my rotations and enjoying them, but nothing was really captivating me. I then found a book online called “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch. I read Intuitive Eating and realized this is what I wanted to do. The book challenged me to look at my own relationship with food and to view nutrition counseling in a whole new light. From that point on, I knew I wanted to specialize in eating disorders/disordered eating and help people heal their relationships with food and their body. Once I finished my masters and internship, I applied to every open position for an eating disorder dietitian in the country. I was hired to work in a treatment facility and have loved this facet of nutrition work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The story of how I became a dietitian is an interesting one. I actually never dreamed about being a dietitian or even had it on my list of careers. I originally wanted to be a chef and attended culinary school. Throughout high school and culinary school, I struggled with disordered eating. I was constantly dieting and failing at the diets. My weight fluctuated and food started to feel like a toxic best friend. In culinary school, my disordered behaviors became more intense and I started to resent cooking. So one day I decided to quit and thought “I will study nutrition so I can learn the secret to dieting.” Funny enough, once I transferred schools and started studying nutrition, I realized there is no secret and it is all about balance and connecting with your body in order to nourish it.
As I mentioned in the previous question, I found Intuitive Eating and completely quit dieting. I worked in different treatment centers and specialized in eating disorders. I’ve now started my own private practice, Supper Club Nutrition Therapy. I work one on one with clients and group therapy/meal support. I love teaching others how to nourish and be kind to their body, as well as challenge diet culture rhetoric that is damaging and overall misinformation.
I focus on highly individualizing my client care and trying to meet my client where they are in their own journey with their relationship with food.
I am most proud of the fact that I practice what I preach. I truly believe in what I am teaching and I will never ask a client to do something I am not willing to do. I always want to make sure that my client knows I am in this journey with them each step and there is no right or wrong. It is never too late to repair the fractured relationship with food and your body!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In my business, the most effective strategy for growing my clientele is through networking. For my clients, I focus on a multidisciplinary team approach, meaning I collaborate with their physicians and/or therapists. It is really important to build relationships with other providers so you can in turn provide the best level of care for your clients. I prioritize going to networking events and speaking with other professionals (therapists, dietitians, physicians, psychiatrists, etc) to get my business name out there and collaborate on client work or group work.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Networking and collaborating with professionals regarding client cases helped with building my reputation within this field. I make sure to prioritize collaboration with these providers so our clients receive the best support. I always try to answer questions/emails in a timely manner and make myself available for any provider phone calls. I also think my approach with the client has helped build my reputation within this market. Client feedback is very important and when a client shares a positive experience, more providers are willing to refer their clients to my practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.supperclubnutrition.com
• Instagram: supperclubnutrition
• Linkedin: Alexandra Leibold
• Other: Health Profs : https://www.healthprofs.com/us/nutritionists-dietitians/alex-leibold-new-york-ny/1366371

Image Credits

Keilea Orr
Rachel Uniatowski