We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabella Morin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Isabella below.
Isabella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?
I don’t often let myself go to the version of life of working a regular job, and that’s for quite a few reasons. Working a regular job is not my reality nor is it what I want. I’d rather focus my thoughts on growing myself as a business owner than concentrate on the alternate reality. I tell people all the time that becoming a business owner was the best thing I could’ve done for myself. I have always had the type of work ethic that thrives off of productivity, making systems efficient, utilizing my time the best way I know how, and continually pushing myself to be better than I was yesterday. I enjoy having the autonomy to make my own schedule, rules, and systems for implementing services. Even in college I would daydream about what it would be like when I became my own boss. I took notes about how I would run my business to remind myself exactly what I want to implement.
I know that if I worked a regular job instead of being a business owner, I would always wonder what my life would be like if I had followed through on my entrepreneurial dream. I am grateful beyond what words can express for the people in my corner who are supporting me and witnessing me live this reality; I can’t imagine doing anything else. To say I am happier as a business owner is an understatement, I thrive in the entrepreneurial role.
However, being a business owner doesn’t make anything easier. My business, services, and personal reputation are carried on my shoulders, not a corporate entity. I must work hard to serve my clients. The work-life balance doesn’t come as naturally for me as it does others. Sometimes I wish I had co-workers because there is an aspect of the entrepreneurial role that can feel isolating. However, even with all these challenges I’ve encountered along the way, I still consider being a business owner the best thing for me. There are things I juggle and sacrifice differently because of this choice, yet, I would still make the same choice all over again.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Isabella Morin and I am a registered and licensed dietitian. I am a proud graduate of the University of Georgia, earning both my Bachelor of Science and Master’s degrees in Dietetics (Go Dawgs!). I completed my Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University, which brought me to Nashville. I fell in love with the city and its people and haven’t wanted to leave.
I focus primarily on holistic wellness and utilize Nutrition Response Testing (NRT). NRT is a non-invasive muscle testing technique that allows me to read the body and use nutrition to strengthen individual organs. This allows me to get to the root of the issue to produce long-term healing and results. As each organ receives the proper nutrition and gets stronger, it will function the way it was designed to, and alleviate all of the unwanted symptoms.
As a dietitian, the services I provide are creating individual whole-food nutritional supplement protocols for my clients, meal plans, and dietary guidelines. The muscle testing approach primarily sets me apart from others, as reading the body tells me exactly which nutrients are lacking and how much your body needs. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each client is given undivided attention with a protocol that specifically fits their body’s needs.
Clients see me for a broad variety of health disparities they are experiencing, including, but not limited to: digestive issues, hormone imbalances, sleep disruptions, desire to lose weight, musculoskeletal pain, chronic symptoms, illness, digestive cleanse, behavioral issues in children, depression/anxiety, and the list goes on. The root of all the items listed goes to the food we consume. I help my clients utilize the power of food to heal and sustain their lifestyles. There is no symptom that food can’t heal, and it’s a joy to me that my role is to educate and provide my clients with the restoration that is available to them.
My favorite part of working in this role is hearing the success stories from clients about how chronic issues went away when they started consuming the right foods. I have an abundance of clients who are now able to eat foods they once stayed away from due to improper digestion. My favorite breakthrough was one that recently happened. A client had been seeing me for 6 months because her A1c blood marker put her in the pre-diabetic range and she desperately wanted to stay off medication. Through our sessions and the client following the nutrition protocol given to her, she was able to lower her A1c blood marker from 6.0 to 5.6, getting her completely out of the pre-diabetic range, and her cholesterol from 196 to 181. These are just a few examples of the stories I hear daily.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Referrals! You are your own testimony. I strive to create a safe space where healing takes place. I also try to explain what I am doing and my approach as clearly as possible to make the client feel comfortable. I welcome all questions and make sure the client is on board before starting their journey with me. I am approachable and communicative outside of our appointment sessions as well, and do my best to make sure each client feels seen and heard.
The best way to get others in the door is for my current clients to tell others how they have found healing and removal of all their unwanted symptoms. I also have a referral program that benefits the client referring to others and the client they referred. It encourages both of them to continue their health journey with me.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As with most of us, the year 2020 caused us to pivot and surrender the control we thought we had. 2020 was the year I was supposed to spend my summer in West Africa serving the impoverished populations. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that trip of a lifetime was canceled. This was heartbreaking for me. I had been planning this experience for two years and intended to work with families teaching young mothers how to nutritionally care for their children and themselves with the limited resources available in their small villages. Life is full of challenges and adapting to those challenges that do not go in our favor. I learned that I cannot dwell on things I cannot control, and I must persevere to find another way to overcome barriers. Flexibility and optimism are two essential traits I try to carry with me in all aspects of life, and they were expressed in 2020 more than ever.
In place of this canceled experience, I obtained a role working with a chiropractor and functional medicine doctor, primarily focusing on nutrition, in my hometown of Marietta, Georgia. This sparked a new interest and desire to help people with a natural approach to healing. It was hard to see in the moment the fruit that would come from the year 2020, but in hindsight, I have an abundance of gratitude and joy. The role in place of my summer in West Africa is what made me who I am today. Because of this unique opportunity, I now have the knowledge and passion to pour into my clients. My curiosity and excitement for food as medicine got the best of me and helped me start the dreams that I am now living.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.holistichope615.com
- Instagram: @holistic_hope615
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/isabella-morin-ms-rdn
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/holistic-hope-nashville
