Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jen Allen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jen, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

My current boss has had such a positive impact on my career and life. I have been working for him for over two years and hope to retire with him and his company. He models such great leadership skills by being sure to listen to what his employees have to say. He values work-life balance and makes sure that his employees are well taken care of in the workplace and outside of it as well. By having a boss that is so authentic, innovative, generous, and kind, I can say with confidence that I hope to continue working for him for the entirety of my career. One great thing about his approach to leadership is that he has each employee set their own annual goals (both professional and personal). He reviews these with each person and actively tries to make sure action steps are being taken to help us reach these goals. For example, one of my goals is to incorporate my expertise and passion for fitness into my work more and he has made a point to see that I am given the opportunity to create programming that involves fitness for future client offerings. He has and continues to make a lasting impact on each of his employees.

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

My professional journey started after graduating from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania with my Bachelor’s in Exercise Science in 2015. I began my professional life as a Fitness Specialist which involved personal training, group fitness and more. From there I grew into more managerial roles within the health and fitness industry. I became a Wellness Center Coordinator during my time in Florida and then a Group Fitness Manager during my time in Colorado. In each of these roles, I always found ways to incorporate corporate wellness aspects into my work as well. Since graduating college, I continued to build up my credentials by obtaining several certifications. Those certifications include the AFAA Group Fitness Instructor, ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist, Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist, LesMills BodyAttack Instructor, and a Wellcoaches Certified Health and Well-Being Coach. After making a move to Texas in 2019, I found myself at a crossroads and transitioned from the fitness-focused part of the industry into the administrative side of the health and wellness industry. I now work as a remote Administrative Manager and Corporate Wellness Specialist for a medical nutrition therapy clinic based out of Houston. The company is Houston Family Nutrition and its sister clinic is Nutrition Behavior Therapy. We provide a wide range of services for local clients in Houston and beyond as we offer virtual services as well. A few of our offerings include in-person or virtual nutrition counseling (out of pocket and insurance-based options), grocery store tours, cooking lessons, body composition testing, and much more! We have a few new and exciting programs we are planning to lauch in the near future to expand our reach in the health and wellness industry. These programs will include fitness and corporate wellness features. I have truly loved working for Houston Family Nutrition and have enjoyed growing with the company. It is rewarding to look back on where I started in 2015 to where I am now in 2022, even in the face of a worldwide pandemic. I feel very fortunate to say that I have a job I love !

Have you ever had to pivot?

Just a few years ago I had to pivot both my career and life when my husband and I moved to Texas. I had been working in the fitness industry for the past four years. This type of work had me very active during my days. I was on my feet for at least half of my day each day and taught several group fitness classes as part of my typical week. I was also constantly surrounded by people (which I loved). However, when we made the move to Texas, I started out jobless. I spent three months searching for something relatable to what I had done in the past. However, the opportunities in our area were sparse. So, I decided to take a chance on a change and applied for a remote administrative job with a nutrition company. I love the job I hold now, but it is VERY different than what I was used to while working in gyms and wellness centers. I went from being active each day for work to sitting behind a screen. And instead of having co-workers, clients, or group fitness participants around me, I now have my dog. Yes, it is a complete change and it did take a lot of adjusting. But, I am so happy with my current position that I believe this change was for the better! There are aspects of my past work that I miss, though I look back on those moments with pride and admiration. After getting through the pandemic, I certainly plan on getting back into teaching group fitness within my current company as we develop programming to make up for the parts of my old life that I miss.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing clientele recently has been expanding virtual services and becoming providers within insurance groups. Doing these two things has really widened our reach and has brought in more new clients and helped us keep current ones. Especially with COVID hitting so fast and unexpectedly back in 2020, we really made the most of our virtual offerings and continue to use them as the corporate world turns to more hybrid settings. Additionally, going from a private-pay clinic to offering both private-pay and insurance-based options has been a great way to reach more of those who really need nutrition services to help with their overall health.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://houstonfamilynutrition.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houstonfamilynutrition/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houstonfamilynutrition/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxDyAgPjyEr4BLjXrOHTgzA