We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Hake, RDN, LD, CPT. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.
Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
I always knew I wanted to be my own boss. In my early career, I found it very challenging to serve clients in the traditional clinical setting. When it comes to healing your relationship with food and your body through nutrition counseling, I realized I needed more than a 15-minute consult to truly have an impact. The very first step to starting my private practice was identifying my WHY. It’s so overwhelming trying to navigate what to do first, along with the pressure to do it all ‘right.’ By becoming clear in establishing my values, I was able to make decisions through the lens of what mattered most to me.
The next big step for me was finding a mentor. Success leaves tracks, so I reached out to colleagues who aligned with my values, and were already doing what I was doing. Find mentors who challenge you and push you outside your comfort zone because they believe in you until you fully believe in yourself.
I would encourage young professionals to ‘trust your gut’ regardless of the years of ‘experience’ you may or may not have. There is always going to be someone who is smarter, has more resources, more privilege, more connections, etc, however no one is you. That is the beauty of starting your own business, is you get to make decisions that feel right to YOU. The more you can make decisions that align with your values, the more your client will feel that, and resonate with you, regardless of the product or service you are providing.
Katie, 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 Non-Diet Dietitian and Fitness Professional with a passion for helping women to stop dieting and start living. I work with women to eliminate the rigid, all-or-nothing mindset and replace it with one that celebrates life’s small wins to let them grow. Through both nutrition and fitness coaching, I empower women to become the expert of their own bodies. After overcoming my own disordered eating and exercise compulsion, I started a mission to change the fitness industry. I envision a future where our daughters look in the mirror with confidence, where they nourish their bodies, and find the fun in movement. I am also a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and International Fitness Educator. Learn more at www.katiehake.com or by subscribing to Fit Friends Happy Hour Podcast.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I felt called to the field of fitness and dietetics early on, however my confidence was tested many times on my journey to earn my credentials. When I applied to become a Certified Personal Trainer, I took the exam three times until I finally passed. Instead of getting discouraged, I kept my blinders on and focused, knowing that it was my purpose to help people through movement. I now sit on the same certifying board writing test questions for future personal trainers…talk about a full circle moment!
I experienced the same feeling of failure when it came to getting my RDN credentials. After five years of school, 1200+ hours of supervised practice hours, and more, it felt like a punch to the gut when I didn’t pass my exam the first two times. Rather than focusing on the negative, I leaned into my deep sense of purpose. I remembered all the things that did go well to power through. Looking back, these ‘failures’ taught me important lessons in developing grit as a business owner. I like to think that every ‘no’ gets me closer to a ‘yes’ and gives me insight or knowledge I didn’t have before.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As a young fitness professional, I was led to believe that in order to help people and be successful in the business, I had to look a certain way. I took healthy eating and exercising to an extreme, developing disordered habits and beliefs around food and fitness. It took many years of not just unlearning, but creating new experiences myself, to learn that a smaller body does not equal success. By digging into the research behind weight science, intuitive eating, and body image, I was able to reconnect with my body and rebuild trust. While it was a difficult process, I am so grateful for my story, as it allows me to truly connect with clients to help them do the same. I’ve loved learning more, becoming an expert in my field, so I can help others experience the same food freedom and body confidence, regardless of their current size.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.katiehake.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kthake
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiehake/
- Other: www.instagram.com/fitfriendshappyhour www.katiehake.com/masterclass