We were lucky to catch up with Leslie Bobo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leslie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

As a dietitian many clients come to me thinking that I care exactly what is on their plate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Hear me out. Food is so much more than just fuel, it encompasses experiences, emotions, cultures, etc. So do I care how you feel? Of course I do, but if we are so focused on food choices that it is causing mental distress then it doesn’t matter what we are (or aren’t eating). With that, the best advice I give my clients is to tune out external messages, and tune into internal cues. What causes a reaction for someone else might not affect you at all. In the world we live in there are so many new messages daily about what we “should” and “shouldn’t” have, even as a professional in the field I can’t keep up with it all. Of course, if you are having specific healthcare concerns occurring I would reach out to a medical professional. Overall, no one knows your body better than you do. If we are constantly relying on external messages that are telling us what to do we are getting further and further away from our own truth. I help clients daily turn to their own intuition and I offer gentle support for sustainable practices. My clients leave our sessions with a sense of clarity and confidence to show up for themselves.

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

I like to refer to myself as an untraditional dietitian. While I do care about helping my clients feel great, I don’t care to provide a specific meal plan or rules/restrictions to get there (unless of course they have a true allergy or intolerance). My goal is to help my clients heal their relationship with food, their bodies, and movement. This is where the name All About Well stems from. Through my work with clients we encompass many aspects of wellness and focus on sustainable habits that feel good to the individual I am serving.

I am passionate about this work because I have been in a similar position to many of the clients I see. I have dealt with depression, poor body image, and a toxic relationship with food and movement. It wasn’t until I was well into my dietetic internship that I knew I wanted to make shifts and show up for future clients in a different way.

There are plenty of voices out there telling us exactly what we should and shouldn’t do, but I encourage my clients to tune into their own needs. I even tell them throughout our sessions to take what lands with them and leave the rest, I do not know their bodies and minds better than they do. With that, I do provide tools to help my clients feel great! My approach to healing is through science backed information (ex: what foods we can pair together to prevent blood sugar spike and crash) and holistic tools such as journaling, yoga, and meditation. I do want to emphasize, if you are recovering from an eating disorder, focusing on decreasing behaviors should be the first priority and I encourage you to work with a team to support you.

When I begin my work with clients it is extremely important to me to get to know them, their goals, and how I can best support them. Each human is a unique individual that deserves to be treated that way, not given a blanket “plan” to “heal.” We set intentions together and I am available to support them in between our sessions. There is truly no better feeling than seeing my clients reach their goals, whether they made a menu plan (note: menu plan, not meal plan) for the week or took time out of a few days to breathe and journal. Every win is a win.

That said, this work is not all about reaching goals. Sure there are things that my clients implement that make them feel better, but overall we are working together to decrease stress around food choices and have some fun with food! I encourage my clients to go to farmers markets, try new things from the grocery store, and to try new flavors in the kitchen. I truly believe the kitchen is a great place to begin healing your relationship with food, as you can be honest about your preferences and try new things.

In the world we live in we are constantly being told we need to buy expensive things and stick with strict prescriptions in the name of health, but I help clients make peace with food and themselves. The great part is my practice is fully virtual and I am licensed in many states across the U.S. so I get to see clients and support them in their home environment.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I want to start by saying it is extremely important to always be open to learning new information in the field of dietetics. If you are not open to learning and growing/shifting your views you will be doing yourself and your clients a disservice. I highly recommend supervision as well. Training and knowledge aside, I think the most helpful thing to succeed in the field of dietetics is to hold compassion for clients and treat them like the humans that they are! I hear so often from my clients that they go into their doctors offices and they do not feel seen or heard, they just feel like another case. Take the time to listen to each of your clients and recognize when something feels out of your expertise. Your clients will recognize your authenticity and this will grow more meaningful relationships.

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

I wanted to touch on this question because there is not a course in undergrad that teaches you about entrepreneurship in dietetics! Many of the things I’ve learned about starting a business is through a google search, reading books, and speaking with other dietitians. I think a great place to start is through getting to know other clinicians in line with your work. You can refer to each other, and more than that you can partner together to support clients. I also want to say I think social media is a great tool, but do not let it be your only form of connecting with potential clients. Make a website, send out a newsletter, maybe even start a podcast! You don’t need a huge following to reach people. Share information that you want others to know about! When you do that you don’t have to focus on “sales” because clients will be interested in working with you based on the messages you share, not on your sales pitch.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.allaboutwell.com
• Instagram: @allaboutwell
• Other: Pinterest – @allaboutwell

Image Credits
Kellen Eschman Photogrpahy Food photography is my own