We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Megan Hansen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Megan below.

Hi Megan, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

When I was in school studying to become a dietitian, we were taught to put clients on low calorie diets and send them to the gym for cardio to drop weight. I used the methods I was learning in school to fuel my own (unneeded) 5 lbs weight loss that turned into a 20 pound weight gain, eating disorder, and battle with food that would last for the next several years. When I started my nutrition coaching practice 5 years ago, I knew I wanted to do things very differently than I was taught.

Almost every client that walked through my virtual door already knew what they “should” and ‘shouldn’t” be eating, most were exercising regularly, and many were tracking their macros or calories meticulously. Most already had a solid grasp on what foods contain protein, fat, and carbs. I didn’t need to teach them the ingredients to weight loss – I needed to give them the recipe.

My mission is to help women take the power over their bodies back that has been lost to the diet industry. And I do this by teaching them how their bodies and metabolism works. Once they have a grasp on how their body actually metabolizes different foods, and how their exercise, sleep, stress levels, and gut health are connected, they gain the confidence they need to be consistent and weight loss becomes so much less dramatic and painful.

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

I’m a registered dietitian and I own a virtual nutrition coaching business with a focus on weight loss and metabolism. We’re a community of almost 30 dietitians and nearly 5000 past and present clients. We want to help our clients lose weight, but more than anything, we want them to eat like normal people. And we do this by teaching them about how their bodies work and helping them increase their metabolism instead of decreasing their calories. This creates a mindset shift around food that allows them to let go of food rules and the all-or-nothing mentality, which in turn creates consistency. And isn’t consistency the key to everything in life?

What I’m most proud of is how slowly we’ve built this business out over the last 5 years. At this point, we have a full suite of services that begin with a 30-day program that rolls into our monthly membership, 1-on-1 VIP coaching, seasonal meal plans if you’re not ready to commit, and a coach certification program for other RDs. We’ve patiently built this, making sure each level over delivers.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

My #1 piece of advice is that if you are not a good manager, don’t be the manager. There’s nothing worse and more ineffective than being the leader of the pack and sucking at it. Your team is your most important asset in the company and they need to feel seen and heard – and, they need to be managed well if you want to have a well-oiled machine! Hire a chief of staff earlier than you think you need it to manage your people. Even if it’s only part-time.

I did this within the last year and I only wish I would have done it sooner. One of the best traits you can have as a CEO is self-awareness! If you’re too busy to be attentive to the team, it’s time to bring someone in to take care of them.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Having personal problems can make it tough to show up and perform at work. Having personal problems can make it nearly impossible to show up and perform as the leader of your company while also trying to build and scale. In my first few years of business, I went through a divorce, near bankruptcy, pregnancy, and the birth of my daughter who I now have full custody of. It has not been an easy road.

What gets you through the most difficult moments in business – whether it’s due to personal or financial reasons or simply just growing pains – in my opinion, is your “why”. And that “why” has to run DEEP. This sounds really cliche, but ask yourself what you would do every day if you had a billion dollars in your bank account. I think understanding the answer to that question can really help you understand your mission. Because today, your “why” might be to simply be able to pay your bills and not have to drag yourself to the office every day. But that won’t be your why in 5 years. So, what is it? THAT’S the stuff that gets you out of bed every morning when life feels impossible. That is what builds resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: metabolismmakeover.co
• Instagram: @megan.the.dietitian

Image Credits
emily forro