We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sabrina Jarrett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sabrina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

My defining moment came at the 6 year mark of my career as a dietitian. I found myself waking up miserable every day because I knew I was going into work. At that point I had a serious talk with myself. I said ” Ok Sabrina: in 6 years you’re going to be 40 years old. Can you see yourself being like this for another 6 years?” And the answer was a hard no. I decided that I had to do something in life that makes me happy and do it my way. In the 4th grade, I wrote in my autobiography that I was going to be a chef and have my own restaurant. So I always knew that I was going to be a business owner. I truly enjoy everything about nutrition and food. But I also have a passion for fitness. So I said how can I combine my two passions into something that works for me? It came to me: why not have a practice that provides personal training and nutrition counseling?! I wanted to work at a gym to gain experience but wasn’t ready to leave my full time job just yet. I worked my full time job as a renal dietitian during the day and then a part time job as a fitness instructor at night. It was rough but I was determined to make my dream come true. In August 2019, I made the decision that would change my life: I left my full time job and continued working at the gym part time. Later that year, I became a licensed Zumba instructor, certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Then I took the steps to get my business started: read books, did research, obtained licenses, opened business bank accounts. In March 2020, I officially launched my business Body Unique. Then the following week, Covid hit and shut down the world. I thought: oh great, I’m done before I even got started. But again my determination was a driving force. I was not going to let that deter me or bring me down. I pivoted by changing my business model and obtaining contract work as a dietitian. Here I am, two and a half years later, still standing.

Sabrina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started my career as a chef but longed to help people, to have more human interaction. So I went back to school to become a dietitian. It was the perfect move for me because I’m able to help people feel better through food. My main clientele is the 30-40 year old woman who wants to get healthy, be fit but doesn’t know where to start or how to begin. My practice provides in-home and virtual health/nutrition counseling, personal training, on demand fitness classes, menu creation and merchandise. What sets me apart from other practitioners is that I don’t believe in diets and make it so that nutrition and fitness isn’t complicated! I work with your current situation and see what changes we can make to help meet your goal. One of my clients came to me wanting to eat healthier and reduce her blood pressure. We incorporated into her current lifestyle ways to increase fruit and vegetable intake, increase physical activity and decrease stress. After a few months, she reported feeling better inside and out, This enabled her to become pregnant, which was awesome because she and her spouse had been trying to conceive without success. That is my proudest moment thus far.

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

You have to have passion for sure. Being a business owner is not easy, especially when you alone are handling everything. If you don’t have a desire to see your dreams come to fruition, if you don’t see happiness in the hardship you’re facing, then you’re not going to make it.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Social media and referrals by far have led to the success of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.body-unique.com
• Instagram: @bodyuniquellc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bodyfitnut/

Image Credits
Photo of owner by CVD Photography