We recently connected with Sally Kuzemchak and have shared our conversation below.
Sally, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.
My parents raised me to work hard, meet deadlines, be respectful, and do the very best job I could no matter what, and that has served me well. But the biggest impact they had was after I graduated from college. I had moved from our small town in Pennsylvania to New York City for a summer internship. I wanted to be a writer, and it had become a dream of mine to work at a magazine. My parents were, understandably, extremely nervous about this move. As they pulled away from the city street after dropping me off, my mom turned to my dad in tears, saying, “I can’t believe we just left her in New York City!” But at the end of the summer, I was lonely and overwhelmed, and I wanted to come home. I called my parents to give them the good news. And instead of being happy, my mom said, “I think you should stay and give it a chance.” I was floored. If they had been excited, I would’ve gotten on a bus and given up. Instead, I stayed three more years, landing a dream job at a women’s magazine and getting experience and contacts that led me to a having a successful freelance writing career and starting a hobby blog, Real Mom Nutrition, that eventually became a full-time job. I credit my parents for encouraging me to dig deep and be brave, even though what I was doing scared them a little bit too!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a registered dietitian, author, and founder of Real Mom Nutrition, which is a no-judgment zone about feeding a family. I started my career writing about nutrition for a variety of magazines, including Parents, Self, and Prevention. I began my blog, Real Mom Nutrition, as a hobby. It’s now my full-time job and has included TV appearances, two books, and a variety of spokesperson work for brands.
Real Mom Nutrition provides healthy, easy recipes, realistic advice about feeding kids, and science-backed answers to parents’ biggest questions about nutrition. My goal is to provide a judgment-free space to moms who are looking to build confidence around feeding their families.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
For nearly 20 years I was a full-time freelance writer for magazines covering nutrition, I loved it and was consistently busy. But as magazines began folding one by one, and the work was drying up, I had to pivot. I began to put more energy into my blog, Real Mom Nutrition, by learning skills like photography, video, copywriting, tech, and design work. I built an online community of readers and grew my traffic. Now it’s my full-time job and I feel like I’m publishing my own little magazine.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I built my audience on social media by being honest and authentic. I showed the dirty dishes and kitchen fails. I never wanted to present a false, glossed-over image of my life. I didn’t want to pretend like I had it all figured out or that everything was perfect. I felt like there was too much of that online already. That resonated with people, and I heard time and again how much the honesty was appreciated.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.realmomnutrition.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realmomnutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmomnutrition
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallykuzemchak/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealMomNutrition
Image Credits
Headshot photo (and photo of me at the laptop with my son and dog) by Michelle Daniel Photography