Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara Roth. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Over the course of your career, have you seen or experienced your field completely flip-flop or change course on something?

In the world of nutrition, the “best” way to eat is a highly debated topic. Keto, vegan, paleo, pescatarian, gluten-free, low fat, carnivore…there seems to always be a new trendy diet and there is certainly no shortage of food myths out there! Throughout the last decade that I’ve worked as a holistic health coach, I have seen what’s considered the “best” diet shift all over the place. I’ll admit that when I was just starting out, it was easy to be influenced by what seemed to be popular at the moment. However, with experience, I’ve learned some really important things that have helped shape my own personal philosophy when it comes to nutrition: 1) The food industry is a big business which means it’s common for money to take priority over what’s actually best for people.
2) Nutrition is not “one size fits all”, so it’s essential to really tune in to see how your body responds to different foods.
3) With that being said, as a general rule of thumb, the more you can eat real, whole foods, and cut out processed foods, the better off you will be.
4) Good nutrition needs to be sustainable which is why it’s critical to avoid deprivation and anything that’s too rigid.

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

In 2012, shortly after obtaining my teaching credential, I became pregnant with my daughter, which changed everything for me. Over the previous few years of having fertility issues, I had developed an interest in nutrition and wellness. That passion just continued to grow, so I enrolled in IIN (Institute for Integrative Nutrition) to expand my knowledge. In 2013 I had my daughter and immediately knew that I wanted to do work that allowed me to spend as much time as possible with her. When my daughter was just a few months old, I was fortunate enough to be hired as a health advisor by a company founded by 2 local SD women. This job allowed me to be home with my daughter and gain incredible experience as a nutrition coach working with thousands of people across the US. In 2019, I decided to branch out and start by own brand- Inspired Health by Sara. I partnered with a local fitness studio, made my own cookbook, and created FUEL- a nutrition program that felt completely aligned with my own nutrition philosophy. The program and the recipes in my cookbooks were a big success which gave me some much needed confidence! Since then, I’ve continued to grow and evolve in my business, while always keeping the same goal- help people become empowered with their health by teaching them nutrition that is simple, delicious & sustainable! Many of my clients are busy moms who are overwhelmed, short on time, and have decision fatigue. My coaching helps them take the guesswork out of what to buy at the store, what to make, what to feed their family, etc. Through the work that I do, I get to see people’s lives TRANSFORM! It never gets old to hear about the improvements in sleep, body composition, energy, mood, performance, skin and digestion that people experience as a result of my guidance. I honestly believe that a big part of what sets me apart from other health professionals is how much I genuinely care about helping my clients thrive.
In 2022, I was hired to assist a friend with her meal prep business, which helped me learn even more about making delicious & healthy food. This inspired me to incorporate private chef services into my offerings, which feels very aligned. With this evolution, I’ve just recently rebranded to FUEL by Sara, and I’m so excited to see what’s to come!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Ah the pivot…there have been a lot of those throughout my years as an entrepreneur. I would say that 2020 was definitely when I had my biggest pivot- as I’m sure many business owners did. When covid hit and schools shut down, I was homeschooling my 1st grade daughter while simultaneously having my 3 year old son (who is full of energy) at home. Throw some other life things (a move, a miscarriage) on top of that, and I had no bandwidth to focus on my business, so I stepped away. This was a tough pill to swallow because I had just started my own brand in 2019 and I was experiencing really great momentum. Even though it was a difficult decision, it was one I needed to make, and I have zero regrets about it. I will say, that it was a bit of a struggle to get some momentum back. I felt a little lost with my business and had trouble finding clarity about exactly the direction I wanted to go with it. Luckily, I have some great mentors, and a wonderful support system that helped me find my way, even if it took a little longer than expected.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that something should be perfect before I put it out. My perfectionist tendencies have hindered me so much in the past because I was afraid of doing or saying something that wasn’t good enough. Eventually I knew this mindset had to stop because it was not going to lead me anywhere successful. Now I consider myself a recovering perfectionist, and even though it’s not always comfortable, I’ve learned to be ok with putting out content that isn’t 100% perfect and polished.

Contact Info:

• Website: fuelbysara.com
• Instagram: @fuelbysara and @sara_c_roth

Image Credits
@katcarrphotography (main photo) @shilohcolleenphotography @ariellelevyphoto