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

Stacey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When you’ve been a professional in an industry for long enough, you’ll experience moments when the entire field takes a U-Turn, an instance where the consensus completely flips upside down or where the “best practices” completely change. If you’ve experienced such a U-Turn over the course of your professional career, we’d love to hear about it.

I’m currently in the ‘U-Turn phrase’ of my career. As a nutritional professional, there are certain ideas and messages that are standard for the field. Prior to this year, I never really challenged the status quo but this year has been different. Especially when it comes to messaging (how we refer to foods and lifestyle habits). For example, I no longer use the word ‘healthy’ to describe foods. Calling one food healthy, implies that other foods are unhealthy, and there’s a place/time for all foods. Instead, I choose to refer to these foods as nourishing choices. There are several shifts that focus on culturally sensitive, inclusive, and anti-diet messaging that I now embrace.

Stacey, 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 founded my company, Stacey Woodson, LLC, to create space to nourish my community (especially people of color) physically, mentally, and emotionally by promoting all things nutrition.

As a food activist, author and registered dietitian, I want to empower others by helping them improve their relationship with food. This means becoming a champion for education by teaching people the science around food and wellness while showing them ways to embrace and celebrate our rich history and traditions.

At Stacey Woodson LLC, our services are designed to keep our community educated, healthy, and strong. We provide curated wellness workshops for individuals and organizations – this includes designing and implementing corporate wellness programs, cooking demonstrations, and grocery shopping tours. We support and promote urban gardens in and around Philadelphia and provide education on gardening and curriculum development for organizations. Lastly, our children’s book series, Delicious & Nutritious, exists to give children tools that empower them to try new foods and honor their bodies through nourishing choices.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My long time dream was to become a doctor. After college I had begun the interview process for medical school. During that time, I read an article about nutrition, it was fascinating to me. I had no idea that being a dietitian/nutritionist was a career. I started diving deeper into this career path and decided to go back to school to become a dietitian, instead of pursuing a career in medicine. (Pivot #1)

Once I became a mom, many of my ideas and beliefs started to shift. After having my 3rd child, I left my full-time job as a dietitian. I dedicated the majority of my time to taking care of my young children. However, they inspired me to create a few ‘side hustles’. The first was a body care product line, then a t-shirt line for children and finally my children’s book series.

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

I truly believe that having the right community and connections is integral for success. I had the goal of writing a children’s book for about 6 years. It wasn’t until I was connected to the right person, that I was able to bring my vision to life. Additionally, every major professional opportunity I have received was somehow linked to my network. So, I always say if you are not currently surrounded by a community that can support your dreams, go find them!

Contact Info:

• Website: staceywoodson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motheringwhilemelanated/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-woodson-ms-rd-ldn

Image Credits
Stacey Woodson