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

Stevie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

After graduating with my BS in dietetics and nutrition, I took a chance and moved to Washington DC where I sat for my board exam and started work as a RD in a small, not for profit community hospital in NE DC. I then spent the next 6 years working in clinical nutrition there and at the department of veterans affairs working with a variety of clients in both home-based primary care, head and neck cancer clinic, and inpatient. During this time I also started and continue racing long distance triathlons, marathons, and ultramarathons. While I created an amazing and supportive community and loved that aspect of my life in DC– I was unhappy and burnt out in my work life. In 2018 I decided to take a chance on me and quit my full-time job to go to grad school, move back home to Buffalo, and work contract jobs and combine my lifelong passion of being an athlete with my love for nutrition and helping others.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a registered dietitian, board certified in sports nutrition. I never planned on being specializing in sports nutrition when I began my career and made the choice to study nutrition. But through networking and my achievements as an athlete I felt a drive to help support other athletes and active individuals to learn how to best support their bodies not just for performance but also for optimal health. Much like myself, many of my clients do sport and activity as a hobby and a life-enhancer and balance a lot of other plates in their lives! I help teach and guide my clients how to listen to their body’s feedback and develop a sustainable approach to nutrition without rigid or restrictive approaches. I feel strongly about helping athletes create a positive relationship with food, exercise, and their body. I have been a lifelong athlete– from team to endurance sports and I am proud of when my clients begin to see improvements and start to feel better, helping them to show up in ALL aspects of their lives and feel confident in eating to support their lives.

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

Referrals! I aim to show up ready to give my clients 110% and help them feel safe, supported, and able to collaborate with me without judgement. In doing so, I have created strong relationships with other professionals and past and current clients.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Around a year after starting grad school, I was faced with a health challenge that lead to a drastic change in my life as a human, athlete, and later-to-be business owner. In January 2019 I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and that year I also made the hard choice to step back from long distance triathlon to do what was best for my overall health. While I have been able to remain active, I have worked through the grief and sense of loss of my former self. But through this journey, I have become stronger and more balanced human and athlete which has allowed me to build my practice and help more people!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stevielynrd.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevielynlyn/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevie-lyn-smith-ms-rdn-cssd-cdn/