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

Veeta, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you use a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?

The best boss I ever had was my drill sergeant in basic training, Drill Sergeant Carolyn Donaldson. She was extremely hard on me the first time I stepped off the bus for boot camp. Throughout my 6 weeks, she never let up on me and always put me in leadership positions. This CONSISTENT push molded me into the person I am today, a leader. We kept in contact for years after. I did ask her, “Why were you so hard on me?” She said, “I seen potential & the leader in you that you didn’t see.” That stuck with me and still does to this day.

Veeta, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Honestly, when I was preparing to enter the US Army, I took the ASVAB 9 times. Not because I “failed” it per se, but because my recruiter knew I could score higher. I knew I wanted a job in the medical field, but I didn’t know what exactly. The last time taking the ASVAB, I scored high, and it opened a lot of medical jobs. The one that instantly caught my eye was Nutritionist. Growing up in an extremely small town called Prentiss in Mississippi, there were few options for healthy food, especially since we only had one grocery store. I remember eating a lot of pork and fried foods every day. Quite a few of my family members were overweight, and I knew that job would help me gain a better insight into nutrition and help those in need of guidance.

The Army Medical Department (AMEDD) ensures that everyone knows their job through and through. Basic schooling alone consisted of schools on 2 different duty stations, the last part being almost a year. These were requirements to be awarded the job. After and during my tenure, my duty stations allowed me to experience the multi-faceted world of nutrition. I can now take all that experience and knowledge to help people live better lives by understanding how much of a role nutrition plays in our day-to-day lives.

I am most proud of being able to do what I love daily. I wake up thinking of ways to spread the word about health! How many people can say they’re walking in their calling and doing what they LOVE? I get excited when I take on new clients because I REALLY get to know them and help them with their health & wellness journey!

Honestly, I got to where I am by being authentic and showing people I care. I put out a lot of nutrition & fitness information on my social media platforms and through emails. Once most people see this, their interest peaks, and they reach out for coaching. It definitely was NOT easy getting here. Since there are MILLIONS of fad diets, weight loss gimmicks, and lies out there, when I spread the truth and educate on what actually works for weight/fat loss, it gets side-eyed. But just like anything, the truth always prevails.

I want the world to know that HEALTH is WEALTH! Not expensive cars or big houses…because if your health is poor, you will not be here to enjoy it. I want the world to know that taking care of your body is not as hard as the world makes it seems. Start walking a few times a week, cycling, skating, etc. Find what you ENJOY, stay consistent, and those small changes will lead to significant results!

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

YES! There is nothing else that I could see myself doing. When I take my weekly breaks, I still read the latest nutrition studies, articles, and findings. I have a deep desire to make the entire world as healthy as possible and to control what we can to prolong our health.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think the thing that helped me build my reputation within my market is putting out the truth about fitness, nutrition, and wellness. You know people will flock to Google in a heartbeat, for example, and Google, “How many calories do I need to lose weight?” Google will tell you 1,200 calories, and that definitely is wrong…LOL! Every single person on this Earth is different and requires different caloric needs. There is no way someone can get the correct answer from one search. So, I put out a LOT of information on my social media pages about what REALLY works to reach your fitness goals. Nowadays, influencers promote anything to get paid, and sadly, people flock and buy it, thinking it is the solution for good health and/or weight loss.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veetad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veetadsnutrition/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/veetadinkins

Image Credits
My photo: Tory Robinson Photography