Welcome to the Pursuing Private Practice podcast, hosted by Jennifer McGurk, a Registered Dietitian and business coach. This podcast is your go-to resource for everything related to building and growing your private practice, whether you’re just getting started, leading your team, or celebrating a season of coasting.
In each episode, we’ll dive into the real stories of dietitians navigating the ups and downs of private practice. You’ll hear about the challenges, wins, and lessons learned from dietitians who help clients reinvent wellbeing on their health journey. Get ready for actionable tips, proven strategies, and a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in private practice.
This show will empower you with the knowledge and inspiration to run your private practice like the CEO you are. CEO is not just a title— it means you are Choosing Extraordinary Opportunities.
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Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and team member Courtney Vickery, CEO of Declet Designs, to talk about the LEAD stage of business. This stage is focused on the importance of hiring and leading a team. Hear insights on how dietitians can step into leadership roles, overcome the fear of hiring, and build a sustainable business.
Whether you already have a team, are ready to hire, or may want to hire in the future, this episode is for you.
Introduction to the LEAD Stage: Learn why hiring is essential for expanding your business without compromising self-care and boundaries.
New Resources for Hiring and Leading: Discover a free guide and upcoming Team Toolkit to assist in the hiring and leadership process.
Challenges and Solutions in the LEAD Stage: Explore common fears in hiring and strategies for building a strong company culture.
Combining Business School and the EXPAND Curriculum: The new Business School Mastermind will support dietitians in the LEAD stage of business as well as dietitians starting and growing.
Celebrating Success in the LEAD Stage: Emphasize the importance of focusing on your strengths and achieving business sustainability.
Tune in to gain the tools, mindset shifts, and practical strategies you need to confidently LEAD your business to the next level.
Timestamps:
00:28 Free Guide and Team Toolkit: Two resources are highlighted: a free guide for hiring preparation and an upcoming Team Toolkit for the hiring process.
01:37 Podcast Series Introduction: Jennifer introduces the podcast series focused on the five stages of business: SET UP, START, GROW, LEAD, and COAST.
02:24 Resources for Different Business Stages: Various resources are available for different stages of business, including toolkits for marketing, finances, and team building.
03:56 Business School Mastermind Program: The Business School Mastermind program is introduced as a comprehensive support system for dietitians.
05:46 LEAD Stage of Business Discussion: Jennifer and Courtney discuss the LEAD stage of business, emphasizing the necessity of hiring to avoid burnout.
08:53 Challenges and Mindset in the LEAD Stage: Insights from the EXPAND program highlight challenges in hiring and leadership, focusing on building company culture.
18:24 Skills and Requirements for the LEAD Stage: Key skills for moving forward include hiring, training, managing, and leading a team effectively.
21:03 Celebrating the LEAD Stage: The celebration involves stepping into one's zone of genius and delegating tasks to maintain business sustainability.
This conversation will leave you feeling empowered to build the team you need, so you can lead with confidence, protect your energy, and grow a sustainable practice.
🧠 Feeling overwhelmed trying to build your team?
The Lead Your Team Toolkit helps you hire, manage, and lead with confidence. Whether it’s your first hire or your fifth, you’ll get clear steps, templates, and support to grow your business without burnout.
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👥 Ready to stop doing it all yourself?
Hire Your Next Team Member is a free training that walks you through the first steps of hiring support for your business. You’ll learn how to plan your team structure, write clear job descriptions, and lead with confidence, without the overwhelm.
Start building the support you need. Sign up for the free workshop today.
Join Jennifer McGurk, CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and team member Courtney Vickery, CEO of Declet Designs, to talk about the GROW stage of business. This is a stage where you'll focus on expanding your reach, refining your marketing strategies, and implementing new systems, all while continuing to serve your clients effectively. This stage of business is all about getting fully booked but on your terms. In this episode, Jennifer walks you through the ups and downs and practical advice for marketing, finances, and much more.
Whether you're looking to refine your current practice or considering launching new offers, this episode is packed with insights and advice to help you grow sustainably.
GROW Stage of Business: Transitioning from the start stage, the GROW stage involves defining "fully booked" and personalizing business goals with systems and strategies.
Challenges and Considerations: Key challenges include understanding finances, setting boundaries, and implementing effective marketing strategies.
Launching New Offers: Business owners are encouraged to refine current offers and consider audience size before launching new services or products.
Graduating from the GROW Stage: Success in this stage involves understanding conversion rates, maintaining sustainability, and celebrating achievements.
This episode will empower you to make strategic decisions, streamline your systems, and confidently step into the next level of your business growth.
Timestamps:
00:29 Introduction to the GROW Stage: Jennifer McGurk introduces the GROW stage, highlighting its personalized nature and the importance of defining "fully booked" for each practitioner.
05:13 Defining the GROW Stage: Jennifer explains how dietitians can identify if they are in the GROW stage, focusing on confidence in client work and setting personal business goals.
Join Jennifer McGurk, the CEO of Pursuing Private Practice, and Julie Duffy Dillon, Registered Dietitian and host of Find Your Food Voice® podcast. Julie shares her journey of writing her book, "Find Your Food Voice." The conversation dives into the business aspects of writing a book, the challenges faced, and the strategies that worked for Julie.
Whether you’re thinking about writing a book or have some big business projects in mind, this episode is perfect for you.
Writing Process and Challenges: Julie shares her initial expectations versus the reality of writing, including managing chronic migraines and adjusting her writing schedule for better productivity.
Purpose of the Book: The book focuses on eating disorders and a non-diet approach, providing therapeutic and practical tools to help people find their food voice.
Finding Your Voice in Business: The conversation covers overcoming imposter syndrome, creating space for growth, and tips for setting up a productive workday.
Advice for Aspiring Authors: Julie encourages aspiring authors to write a book when the time is right, emphasizing patience and readiness based on her personal experience.
Timestamps:
02:51 Writing Process Expectations: Julie shares her initial expectations of the writing process and how she adapted her approach to writing in smaller, manageable chunks to accommodate her chronic migraine condition.
08:51 Book Content Overview: Julie talks about the content of her book, "Find Your Food Voice," which aims to provide practical tools and therapeutic guidance for those struggling with eating disorders and diet culture.
12:29 Celebrating Success: Julie discusses her plans to celebrate the book's release, including in-person and virtual events, and the importance of celebrating wins in business.
19:44 Future Business Plans: Julie shares her thoughts on the future of her business, considering a pivot away from one-on-one client work towards more writing and speaking opportunities.
Bringing Your Own Unique Perspective Into Intuitive Eating with Nicole Mareno
Season 1
Monday, May 18, 2020 • Duration 38:47
My guest today is Nicole Mareno, and this was her first ever podcast interview! And she does such a fantastic job. She explains her story, talks about everything she went through in her own recovery, discusses how she uses her special skills as a registered nurse to work in the field of eating disorder recovery, and how she integrates her work as a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor to make a big impact with her clients.
I was really inspired by this episode. Nicole is such a special person. I’m so excited for everyone to get to know her and get inspired by how she brings a unique twist to Intuitive Eating as a registered nurse. So many of us can also bring something a little bit different to Intuitive Eating using our own personalities, our own training, and our own credentials to better serve our ideal client.
Some of the topics discussed include:
Nicole’s unique journey to Intuitive Eating
Changes Nicole has made to her business since the start of COVID-19
Setting Boundaries that Honor Your Values with Stefani Reinold
Season 1
Monday, May 11, 2020 • Duration 47:43
I’m so excited to finally bring you an episode with Stefani Reinold. She is one of my best business friends. We have had many different versions of this conversation privately, and we kept saying, “We should record this!” because we knew that it could be helpful to others as we are all processing our own version of the new normal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stefani brings so much to this conversation -- she has her MD, a background in psychiatry, and is now a therapeutic provider. Many dietitians don't have therapeutic training unless they’re in the eating disorder field and are receiving their own supervision and training. This conversation will be very helpful to so many people as we continue to process our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions around the COVID-19 crisis and try to determine how to best move forward while also taking care of ourselves (that’s number one!), our families, our business and clients, and all of the new responsibilities that many of us now have.
Some of the topics discussed include:
Processing our experiences (and an explanation of what “processing” actually means!)
Handling outside pressure and feeling guilty for taking a break
Navigating Uncertainty During a Crisis with Fiona Sutherland
Season 1
Monday, April 13, 2020 • Duration 01:02:40
Fiona is the first guest that I interviewed post-Coronavirus outbreak. This episode is the perfect way to open up the really difficult conversations that we are going to be having moving forward as the crisis continues and both our clients and ourselves attempt to navigate the uncertainty. The work that we do with our clients is completely different than it was prior to this crisis.
This is an unprecedented time in our world, and we need to continue to have these conversations. None of us have the answers. All we can really do is bond together, build community, go forward in our businesses, and try to do the very best that we can.
This conversation with Fiona helped me tremendously, it felt like a supervision session. Our clients need us now more than ever. We need each other now more than ever. I hope that this episode brings you some peace and some permission to feel all the feelings, and I hope that this episode brings you some joy!
Some of the topics discussed include:
What can we do when it feels like the world is crashing down around us?
Can we actually still run our businesses right now? + the advice I wish I could have given myself two weeks ago!
Best practices for running a virtual practice
The importance of having our own self-care practices in place
The Importance of Self-Care for Clinicians with Anna Sweeney
Season 1
Monday, March 30, 2020 • Duration 44:01
The topic of self-care is more important than ever, and Jennifer welcomes Anna Sweeney to better understand and define what it means, on this inspiring episode of the Pursuing Private Practice Podcast.
Anna shares her journey of discovering Intuitive Eating while working as an eating disorder dietitian, and how she regrets the way she had been previously working with clients, motivating her to learn more and expand her understanding of Health At Every Size®. She tells how she started out in private practice part-time while still working at a clinic, and with her chronic health condition becoming more challenging, her transition to open a solo practice, Whole Life Nutrition, to better accommodate her circumstances.
Together, they shine a light on self-care and how Anna now balances her changing self-care needs with the challenges of clinical work and running a business. She explains how her condition forces her to be more thoughtful of boundaries and limitations, and work in alignment with her values and needs. They also discuss how demonstrating self-care for ourselves as a provider is a good role-model for clients.
“It’s really important for us as well to acknowledge and make space for our own stuff. I don’t think it makes us less effective at our jobs; quite contrary, we learn more about ourselves and are able to provide more quality care because of our life experiences.” – Anna Sweeney
Some of the topics discussed include:
How her vulnerability with a disability levels the field and deepens her connection with clients, by being a human first, practitioner second.
Her definition of self-care with her changing needs, and how she has to continually re-define what that looks like.
Her reflection on the success of her Instagram account, and how she shares her writing skills to talk about things that really matter.
“Self-care makes it possible for us to do this work, particularly from a running a business perspective. Making sure we are tending to ourselves in all the ways makes it possible to show up in the best of ways professionally.” – Anna Sweeney
Creating a Professional Eating Disorders Membership with Sumner Brooks
Season 1
Monday, March 23, 2020 • Duration 48:11
Sumner Brooks, founder of EDRDPro sits down with Jennifer on this inspiring episode of the Pursuing Private Podcast. You’ll hear Sumner’s journey of embracing Intuitive Eating, how a business idea kept her up all night, and how EDRDPro is uplifting the dietetics industry with training for eating disorders around the world.
Together they begin with Sumner sharing her own journey of disordered eating throughout her youth and school, including as a dietetic intern. She shares the pivotal and life-changing moment of seeing Evelyn Tribole speak at a CE event, which ultimately led her to find her own path of Intuitive Eating.
Specializing as a sports dietitian early in her career, she tells how her personal recovery journey influenced her professional work, and her desire to stay in private practice in order to specialize in eating disorders.
With sudden life changes including a new baby, a divorce, and a move to Portland, OR requiring the closure of her practice in her familiar community, Sumner reflects on starting fresh in a new location with no connections or referrals, making it necessary to take on jobs in the corporate world for several stressful years.
You’ll love hearing how the conception of EDRDpro was born from an idea that kept her up all night; an idea for a solution to affordable and accessible training in the eating disorders community.
“I really think that all dietitians need to have training on eating disorders, simply because of the prevalence of eating disorders.” - Sumner Brooks
With the creative spark ignited to bring ED training online for better accessibility, Jennifer was the first person Sumner called with her new idea and business plan. Launched as a yearly symposium, you’ll hear how EDRDPro has evolved since its inception, with two symposiums in 2020 that are focused on core themes, such as a deeper dive into a 6-session symposium in April on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
“I really hope what we’re doing here is something that will feel like more than just an introductory step, and really give people a hearty dose of something useful.” - Sumner Brooks
Diversity in Dietetics with Tamara Melton
Season 1
Monday, March 16, 2020 • Duration 38:54
Jennifer is thrilled to welcome Tamara Melton to share her game-changing mission of diversifying the dietetics industry, on this episode of the Pursuing Private Practice Podcast.
Co-founder of Diversify Dietetics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing the racial and ethnic diversity in the field of nutrition, Tamara shares the story of its launch in April 2018 and why it is so needed.
With an academic background of teaching nutrition at a university in Atlanta, Tamara shines a light on the lack of diversity in the demographic profile of dietitians, and why that is not only a barrier to attracting new students, but also creates a lack of diverse practitioners to help people of color. With full acknowledgment of how the industry is currently not reflective of the diversity of people it serves, Tamara and Jennifer discuss the dire need for more diverse providers to refer to.
“There was no organization out there that is doing what needs to be done to successfully attract, recruit, and retain students, interns and professionals of color.” – Tamara Melton
You’ll hear how, along with co-founder Deanna Belleny, Diversify Dietetics was created to provide a community to attract, encourage, and empower students and young professionals of color who were seeking careers in the field of nutrition and dietetics.
With a mission to break down the boundaries of stereotypical dietitians, its goal is also to better serve people of cultural diversity who might not otherwise seek out care, or seek out practitioners they identify with regardless of their level of training. Tamara speaks to the incredible opportunity for diverse practitioners to fill this gap in the industry.
Addressing the practical concerns of dietetics as a lucrative career choice, Tamara explains why Diversify Dietetics also helps support entrepreneurship with business training, to attract more diverse students to the industry and take the risk of starting a private practice.
Now, as a community and a point of contact for anyone who’s looking for a dietitian of color in any state, Tamara shares her hopes and dedication to continuing the diversification of dietitians.
Collaboration Over Competition with Haley Goodrich
Season 1
Monday, March 9, 2020 • Duration 49:44
HAES® informed eating disorders dietitian Haley Goodrich joins Jennifer for an informative and heartwarming discussion on this episode of the Pursuing Private Practice Podcast.
Co-founder of INSPIRD to SEEK, a community for weight-inclusive healthcare professionals, Haley shares her story of how she evolved to become an advocate and educator of the HAES approach to dietetics. After quickly discovering early in her career that clinical dietetics was not her jam, she reflects on how becoming an entrepreneur was the only way to practice the way she wanted. After opening a private practice which grew quicker than she anticipated, she studied Intuitive Eating as a tool, learned more about how to teach her clients about HAES, and worked toward being an eating disorders dietitian.
Now running a group practice with two other dietitians, Haley discusses the process of hiring, the satisfaction of employing others, and how success in a private practice is not always based on the numbers, but sustained growth by creating relationships with referral sources and practitioners in the area.
“I was tired of living really small, and I’d rather take a risk and live a bigger life than feel really safe inside my comfort zone, and I’ll figure it out.” – Haley Goodrich
Haley also tells how she took on the Eating Disorders Chair position in the Behavioral Health and Nutrition dietetic practice group from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, how it has helped her to communicate strategically, and the importance of HAES being embraced in the academy. She also shares how INSPIRD to SEEK evolved out of her own need for community at a time before any Facebook groups, and being the only HAES practitioner in Pittsburgh, PA.
Together they shine a light on the topic of collaboration instead of competition in the niche of anti-diet practitioners, and how we all bring our own message that is unique to help each other learn and grow.
“I truly think that competition in this space is a way to distract ourself from the real purpose of our work. We don’t need to compete against each other. We’re going against the grain and a $70 billion diet industry; that’s who we need to compete against.” – Haley Goodrich
10:36 Challenges in the GROW Stage: The episode addresses common challenges such as setting boundaries and understanding finances, emphasizing the need for experimentation.
14:57 Marketing and Finances: Jennifer discusses the critical role of marketing and financial understanding in maintaining a sustainable private practice.
16:18 Launching New Offers: The discussion covers the idea of launching new offers, advising caution due to the significant effort and resources required.
12:38 Transitioning to Full-Time Entrepreneurship: Jennifer highlights the importance of understanding financial needs for those considering leaving a full-time job.
26:36 Celebrating Success: Jennifer encourages listeners to celebrate their achievements in reaching the GROW stage and reflect on their business progress.
No matter where you’re at in growing your business, this episode will help you clarify your goals and take intentional action to build a business that works for you.
🧑💻Want more from Pursuing Private Practice?
Business School is officially open for enrollment, and it’s the best way to get direct support for your private practice. This program combines business coaching, accountability, office hours, and the most supportive community of dietitians you’ll find.
Plus, it includes a full curriculum designed to help you at every stage, whether you're seeing your first clients, refining your marketing, or ready to hire a team.
With Business School evolving into a mastermind experience, you’ll have access to two tracks: one for starting and growing your practice, and one for leading and building your team. No matter where you are, you’ll get the resources, support, and confidence to run your business like a CEO.
Enrollment closes July 25th, so now’s the time to join us and take the next step toward building a business that works for your life.
📈 Are you tired of feeling stuck with getting new clients?
Your Marketing Plan Toolkit will help you map out your marketing strategy to attract more ideal clients to your private practice. This toolkit gives you the strategies, tools, and templates to find, connect, and convert a potential ideal client into a long-term customer in your private practice.
💸Are you ready to finally make more money?
Check out the Make More Money Toolkit, designed to get you unstuck with private practice finances. You’ll get the tools and guidance to:
Set realistic goals for your life and finances, starting with where you are right now
Connect your business to your life: figure out the "paycheck" you need and how income, expenses, and taxes all fit together
Build simple systems that support your financial goals (and make things feel easier!)
Feel confident about your pricing, your profits, and the big vision you’re working toward
💰 Want to get 3 new clients in just 3 days (for FREE)?
Join the training - Grow Your Business: Get Clients Now, for actionable strategies to clarify your ideal client, streamline your marketing funnel, and execute a visibility plan that works. With daily videos, workbooks, and steps tailored to grow your business, you’ll build confidence and see real results.
24:16 Finding Your Voice: Jennifer and Julie discuss the parallel process of finding one's voice in business and helping clients do the same, highlighting the personal growth that comes with such projects.
31:19 Encouragement for Aspiring Authors: The episode concludes with Julie encouraging aspiring authors to write their books when the time is right for them, emphasizing that readiness is a decision rather than a feeling.
Through speaking and writing, Julie helps people with a complicated relationship with food strategize how to remove the shame and blame dumped on them from the diet industry. Her work has been featured on TLC and in the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Shape and other outlets. She is the author of the book, Find Your Food Voice (Hachette, March 2025.)
Attend her free book launch event on Tuesday, April 1st! Register here.
Sumner’s process of trying different things in her business that didn’t work, and why she took a break and stepped back for a year.
The creative process of building EDRDPro, why she created a membership branch, how it’s changing for 2020 with deeper training on core themes, and the launch of EDRDpro Ambassadors.
Why the constantly changing and complex field of eating disorders requires more access to training, and why the learning never stops.
Why hiring experts is necessary to grow a business, and how collaboration within the eating disorder community helps broaden the perspective and interpretation of Intuitive Eating, and the value from sharing, discussion and collaboration.
Her passion for helping dietitians with their own healing process and then helping them take it to the next level of helping others, with the goal of reaching more people to minimize the suffering and time.
“We wanted to create an organization that would create an answer to any obstacle that students or professionals of color might come up against as they’re getting through their educational pathway, and trying to anchor themselves in this profession.” – Tamara Melton
Some of the topics discussed include:
How Diversify Dietetics is passionate about empowering students and professionals of color to help them become the leaders of the next generation in dietetics.
Why micro-aggression and unconscious bias can create a barrier to learning and creativity for students of color in all-white learning environments.
The 3-day learning summit in Atlanta and the diversity of speakers and topics (now sold out!)
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