Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health & nutrition but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kendra Thoenes, Founder of KT Nutrition, located in Tucson, AZ, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

KT Nutrition is a nutrition counseling business located in Tucson, AZ. However, I work with clients all over the state! I counsel clients struggling with eating disorders, disordered eating, chronic dieting, or athletic/sports performance.

My practice is rooted in the philosophies of Health At Every Size (TM) and intuitive eating- instead of putting clients on diets, I help them to reconnect with their bodies and repair their relationships with food. I also offer a bi-annual group workshop series for new intuitive eaters to learn how to start implementing intuitive eating into their lives.

Tell us about yourself

Growing up, I often found myself confused by the concept of "healthy eating"—it seemed like there were so many definitions out there, and many of the recommendations directly conflicted with one another (ex: "Eat fats! They are good for you!" vs. "Avoid fats at all costs!").

Unfortunately, it led me down a pathway of disordered eating for several years. Food was the enemy. It ran my life and controlled my every move. In the years during and after my recovery, I discovered intuitive eating—a way of eating that helps a person eat "normally" again without any food rules or dieting behaviors. Intuitive eating truly changed my relationship with food and my body.

I went back to school to obtain my Master of Science in Nutrition. I became a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor to help others who felt lost around food the way I did. Today, my practice is to help others rebuild their relationships with food into something more peaceful. My work is incredibly fulfilling and inspiring. I feel so much pride and hope for my clients as I help them along their journeys.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishments have been designing a 12-week intuitive eating workshop curriculum and hosting my first group counseling workshop series. I developed a 35-page handbook for the course, created worksheets and journal prompts for clients to work through every week, and partnered with an excellent fellow non-diet business owner to host the series in person. The course started a few weeks ago, and it has been amazing.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

It isn't easy to gauge your progress when you're a new business owner. It's easy to look at everyone else in the nutrition counseling space and say, "why isn't my practice like that?".

It has been helpful to remember that my practice is new, and I am exactly where I need to be on this journey. My husband reminded me that the difference between those who succeed and those who do not is that succeeders keep trying.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find support! One of the best things I did early on signed myself up for the Pursuing Private Practice Beginner Basics course. I genuinely do not think my practice would be open without their guidance.
  2. Connect with other like-minded professionals in your industry. I started a free peer supervision group for other RDs in private practice, and it has been SO helpful to have their support.
  3. When things aren't working, keep trying. Examine the issue—what part of your current approach is not working? Allow yourself to play with different methods to find the solution that works best for you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.ktnutritionaz.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tucson.nutritionist/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tucson.nutritionist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendra-thoenes-ms-rdn-8592a181/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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