Bring the Joy Back to Eating - Mindset Nutrition + Wellness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Andrea Stokes, Owner of Mindset Nutrition + Wellness, located in St. John's, NL, Canada.

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

Mindset Nutrition + Wellness is a virtual nutrition counselling business that I run as a registered dietitian. I practice from a weight-inclusive, non-diet approach with a focus on building a healthy relationship with food, movement, and body. This means breaking free from diet culture, with all its unnecessary food rules and restriction, and instead encouraging clients to honour their body and nutritional needs while living a life that includes joyful, satisfying, and stress-free eating. I am passionate about dismantling diet culture and the oppressive and discriminatory health and beauty ideals at its roots, separating fact from fiction when it comes to body size and health, and advocating for respectful and compassionate health care for ALL bodies.

My customers are anyone who wants to pursue a more positive and healthy relationship with food and body. Many of my clients are fed up with dieting and want to learn how to live without the constant stress and pressure around food. I also work with individuals who struggle with disordered eating and eating disorders.

Tell us about yourself

I wanted to start my own business to better serve my clients and align my work with my personal and professional values. Diet culture permeates the nutrition and wellness industry, and I wanted to make sure I could separate my work from the harm that diet-culture causes. I began working on opening up my own practice during a spell of increased downtime (due to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic) and grew a virtual practice during a time of increased need for virtual health care.
Seeing clients heal from disordered eating and gain confidence in their ability to truly nourish their bodies and live their most meaningful lives - despite our weight-centric and fatphobic society and healthcare system - is what motivates me each day to do what I do.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner to date has been the ability to leave my part-time job and focus solely on my private practice and hire an additional dietitian to help with my client caseload. I've also been able to connect with other health professionals to share more information on weight-neutral, compassionate, respectful healthcare. I am proud to be a part of a much-needed and long overdue change to our approach to health.

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

It can be really challenging to find a healthy work/life balance as a business owner. I often feel like I need to be constantly available for my clients in order to provide them with the best support, but of course, that's not feasible in the long term! It's really important to plan a realistic schedule - as hard as that can be to do!

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

You don't have to know how to do everything before you start. I felt I didn't know enough about running a business to take the leap, which delayed me unnecessarily. Once I was pushed into starting, it became clear to me that you can learn as you go.
More social media followers doesn't necessarily translate into more customers/clients. Use social media in whatever way works for you, but don't let it steal all your time and energy.
Embrace "good enough" more often. It's more important to get things done than to always do them absolutely perfectly. Getting too caught up in perfectionist details will keep you from moving forward. You'll learn and improve by doing!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.mindsetnutritionandwellness.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindsetnutritionandwellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindsetnutritionandwellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-stokes-bb3b1076/

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.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.