Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Caitlin Johnson, Founder & Registered Dietitian Nutritionist of PCOS Fertility Nutrition, located in Wichita, KS, USA.

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

PCOS Fertility Nutrition provides educational support and solutions for the modern PCOS woman. I am the founder of PCOS Fertility Nutrition, and I was diagnosed with PCOS- the most common endocrine order affecting women of reproductive age. At my appointment where I was diagnosed, my provider shared very little about the diagnosis and sent me out the door with the message to lose weight, take a few prescriptions, and come back when I was ready to conceive. This was before the age when you could google everything. I felt really lost and had no idea where to turn for good advice. That's why I created PCOS Fertility Nutrition to provide educational support and solutions for the modern PCOS woman. All the programming and resources have been designed to provide education, encouragement, and solutions. They fill the gap between what I wished I had been provided sooner and what my clients have asked for.

Tell us about yourself

Even though I was diagnosed with PCOS at a young age and wasn't considering starting a family at that time, I knew having a family was important to me. At diagnosis, I asked what PCOS was. The doctor said, "it is the number one reason in America women can't have children." This was a very jarring statement to me. Not only that, it isn't what PCOS is. It's a statistic about the condition. PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder that puts a woman at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic disorders. It also makes it more difficult to get pregnant and affects a woman's menstrual cycle. Treatment options are very limited, and most women feel like their care is inadequate. They are offered prescriptions as the only solution. Many of these only have partial help for the symptoms she is facing and can make others worse.

What I found in my research was there was so much about PCOS that could be managed with diet and lifestyle. This being the case, it inspired me to get a degree in human biology and nutrition. When it came time to grow my family, I still struggled with infertility. Becoming a dietitian has only brought me so far in managing my own condition. I sought additional training in women's herbalism and functional medicine. With the combination of my specialties, I was able to conceive and was starting to see incredible success rates with other women I was working with that had PCOS. I had been in private practice as a dietitian for a few years and decided to specialize in women's health, hormones, and PCOS. I hired other dietitians to see all the referrals that fell outside of my passion areas, and it's been a fun road ever since. Since then, we have had 3 PCOS kiddos of our own. I've helped thousands of women with PCOS manage their hormones and symptoms and achieve their life's dream of becoming a mother. I get emails daily from clients that I've worked with announcing their pregnancy or the birth of their child, or their first day of kindergarten, and I know I was meant to do this work.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The work I do is incredibly transformative. I always love the point where I can tell a woman shifts her perspective from her body being a foe and treating it more like a friend. No matter what condition a woman may be facing, I have seen so many of us approach our bodies as if they have betrayed us, and the symptoms we are frustrated with are just another weapon in its arsenal to let us down. That's not the case, though; symptoms are your body begging for more support. When we can transform our perspective, how we approach our body and health, and transform our inner voice from an enemy to a compassionate loved one - I see miracles happen before my eyes. I will often say that I help women fall in love with their bodies again, but what I've found is that sometimes it is the first time they have loved their bodies. Being a part of that process is unreal, and I'm humbled by it.

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

I am a total empath. I can handle the finances, the day-to-day pressures, the forecasting, customer service, and all of that. What I can't handle is when one of my clients is having a hard time. I struggle with separating their successes and failures from my own. The work I do in the fertility space is incredibly emotional, and I have heard some very painful stories and lived through loss with clients. I really struggle to separate myself from these things. I think it's an example of what makes me a really great practitioner; my compassion and unrelenting drive to help people also make for my greatest weakness.

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

  1. I spent a lot of time in coaching programs, memberships, sales courses, etc. They were great. But what would have helped me grow more quickly - spending those multiple thousands of dollars of investment in the right first employee?
  2. Make decisions that are aligned with your ethics and character. This will serve you at every size of business. If something doesn't feel good or right, I don't do it, full stop. I wish I saw more people in business do this.
  3. Find a mentor. I mentor interns and have personally coached some people in their businesses. It is true; someone who has done this before has a lot of wisdom to share.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.pcosfertilitynutrition.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pcosfertilitynutrition/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pcosfertilitynutrition1310
AppStore: https://apps.apple.com/app/6444106385

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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