"You don’t have to do this alone" with Emily Danckers
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Emily Danckers, the founder of Emily RD Nutrition Coaching, is a registered dietitian and nutrition coach with a focus on lifestyle changes and lasting results. She pairs her 5 years of sports nutrition experience with a coaching approach that focuses on the emotional and mental connections to food. As a virtual coach, she sees clients from around the world. To learn more about Emily and how to work with her, visit her website.
Can you tell readers about your background?
I attended Syracuse University for undergraduate school to study nutrition. Through my studies, I learned that nobody can be truly healthy without pairing nutrition with physical activity. I then decided to study exercise science as well as nutrition. This led me to studying sports nutrition during graduate school at the Ohio State University while also completing an internship with the athletics department at Ohio State. After graduating and passing the registered dietitian exam, I started my career as a sports dietitian working with the Chicago Cubs minor league for two seasons. After two years, I accepted a job at University of Illinois working with the athletic department as a sports dietitian with multiple sports. When the pandemic started, I decided to start a private practice to pair nutrition advice with nutrition coaching. I now work with clients to help them reach their health goals through personalized nutrition plans and coaching around the emotional and mental connections to food.
What inspired you to start your business?
While working as a sports dietitian in the collegiate and professional realms, I was in charge of hundreds of athletes at a time. I felt that I was only able to scratch the surface when it came to impacting athletes’ nutrition. I wanted to have the time and space to really focus on each and every person I work with to ensure that the habits we put into place would last a lifetime. Because of this, I chose to start my own business where I could give this attention to my clients. This gives me the opportunity to really get to know each of my clients and spend the time needed to help them achieve lasting change.
Where is your business based?
My business is virtual so I am able to serve anyone despite location. However, I live in the Bay Area.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I started my business by doing research first. I looked up other registered dietitians on Google and Instagram who decided to start their own businesses and took notes. My first big step was to hire a business coach to guide me as I started a business for the first time.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
I have experienced the most reach through Instagram. I post 6 times a week and show my face in stories about 3 times a week. I focus on connecting with my followers and creating relationships through direct messages and answering comments.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenges have been mindset-based. I have had to learn to push through even when I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing. Imposter syndrome has been a challenge, and speaking with my business coach and other business owners has helped me change my mindset and overcome these feelings so I can continue serving others to the best of my abilities.
How do you stay focused?
I’m a big schedule person. I write down tasks that I must complete in a day, and I break them up into chunks of time. This helps me focus on what absolutely needs to get done, and if I have time left over then I work on other tasks that aren’t as urgent.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
My business is selling my services. I am differentiated from the competition because I am the only Emily Danckers, and my approach is unique. I strive to show my true self, share my honest opinions on nutrition, and demonstrate to potential clients what it’s like to work together through complimentary initial nutrition sessions.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Providing value and consistently showing up on Instagram has been very effective in establishing the know, like, and trust with my audience.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My advice would be that you don’t have to do this alone. The best thing I did for my business was hiring a business coach. Yes, I could have eventually grown my business on my own, but it would have taken me twice as long to figure everything out if I hadn’t reached out to someone else for help. It’s ok to ask for help when you need it. Hiring a business coach provides you with a thinking partner who has been there themselves and can help you through the bumpy times of starting a business.
What’s your favorite app, blog, and book?
My favorite app is audible. I love listening to books as I walk and take a break from work. I find this makes me more productive later in the day.
To be honest, I don’t regularly read any blogs, so I can’t say that I have a favorite blog.
My favorite book is “You Are A Badass At Making Money” by Jen Sincero. I read this book in the first month of starting my business, and it has kept me in a money-making mindset ever since. I try to reread it often to remind myself of the principles and thoughts that she shares. I would recommend this book to any entrepreneur.
What’s your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
Much of my business is conducted through Instagram. Because of this, Canva is my favorite business tool. Canva is a website where you can easily create visually appealing Instagram posts, Facebook posts, flyers, etc. I use Canva every week to create content that provides value to my audience.
Who is your business role model? Why?
My business role model is fellow dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner. She was my boss when I worked for the Chicago Cubs, and from the moment I met her I fell in love with her infectious energy and positive attitude. She has her own successful private practice business, and she is a media personality as well. Whenever I feel stuck in my own business ventures, I ask myself “what would Dawn do?”
How do you balance work and life?
From the start of my business, I knew that I didn’t want entrepreneurship to take over my life. My family is the most important part of my life, and I wanted to ensure that I saved time and space for them throughout my business ventures. Because of this, I set fairly strict work hours and do not work on weekends. Occasionally, I may work late or see a client on a Saturday if necessary, but for the most part, I keep work within work hours and save the other times for family and life.
What is your favorite way to decompress?
I love going on walks. Throughout the day, I will go on two to three short walks to get out of the house and clear my head. Sometimes the walks are less than five minutes, but this helps me stay focused and allows me to put my best foot forward when meeting with clients.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
I plan to start my first nutrition coaching group in January called “8 Steps to Healthy”. I also have a couple of partnerships planned with fellow coaches with different specialties, including mindset coaching and eating disorder coaching. Through these partnerships, we hope to serve our clients to the best of our abilities by utilizing our own strengths and areas of expertise.
How can our readers connect with you?
Information about my business can be found on my website. I am also on Instagram @emily_rd_, Facebook as “Emily RD Nutrition Coaching,” and LinkedIn as Emily Danckers.