Why your voice as a dietitian matters.

If you're reading this, you've probably at least considered using social media to grow your private practice.

While social media isn't for everyone, it's been immeasurably helpful for my career thus far.

I started my @powerlifterdietitian Instagram in 2017 after completing my first year of grad school (my original username was @danfeldmanfitness). It was two years before I became a dietitian and two and a half years before starting my business.

^My first ever IG post. Sadly, I'm still 5'4".

I started it for two main reasons. Firstly, it was as a training log for my workouts. Additionally, though, on some visceral level, I figured I could start generating an audience and social media presence for when I started my own private practice one day.

It seemed far-fetched, considering that I wasn't even a dietitian at the time and didn't know anything about starting a business, but I had this instinct that I had a voice that others needed to hear and that would one day help me grow.

That instinct was correct. My success on Instagram has been one of the biggest backbones to my success in private practice. I've not only amassed over 30,000 followers, but I've earned the trust of thousands of people, many of whom have become long-term clients. I've also amassed the trust of well-known fitness professionals who continue sharing my content, contributing to my career growth.

^Over 30,000 eyeballs. What the hell.

So you may be thinking...why am I telling you this? To show off and tell you how awesome I am?

No.

It's to show you the power of realizing your inner worth and sharing your voice with the world.

Many dietitians shy away from social media because they think "everything has been said before." They think their voice is unimportant in the world of social media, and just in general, since social media is already "saturated" with influencers.

And yeah, pretty much everything has been said before, on some level.

Critically, though, people need to be reminded more often than instructed. And given how abundantly harmful information spreads on social media, your voice ALWAYS needs to be heard. As a dietitian, you've completed ungodly amounts of formal nutrition coursework and continuing education — more than 99% of Instagram "influencers."

You also likely have invaluable practical, real-world experience. Many of us dietitians got into the profession because of the pain we've experienced around food and body image. I know I did — I grew up with body dysmorphia and a subclinical eating disorder. I largely became a dietitian because I wanted to help others not have to go through the pain that I went through.

So again, stop for a minute and think about all the years of schooling and experience under your belt to become the expert you are today. Take a look around the clusterfuck of misinformation on social media. Think about the people experiencing pain right now who need to hear YOUR voice.

No matter how many times something has been said before, your voice matters. And by putting your voice out there, you'll be helping many others who need to hear your voice.

And who knows where that will lead you.