FINALLY… Part 2 of my interview with Megan Roosevelt, RD is on the blog! Read on for some amazing insight on how to be a health entrepreneur in this day & age. Click here to read Part 1 first, if you haven’t already.
1. Did you jump right into HGG (Healthy Grocery Girl) or did you have a full time job while you were creating HGG?
I held multiple jobs while I grew HGG from conception to where it is now. For many people wanting to create a company, and a brand, it takes more energy, time and resources than you can anticipate. I decided to “bootstrap it” by funding Healthy Grocery Girl myself and was able to do this by growing at a pace that was appropriate for the season I was in, in life and business. To pay for the reality of “life” I had a day job, and to fund Healthy Grocery Girl, I grew my dream job in my “spare time”, working nights and weekends. Hard work pays off though, because now I only work for Healthy Grocery Girl. It’s a blessing everyday.
2. What’s the most popular service you offer?
Nutrition coaching is the most popular Healthy Grocery Girl service. I coach clients in person (in the Portland, Oregon area) and virtually (all over the United States). Secondly, my recipe club is very popular because it is very affordable; accessible no matter where you live, and something everyone wants help with, more recipes!
3. Does public speaking come easy for you or did you have to learn to overcome any fears?
Public speaking is one of the few times for me when I really feel the “flow.” There is something that happens when I speak at events or for the media, it just feels right. I definitely get nervous with excitement and anticipation before I speak because I want to do a good job. But speaking does come naturally for me because it is what I am meant to do, and I talk about what I am passionate about. If I had to do public speaking on being an astronaut or how to make the perfect Panini, I would probably pee my pants.
4. What sources do you trust when it comes to nutritional information and new studies?
Today it is so easy to get information, but it is not easy to get information that is accurate, easy to understand and readily applicable. Many people want to give health and nutrition advice. As with anything in life you have to be smart about information you hear, and question, is this fact, or opinion, and naturally it will probably be a bit of both. I love naturalnews.com (although it can be a little extreme), Dr. Mercola, Kimberly Snyder, Michael Pollen, and eatright.org, and I have so many nutrition books I read and go to as resources. There is always more to know and stay current on when it comes to health and nutrition.
5. Is there one health controversy that you feel firmly about and would like to share your point of view? (Ex: carbs at night, coffee, fruit sugars being good or bad, exercise)
I really try and advocate for people to get over the fear of food and the whole diet mentality. Diets are depressing. People still think that carbs will make you fat and that a fat-free sugar-free lifestyle is a healthy approach. Many times these “diets” start with good intentions, for example eating sugar-free, because yes, processed and high quantities of sugar is unhealthy. But where things go wrong is when we start to buy into the “sugar-free” craze and purchase an abundance of sugar-free products, which are often filled with artificial ingredients.
When it comes to food and achieving your health goals, it is more about eating real ingredients. Of course too many calories will make you overweight if not balanced right with an active lifestyle. But too many chemicals in your food will do more damage to your body, which is a lot harder to reverse, than weight gain. This is where meeting with a registered dietitian, such as myself, is very helpful to get the truth behind healthy living, not a fad diet, and to help you individually achieve your health goals in a sane and realistic way.
6. What future plans do you have for HGG?
Oh my, I cannot answer this in just a few sentences! My plan from the beginning was always to create a brand, and a company where I not only invest in the lives of others through my clients, workshops, and fans but the lives of my team members at Healthy Grocery Girl. I want to continue to grow Healthy Grocery Girl to become a nationally respected and loved nutrition company as well as continue to grow my personal career as a Registered Dietitian and advocate for living a real healthy lifestyle, providing nutrition education in multiple media formats. I dream of having my own television show one day, continuing to speak at events, and to become an author. I also look forward to when Healthy Grocery Girl is financially successful enough where I can invest back into the lives of others who are doing good works I support. It’s really all about being able to give, because it’s not fun to have something cool if you are all alone, but it is fun if you can share it with others. Sharing is caring as they say.
A big thanks to Megan Roosevelt for sharing this great insight. She recently released her FIRST product, a plant protein powder and a greens powder. Be sure to check out these protein-rich, artificial-flavoring-free, vitamin-loaded products and spread the word!
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