October is #FNCE month and while I didn’t officially attend virtual FNCE this year, I followed along on social media and celebrated FNCE with dietitian friends.
FNCE means so much to me.
It’s the time of year where dietitians come together, advance our knowledge, get inspired by others, and hang out with one another because many of us are good friends “in real life” and not just in “work life”!!
FNCE is also where I have gotten so much inspiration as a dietitian.
I have met so many dietitians that I look up to because I believe they are changing the profession. It’s where I get to catch up with friends that live all over the country (and the world! Some international dietitians go to FNCE too). FNCE is also where I soak up new information and skills to work with clients AND the dietitians that I serve at Pursuing Private Practice. I always leave FNCE with new ideas for my business.
Seeing all of the FNCE posts got me thinking about my best lessons learned from attending the conference in the past:
- Take a risk, even when it feels scary. My first FNCE was 2016 and I had the honor to speak on the “Hidden Faces of Eating Disorders” with Julie Duffy Dillon. It was a career bucket list item for both of us and was one of my first major speaking presentations. Was I nervous?? OH MY GOSH YES. I remember looking out at the audience with equal parts excitement and fear.
- Don’t underestimate the power of networking. I have many mentors to thank for the many connections I’ve built over the years. Some of my favorite connections have come from the FNCE conferences I’ve attended.
- Stand up for what you believe in. In the past, I’ve been so excited to see many HAES and IE-aligned presentations at FNCE. Unfortunately this year, there were none. I am 100% confident that our field is shifting into a weight-inclusive approach so we need to submit feedback, ask questions, and get more HAES-aligned proposals to the committee.
Thank you FNCE for all that you’ve taught me over the years.