Jessica Setnick has been my supervisor and one of my mentors for the past 7 (!!) years.
I still remember the day I met her and told myself I wanted to be like her someday (Yes, that does seem a little stalker-ish and weird, but I’m okay with that!!)
She’s always inspired me with her incredible knowledge about eating disorders, and her compassion for helping professionals understand more about how to help clients. Jessica also has so much insight with marketing and has taught me how to get my message out there to the people that need it the most!
Jessica had a private practice for a long time and has now moved on to more consulting work, especially in the area of professional speaking. She’s been all over the world speaking to various audiences about eating disorders.
I was so thrilled when she told me she was writing a book on professional speaking for other dietitians. A Dietitian’s Guide to Professional Speaking is finally out!
As I’ve been working on my plans for how I can incorporate more professional speaking in my career, I wanted to share with you my top 3 takeaways from the book and how I’m using them in my professional career:
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out in front of your audience- they need your message and your services! If you’re afraid and nervous about doing this, you’re probably doing it right.
My thoughts: I have resources and offers for professionals wanting to learn more about growing an intuitive eating private practice. My community needs to learn about me because I have a lot to offer that could really support professionals!
There is no right or wrong when it comes to accepting payment for talking. Some people do presentations for free as volunteer work, some people will only speak for $10,000. Whatever works for your business plan is fine.
My thoughts: I have 2 (almost three!) little kids so speaking for free or for a low amount is just not worth it to me right now. I have to make sure I am making money on the presentations that I do and I don’t feel bad saying that out loud. Every time I leave home for a conference I have to make sure I have childcare, things set for my kids, and I have to make sure I’m not missing tons of my regular work and losing money. I have decided bigger conferences that I would want to go to anyway are the right conferences to pitch (like FNCE!)
There are lots of ways to practice speaking. Social media, videos, podcast guest spots, local networking events, and small groups are great ways to get practice if you’re not so comfortable with your message!
My thoughts: I’ve been on several other podcasts recently and I find I learn something every time I speak on one of these. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there with your own message!
I encourage you to check out Jessica’s podcast episode on the Pursuing Private Practice podcast! It was jam-packed with tips on speaking, as well as a little behind-the-scenes of Jessica’s career. It was so inspiring to me!
Here’s the challenge: what’s one way you can put yourself out there to the audience that needs to hear your message?
