I have known Keri Glassman for over 10 years. We met when I was working at Women’s Health. She was an Advisory Board member and contributing editor with two regular columns. Since that time, Keri has grown her own company into one of the most respected lifestyle and wellness brands, helping individuals discover and live their most nutritious lives. She’s launched products, appeared on countless national television segments, and helped thousands of people build and grow their own wellness careers through the Nutritious Life Studio.
I sat down with her recently for an Instagram Live to talk about her journey to becoming a leading registered dietitian, how Nutritious Life came to be (including all the bumps along the way), and the upcoming launch of the next Become a Nutrition Coach (BNC) class for those who may want a career in nutrition, too.
Read on to get inspired by her epic career path, and how you can take your wellness career to the next level.
Keri, how did you get started in wellness, and I want you to dig deep for me. Were you always healthy? Tell me the truth! How do I even answer this because the answer to that is, no! I was not always healthy; but, I was always interested in wellness. I was the person that loved candy and sweets probably more than anyone you know. But, at the same time, I also loved healthy foods. I was always super interested in how food fueled the body. I was a gymnast when I was younger, and a swimmer. In high school and college, I played soccer and lacrosse. I knew I needed to fuel my body, and I knew I felt good eating healthy foods. But, that didn’t mean my relationship with food was always good.
Did you go to school for nutrition? No, not initially. I went to Tufts University undergrad. Tufts has an incredible nutrition program; but, I was a political science major with a concentration in philosophy which seems so funny to me now. There was a time I could speak Nietzsche, Locke, etc. I had a great interest in nutrition, but I didn’t major in it because I was actually scared of science! I thought, “This is going to be too hard. I’m not a science girl. I’m a philosophy and English person.” My fear of the sciences was so ironic because when I went back to school for it, I crushed those classes and loved them. I’m obsessed with science now.
How did Nutritious Life start? I always say that the origins of Nutritious Life actually started in college. I gained a lot of weight, but I was playing sports and remember thinking, “OK, when I eat healthy, not only do I perform better on the athletic field, I sleep better. When I sleep better, I am just happier. When I’m happier, I’m more motivated to eat well.” I always say that was the origin of the 8 pillars of Nutritious Life (Of course, I didn’t call it that at the time). So fast forward … I was working at Sports Illustrated when I graduated from college, and decided to go back to school for nutrition. I took Nutrition 101 at New York University, just to try it out. I loved it, and threw myself into it. I got my Master’s in Clinical Nutrition, and then got a job at a startup online nutrition company. After working there for a couple of years, I knew I wanted to help people in a bigger or different way by working with them one on one. I started seeing some clients as a side gig, and then I decided I was going all in and I started my own private practice.
What did you want to do differently? At that time, much of the field was focused on diet and exercise. I knew when I started my practice, I didn’t want people to just focus on that. I knew that did not bring success or lifelong healthy eating habits. I had studied how nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress, hydration, and self-care all affect our overall wellbeing. I wanted to educate my clients in this manner, and didn’t want to just focus on food and fitness alone—it’s so much more than that.
You have this amazing website with science-backed nutrition and lifestyle content. But, you also have an impressive certification program. There are a lot of people interested in working in the wellness space. Can you tell us a little about the Nutritious Life Studio? When I started my practice about 20 years ago, I knew nothing about being an entrepreneur. I had worked in a startup for a couple years and gained some knowledge there; but, I didn’t take a course, didn’t have a mentor or study business in school. I knew nothing about running my own business.
There was no roadmap for me to follow. I had all the science knowledge that I learned in school, but I didn’t learn anything about speaking to people or to consumers. I also didn’t learn anything about translating that science into consumer friendly language, and I didn’t learn about running a business or marketing … any of that.
So, I started a binder with every element I needed to create my business to hold myself accountable. It outlined my exact method for seeing clients as a way to keep me organized. I put in everything—education and counseling tools and forms, marketing ideas and the latest research.
In the Nutritious Life Studio, you learn from all my mistakes AND you learn from all the things I’ve done right.
I always say that the Nutritious Life Studio is that binder PLUS two decades of experience brought to real life. This course is where you get everything you need to create your own business and practice: the science, the counseling, and the business skills.
What is the time commitment? Level 1 is three months; but, it is all self-timed so you can do it faster if you want, or slower if you want. Level 2 on its own is six months; but again, you can do it a little faster or slower if needed. [You can also take the two programs together at an accelerated pace, so you could finish both Level 1 and Level 2 in six months, which is the best route to go.] I want to also mention, because many people don’t realize this, if you’re a dietitian and you take the course, you get 12 continuing ed credits for Level 1, and you get 50 for Level 2 [Yep, a total of 62 credits if you finish both levels!]
RELATED: Enrollment is ongoing for the 2024 Nutritious Life Studio certification program.
Who takes this course? One of the things that makes the community so amazing is the diverse backgrounds and types of businesses people start when they finish, or continue to grow. We have people that are dietitians in private practice who use the program to help build their business and learn how to translate science into consumer-friendly language. We have people that grow health-coaching practices. There are people who have started food businesses and launched healthy food brands and want that real nutrition science to support their food products. We have acupuncturists who speak to clients about nutrition and want that solid foundation and credentials. Lots of trainers, pilates instructors, yoga instructors, people that work in schools, nurses, and people working in hospitals. We also have people who work in fields like marketing but want the career shift because they love nutrition, and they want to take the leap and change their career and their life.
What do you learn in the course? We cover everything from fad diets to carbs, fats and proteins to digestive health, and hormones, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll learn the science of nutrition, counseling and coaching, and also how to build a business.
BNC is approved and accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). This means that once you successfully complete the Nutritious Life Studio program and become Nutritious Life Certified, you’ll be able to register as a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner.
You can check out the full curriculum here.
One thing that sets the Nutritious Life Studio apart from other programs is the community. Yes! The Become a Nutrition Coach program is incredible. Graduates of the program meet in The Studio, our private, members-only area and in a weekly Zoom to celebrate each other’s successes and support each other through their challenges … whether in business, working with clients or on their own personal health journey. It’s unbelievable how much these amazing people empower and support one another. There’s even a book club and the chance to write for NuturitiousLife.com, too!
One of our amazing Nutritious Life Studio alums, Heather Goldberg, said of the BNC community, “I feel like you are all my Board of Directors, and this Tuesday’s meeting is on my calendar. It is penned in.” I thought that was such a really great description because it explains how supportive and empowering, and also how informative the community is.
What’s your advice for people who want to pivot, but may be a little nervous to make the career jump? If you are passionate about nutrition, you owe it to yourself. This sounds so cliché and corny maybe; but, you owe it to the world to follow that, right? You don’t know the lives that you could change if you follow your passion, never mind your own!
That doesn’t mean you have to be a dietitian. You might take a different path, but if you have that passion, you have to go for it. With this passion, you get to change lives. That’s pretty awesome.
Ready to take your wellness career to the next level? Enroll in the Nutritious Life Studio certification program today!
(photo credit: Andrew Werner)