Time to Say Goodbye to a Client? 6 Signs and How to Break Up Nicely

If you’re a nutrition professional reading this, you may (like many people) have run into some roadblocks in your business or on your career path. We all do at some time or another; it’s part of running a business and working with clients. While we’re thrilled that you’re considering or were inspired to build or grow your professional nutrition coaching, health coaching, or otherwise wellness-focused practice—we never promised it would be easy. There are going to be days where you’ll want to throw in the towel, slam the door, and even give up on your dreams because some days, even doing what we love is still really hard. For every amazingly coachable client you have, you will probably have three or four that are a bit more resistant to making real changes in their lives—or worse, just incredibly difficult to work with. We’re not saying that you should only work with “perfect” clients who follow your advice 100% and come back each week or month with a smile on their face and a list of successes and straightforward areas for improvement. No one is perfect, and we don’t aim to help anyone accomplish perfection in any sense of the word. What we do want is for you to work with clients who are the right fit for how you coach, because these are the ones who will benefit most from what you have to offer and the ones that you’ll feel most fulfilled working with. If you’ve been struggling with a client, here are six signs that it might be time to break up. Signs It’s Time To Say Goodbye To A Client 1. Your client shows little (to no) signs of effort. Do you have a client that makes you feel like it’s Groundhog Day every day when you meet with them? Like nothing has changed since the last time you met? Like they literally go home and forget you even had an in-depth coaching session where you put all your effort and know-how into figuring out how to help them? There’s only so much you can do for your clients if they don’t meet you even part of the way. via GIPHY “In this scenario, it’s really helpful to have a conversation with your client about their readiness to change,” says Nutritious Life Founder Keri Glassman. “It’s important to sit down and assess where they are on their wellness journey. Maybe you need to have that talk with them before simply offering up more ideas for breakfast.” If, after that, you determine that the client is not committed to doing their part, it might be a sign to move on or take a pause. 2. Your client consistently reschedules your sessions. We understand that fitting something new into your schedule can be hard at first, but if you’re truly invested in getting great results, you put in the effort and make it happen. Of course, sometimes things happen, and appointments need to be rescheduled. “To avoid this from happening, I like to talk to the client early on about respecting each others’ time,” says Keri. “I also suggest having each client sign a contract in advance that outlines your guidelines for missed sessions. This step helps to reinforce the importance of sticking to a pre-arranged schedule.” If a client is still proving over and over again that they don’t value your time as much as theirs, then they aren’t worth your time, either. 3. Your client neglects to pay you on time. Money is always one of the least fun things to talk about when it comes to running your business. You want to help people to live healthier lives, or become healthier versions of themselves. But at the end of the day, you are, in fact, running a business—and your clients should respect that. To avoid having a client that is repeatedly late with payments, and/or is constantly coming up with excuses for why they need an extension on an invoice, it’s again helpful to have all your expectations in writing. “Make sure the contract your client signs outlines any and all financial obligations,” Keri says. “This is a great impetus for people to pay on time.” If they continue to neglect paying you, it might then be time to let them go. 4. Your client doesn’t respect your boundaries for communication. Unfortunately, there’s always that one client that just doesn’t hear your request for personal space, or flat out ignores it. They might pry and ask too many personal questions. Or maybe they regularly text you after hours like they would a close friend and expect you to respond every time they reach out. Of course, you want to help your clients with obstacles that come up day-to-day, but there is a time and place for that, and it’s important that they understand and respect that. It’s also crucial that they don’t cross the line in a client-coach relationship. “If the client-coach boundary is being disregarded, it’s up to you to draw those lines more firmly and communicate them to your client,” Keri says. If things don’t change, it might be time to go your separate ways. 5. Your client isn’t being honest with you. What’s more frustrating than a client that isn’t doing the work to make changes happen? How about a client that says they’re doing the work, but isn’t actually doing it. This is a tricky one because you don’t want to go around accusing clients of lying to you. But if they aren’t opening up about their mishaps, their challenges, and they’re always telling you what they think you want to hear, they might not be ready to commit. In this case, all the coaching in the world isn’t going to produce the results they want. This may again be a time to have a conversation about readiness to change. 6. Your client is disrespectful towards you. Some clients can just be plain rude. Maybe you notice that they’re the ones

The Biggest Career Mistakes I’ve Made

Ask Keri: What were some of the biggest mistakes you’ve encountered in your career?  Keri says: Oh my goodness, where do I even begin?! I’ve made so many different mistakes, I’m trying to think of which bucket to pick from. I was on our weekly Nutritious Life Studio Zoom call last week and we were talking about this very topic actually—mistakes and failures. One person in the group mentioned feeling horrible about a client who hadn’t reached a health goal. This person on the Zoom felt like it was all her fault and had a sense of failure as a nutrition coach. I said to her, “First of all, you’re not alone. Many people feel that way when they’re working with clients.” I went on to share how easy it is to take on your clients’ thoughts, feelings, emotions and even their failures. I absolutely made that mistake probably dozens of times. I would take home all of those emotions and feel incredibly stressed if a client didn’t reach a goal.  I’d be up all night worrying about what I could have done and how that person felt. Then, the next day I’d get a call or text saying,”I’m feeling better, I’m great.” What?! I was up all night thinking and worried! I wasted a lot of time and energy over the years when I could have been staying more positive—focusing on continuing to help these clients, but not taking on all of their emotions. Setting emotional boundaries is important. I think that’s something very common when people are first counseling clients. But, you’ll burn out if you keep it up. You have to realize your clients’ may not be reaching their health goals for a million different reasons—genetics, stress etc.—but that doesn’t mean they won’t get there with your help. And, it also doesn’t mean you can’t prioritize yourself and set boundaries.  You can always look to do better as a dietitian or a coach. You should always want to learn, especially with nutrition…science is always changing.You have to evolve, you have to grow, and you often have to look at things differently from time-to-time. Of course you have to look at your mistakes and learn from them, but you can’t take on every client hiccup as your own. You’re going to waste a lot of energy and deplete yourself. This may seem like a simple “mistake,” but it’s a big one when you think of all the energy you could waste feeling stressed, worried, and insecure and emotionally exhausted. I wish I had learned this before I got started in private practice. From a larger business perspective, I used to get so wrapped up if something didn’t work out. If it was a brand deal, or a TV show for example, I would be so emotionally attached to the outcome. And when it didn’t work out, it would devastate me. Ok, that’s a little dramatic but it would drain me big time.It would ruin my day. I’d come home cranky.  Then, I started to think, “Why am I bringing this stress into my life?” I had little kids, I didn’t want to bring that energy into my home. I got to a point in my career where when something didn’t go right, I thought, “Okay, this  is not happening and that is ok! This may sound a little bit cliché, but I would say to myself this is happening for a reason. The longer you’re in business, the easier it is to have the attitude of“Whatever. So what? There’s something tomorrow.” So the next time you get disappointed that something didn’t go your way, give yourself five minutes. Say, “Okay, I’m giving myself five minutes to be effing pissed off, angry, upset, whatever.” Be cranky, angry, and upset—but set a timer. Five minutes, that’s it. I call it my 5 minute rule.  Then, move on. Pick one thing to do that is productive…even the tiniest thing. Cross one little thing off your list—it will make you feel better—and then move forward.   

15 Reasons to Start a Career in Wellness 

Whether you’re a seasoned wellness entrepreneur looking to take your career to the next level or someone wanting to make a complete career change, there are many benefits to a career in wellness. And embarking on or heading deeper down the wellness path has never been easier. Higher education is way more accessible today than it ever was, and you might be surprised by all of the rewards you can reap by finding the right continuing education or online certification course. Taking online classes will provide you with transferable skills that can give you a leg up in your job search or as an entrepreneur. That’s why our founder Keri Glassman, MS, RDN, CDN, started The Nutritious Life Studio (NLS). Through cutting-edge nutrition, coaching and business education, she wanted to help wellness professionals build and grow their business. We know that change can be scary—especially when it comes to our careers. We can make countless excuses as to why we should stay in that job (even though we hate it) or why we couldn’t possibly start our own business. And, while the stress of the pandemic has taken a toll on us all , we still have a choice and don’t have to stay in a miserable work environment. We can take a chance, bet on ourselves and on our futures. Whether you’re feeling stuck in your current job, want to make a career change into wellness, or would like to take your business to the next level—enrolling in The Nutritious Life Studio can help you achieve your goals. Need a little more inspiration? We asked our NLS alumni to share some of their favorite things about taking the course—and how it helped them in their own business. Here’s what they have to say. Read on for inspiration! RELATED LINK: Should You Be Working in Wellness? 15 Reasons to Join The Nutritious Life Studio 1. Boost your nutrition science knowledge and confidence “After becoming Nutritious Life Certified, I have a newfound level of confidence when talking about nutrition with clients. What I appreciated the most was Keri’s thoroughness and way of communicating a complicated topic in a simple way. The handouts for each topic were incredibly useful, and I still refer to them to this day! As a graduate of the program, the learning never stops. The Nutritious Life Studio is an amazing community to be a part of, and Keri continues to actively engage students through updated nutrition info, breaking down trends, and group discussions. I can’t recommend this program enough if you’re looking to take your wellness business to the next level.” —Carly Paige, Chef and Health Coach, Nutritious Life Certified 2. Put Keri Glassman’s unmatched training and integrity in your back pocket “The Nutritious Life Certification is one of the best programs I’ve invested in. Keri’s training and integrity are unmatched, and I’ve already seen results in my clients. I have been using the knowledge I have gained on my clients and it’s working.” —Annie Petersmeyer, NLC, Fitness Instructor, Nutritious Life Certified 3. Learn about the interplay between nutrition and lifestyle “NLS has been the perfect blend for my business. It offers a unique understanding of how nutrition has evolved over the years and the interplay between nutrition and lifestyle.” —Cori Cooper, Pharmacist, Women’s Empowerment Coach, Professional Speaker, Health Education Expert, Nutritious Life Certified 4. Arm yourself with straightforward know-how for starting a business “The Nutritious Life Studio course offers a practical, easy-to-understand format. The business portion was the most helpful for me. The sample questionnaires, forms and how-tos are really the answers to every question you have about starting a business. In addition, you get to be a part of the engaging, inclusive weekly group meetings after you graduate from Level 1—and the access to Keri is an incredible bonus. I don’t know where else you would ever get such vital, important, pertinent information wrapped into one course.” —Heather Floriani, Life Coach, Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Health Coach, Nutritious Life Certified 5. Learn to speak your truth and share your uniqueness “The biggest thing that I have learned from the NLS certification and community is that the world needs to hear what I have to say. It can be scary to start a new business and so easy to compare yourself to others, but NLS offers the necessary knowledge to take that next step. The warmth and love from the NL community, whether it’s Keri herself, the Facebook group, or Masterclass, can not be beat. We all cheer for one another, and share our unique businesses with the world.” —Jane Hanisch, Personal Trainer, Exercise Physiologist, Yoga Instructor, Nutritious Life Certified 6. Acquire practical, actionable nutrition science to easily coach clients “Because of The Nutritious Life Studio certification, I acquired nutrition science information and tools to use when working one-on-one with clients. More importantly, I gained the confidence to take the next step in creating my own business and help people with their individual journey to healthy eating and living. The NLS team is incredibly supportive, and I know I will continue to stay involved in the community.” —Cassie Scoon NLC, Health & Wellness Blogger at Granola Barre Girl, Nutritious Life Certified 7. Gain confidence and support to drown out the self-doubt “The information, resources, and community gave me extra confidence and support that had been missing. Working alone in private practice generated self-doubt, but now that I have the support of the NLS community, I can continue to counsel my clients with more confidence. I’m so excited to see my company grow!” —Eileen Hsiung, RDN, NLC, Founder of Pure Nutrition OC, Nutritious Life Certified 8. Add a nutrition component to enhance your existing fitness resume “Becoming Nutritious Life Certified gave me amazing tools to use with my clients and I’ve seen a lot more success. Integrating this education into my fitness program will make it a more comprehensive package. It’s going to get even greater results than just the fitness or the nutrition alone.” —Kim