Libby And Marwa Graduated NYU Together-Here’s What Marwa Is Doing Now!

Libby Rothschild : [00:00:16] I’m so excited tonight to be here with Marwa Elsia. She’s a registered dietitian specializing in keto diet. She’s the owner at fit foodiz and she helps women lose weight and stop being hungry with the healthy ketogenic diet. She’s born and raised in Dubai, and she came to the United States in 2012 to pursue her master’s degree in nutrition. Marwa works and lives in Michigan with her husband and daughter. Her passion is to teach her clients how to experience a healthier life by using effective nutrition education and counseling. Her favorite moment is when she sees her clients reaching their dream weight and becoming a healthier version of themselves. Thank you and welcome to today’s episode. Can you share where people can find you on social media?

 

Marwa: [00:01:12] Of course it’s fit.foodiz.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:01:17] All right. And happy to have you on tonight, so thank you for taking time to chat all things dietetics.

 

Marwa: [00:01:23] Thank you, Libby for inviting me. I’m very excited to be here. Do the whole.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:01:28] I’m happy to have you. Do you want to share with listeners how you and I connected? Do you want to tell the story or should I?

 

Marwa: [00:01:36] You can start the little bit and I will let them know, actually, you are one of the reason why I’m here today. The reason, you motivated me a lot, Libby. We are not just friends, Libby is such a sister for me. She motivated me. We used to study together, you know, during our masters, all my family. They know her and they love her so much. So she is you know, we are very, very, very close to me.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:02:11] Family is what you’re saying. So for the listeners, just for some context, Marwa and I both went to New York University, got our graduate degree in clinical nutrition. We connected in class. What was the class that we met in? Do you remember the class that we did?

 

Marwa: [00:02:28] The vitamins and minerals.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:02:34] We’ve been friends for a long time, Marwa’s really special I love our story. She’s going to share a lot of great experiences that she’s had as a dietitian. Now she is really taking her social media seriously to grow her side business. So she’s an inspiration. So I’m glad to have you on air. Anything that I was missing with the bio that you want to introduce about you or the work that you do, or should we just dive right into to the questions?

 

Marwa: [00:03:04] I think actually you mentioned everything.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:03:07] So let’s kick off and chat about your studies in New York. So you said you came from Dubai in 2012 and how did the studies that you completed at New York University help develop you as a dietitian? Can you talk a little bit about that experience?

 

Marwa: [00:03:30] So, you know, like as any girl in the Middle East, you know, it’s her dream just to go to New York City and study in New York City. So it was just a dream for me to study in New York. I applied to a couple of universities all over the world, and New York was just one of the last that I thought that I’m going to get accepted to. And actually, it was the first one that I get accepted, you know, in New York City. So NYU, it was a dream that just come true. So my experience in New York City was just kind of unique and different experience. I think that this was the best decision I made for myself, that I moved to New York. Yeah, so New York City actually made me a stronger person, Libby, made me an independent person. I learned how to work under pressure and also that I have to work so hard to achieve my goals. For me to come from Dubai, which is a busy city as well, I thought it’s going to be just easy for me to live in New York City. But I had a culture shock in the beginning, I swear. I was just very, very shocked in the beginning when I came to New York City, I felt like I can’t even communicate with people in the street. I cannot say any words. You know, it was just a shocking experience in the beginning for me. And the day that I arrived to New York City, I was surprised that everyone was just in a hurry for some reason, you know, it’s nonstop. You know, the whole city was just moving so fast and, you know, as if it were the end of the world for some reason. But all of this just made me a stronger person. I challenged myself, I will really fight to make my family proud. I thank God I completed my masters and I got accepted to the internship. And it was just like the beginning. You know, NYU just opened so many doors for me and changed all my future goals, you know, of course, to the better. Definitely. I was planning just to do my master’s and just go back to Dubai. Then everything changed. Every time I finished, like a step, I feel like it just opens another opportunity that come up. Another thing that people just keep encouraging me. Or you should do this because when I was planning for my masters, I thought Masters is such a great thing after you do your bachelor, you continue your education and you do something better, that’s enough for me that I’m just going to go back and just maybe teach in the university or something like that. But then my advisers at the university told me, no, actually, you should do your internship. You should experience some clinical opportunities and just improve your skills. So I was like, yeah, let me go for it. So I did my master’s and then that was like two years, and then I got accepted to the internship. I moved to Long Island after I did my internship and finished the exam, I was like, that’s it. My dad came for my graduation. And I’m like, OK, that’s the time for me to go back, then I got a call actually from the director in the hospital saying that they want to hire me, you know, after that, after I got my RD because, you know, usually when you get your RD, they get a notification that this student passed their exam and they’re ready for it, for work. So I got a call from them and then they hired me. So I worked for two years in the hospital. Then after that, I met my husband through mutual friends and I was not even thinking about getting married. You know, he proposed I moved with him to Michigan. I started a new whole life in Michigan. And now I’m working and living in Michigan with my daughter.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:07:33] Thank you for sharing the story, and you had a beautiful daughter, too. And as far as nutrition, can you talk about the differences about nutrition fact in Dubai versus here and some of the culture shock specifically when it comes to nutrition? Then we’ll do a full circle and talk about how that’s helped craft your message as far as how you position yourself for weight loss. But talk a little bit about how people in Dubai perceive nutrition versus here.

 

Marwa: [00:08:04] It’s completely different, you know, Libby. And let me tell you this also, you know, compared to what I started back home, I was actually the nutrition program that I got in the United Arab Emirates University was one of the strongest programs like nutrition program in the whole Middle East. So but also compared to all the research and compared to all the, you know, the classes and how comprehensive is the research, we did not do any research back home. So it was basically just class work that we just have to do. We did nutrition therapy; it was just very basic compared to what I did during my master’s. This is first thing. Second thing also, like the internship it was just like a semester, you know, it was three, four months experience in the hospital, like shadowing. You’re not doing anything Hands-On by yourself. There’s no assignments. There is no modules that you have to go through. So it’s very, very basic. At the end, you will just be shocked when you start finding jobs and looking for jobs that you have to be actually registered in the Dubai Health Authority. So you have to be registered in the Dubai Health Authority or Abu Dhabi Health Authority in order for you to start practicing. No one actually ever told us what exactly we need to be doing. So I just felt like I was lost. For some reason, I couldn’t be able to find a job. Then suddenly somebody introduced me to one of one of the managers in a ladies club, and then they were like, OK, you know what? Maybe you could work at a gym and you can be a dietitian there or like a nutritionist. So I start working at a gym and I was the only nutritionist there. I created my own plan. I was seeing clients by myself. I was just doing something that I just created. No one taught me how to do anything. So it was a nice experience for me because I thought, like, I can really do much more than what I’m doing. And during that job, Libby, I applied for NYU in the office of that gym. I did all my personal statement. I did all the application and I paid for it. I did everything in that office at the gym. So it was such a nice experience for me. But I was just kind of shocked, you know, like it’s not just about Dubai and the United Arab Emirates or the United States, but it’s also, I think, nutrition. It’s going to be different in each country and each health authorities. I think it’s completely different. But I am a totally different person at this moment compared to the one who came back in 2012.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:11:16] Give me an example of how you’re totally different now than you were then when you came from Dubai.

 

Marwa: [00:11:23] First of all, I’m different because I’m totally independent. You know, I am actually taking all the weaknesses and the mistake that I’m doing right now to make me a better person. I’m not perfect yet. You know, maybe what today is totally different than we were yesterday because I always keep a goal in my head that I want to learn something new every day, that I want to improve myself. You know, during our clinical jobs or in our real life, we always get negative feedback. Sometimes we always have negative people around us. I always take those things very easy in my life. And I will always just switch it even if it’s just going to hurt you for a second, that I always switch it in a positive way. I just feel like every day is just, you know, just making me a stronger person.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:12:28] Beautiful and thank you for sharing your story. When it comes to your trajectory, I’d like to ask you a little bit now that you’ve mentioned that you came from Dubai, you feel that you’ve learned a lot. You’ve gotten married and had a beautiful daughter in the interim from you coming here for school and then staying after, which is a huge culture shock. And you’ve adjusted and you bring all these stories and experiences. So I love your perspective on a couple of thoughts that you and I have talked about off air when it comes to dietitians and how we’re paid and how we deal with media and competition. Then any stories you’ve had from your jobs like WIC. So do you think we could first start off by talking about how does school limit us as dietitians and you could speak to the schooling from Dubai or from the schooling you had here in New York? Can you share some stories or reflections about the limitations you see that we have?

 

Marwa: [00:13:30] Of course. You know what? Half of the stuff that we learned during school; we never use in a practice. I think all the dietitians agree hundred percent with me. Now after being a dietitian for almost five years, I felt that I’m not 100 percent satisfied with my job, you know, and I felt that I can do more, you know, and I can reach out to the people that I love working with. I believe personally that this is the success of all the dietitians. You know, I always ask myself the question, why at school they did not teach the dietitian how they can develop their own private practice. You know, dietitians are so smart, you know, and it’s such a competitive field. Dietitians can do a lot more than what people think.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:14:27] If we know we can do more than what people think and how do we prove ourselves?

 

Marwa: [00:14:36] I feel that they should have considered teaching the dietitian how they can start their own private practice and work with people that they enjoy working the most. Absolutely. Libby what you are doing is incredible. I really feel like you should be teaching this in school and you should be part of all this, you know, of the future of the dietitian, you know, honestly, like maybe I’m not great. Maybe like other dietitians in the practice field, they are not great. But what the great part is when you work with someone that you enjoy working with, when you feel intentional, you know, you have this inner feeling that you believe, you understand their struggle, you understand their pain, you can be very close to them and help them. I think this is the best, you know, then just throwing all the dietitians in the clinic or in the hospital that they are working with everyone. Do you think that they’re really helping them? Do you think I feel satisfied when I get that diabetes education consult and just go there, and especially with all this pandemic, you know, that I cannot even spend five minutes in front of the patient if they’re coughing or sneezing or whatever they’re having problems with and teach them. Do you think that they’re even listening to me most of the time Libby they are either sleepy or they don’t know who the dietitian is or why I’m even there. Very, very, very unrespected, after studying for almost like seven years. Then you just find this person is not even giving you eye contact. Tell me how you’re going to be helping them just for a paycheck. I don’t even need this job, honestly. For what? I need respect. I need to feel like I’m there.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:16:28] Obviously agree with you and your voices. I appreciate you sharing that. And I’ve heard this from so many different types of dietitians. So I appreciate you giving us your perspective. Do you feel that this is similar in Dubai? Like clinical dietitians feel the same way across, I mean, I know you can’t speak for across the world.

 

Marwa: [00:16:48] Honestly, let me tell you, I graduated from university in 2011 and I’ve been away for like so long. Maybe now the field is different. But what I can tell you is during the five, six months that I got that internship in the hospital, basically I was next to the tree line. I was just by the tree line looking at those plates. If they are like diabetic diet or renal diet. Let me tell you, no one even was explaining anything to me. I was just there because I’m the dietitian and I have to check those plates. I’ve never seen any patient or never did any education. I was just in a diet checking meals and education materials and updating them. It was just kind of useless, like compared to what I studied. Our study is huge. You know, we do a lot of material. And when you come to real world, you’re not even using half of them. So you’re going to be like, oh, my goodness. I studied all of these diseases, all of these medications, all of these treatments and stuff. I’m not even using any of this. So it was just very, very under estimation, underestimated. So it was shocking for me.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:18:07] So when you felt that way, like you saw that our studies specifically with the examples you gave about medications and everything that you need to learn from cycle applied specifically in the work that you’re doing? Well, I guess it depends on the work you’re doing. Specifically, you’re saying medications and everything or you’re stuck at the tree line. What do you suggest the dietitian do to escape that or to make the best of it? What’s the solution to this problem?

 

Marwa: [00:18:42] You know, I advise all the new dietitians and everyone wanting to go to this field, it’s a great field, you know, dietitians, you know what we study, it’s wonderful. But you just have to have an aim or just have a goal from the beginning that no matter what, you’re going to do what you love, what you like and what you enjoy the most. You know, no one actually, either dietitians or doctors or like engineers, they all go through all the fundamentals of anything. So we need to know everything so we can choose which one fits as best, you know what I mean? So I feel like there is no field or no study would be just perfect for everyone. I think they all have to go with everything and then they have to choose what’s best for them. But I’m really sad, we just discovered this private practice so late, you know, after five years. You’ve been even telling me this since when? Libby, since school. You know, I was kind of curious to start my own Instagram and try to just do some videos and education. But I was not consistent, unfortunately, you know, so that’s another thing that you’ve been talking about. Consistency is the key. You know, you really have to be there.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:20:03] Yeah, and in school to go back to education, at least when you and I, you and I graduated together, I don’t remember anybody talking about private practice, let alone social media. And of course when I graduated a few years ago, so things have changed. I’ve interviewed a couple academics on the air that have talked about integrating components of entrepreneurship into the master’s program, etc., but I still think that’s very cutting edge. So, again, if we’re not exposed to those opportunities and we don’t believe we can do it, and according to the statistics from the Academy, less than 10 percent of dietitians go into private practice or own their own business. It doesn’t help support us feeling empowered and gaining respect as practitioners. And again, I guess for those who are in hospital roles. So this doesn’t sound too depressing. What can they do for dietitians in those positions, let’s assume they’re unsatisfied because, of course, some people are satisfied. So for those who are working in a clinical position or they’re on the tree line and they’re not happy, they’re not working with clients, those want patients that want to see them, just like you said during Covid, things could be even worse. What do they do? What would make the best of it? Or do you have any stories that you want to share from your experiences of any of your jobs?

 

Marwa: [00:21:24] You know, Libby, honestly, you know, of course, what’s happened to me, it’s definitely I’m not advising everyone to do that, but I am one of those people if I’m not enjoying or if I’m not productive or if I’m not helping people, I don’t actually deserve to get a paycheck, you know what I mean? So I was always thinking in my mind, I really have to do my best. The eight hours that I’m at work, I really have to work. I really have to do the best of it. So if, you know, as you said, like, for example, WIC, I only did two days during my internship, honestly, it was like I was really scheduled two days, I did like a breastfeeding education. It was like just for two days. Honestly, I did not learn much. I was just sitting in a conference room, so I didn’t know even what is WIC even, what does it stands for. So it was just a very short experience for me, you know, and because it was a clinically based internship. So we did not do actually much of the community and much of the other rotations. So when I moved to Michigan, I applied for this job. It was actually in the veteran hospital. It’s supposed to be a clinical job because I was actually doing pediatric in New York and then like, I have to find a job before I moved. And so before I gave my notice, I was applying for different jobs. And I got a call from the veteran hospital that I’m having an interview middle of the week. So I booked my ticket. I went to Michigan and I sat for 45 minutes with those people, very nice people. You know, I did a very good interview. Then I got a call from them that they can actually place me at work. So I’m like, OK, because I didn’t have any experience before about WIC. I didn’t know how it’s going to be and I’m like, OK, I will accept it. But it was such a shocking place. I think even a person without a degree, Libby, can do that because it was just like a couple of applications. People will come sit with you in the office like those women who need formulas. You would just ask them a couple of questions and that’s it. You would just, you know, place them with the right formula. Depends on the baby situation and that’s it. But the thing is those women were very aggressive. Most of the time they will come and scream in my face. You know, I was actually during the training time Libby was just a two after two weeks of being trained, I gave them my notice. So I literally stayed only one month with WIC and then I left. But it was just very, very, very discouraging. I can say I just felt like I was not even there. I was there, but not there.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:24:26] What do you mean by their but not there? I wanted to clarify.

 

Marwa: [00:24:29] No respect? I’m not seeing anyone other than the people who come and scream in my face. I was accepting that. No problem. I’m not like that type of person who will just fight with people or so. But those people, those women and I understand their situation. I’m putting myself in their shoes. They are in need. So coming with their kids and their babies, you know, and you have to ask them half an hour if questions in order for them to get approved. It was hard for them. So they were so upset all the time, you know, can you give me the formula? I just need to leave. They think that I’m the one who’s giving the formula. But I was actually just an employee. You know, I have to follow all that, all the rules, and I have to just ask all these questions in order for me to provide them with the formula. For example, maybe for other dietitians WIC will be the perfect place for them because they like to work with community. But honestly, for me, it was just a very discouraging experience for me being, you know, working in the pediatric ward, then it’s kind of challenging experience for me. Then right away, throwing me in WCI, it was a shocking job for me.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:25:41] Assuming somebody is in a position like your experience and they’re unhappy if they don’t have the opportunity to quit for various reasons, it could be financial, it could be that there’s no other job opportunities at that moment. How does a dietitian make the best of it if she’s unhappy. What are your suggestions?

 

Marwa: [00:26:01] Oh, just be positive, just be yourself. You know, don’t ever leave your job, if you really need financially for it, don’t ever leave it if you cannot find an alternative. So I advise them actually to start looking around, you know, apply for other jobs, do the private practice. You know, I feel like private practice is such I mean, I’m telling you, it’s hard in the beginning. But if you have the right person to guide you, to go through it with you, one step, one step at a time, you’re going to be so satisfied. I just started, you know, I’m pretty new. This is like my third week in private practice, you know, and I am actually thinking seriously about just leaving my job. It’s not because I don’t like it, but because I want to do the best in the private practice. I want to really just give it all my effort.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:27:00] Because you’ve been a Dietitian for five years and thank you for sharing that, what took you so long to want to start your private practice? Because I know your personality and you’re saying I love it. It’s only been three weeks and I want to go all in and leave my job if you do that, and why did it take so long?

 

Marwa: [00:27:21] You know, Libby, because maybe I didn’t know that it’s going to be the best for me. As I told you, I was kind of sad that they did not teach us how to do this in the right way. You know, we just took social media. We took all of these things as fun time for us. Just share something without knowing what we’re sharing, without writing anything under the pictures, without knowing the purpose of it. But, you know, when we actually saw what dietitians are doing and we can actually, especially in this pandemic, maybe it’s opened my eyes that our life is not like before anymore, you know? Everything now is Zoom, everything is online right now, even with my daughter. She had an appointment with her pediatrician a couple of days ago and it was Zoom. You know, so just everything Zoom. I think it’s our new lifestyle that we just have to catch up and try to do the best of it and just, you know, take it as a benefit. Take it as a good point for you. I think all the dietitians should start this as a backup plan. You never know. Maybe in a couple of months they’re going to be. And honestly, let me tell you this, here in Michigan, most of the hospital, they fired, 30 to 40 percent of the dietitians not fired, laid them off. So just because of this pandemic. They have to find an alternative.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:28:58] Right. So would you say, and those are shocking stats I’m not sure what they are in different states or areas as far as jobs, but we already know it’s hard to find jobs as a dietitian. The best that you can have is the one that you create. So when it comes to private practice specifically, would you say, you mentioned that it’s not for everyone and that you even know that WIC, for example, and thank you for sharing your story, that some people do enjoy it and I appreciate you sharing that because there are people out there that like that type of work that you just didn’t. And that’s your story, that’s for you to share that vulnerable moment with us. What would you say are the traits that a dietitian would need in your position who’s at the beginning of starting it? What does somebody need to have or do to start a private practice?

 

Marwa: [00:29:56] Honestly, Libby, I just feel like, you know, I believe I’m not perfect, I believe everyone has a unique feature, has a unique skill that’s going to make them different than the others, for sure of it. So my advice to all the dietitians is you don’t have to be like, for example, the best. I don’t want to say names you don’t want to be like this dietitian or this dietitian or like oh, my Instagram should be like her or like I should be posting something similar to her. No, this is going to make you very down. This is going to discourage you. You’re not going to reach anything. You’re not going to even be you. So my advice to all the dietitians who really planning or find the private practice very interesting to them, just be yourself, simple. Just be yourself. Don’t try to be anyone else. You know, you are unique just by being you. You always learn something new to improve yourself and also to build that trust between you and your client. Just learn something, keep it, keep it, keep it in your head every day. I want to learn something new so I can be there for my client. I can help my client. Have a structure, a weekly plan to be productive and always, always, always keep yourself first. Taking care of yourself will boost your confidence and it’s going to push you forward. So, you know, don’t ever take the negativity from other people or the mistakes. You know that this oh my God, this. No one likes me. I’m not doing the right thing. I’m going to stop. No, actually keep it as an improvement points for you. Keep it as pushing things for you. Keep it as something that’s going to just make you stronger and make you move forward. So anything in our life, not just private practice, any new change, any new job, anything, it’s kind of scary in the beginning. But think about it, that you’re doing something that you like. This is something that, you know, you’re not learning from scratch. This is something that you really like. For example, we did all of five years, I’m telling you now, I’ve been through this field. I worked outpatient. I worked with the children. You know, I felt like weight loss, the keto diet that I experience also with myself, with my family, with my friends. I felt like people they like my advice is in this part, I get that. I get a lot of, you know, a lot of motivation, both from my family and my friends, that I can really do this, that they trust me. So I feel that’s the only time when I talk about weight loss and when I talk about the keto diet in my way, in the way that I believe in it, that everyone listen to me very carefully and people, they like what I’m telling them. So why not?

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:33:03] Thank you for sharing that. And can you tell your story, your personal story about why you decided to become a ketogenic dietitian and why promote this dietary choice for weight loss?

 

Marwa: [00:33:19] Of course, I actually been through a lot, you know, since I became pregnant. I gained a lot of weight. The pregnancy itself, it was just very, very complicated to my body. You know, I was very, very stressed, and even the thing that just made me even more kind of depressed. I can tell that, you know, usually people when they deliver, they lose weight. When I delivered, I lost the baby weight in the first two months. And then after that, Libby, I gained even double, you know, what I gained during my pregnancy. I was very, very low confidence. I was like just looking at myself. I’m like, oh my goodness, what am I doing to myself. I was not happy. I was just like; I can’t even take pictures or share in the social media. I was very, very discouraging, you know, kind of very scary. I was breastfeeding until like one year. They kept telling me, oh, when you start breastfeeding, you’re going to lose weight. Actually, that was gaining weight in the beginning. But then I decided, my husband, he was on the ketogenic diet for a couple of years and he believed in it and he’s a physician. So he always encouraged me to do the ketogenic diet. I started researching about it. I did a lot of research. I knew all the new research, I downloaded and I read everything. I got books for doctors. I really educated myself so well about it because it’s kind of false information about the ketogenic diet. And I thought it’s harmful to your body and it’s going to make your cholesterol high, blah blah blah, blah, blah. So when I actually studied everything about it, I was like, you know, why not let me try it? And it’s totally changed my life. You know, the recipes that I learned, the recipes that I created myself, it changed my life, my daughter’s life and my husband’s life. I lost crazy weight. Libby, I don’t want to even give you a number. I lost more than 30 kilos, almost like what? 65 pounds, you know, and I was even thinner than before my wedding because I lost a lot of weight for my wedding. So I was even thinner than before my wedding. I gained my confidence back. I was so happy that I can wear medium size again, you know, after years and years and years. So it just changed my life and I helped my family. I helped my in-laws. I helped my friends. I was very happy with the results. I’m like, why not? Everyone was telling me you should be helping everyone in the world, you know, and you were one of them. It was just a start for me. So I gained all this confidence back and I was like, you know what? I’m going to start no matter what. And it’s a busy time for me too, Libby. I didn’t even expect that I’m going to start at this time. My daughter, she’s one and a half years, she’s still young. She’s very dependent on me. I’m working and I have to take care of her. You know, it was just like a lot of stuff, you know. For me inside my head, it was not the right time for me to start my private practice. But my husband kept motivating me. He’s like, you know what? You should do it. Even remember when we spoke together, Libby was telling me, how long you’ve been telling me about this, you should be starting. So, you know, I’m like, you know what? Let me just start. No matter what, it doesn’t have to be perfect. And honestly, Libby, it was not perfect. I’m discovering something new every day. I’m just like, oh, you know what? I should do it this way, not this way in my program. So it’s just a start.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:37:22] Thank you for sharing your personal story with us and why you chose that and that you’re passionate about it. I love that you have the ability to help yourself and your family, and then that inspired you to help other people. So you feel very connected to the work you’re doing. You agree with them?

 

Marwa: [00:37:39] Yes, absolutely.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:37:41] Then that motivates you because then you’re able to feel passionate about the work you’re doing.

 

Marwa: [00:37:45] Right. Right.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:37:47] The last topic I want to discuss tonight is, I want to ask you your opinion on how to deal with media and competition. So earlier you talked about how comparing yourself to other people is obviously not good and holds you back from getting started as dietitians need to take imperfect action, specifically how to navigate through your media and what we might perceive as competition in the space so dietitians are able to help more.

 

Marwa: [00:38:19] I feel like just dealing with media in the beginning when I said I was just looking around, checking all the profiles of all the people in the world with different languages, I was just overwhelmed. Then I was like, you know, what do you do? I think the theme, the information, the thing that you believe in, because you have to be very close to the clients. You have to be very close to the audience. You know, every time I post something in the social media, I imagine myself standing on a stage and talking to audience. So those are the people that I want them to hear my voice. Those are the people that I want to reach. Those are the people that I wanted to get that I wanted to help. Those are my favorite people. I don’t care if I get unfollows or if I get negative feedback. Actually, those things motivate me and move me forward.  I feel like other people who are doing the same as what you are doing. I feel we should get connected, help each other. I think that’s great. I think social media, I think it’s going to make me a better person.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:39:39] Absolutely. It already has.

 

Marwa: [00:39:42] Thank you. Thank you. I’m doing my best.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:39:45] So what you’re saying, if I’m understanding this correctly, is to take opportunities to look at competition in media, and how to deal with that would be to focus on standing out and really making sure you’re communicating your message to your audience on social in order to market your private practice. Is that correct?

 

Marwa: [00:40:05] Exactly. And if you start social media with a strategy, as you said, or with a method, you know, or a certain goal and you just follow it, have a plan for the week, have a plan for the month, you would never fall apart no matter what. If it’s a busy day for you, if you struggling throughout your day, you are going with a calendar, you’re going with a to do list. I think this is the best success for me. The week that I just missed the posts or I did not prepare ahead of time, I would be very, very upset of myself. I’m like, oh, why? I did not do that. So I always just follow a schedule and sometimes things fall apart, I would do like Sunday for me to create content. I will do another day during the week, like at the end of the day, just in case, if I did not finish Sunday, I can finish it on another day. So I always like to be flexible with yourself. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:41:04] Yeah. Thank you for sharing your time management skills. I think that’s really helpful because a lot of listeners get overwhelmed thinking that they need to do it all at one time or they’re not sure how to manage it. I think that’s helpful that you’re suggesting if you work on content for one night, but that can bleed over to another day. If you anticipate that. Yeah. My last question is, what keeps you motivated to have a schedule, follow the method and make sure that you’re being consistent?

 

Marwa: [00:41:34] The outcome, Libby, when I see that, you know, from the second day I got booked, a couple of free consultation, I get a lot of motivation from people. The outcome that people believe in my knowledge, believe in what I’m going to provide them with. I believe in my method. I believe in my program that it’s going to help people. This is what really motivates me to do the best, you know, to reach out to more clients, to reach out to more people, to help people. You know, and what I always think about this is something that I really like to work with. I want to also get feedback from my clients to provide the best and to improve my program. Also you, you know, one of my good friends here, what you’re doing, it always keeps me motivated when I see your post. When I see the comparison between the private practice and the clinical jobs and all of these things just keeps you always motivated.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:42:51] Well, any final thoughts that you want to share with us before we wrap up?

 

Marwa: [00:42:55] No, actually, I just want to tell all the dietitians that all of you guys are over, over, overqualified for clinical jobs, overqualified for what you’re doing right now. Trust me, you would be very respected when you start your private practice. People will hear you. You will be very close to the people that you’re working with. You will be very motivated. You would be very satisfied from inside that you’re doing something that you like. So my advice to all of you guys is just start. You don’t have to be perfect. Just start from scratch. And trust me, in a couple of days, you’re going to be a totally different person.

 

Libby Rothschild : [00:43:45] I love it. If you just remind everybody where to find you on Instagram and then we will wrap up.

 

Marwa: [00:43:50] Yes, you will find me @fit.foodiz.