How does your usual day look like?

Well, my usual day now is very different from what it used to be. Wake up time is largely defined by either the dog puppy or the kids. It can be as early as 5. I hope you are crying with me as you read this. We all love having breakfast together and once that is done, the mad school “rush” starts. The last leg is usually a short walk in the park or the woods with our lovely Annabelle the puppy. I try to start my workday by 9.30am unless I have an early client and tend to work till 3.30pm allowing for proper breaks in between.

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No day is the same, between client face to face meetings, pulling together nutrition plans or doing extensive research, there is really everything. Some days are quieter than others but usually, it is full on.

What are the things you like the most about your job?

• Impact: I love the impact my job has on my clients. How improving their health can allow them to make better choices in their future and their life overall.

  
  

• Learnings: Science is ever-changing and none of my clients is never the same. I am constantly up for a new seminar or course to further grown my professional and personal skills.

What are some of the skills you utilise the most in your day-to-day at work?

The most important skill for my job, above all, is my ability to listen.

Most of my clients have been struggling with their symptoms for ages but they never felt listened or understood.

After that, it is my ability to guide them through the best changes they can make for their health and wellbeing. Guidance and personalisation are key. We live in a very busy world and a list of endless tasks is the last thing my clients need.

Empathy is also essential to success, both for me and my clients. Studies show that the relationship clients have with a healthcare provider has a huge impact on their achievements.

What was one of your happiest days in your career and why?

It is a tough question. I am very happy when my clients achieve a massive milestone and even happier when they do not need my help anymore. I am over the moon when I have lovely words or notes / cards from my clients thanking me.

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But probably the happiest day is when I decided to start doing what I love doing, so to start my new career, away from asset management in a large finance company. With all the fears and doubts that came with it. I loved it, next to my kids this made me feel really alive, present and the person I am today

What was the toughest career decision you ever made?

Leaving the security of a salary at the end of the month.

What is something you had to learn to become better at your work?

To embrace a challenge with open arms and to be able to learn and grow every day. For me this means to constantly expand my knowledge in terms of digital skills and IT, digital marketing and recently AI.

How did you get to become a Nutritional Therapist, Nutrigenomics and Functional Medicine Practitioner?

By accident, or better, destiny. My health had deteriorated quite a bit in my 30's. I found myself having all sorts of symptoms, some quite debilitating requiring the need to be hospitalised. Awful migraines, unreasonable PMS and period pains, persistent cough and colds to name a few. I thought I was happy because I was busy and fulfilled by my job, my friends and my achievements at the time. Reality is that I was just pleasing my ego and the persona I had created of myself. I had no idea, nor the people around me. But my body knew it and all those symptoms were its way to tell me. Upon suffering a miscarriage, I decided to enrol into a Nutrition Diploma at CNM. By then I had seen so many doctors and they all told me I was fine, while clearly I wasn’t! That’s not to imply that all miscarriages are due to lifestyle choices of course but I felt I had to give myself a better chance.

I had two healthy kids while studying there, while also keeping my job in the financial sector. I never intended to leave my job, I was studying for me, my family, my friends. In 2020 I graduated with distinction and what followed was life changing. Probably the 3 most pivotal points were: the loss of mum from cancer just after lockdown, the move in the countryside, some amazing achievements and recognitions from friends I had helped. All of that together made me realise that: life is too short, I want to be there for my kids and after all I am quite good at this nutrition thing! The light bulb went on: Oh, I could actually do what I love doing as a full time job! I have taken on several other trainings and degrees since then, and I plan to keep going!

If you could give younger women any piece of advice, on any topic. What would it be?

You can change the world at any juncture, be brave to ask difficult questions and believe in the power of collective womanhood, we are one.