We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Ellenberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
One of the BIGGEST things about my industry that outsiders are unaware of is many people mistakenly use the terms “dietitian” and “nutritionist” interchangeably, when they are in fact, very different.

Anyone with an interest in diet or nutrition may call themselves a “nutritionist.” They have no accreditation, licensure and no guidelines for how much or what type of education they need.

Dietitians on the other hand have to complete a 4-year bachelor’s degree, complete a 1,200 hour supervised practice internship with a variety of rotations, have to pass national boards, obtain licensure, complete 75 hours of continuing education to maintain their credential, and as 2024 will require a master’s degree before sitting for their boards.

I highly encourage outsiders to do their background research before taking nutrition advice from anyone, as dietitians are taught to use evidenced based, research interventions when treating people!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is called “Dietitian Dish.” I set out on this venture with frustration of people around me, patients and basically everyone wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and struggling / failing to stick with diet after diet. I wanted to educate others on how to live a healthier lifestyle but in an uncomplicated, sustainable way. 95% of diets fail, which in turn, makes you feel like a failure! I have a big focus on metabolic health rather than the number on the scale.

Networking was a HUGE piece of making my business successful. The more I reached out and introduced myself to other entrepreneurs, the more connections I made and learned that people want to help you become successful. There have definitely been ups and downs in this process, but remembering why I set out on this adventure in the first place (to help others), along with my clients successes has kept me going!

A big lesson I learned was from Ed Miller, he once told me, when you are first starting out, don’t worry about the number of clients you have, take the best possible care of the clients you currently have and more will come. He was right. My first clients recommended me to their friends, loved ones, etc and my business has mostly grown through word of mouth.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Ironically, I’m a mountain girl at heart. I never in a million years thought I would call a city home, BUT atlanta has so much nature immersed in it. There are so many trails and parks throughout the city that you can go hiking within 10 minutes of your home. I would likely take friends to east palisades trail, followed by lunch off Buford Hwy (all the good eats) perhaps stop and grab a beer at one of the MANY breweries here and then round out the night with some Jenis ice cream. Yum!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who contribute to my business success. First and foremost, my husband, Eric. Giving up a full-time salary, benefits, guaranteed hours, etc is no joke and a scary leap. He has continued to encourage me and be my biggest cheerleader throughout this journey. My parents, sister and previous boss, Stephen West have also encouraged me to pursue my dream of having my own business.

Lastly, when I was first starting out, Ed Miller, owner of the Rack APC, was extremely encouraging and rooting for me and my business. You should check them out too, the Rack is an awesome gym!

Website: www.DietitianDish.com

Instagram: @DietitianDish

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DietitianDish

Image Credits
Elissa Clouse

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.