We had the good fortune of connecting with Nina Cherie Franklin, PhD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nina, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
After decades of working with corporate and private clients in health, fitness and nutrition, I grew increasingly frustrated with the wellness industry spreading misinformation and mismatched claims. As fate would have it, I was gifted a beautiful wooden salad bowl for Christmas. In the new year, the simple gift of this bowl sparked my transformation into “That Salad Lady” and, ultimately, the development of the brand.

For me, salad bowls and all the possible combinations of fruits, vegetables and other whole foods to fill them trigger the same emotional reaction one might have from being gifted fine jewelry, a designer handbag or something else they’ve always wanted.

For years, friends and family have entered my home knowing they’d be treated to my latest salad creation. Even kids have gotten excited about visiting “That Salad Lady’s” house. With my new salad bowl, I soon realized what I needed to do – bring my kitchen to people everywhere struggling with what’s in their bowl. I wholeheartedly believe that teaching the art of crafting salads can make a lasting impact on a person’s relationship with food, self-confidence and wellness – and that’s what “That Salad Lady” is all about.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As “That Salad Lady,” I’ve essentially coupled my advanced degrees and decades of experience with an utter obsession for salad making.

Professionally, I offer personalized healthy living coaching and wellness programs for individuals and groups. I hold a doctorate in kinesiology, nutrition and rehabilitation, I have multiple certifications in these areas, and I’m a globally recognized wellness expert. I’ve spent the last two decades successfully helping corporate and private clients and contributing to dozens of national media publications and academic journals as a health scientist.

I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones, as my passion, purpose and pastime are all intertwined in the work I do. But it didn’t start off that way. In fact, my relationship with wellness wasn’t always a good one. Personally, I’ve endured and overcome some of the worst of life’s hardships to get to where I am today.

I’ve lived through poverty and even been homeless. I battled and beat food addiction and obesity. I survived multiple miscarriages, anxiety and depression. It’s been quite the journey, but nevertheless necessary.

That Salad Lady was born from my intense empathy for those who feel they can never lose weight, achieve good health or live the life they want due to their economic, emotional or environmental circumstances, as I’ve been there. While my professional accolades earn me a seat at the wellness table, it’s my personal experiences that really set me apart from the rest. It’s these experiences that make people feel comfortable enough to bring me into their world.

I’m excited to be able to share my salad obsession and collective experiences with the world in order to help others build more layers of lifelong wellness.

My sole mission is to boost people’s eating confidence with approachable salad making, culinary content and community-based programs. As Nina Cherie Franklin, PhD, you’ll still see me active in the academic and media world in order to continue my efforts to influence the wellness industry and to advocate for making healthy living more approachable, accessible and inclusive. But as “That Salad Lady,” I am here to prove that this can all start with a salad.


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?
Oh my, this is such a loaded question! I’m originally from Chicago so I’m still trying to figure it all out. I’ll take a stab at it though.

Within the week they’ll definitely have to visit The Shops of Buckhead make a day out of it. They can start with a light lunch and coffee at Le Bilboquet. After a little retail therapy, dinner at Gypsy Kitchen would be in order followed by craft drinks on the rooftop of American Cut.

Ponce City Market is another area they absolutely must visit! Start with a scenic walk on the Atlanta Beltline with Ponce as the final destination. Once there they cando some more shopping, visit Candlefish for a candle making class, and end the day with dinner, house wines and maybe even a concert at City Winery Atlanta.

Avalon Alpharetta is another spot to put on the itinerary. Start with brunch at South City Kitchen and then shop a little and hang out for a while before getting manis and pedis at The Woodhouse Day Spa. When their nails are dry, they can head over to Superica for some Tex Mex cuisine and margaritas and end the evening with a movie at the Regal.

There are so many other things to do in between, like “Cocktails in the Garden” at Atlanta Botanical Garden, a hike at Stone Mountain Park, and, of course, a Georgia Aquarium visit – but I’ll stop here.


Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First and foremost, I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my husband, Woody (a technical genius), who’s not only my biggest fan, most dedicated sounding board and business partner, but also the gifter of the beautiful wooden salad bowl that would ultimately spark the development of “That Salad Lady.” I’d also like to give a special shoutout to my copy editor, Amberly (a magical wordsmith), and my photographer, Katya (a woman with an eagle’s eye), for helping me bring the brand to life.

Website: https://thatsaladlady.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/that.salad.lady

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ninacheriefranklin

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thatsaladlady

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

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thatsaladlady

Image Credits
Katya Vilchyk | Atlanta Branding Photographer & Owner of BrandWell Creative

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