Meet Kim Fox of Fox Nutrition & Diabetes Services

We are excited to introduce you to Kim Fox, RDN, LD, CDE, founder of Fox Nutrition and Diabetes Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kim has been in private practice for years, and today she’s sharing her advice for dietitians just starting out, plus why she thinks all RDs should join the Academy!

Healthie: What influenced your decision to become a dietitian?

My dad is a dentist and went to many conferences for CEU’s [continuing education credits]. One of his courses was on nutrition. After that course, my parents changed our diet. Even before, I was raised on whole grains, lots of produce, no desserts, and pop/sweets were only allowed on special occasions. Thus, the main change made was the incorporation of more saturated fat into our diet, with cream and buttermilk. As much as I didn’t like the taste of these changes, I was fascinated with the fact that nutrition could really impact your health. So I knew I wanted to be a dietitian since the 7th grade, when I recognized this connection.

I obtained my BS in Home Economics at South Dakota State University at Brookings, SD, as a Coordinated Undergraduate Program in Dietetics Student.

Healthie: How do you describe your approach to nutritional care?

Client-centered and individualized, with a focus on integrative and functional medical nutrition therapy to get to the root cause of the person’s health issues with a “whole foods first” approach.

Healthie: Why should someone struggling with weight loss see a dietitian?

There are many reasons:

• Dietitians have knowledge in the complexities of weight management: emotional, behavioral, nutritional, psychological, medical
• Dietitians use evidence-based science to support the information and recommendations provided to the client
• Dietitians are trained to look for other health issues that may be related to or may be contributing to weight, so these issues can be addressed as well
• Dietitians take a multi-faceted approach with food, activity and behavior
• Dietitians focus on overall health-improvement and won’t compromise someone’s health in order to assist the client in reaching a specific number on the scale
• Dietitians have a heavy background in science, allowing us to understand nutrient utilization by the body
• Dietitians are generally in this field to help people, not as a hobby or additional revenue to supplement their business or practice
• Services may be covered by insurance

Healthie: What are some strategies you’ve used to market yourself and promote your business over the years?

Marketing and promotion is always multi-faceted. Here are some things I’ve done:

• Joining state dietetic and consultant dietitian organizations
• Being a board member for years for my state and consulting dietitian organizations
• Joining BNI (Business Network International)
• Setting up a Facebook business page, providing content that interests my readers, several times a week
• Providing excellent service. Much of my business is word of mouth.

Healthie: What advice do you have for dietitians just getting started with private practice?

• Get involved with your state and other dietetic organizations!
• If you are a member of the Academy, become a part of the NEDPG
• As finances allow, hire a coach for support and accountability
• Specialize, then find other RD’s in your area that offer a different specialty that you can refer clients to and vice versa
• See what others outside of the profession are doing to increase their business. Some of my favorites are Adam Urbanski, Christian Mickelsen, Melanie Duncan, and Karen Pattock.
• Don’t get discouraged. Trials are often times of self-reflection, re-evaluation, and change that leads to the growth or outcome previously desired. (Ask me how I know!)

Kim, we thank you for your candid and thoughtful reflection; there is truly so much we can learn from you. If anyone would like to contact Kim or learn more about her practice, visit www.foxdiabetes.com.