37. Feeding Ambition – Redefining a Dietitian’s Career Path: With Jen Haugen, RD, LD

January 23, 2024

Joining us today is our colleague Jen Haugen, whose diverse and inspiring career journey epitomizes the idea that the path to your dream job is not always a straight line, but a series of experiences and opportunities.

Jen is not only a registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian, but she’s also a nationally recognized speaker, nutrition consultant, and an accomplished author. With a heart for helping, Jen started and continues her career to assist busy moms in simplifying meal planning and enhancing their cooking skills.

Jen’s journey has been as varied as it has been fulfilling – from private practice and consulting with Pampered Chef to being a supermarket RD. Now, as a contract RD, she has found her dream role that perfectly aligns with her current phase of life.

What’s equally fascinating about Jen is her love for cooking, camping, and gardening – passions that not only enrich her life but also deeply influence her professional values.

Today, we will explore Jen’s diverse career path, discuss how each role has shaped her approach to nutrition, and explore her insights on how embracing change can lead to discovering your true calling.

We’ll cover:

Jen Haugen’s diverse career path
Rebranding to find the true essence of Midwest Goodness
How to keep opportunities open with side hustles

In this Episode:

[04:18] Jen introduces herself to our listeners and who she serves as a dietician.

[07:23] Lifestyle medicine versus Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).

[10:43] How many times per week does Jen see her clients?

[12:26] Jen tells us the winding road of her professional journey

[16:57] How Pampered Chef entered the picture.

[19:28] Tracking health goals while being in the house with her whole family.

[21:27] Rebranding and finding the essence of Midwest Goodness and the process of working with Dietitian Live.

[23:52] “I just kept just trying to be authentic and doing what I thought I knew best.” – Jen

[26:28] Getting to 35 clients a week.

[28:12] How long, on average, does a client stay on with Jen?

[30:00] What are the benefits of working in a role like Jen’s in her area of specialty?

[35:18] Are there any negatives to consider when working with side hustle companies?

[37:53] Not pigeonholing yourself and what’s next for Jen as she works as an independent consultant.

[39:52] Your Content Cure for This Week

This week’s Content Cure is a resource that outlines different career opportunities for nutrition professionals that you can explore either as full-time opportunities or as side hustles that can help you discover your dream job.

>> DOWNLOAD YOUR RESOURCES HERE<<

About Jen Haugen, RD, LD

Jen Haugen, RD, LD, is a two-time author, award-winning registered dietitian nutritionist, director/trainer, independent consultant with Pampered Chef, and business owner who works with brands and specializes in social media, cooking demos, digital content writing, and virtual cooking classes.

Jen is the author of two books, “Dinner, Done!” and “The Mom’s Guide to a Nourishing Garden”. She has been featured as a food and nutrition expert on national media outlets like Food & Nutrition Magazine, Nutrition 411, Sirius XM, and Today’s Dietitian.

As a Pampered Chef consultant, Jen has had nearly 10,000 clients she has personally helped with finding the right kitchen tools for their cooking needs. With over 5 years of sales experience, she has reached the top 1% of the company with over $800,000 in personal sales and received numerous Excellence Awards for personal sales and personal recruiting.

Her experience includes 8 years of work as a clinical dietitian at Mayo Clinic, 6 years of work as a supermarket dietitian at Hy-Vee, and 4 years of work as a school nutrition dietitian. Jen has extensive knowledge of the home kitchen, culinary nutrition, and helping families get dinner on the table.