Owner Dr. Dan Johnson and nutrition coach, Katie Baker have grown their nutrition program out of a chiropractic office through authenticity, expertise, and accountability.

“After phone calls with both HSN mentors and Nicole I was convinced that HSN would be able to provide the nutritional expertise we were seeking. Since going live in July 2019 we have not missed a monthly mentoring call and this accountability has been paramount in our continued success.” – Dr. Dan Johnson

Read more about Dr. Dan and Katie’s unique nutrition program and how they have generated corporate wellness opportunities.

How did you grow your nutrition program being a chiropractic office?

We did it through Authenticity, Expertise, and Accountability!

Prior to opening our doors for business in 2011 we wanted to create a unique experience that would separate ourselves from other sports injury clinics by being authentic in our help first approach. This meant that if we did not do something ourselves or see value in the product or service then we did not recommend it. While I knew that providing nutritional advice to my patients could help reduce their frequency of injuries and reduce recovery times, I did not have the expertise or systems set up to make clients successful. Without the expertise or the systems then the experience would be unauthentic.   

In early 2019, I was looking into ways to grow my business with additional services that fit our business culture and provide value to our customers. Providing nutritional support had always been a topic I thought about but did not want to go down the path of selling vitamins and supplements as those did not fit our business model of being authentic. At about this same time, I read Michael Pollan’s book In Defense of Food where he suggested people need to “eat real food, mostly vegetables, and not too much”. The simplicity resonated with me in a way that keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, or any other diet recommendations previously had not. So I began my search for a company that fit a model of real food, mostly vegetables, and not too much and it didn’t take me very long to recall articles in the CrossFit Journal and a podcast by this bubbly person talking about how “something as fundamental as nutrition shouldn’t be overwhelming.” After phone calls with both HSN mentors and Nicole I was convinced that HSN would be able to provide the nutritional expertise we were seeking.

Prior to going live with HSN we would occasionally make social media posts about nutrition but it was not on any regular basis. Once we started the initial phase with HSN we began regularly posting nutrition tips for sports performance and overall health. We began planting the seed in our patients mind about nutrition by actively bringing it up during conversation with them about what they do, what they have done, and what caused them frustration. This approach meant that once we went live with Nutritional Coaching through HSN we had perspective clients ready to sign up. Since going live in July 2019 we have not missed a monthly mentoring call and this accountability has been paramount in our continued success.

Katie, you decided to quit your job to be a nutrition coach full time, how did you decide to take that leap?

This decision took some courage. The thing we typically fear most in life tends to be the unknown. The uncertainty if I would be able to be successful with this program, if people would see a need for it and “buy in”, if I would be able to afford a stable income for my family. After a lot of planning with my husband, and Dr. Dan working his mathematical magic to estimate projections for the nutrition program, I felt comfortable giving it my best effort. I wanted to chase after a career that really made a difference in people’s lives. 

How did you guys generate so many corporate wellness opportunities- where did the leads and opportunities arise?

Fortunately, people who participated in our public nutrition challenge had tremendous success and wanted to share this with their workplace. We have developed leads with all types of businesses ranging from local banks, an equipment supplier, dental offices, and even the local police and fire departments. Word of mouth and social media have been huge for getting the new out about corporate wellness. People relate to the photos of our successful clients and want to achieve the same results in their own lives. Many workplaces are pushing for healthier environments at work and this is something we are trying to highlight right now. 

If you could give advice to another Chiropractic office or nutrition coach running a nutrition program what would it be?

Be open to promoting your program to the fitness centers in town. An advantage you have as a chiropractic office is that you are not tied to a set number of gym members, you can pursue members from all gyms in town. This has really been instrumental in gaining a wide variety of nutrition clients. We have crossfitters, runners, yogis, weightlifters, etc and this keeps it really fun to coach. It also opens doors for marketing nutrition challenges to each specific fitness facility, or to set up a friendly competition between two gyms in town. We are all about making a positive impact on our community, and this has allowed us to do so.

Where do you see the program in 3 months? 

In 3 months, we would like to be pursuing more corporate wellness opportunities, and also more events focusing on kids nutrition. In the summertime while kids are out of school, we would like to teach them about healthy habits and get them excited to help mom and dad cook nutritious meals. We are also hosting a CrossFit competition in June, so we would like to see that have great attendance and be a fun way to promote eating for performance. 

Katie, what is the best advice you can give to other new nutrition coaches?

The best advice I have for new coaches is to keep the information you’re providing simple. There is a lot of nutrition information available on the internet and many clients are seeking help because it is overwhelming to sort through all the opinions. I have had way more success with people simply utilizing the plate method than trying to measure or weigh foods. We provide custom meal plans as an additional tool, but really drive home the plate method. Getting people to realize this isn’t an “all or nothing” diet but rather a lifestyle, and that the plate method can allow them to eat foods they enjoy is key to yielding long term results and gaining their trust. Be a friend and supporter to them, it takes a lot of courage to ask for help, especially when it comes to something and fundamental as eating. Having someone to encourage them and celebrate their many victories (no matter how small) will only make them feel more valued and want to stick with it.

Are you looking to add nutrition services to your offerings? We want to help!