I became a dietitian around the same time as Corinne and I too enjoy working remotely. I believe she's the first love coach in the series and will be adding a new credential soon. Corinne is a great example of finding a niche and the lifelong learning RDs are inspired to partake in. Often our own struggles, life stages, experiences or interests lead us down different career paths. I love how honest she is about how much she works and the long hours she puts in; those realities aren't always apparent when we view websites or social media channels. 

Why did you become a RD?

I became a RD almost eight years ago now. At the time, I would have told you I became a RD because I wanted to help people learn to eat healthier. But, in hindsight, I can tell you that I was working through my own relationship with food and my body, and I wanted to learn more. But the real root of my desire as a RD has always been to coach and to help others, because I believe people are resilient and often have all the answers they need right there inside of them.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

I work in private practice in the coaching industry. More specifically, I work with women (from all over the world) struggling with body image and food fears, and who are looking to seriously get off the diet roller coaster and feel healthy and happy in their body and life. I do this through 1:1 coaching and my online course, Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. I also do love coaching, but that’s a whole other area! But the two really go together. If you can’t love yourself and your body, it’s hard to show up fully in a romantic relationship.

How would you explain what you do?

If I had to sum it up, I’d say I help kind, caring, compassionate women feel confident in their bodies, lives, and in love.

What are your ‘typical’ daily weekly tasks?

Well, I’m still learning. I’ve been fully in my own business for about 6 months now and typically, I do more task work in the morning, like answer emails, edit podcasts (I have an upcoming show you can find on my site by the time you’re reading this, CorinneDobbas.com). In the evening and afternoon, I focus more on my creative work, like writing, coaching clients, and working with the women in my Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. course. My days are also about to drastically change because I’m going back to school to become a MFT (Marriage and Family Therapist). I’m doing that so my current work can go even deeper with clients, and it’s simply the next step, so to speak, for myself.

What has been your career path?

My career path, as most are, has been interesting. I started off with a private counseling practice within a high-end health club and grew that for almost three years. As I began to notice that the clients I wanted to work with needed deeper work than a meal plan, I ended up leaving that position and taking on part-time consultant work for a company called hint water. I managed their social media, wrote their nutrition articles, and eventually, built and managed their customer service team. Also at this time, I enrolled in Wellcoaches and went through their program.

During this time, I was also testing my new way of working with clients - helping better their relationship with food and their body - through my 1:1 work. As I realized it worked, I then ran two small coaching groups over the next couple of years to test the material while working for hint. Throughout this process, my role for hint became full-time, but I was fortunate enough to work remote. Needless to say, during this period of my life, I worked A LOT.

Eventually, after almost four years, I left hint because I wanted something new and then took on a role as a General Manager for a fitness studio, while growing my own business. I was waking up at 4:30 am and typically working until 7 pm and within eight months, I burnt out and left the role. At this point, I was newly engaged and began to focus on my own business. But I’ve always been a fan of having a side income, where you knew a paycheck was certain. So I thought about what would be fun and remote (I love working remote) and remembered when my girlfriend got me to use a matchmaking service with her. I loved my matchmaker and decided to look if they were hiring. So I applied to be a matchmaker and after a serious interview process was hired.

I worked as a matchmaker then for about a year-and-a-half and that believe it or not took my coaching skills to a whole new level, as well as what I learned about relationships. After this stint, I decided to focus on date coaching. So today, I have my Single & Sane course, my Ditch the Diet. Get MORE. course and I offer 1:1 coaching in both the realms of food and body image and dating. But, as I mentioned earlier, this work has always signaled to me what I knew for a long time - to do more of what I really want to do - the (even) deeper inner soul work - I needed to go back to school to get a MS in Counseling Psychology. So, I’ll do that while running my current business today.

If you’re interested, you can hear more about my journey (and private life) with an awesome podcast interview I did with Heather Caplan here. (*Heather was featured on WhatRDsDo.com in June 2016!)

What advanced training or special education do you have?

I have a Masters in Nutrition Science. I’ve also completed the Wellcoaches Core-Coach Training Program, a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, and I’m going back to school to get a Masters in Counseling Psychology and become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Plus, I’ve worked with hundreds of women in both realms of food and body image and love. And to be honest, that 1:1 work and seeing what actually works for clients is priceless and the best training I could ever imagine.

In an ideal world what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

I have a feeling not many people are going to like me for this, but to be honest, in the ideal world, I’d hope to see less Dietitians stomping around online proclaiming themselves to be the nutrition experts - not saying we’re not - but to rather focus on the doing. The doing to establish yourself as an expert and to help those who you are uniquely meant to help. And to focus on how you can help. I believe there’s enough for everyone and when we start working collaboratively and focus more on what we can do, we change lives. I also believe it’s up to you to act as an expert. And most experts I know don’t walk around saying they’re the expert, they’re simply confident in the fact they are. So in the ideal world, I’d love to see the industry focusing more on how we can help, not that we can and should be the ones helping, if that makes sense.

What do people think you do for a living?

I laughed out loud at this because I’ve had so many people wonder. Are you in the love industry? How do you help people with food? Getting these responses has actually allowed me to rebrand my site to have a more clarifying message that I help kind, caring, compassionate women feel confident in their bodies, lives, and in love.

What tips would you give to our readers?

Know that you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. And that’s OK. It’s a part of the process. And get really clear on who you’re trying to help so you don’t take on projects, work, or clients who really aren’t a good match for you, and it turns out being a poor experience for both parties. Also, if you’re doing your own thing, don’t be afraid to get a real job and build your business overtime. In fact, I recommend it. And find your person in the industry who you can talk with, so you feel less alone. You’ll need them!

More about Corinne:

Website: Corinne Dobbas

Instagram:@CorinneDobbas

Thanks Corinne!