Today we’d like to introduce you to Wendi Irlbeck
Hi Wendi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Wendi A.Irlbeck grew up in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. Wendi has been into health and fitness since she was 11 YO keeping a food journal. She quickly learned the connection between the food she was eating and how she was feeling when it came to academics and athletics. Wendi played softball, ran cross country and st helps athletes, coaches and families with nutrition. She also relates to and encourages clients by sharing personal stories and her faith.
Wendi Irlbeck knew as an 11-year-old girl growing up in Grand Meadow that she would be a dietitian.
It was something she felt she was missing as a young athlete and something that, as she grew up, realized a lot of athletes lacked education around food and wellness.
Irlbeck’s journey began after graduating from Stewartville High School in 2008. She played one year of softball at RCTC, while getting certified as a personal trainer. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in health, wellness and fitness, Irlbeck moved to the Twin Cities to work in corporate wellness and personal training.
But the pull she felt to be a performance dietitian never went away.
So she went back to UW-Stout to study dietetics. Though Irlbeck always wanted to be a dietitian, the career path almost didn’t work out for her. She failed her registered dietitian exam not once, but three times.
“It was so much pressure that I put on myself, just like athletes do, like, ‘You’ve got to be perfect. You’ve got to achieve this, otherwise you’re a failure,’” Irlbeck said. “My mantra has always been ‘We don’t quit,’ so I knew I was going to pass it. And what I told myself was it’s not a no, it’s just a not yet.
“Had I passed it the first time, I don’t think I would have appreciated being a dietitian as much as I do. Nor would I be able to share those experiences with my athletes or my clients like, ‘Hey, you’re going to fail, it’s going to happen. But you fail forward and you don’t quit.’”
Irlbeck passed the exam the third time. Following a job at the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, she started her own business, Nutrition with Wendi , in 2019.
“My goal has always been to work for myself in some fitness, health, wellness capacity,” Irlbeck said. “I knew as I was doing those presentations, and talking to kids in Detroit, I knew that God had a higher calling for my life and that if I don’t do it now, I don’t know when I’ll do it. So I made a business plan and started working on that in my downtime outside of my full-time job. Then I took the leap of faith and decided that it’s now or never.”
There are many parts to Nutrition with Wendi — there are “just so many facets of it,” Irlbeck said.
The bulk of the business, though, is working with high school and college athletes. Irlbeck does one-on-one coaching, personalized nutrition plans for student athletes at both the high school and college level. She has also worked with pro baseball and football athletes but prefers to help and give back to our children.
I began my private practice in East Lansing, Michigan with a laptop and a mound of student loan debt. I worked hard, prayed, and God brought me to Nashville, TN where I lived for 3 years then moved to Dallas Texas in October 2024. God has helped me pay off all of my student loan debt and to grow a business that serves clients, athletes, and families across the world!
That virtual component has allowed her to connect with athletes across the country, like the track and field and cross country teams at Doane University in Nebraska that she recently started working with. Through the partnership, Irlbeck will provide a 60-minute presentation, group question-and-answer sessions and some one-on-ones to work with the athletes.
She also works with coaches to develop plans for entire teams, and Irlbeck works with families to get their nutrition on track. Endurance athletes, recreational athletes and people in the general population who want to be healthy also work with Irlbeck.
In short, if a person wants to change their lifestyle and appreciates Irlbeck’s “all foods fit” approach, she works with them.
“We really do take a full 360 approach where it’s sleep, stress management, recovery, sports, nutrition, weight management,” Irlbeck said. “It’s really meeting the person where they’re at and helping them to go to where they want to be.”
Interweaving faith into work
Twitter is a big part of how Irlbeck connects with coaches, parents and athletes. She shares everything from tips and tricks to personal stories, like failing her registered dietitian exam, on the platform, allowing followers to relate to Irlbeck.
Her faith plays a large role in her business and is visible on her Twitter account. Irlbeck doesn’t strive to push her beliefs on anyone, but her faith is integrated into her business.
“I don’t know if I would have ever found such joy, happiness or success without the Lord,” she said. “That’s why I’m really vocal about my faith, and it’s really important to me that people know I am where I am today because of Jesus Christ. Not because of my hard work but because of His sacrifice that He paid on the cross for our sins.”
I have a health and performance playbook that I published in 2023 and my Devotions with Wendi book that is set to publish February 2025!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I have overcome an abusive relationship, bouts of perfectionism, low mental health, and high levels of stress to successfully start, build, maintain and grow my business. With hard work, faith and kindness all things are possible. If God calls you to do something He will equip you to do it. I have been a published writer for over 5 years now, have been interviewed in Forbes Health, stood in other countries on stages to speak about nutrition, health, entrepreneurship, and overcoming obstacles that should have killed me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We provide 1:1 nutrition coaching to student athletes, parents, families and work day warriors. We specialize in helping teens and adults learn what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat. We not only help with athletic performance but disordered eating, weight loss, managing autoimmune diseases and helping individuals build a healthy relationship with food. God has set us apart from others because we put the client first and treat them with an individual approach to help them reach their goals. We care about the person first and profit second. God is the foundation for my business and our team. I lead our team meetings in prayer beforehand and Jesus guides us through challenges. The brand is a “we” thing. People often struggle with doing things alone and what we have at Nutrition with Wendi is a community of people who believe, help, and encourage. We are results based and we can help you if you’re willing to follow a plan and meet with us. We offer a membership for recipes, resources, a newsletter that is free and a surplus of other resources. You will not meet a more dedicated dietitian than myself and our team. I am a registered dietitian, certified sports nutritionist and I have invested > 10 years to learn and apply those skills to serve our clients. I slept on floors, battled mental health challenges and so much more to be the successful business owner I am today. My path has not been easy and this has helped me express a great deal of passion and empathy for others. I want to help others and I want them to know they are never alone because NWW and Jesus are always at their side!
What makes you happy?
Jesus Christ makes me happy. My joy and fulfillment comes from Him. The world will change but God never changes. If you want to be “happy” have a snack. If you want to be joyful put your faith, trust, and life in the hands of Jesus Christ. I find great happiness in health, helping others, running, lifting weights, journaling, reading my bible, hiking in nature, and laughing. Laughter is medicine! I love speaking to teams, helping coach clients, and leading my team to victory!
Pricing:
- https://www.nutritionwithwendi.com/membership/
- https://nww-membership.systeme.io/nwwhealthandfitnessprogram
- https://nww-membership.systeme.io/1-1-performance-nutrition-coaching-6months
- *See membership, 1:1 coaching rates, and sports nutrition presentations
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nutritionwithwendi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_with_wendi/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionwithWendi/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendiirlbeck/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Wendi_Irlbeck
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/shorts/eBGsTZrs6iM?si=sVGC06XYQfuCIuk8
