Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Setnick.
Hi Jessica, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The three consistent threads in my career have been eating disorders, public speaking, and learning as I go. I have a strong sense of justice and a deep desire to be useful, so when I spot something that needs to be done my first instinct is to get started. I usually experience a moment of “I’m not qualified to do this,” and then I punch through that wall and keep going.
My first speaking gig was at 5 years old. I taught Mr. Peppermint and Muffin the Bear about Hanukah on Channel 8. There were a lot of detours between there and here, but ultimately my happy place is on a stage, talking about something important in a way that connects with people.
My first job as a dietitian was at Children’s in 1998 when the eating disorder program was just getting started. None of the other dietitians liked to give talks, so I scooped up every opportunity that came through our office. I might add a fourth consistent thread – always doing a hundred different things. When I left Children’s it took five dietitians to replace me.
A few years after starting my own practice, I also started my own workshop: Eating Disorders Boot Camp [www.eatingdisordersbootcamp.com]. I traveled the country teaching health professionals to do a better job helping individuals in their care, then made it into an online course. I wrote and self-published the first eating disorder pocket guide [www.EatingDisordersBook.com], started a non-profit organization for eating disorder dietitians, and wrote a guidebook to public speaking [www.dietitianspeakingguide.com]. Now I spend most of my work time on planning my latest workshop, Healing Your Inner Eater [www.healingyourinnereater.com] and advocacy.
I didn’t know how to do any of these things, I just did them anyway. When I wanted to start a workshop, I bought 3-ring binders and started punching holes. When I wanted to sell the recording of Eating Disorders Boot Camp, I found vendors for all the pieces and parts, then sat on the floor with my office manager Celena packaging CDs into cases and shrink-wrapping them with a hairdryer. When I can’t find anyone in an insurance company to talk to, I contact the Public Relations office. My mom taught me that everything is information, you just have to find it. Before the internet, having a librarian mom came in very handy.
When I wonder if I’m the right person to do any of these things, I remind myself that’s not a real question. The real question is if I don’t do it, who will? and usually the answer is no one. By process of elimination, that leaves me. I don’t know if this is what drives every entrepreneur, but I learned from experience that I can’t rely on institutions or systems to do the right thing. If I want something done, I very well may have to do it myself. Picking and choosing where to spend my resources is one of my biggest challenges, because as much as I love my work, I also have to protect myself from burning out.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Adulting is hard, It’s shocking to be in school for twenty years and then realize you’re quite ignorant about the working world. Everything of use in my career I learned after I got out of school, and my career has taught me so much about life. I feel like there are so many things a person can do, I’m so grateful that I found a thing that I love and I’m good at and can make a living. Running my own business is a challenge and a blessing. I’ve worked hard and had some lucky breaks, I’ve made mistakes that were important lessons, and I’ve spent my working life trying to make the world a better place. My mental health is my biggest challenge. I have to be conscious every day that I’m not letting anxiety or past bad experiences dictate my choices. And the way that usually plays out is in the temptation to overwork. I have lots of things I like to do outside of work, but whey I hyperfocus on work they all fall away. Part of it is that my work is fun, but part of it is that it feels like accomplishments, like checking off a list. Life outside work is more messy. No measurement of whether you’re doing it right or wrong, no paycheck to prove that you’re a success. I love being on vacation because you’re “job” is to rest. But other times I struggle with the transition of when to stop working and live my other life.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My specialty area is everything eating disorders. Within that realm, I’m speaking, writing, consulting with other professionals about their challenges, and training leaders for my Healing Your Inner Eater course [www.HealingYourInnerEater.com]. And of course there’s my volunteer work, the most frustrating thing I’ve every attempted – advocating for individuals whose eating disorder insurance benefits have been denied. Federal law protects individuals with eating disorders and requires insurance to cover nutrition counseling with a dietitian. Yet patient after patient after patient is told they are limited to 3 visits, it isn’t a covered service, or some other excuse. None of these are valid, and often the policy itself states that it is covered. But the computer and AI systems that process claims have wrong information, and wrong information is given out by customer service and provider relations.
Leadership thinks the system is working until I give them examples of how it’s not. Usually once they see the problem, they’re willing to fix it. The hardest part is getting to that point – it requires finding a person who cares that this is wrong, a person who understands the situation, a person who’s willing to fix the problem, a person who has the ability to fix it, and a person to authorize the fix. This is never, ever, ever the same person. If anyone reading this thinks the insurance company you work for treats eating disorders correctly, please get in touch. The system rarely operates the way higher-ups think it does, and getting it solved changes the course of lives.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I have a few, and it’s hard to pick one. Here are the top three:
1. I do not quit. I try to only take on things I care about, so once I’m on board, I’m going to see it through. I just keep going. I might get distracted by other ideas or an occasional dead end, so I have to keep winnowing it down to what really matters. But once I know what I’m after, you’re not going to see me give up even thought I might be tempted. I reach out to thers when I don’t have all the answers and don’t make rash decisions when I’m feeling discouraged. I check in with people who have different skill sets than me, I rely on my work partners to keep the faith, I use my resources to get another perspective.
2. I’m always learning about myself. I’m willing to looking insightfully at my role in creating or perpetuating negativity or stalling or sabotaging growth. I take my medicine which helps, and I try to be aware of when I’m struggling internally and projecting it outside. I take responsibility for my own mental health, mood and stability. It’s not always easy. Ultimately I want to feel good about how I comport myself as a professional, and being honest with myself about why I’m feeling or behaving a certain way helps me a lot. I’m aware I have really high standards for myself, and over time I’ve actually been able to relax them quite a bit. The saying “Always do your best” really doesn’t apply to us perfectionists. We need sayings like “It’ll get done eventually,” “Maybe it’s not that important,” and “Just get something on paper and turn it in.”
3. I say no A LOT. I have a very specific lane and I stay in it well. When something shiny comes along in someone else’s lane, I have 99 ways to say no nicely. There are only so many hours in the day that I want to be working and plenty of other things that I also want to do. It’s crucially important not to overbook myself. This is my biggest challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://JessicaSetnick.com
- Instagram: @UnderstandingNutrition
- Facebook: @JessicaSetnick
- LinkedIn: @JessicaSetnick
- Youtube: @jessicasetnick2643
