What would I do differently if I were starting my business all over again today?

When I first started my business, I made just $13K in my first year. Two and a half years later, I was making $261K, and it wasn't because I worked harder, became more organized, or spent more hours behind my computer. It was because I stopped focusing on the things that didn't actually move my business forward and started prioritizing the strategies that brought in clients and created sustainable growth.

Looking back, I spent so much time worrying about having the perfect logo, website, business plan, and program before I ever started selling. I was busy with administrative tasks, overdelivering to clients, and trying to help everyone without clear boundaries or a scalable business model. But the biggest shifts happened when I learned how to sell authentically, got clear on who I wanted to help, and stopped confusing being busy with making money.

In this personal solo episode, I'm sharing the five things I would never do again if I were starting my business in 2026 or 2027. Whether you're a dietitian, nutrition coach, therapist, fitness coach, or health professional looking to build your own business, these are the lessons I wish I had learned sooner so you can avoid the same mistakes and build a profitable business that actually supports your life.

In this episode, I cover:

• The five biggest mistakes I would avoid if I were starting my business today

• How I went from making $13K to $261K without working more hours

• Why you don't need a perfect website, logo, or business plan to start selling

• The difference between being busy and doing work that actually brings in clients

• Why creating content that drives sales matters more than constantly educating your audience

• How learning to sell authentically can transform your business growth

• Why getting clear on your ideal client and offer comes from taking action, not endless planning

• How I learned to identify the clients who were actually willing to invest in my programs

• The importance of boundaries, structure, and building a scalable coaching business

• Why building a business around your life is more important than building your life around your business

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What if you knew you wanted to start your own business, but had no idea how to turn your expertise into a profitable offer?

When Amanda Rossetti joined my Online Entrepreneur Academy, she was a newly licensed registered dietitian with a passion for helping female endurance athletes fuel their bodies and improve their performance. After spending nearly seven years in marketing and making a career change into nutrition, she knew she wanted to build a business that gave her more flexibility, fulfillment, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. But with little more than an Instagram account, some networking, and a vision for her future, she wasn't sure how to turn that passion into a sustainable business.

In this episode, Amanda shares how she went from starting her private practice from scratch to signing eight clients and generating nearly $10K in just four months. We talk about how she narrowed her niche to female runners, developed a clear 12-week nutrition coaching program, and learned how to communicate the value of her expertise with confidence. Amanda also shares how she made back her investment in Online Entrepreneur Academy, raised her prices as her business grew, and built a client pipeline through Instagram, referrals, and strategic partnerships.

We also talk about why building a successful business doesn't mean posting on social media every day, how sharing her personal experience with underfueling helped Amanda connect with her ideal clients, and why creating structured offers is more effective than relying on individual nutrition consultations. Amanda shares her plans to expand into group coaching, diversify her revenue streams, and eventually transition out of her full-time telehealth position to focus entirely on her own business.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why Amanda left a seven-year marketing career to become a registered dietitian and business owner

• How she built her private practice while working a full-time job

• Why narrowing her niche to female endurance athletes strengthened her messaging

• How Amanda signed eight clients and generated nearly $10K in four months

• What helped her make back her investment in Online Entrepreneur Academy

• Why creating a structured 12-week program changed the way she sold her services

• How Instagram, referrals, and local partnerships helped her attract clients

• Why sharing her personal journey with underfueling made her content more relatable

• How she learned to balance free educational content with promoting her paid services

• Why taking time away from social media didn't stop her business from growing

• How raising her prices and diversifying her offers are creating opportunities for growth

• Why Amanda is planning to expand into group coaching and transition into full-time entrepreneurship

Connect with Amanda:

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What if you stopped treating a professional conference like a packed schedule of sessions and started using it to intentionally grow your career, network, and business?

Whether you're heading to the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) for the first time or you've attended for years, it's easy to fill your schedule with educational sessions, walk the expo for free samples, and hope meaningful connections happen along the way. But with the right strategy, a conference like FNCE can become an opportunity to build relationships, connect with brands, create content, and open doors for your career or business.

In this solo episode, I'm sharing my unofficial FNCE playbook and exactly how I would approach the conference if I were attending as a dietitian or nutrition professional looking to get more out of the experience. From creating a networking hit list before you arrive to strategically navigating the expo, scheduling coffee dates, connecting with brands, and leaving room to actually enjoy San Antonio, I'm breaking down how to be intentional without scheduling every minute of your trip.

In this episode, I cover:

• Why you should decide what you actually want from FNCE before planning your schedule

• How leaving white space in your day can create better networking and business opportunities

• Why choosing a few must-attend sessions may be more valuable than filling your entire day with education

• How to create a strategic hit list of people, brands, and sessions before you arrive

• Why reaching out before the conference can lead to deeper, more meaningful connections

• How to approach the expo strategically and connect with brands you genuinely want to work with

• What to say to brands when you're interested in partnerships, content creation, speaking, or consulting opportunities

• Why scheduled coffee dates and intentional conversations can be more valuable than spontaneous networking

• How to use FNCE as an opportunity to create content, build relationships, and grow your professional network

• Why you don't have to do everything at FNCE to have an incredible experience, and how focusing on what matters most can help you get more from the conference

To receive my weekly newsletter with more business, marketing, and entrepreneurship insights, send me the word "newsletter" in a DM.

And if you enjoyed this episode, leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your support means more than you know.

Connect with Deanna: