Want to write best-selling cookbooks, write for national media outlets, and partner with food brands?

In this episode, Wall Street Journal best-selling cookbook author Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, reveals the step-by-step career path she took to publish 12+ cookbooks and build a thriving media career.

IN THIS EPISODE

Writing a cookbook or working as a brand spokesperson doesn't just happen overnight. Today, Toby Amidor joins Stacey Dunn-Emke on NutritionJobs to pull back the curtain on how she transitioned from clinical dietetics and 10 years of culinary instruction into becoming one of the most prolific cookbook authors and media dietitians in the profession.

Toby Amidor shares how she broke into writing for the Food Network, how textbook writing opened doors to traditional book publishing, the realities of 4-month manuscript deadlines, and how dietitians can expand their income and impact through strategic networking, commodity board partnerships, and Nutrition communication.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/SRjD6LV3ijA

⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND
01:58 - Choosing dietetics and recognizing a booming field
03:20 - Pivoting from clinical hospital work to teaching culinary school
05:20 - Getting media-ready: From local radio to 20 years with Food Network
08:35 - How a listserv writing gig led to Toby's first book deal
11:20 - Why in-person networking and Dietetic Practice Groups (DPGs) matter
13:22 - The real craft of recipe development for dietitians
16:14 - Partnering with food brands and agricultural commodity boards
20:20 - Working as a spokesperson: Do you really need an agent?
25:39 - Developing an accessible writing style and "Toby's Tips"
31:02 - Hidden Easter eggs tucked inside Toby’s cookbooks
32:31 - A day in the life: Navigating 4-month cookbook deadlines
35:17 - Overcoming stage fright and building public speaking confidence
37:34 - Toby's top advice for dietitians looking to earn more money
40:45 - Where to connect with Toby Amidor

CONNECT
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, Owner, Toby Amidor Nutrition, PC
Award winning nutrition expert, WSJ best-selling cookbook author, Nutrition Expert, FoodNetwork.com, Spokesperson
Website: https://tobyamidornutrition.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tobyamidor/
Books: The Healthy Living High Protein Cookbook, The Greek Yogurt Kitchen, and more
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toby-amidor-ms-rd-cdn-fand-0b47981/

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You With a Brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/profiles/sign_up
Search All Dietitian Jobs on www.nutritionjobs.com: https://www.nutritionjobs.com
Search Featured Dietitian Jobs: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/jobs/search/featured-hot-job-roundup
Subscribe to Free Newsletter, The List: https://mailchi.mp/nutritionjobs/newsletter-signup
Hire a Dietitian - Post Your Jobs on NutritionJobs so Dietitians Can Find You: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/products

SOCIAL
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Can upskilling as a clinical dietitian help you earn more, expand your scope, and move into leadership? Absolutely.

In this episode of the Dietitian Career Success Podcast, I’m talking with Hannah Randall, RD, LD, CNSC, an acute care clinical dietitian specializing in adult and neonatal nutrition support.

Hannah shares how earning her Certified Nutrition Support Clinician credential, training to place feeding tubes at the bedside, developing NICU expertise, and completing an emerging-leaders program helped her advance into a nutrition coordinator role.

Through continued upskilling and career growth, Hannah is now earning twice what she made when she first started working as a dietitian.

We also take you behind the scenes of electromagnetic-guided nasogastric feeding-tube placement. Hannah explains how she completed her training, stepped outside her comfort zone, built relationships across the hospital, and helped elevate the visibility of the dietitian team.

IN THIS EPISODE:

✅ How the CNSC certification can create new career opportunities
✅ What training to place feeding tubes can look like
✅ Why specialized clinical dietitian skills may increase your earning potential
✅ How to ask your leader for professional-development opportunities
✅ Why communication and relationship-building matter in acute care
✅ How committee work and leadership training can prepare you for a promotion
✅ Why you should say yes before you feel completely ready

Hannah’s advice is an important reminder: You do not need to feel 100% confident before pursuing your next opportunity. Find one skill you can begin developing this week and take the first step!

CONNECT with Hannah Randall, RD, LD, CNSC:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahrandallrd2be

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show....

Do you feel like you need a roadmap for attending FNCE® - the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo?

This episode will help you approach conference conversations and networking with more intention and outcome. Dietitian Kelan Sarnoff, MS, RDN, founder of The RD Coach, joins Stacey Dunn-Emke to share her three-step approach to conference networking: prepare with a purpose, connect with curiosity, and follow up with a plan. We share conversation starters, ways to connect with potential employers and brands, and simple strategies to make following up easier when you’re back at work.

Whether you’re attending FNCE or a local nutrition conference, you’ll learn how to meet potential employers and collaborators, start conversations when you feel nervous, and keep new relationships going after you get home.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Navigating Conference Experiences
02:12 Exploring Career Opportunities in Dietetics
05:29 Navigating Conferences: Networking Tips
11:05 Setting Goals for Conference Attendance
14:55 Strategies for Effective Networking
17:41 Engaging with Attendees and Presenters
20:27 Business Cards and Information Exchange
30:35 Post-Conference Follow-Up Strategies
38:24 Final Thoughts on Networking and Future Events

LINKS MENTIONED

Career Catch-up Networking Toolkit: https://mailchi.mp/nutritionjobs/catch-up-toolkit

CONNECT WITH KELAN

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelansarnoff/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.rd.coach/
• Free 5-Day Career Clarity Challenge: https://therdcoach.kit.com/careerclarity

SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS, AFFILIATES

California Correctional Healthcare Services (CCHCS) is hiring Registered Dietitians. Apply or learn more here: dietitian.cacorrectionalhealthcare.com

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show....

What if your dietitian skills could help you build a fresh career in consumer packaged goods (CPG) - including CPG sales, brand strategy, product development, or consumer insights?

In this episode, I’m joined by Ed Coffin, RDN, a dietitian who has built his career at the intersection of nutrition, consumer packaged goods, brand building, and sales.

Ed takes us behind the scenes of the natural products industry and explains what it really takes to move a product from an idea to the retail shelf. He also shares why dietitians may be especially valuable to CPG brands - even when the available job titles don’t include the word “dietitian.”

In This Episode

✅ What a national key account manager actually does - from analyzing sales data to visiting stores and managing retailer relationships

✅ How a food product moves from an initial idea to distribution and placement on retail shelves

✅ The transferable skills dietitians already have that support careers in consumer insights, marketing, product innovation, sales, and brand strategy

✅ Four essential CPG terms to learn: distribution, velocity, margin, and trade spend

✅ Which job titles to search for and how to begin preparing for a CPG career - even without previous industry experience

Whether you’re interested in working for a food or wellness brand, developing your own product, or simply exploring dietitian careers beyond traditional practice, Ed offers a practical introduction to the business side of CPG.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Startup CPG: https://www.youtube.com/@startupcpg

CONNECT WITH ED COFFIN, RDN

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-coffin-rd-7ab5aa25/

SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS, AFFILIATES

Do you want to be featured on the podcast? Submit your application here.

Get on The List! It's my weekly career newsletter with lots of jobs, career tips, and updates. Sign up here.

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Help recruiters, clients, and collaborators find you with a stronger LinkedIn headline. Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, shares her simple formula: targeted job title + keywords + signature achievement. Hear practical examples to highlight your expertise to attract jobs, referrals, speaking engagements and career opportunities.

In This Episode:

00:27 Introduction to Networking Opportunities

02:51 Highlighting achievements at any career stage

05:53 Crafting Your LinkedIn Headline: Choosing keywords for your specialty or target role

08:44 Optimizing Your LinkedIn Headline for Opportunities

11:29 Examples of Effective LinkedIn Headlines for traditional and nontraditional dietitian roles

14:44 Common mistakes and a 15-minute action plan

Do you want to be featured on the podcast? Submit your application here.

Get on The List! It's my weekly career newsletter with lots of jobs, career tips, and updates. Sign up here.

LINKS MENTIONED

How To Get Found On LinkedIn As A Dietitian

SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS, AFFILIATES

California Correctional Healthcare Services (CCHCS) is hiring Registered Dietitians. Apply or learn more here: dietitian.cacorrectionalhealthcare.com

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

What does it look like to build a creative, non-traditional dietitian career rooted in nutrition, nature, storytelling, food literacy, and entrepreneurship?

In this episode of the Dietitian Career Success Podcast, I’m joined by Stacey Woodson, MS, RDN, LDN, the Earth-Centered Dietitian, to explore how dietitians can combine their interests, skills, and passion projects to create a career that is uniquely their own.

Stacey Woodson has brought together nutrition, urban agriculture, food literacy, storytelling, children’s books, media, speaking, consulting, and entrepreneurship. But she didn’t build it all at once. Her creative side gigs gradually became a distinct and financially sustainable dietitian career.

In This Episode:

✅ Learn how to combine what you know with what you genuinely enjoy

✅ Learn how to start small, pitch your ideas, and learn from the no’s

✅ Hear how to capture and share your work so one opportunity can lead to another

✅ A practical three-step path you can use to begin building your own unconventional career

✅ How she organizes multiple income streams, manages competing priorities, developed skills she wasn’t born with, and turned personal interests into workshops, media appearances, consulting work, speaking engagements, and paid opportunities.

CONNECT WITH Stacey Woodson, MS, RDN, LDN
Website: staceywoodson.com
Children’s books: staceywoodson.com/books
Instagram: @earthcentereddietitian
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-woodson-ms-rd-ldn/

LINKS MENTIONED

NutritionJobs Work Journal Template

Dietitian Side Hustles to Boost Your Salary

SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS, AFFILIATES*

Book: Dietitian Side Hustle: A Comprehensive Guide for Starting a Side Hustle, Making More Money, and Loving What You Do by Katie Dodd*

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

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👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

In this episode of the Dietitian Career Success Podcast, I’m joined by male fertility dietitian Dara Bergen, MPH, RDN, CDCES. Dara takes us inside this overlooked nutrition niche, including the nutrition interventions she uses, the health markers she follows, and the outcomes she tracks.

In This Episode:

✅ Why sperm health deserves more attention in fertility nutrition

✅ How nutrition and metabolic health can affect male reproductive health

✅ The specific lab values and metabolic markers Dara considers when working with clients

✅ How sperm analysis can be used to track measurable outcomes over time

✅ How dietitians can build on their existing skills to learn about this niche focus area

Dara shares how her experience in metabolic health, behavior change, and goal setting prepared her to work with male fertility clients.

CONNECT WITH DARA BERGEN, MPH, RDN, CDCES

Male Fertility Dietitian:
https://malefertilitydietitian.com

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dara-bergen-rd/

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: C2UVZXWNIWWKNQOQ

👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.

Do you want to be featured on the podcast? Submit your application here.

Get on The List! It's my weekly career newsletter with lots of jobs, career tips, and updates. Sign up here.

As we move into more nontraditional roles as dietitians, many of us are joining meetings with marketing, operations, product development, finance, technology, corporate leadership, and other decision-makers. Unlike patient-care meetings, no one may call on us or clearly define when it’s our turn to contribute.

In this career quickie episode, I’m sharing practical ways to prepare for these new types of meetings, get your voice into the room, and communicate your expertise with confidence and authority. You’ll learn how to recognize when your perspective is needed, introduce your ideas clearly, and make recommendations that are easier for others to understand and act on.

In this episode:

✅ A simple strategy for getting your voice into the conversation before speaking starts to feel intimidating
✅ How to stop weakening good ideas with qualifiers and dismissive language
✅ A practical framework for presenting in a meeting: the problem, supporting it with research, explaining its impact, and recommending a solution - IRIS:

I - Identify the Problem
R - The Research behind the Problem
I - The Impact of the Problem
S - A Solution to the Problem

Whether you’re new to the workforce, entering a nontraditional dietitian role, or finding yourself at a table with a completely different group of decision-makers, this episode will help you contribute with friendly confidence and persuasion!

LINKS MENTIONED

Speak Up In Meetings: https://www.nutritionjobs.com/speak-up-in-meetings

RESOURCES

Let Employers Find You: Create your brief Resume Profile on NutritionJobs
Search All Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com
Featured Dietitian Jobs: www.nutritionjobs.com/featured-jobs
Free Newsletter: Get on The List
Hire Dietitians: Post your jobs on NutritionJobs so dietitians can find your jobs
Podcast Call-Out: Become a Featured Top Employer www.nutritionjobs.com/products
Sponsorships and Advertising: Partner with Stacey at NutritionJobs www.nutritionjobs.com/products

Let's Connect
Instagram and Facebook — @nutritionjobs
LinkedIn — /nutritionjobs and /staceydunnemke
YouTube — @nutritionjobs

Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: C2UVZXWNIWWKNQOQ

👉 Hit Subscribe then leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. Thank you! I can also tell my mom that I'm helping people!

*Some of the links I share are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.