Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Abbey.
Michelle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After moving to San Diego, about 12 years ago, I found employment in the financial industry. My hobby had always been exercise. First, as a gym go-er, then blossoming after discovering the wonderful world of outdoor exercise after moving here. I followed a fairly quick progression into marathon running, which led to triathlon, long distance trail running, hiking, cycling, and even a little bit of bodybuilding.
Besides following a few fad diets, I historically did not pay too much attention to my overall diet. I was overweight in high school, and my weight continued to fluctuate as an adult. However, after entering the triathlon world, I quickly became obsessed with diet and nutrition. I read blogs, tried the Paleo diet, and ate what I considered a relatively clean diet (though I still had my share of treats, especially when training!). At one point, I even became the nutrition delegate for my company’s wellness committee. It had been mentioned to me several times, kind of jokingly (I think), that I should be a dietitian.
Then, one day, I thought, “Yes, I SHOULD be a dietitian.”
So, I went back to school and obtained my bachelor’s degree in nutrition. This took about three years, working part-time with a full class load. I was then able to experience the nail-biting dietetic internship match and thankfully matched on my first try. A one-year internship followed. My internship involved a lot of travel in the form of a road trip. I worked rotations in Louisiana, West Virginia, Boston, Carlsbad, and San Diego. It was a great experience working with dietitians in an elite athlete training facility, elementary school, food bank, grocery store, corporate wellness office, wellness clinic & hospital. It wasn’t just the nutrition-related knowledge that was valuable to me. A big part of why I sought out rotations in different parts of the country was to experience the various cultures and the various dynamics between myself and others. I believe overall experience and exposure are most important for growth, personally and professionally.
I earned my Registered Dietitian credential after passing the national exam in November 2017. During my journey, I also immersed myself in the study of coaching principles, positive psychology, the natural world, and introspection. I know that to truly help others, I need to be in a good place. Through my experiences, both personally and professionally, I feel very confident in my ability to help my clients reach their health and well-being goals. With this in mind, I decided to launch my own private practice!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The first “mountain” was making the decision to completely change careers at the age of 35. I kind of “fell” into my first career. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. What I loved about my previous career most, was the people I worked with. I’m a “people person”, so this could have probably kept me in that career for life. I think this situation is familiar to many people… maybe not exactly, but a similar story.
I didn’t have many role models in life. I had no mentors. I never got the memo that I should be looking, and I did not figure it out on my own. I think, unfortunately, that as a youngster, I mostly learned how to “get by” and survive. It’s really all I knew as a young adult.
I got lucky after 30, as a couple of people entered my life, not only inspiring me to find and follow my passions but also to grow as a person. I met my best friend, who was (and still is!) more of a role model to me that she’ll ever know. This was a critical point in my life, eventually leading to me turning my life upside down to follow my passions. If there is one thing I’m still learning, it is that following my passion is leading me to the right things (present husband included!).
My biggest piece of advice to other women is to find role models that push you to grow as a person. Just one true role model is good. Seek out experience. See things from a different perspective. Then, seek out a mentor. Anyone who is willing to help you figure out what you want to do, and how to do it, both personally and professionally. These relationships will be different for everyone, so you’ll figure out what works best for you. If you need help figuring this part out, contact me. I’d be happy to help.
I am still working at it, and it is still a very bumpy road. I have an extremely supportive husband and some incredibly supportive friends.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
My specializations are one on one nutrition/wellness coaching, meal prep help, active living nutrition, and soon… forest therapy. I help people with behavior change for optimal well-being, using positive psychology to support healthy behaviors, reconnect people to themselves, and do this all within a realistic, long-term plan. Instead of just telling people what to do, I spend a lot of time helping them to figure out what they want to do, “how” to do it and explore “why” things either work or don’t work. Without exploring more deeply the “hows” and “whys”, we will all just continue with our current habits.
I have a genuine interest in where my client is… physically, mentally, socially, philosophically… etc. I believe that the better I can understand where my client is now, the better I can help guide them in finding the direction they want to go and in navigating that road.
I’m really proud of, and excited about the work I’m doing as a naturalist, hike leader, and soon to be forest therapy guide. I think that connecting my clients to nature is going to have an incredible impact on their health and well-being. The science is out there, backing up the health benefits of nature. I want to put that into practice.
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
If there is one thing I am learning from positive psychology, it is to focus on moving toward something, rather than focusing on moving away from something. If you look at something as an obstacle, think about how this becomes an opportunity. This can be an opportunity to learn something new, build endurance for an event, push past the fear of speaking in front of people or collaborating with a new connection to create ideas that can be put into action. These are all exciting opportunities, things to move toward, not something to avoid. If, as women, we think of things this way, we are well positioned for anything!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michelleabbeyrd.com
- Phone: 8582042053
- Email: abbeynutrition@gmail.com
- Instagram: @foodnwellnessrd
Image Credit:
Raymond Gorospe
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