Sharing my real and honest journey as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and why I am so thankful for this training and passion I get to call a job!

Photography by Kylie Martin

In a matter of less than a year (more like a few months), I got engaged, planned a wedding in 8 weeks, married a man who exceeded my dreams, moved to Hawaii, sent my newly married husband off on a 7 month deployment, tried to figure out life as a 22 year old, got a puppy, went back to school to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) and had a part time very stressful retail job.

Looking back I may have been a little bit ambitious, but hey that is just my personality and I don’t regret any of those decisions in the slightest!

These past few months, I have thought a lot about my journey, both personal and business related, to get where I am today, and trust me by no means have I “made” it, but I am all about sharing my story and both the good and the bad.

I have made some good business decisions and some bad ones, but hey that is life right and I am all about learning from my mistakes.

But there is one decision, that I have NEVER for a second regretted, and that is becoming a NTP.  This training has opened up so many doors for me and has been a big factor in shaping my passions and business.

I get a lot of questions about becoming a NTP, creating a healthy lifestyle business and blog, so I thought I do a Q & A with you all today.

What other programs did you consider?

Well, truthfully none and the first time I went to their website was to pay my registration fee.  My very trusted nutritionist and someone who is like a mother to me, recommended the program shortly after I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  I knew I was marrying into the military and this seemed like a great option to continue my education and work.  So I just jumped in, signed up and truthfully did absolutely no research about the program before day 1 of school!  I think having trusted mentors in your life is key, because when they say something you can just trust their opinion.

How is the NTP training different?

You are trained from a foundational or holistic approach and this was fascinating to me to see how inter-connected the body is and how beautifully designed our bodies are.  A foundational training sets you up for lasting success in helping your clients get to the root of their issues rather than just putting a “band-aid fix” on the situation.  You are trained to help clients work through their health struggles so that they have lasting effects for life.  That process and journey is simply beautiful!

Real-food nutrition and approaching health from the foundations is what this training is all about.  You will learn the science behind why you have health issues or imbalances, so that combined with a foundational approach is really what sets this training apart.

What surprised you about the program?

How beautifully designed our bodies are—truly our bodies want to work for us!  I loved learning how the different aspects of health are so interconnected and how working on one aspect of health might improve another aspect without you even realizing it.  I think that is what sets the NTP training apart—you learn SO much about how the body works and how to help others and that sets you up for success!  I also wanted to know the why and the science and trust me your eyes will be opened.

Can you enroll in the NTP program while working?

Absolutely—the training is not full time and I was working while I was completing the program.  One of my good friends is a full time nurse and also currently enrolled in the program as well.  That being said, it does require time and dedication each week, but when you are passionate about educating yourself and serving others, it does not seem like “work.”

What can I do with my education?

Your options are endless—I took the approach of building an online platform as my husband is in the military and a brick and mortar option was just not practical.  On the daily I serve my online audience as well as one on one clients, who I just adore.  Being an NTP has allowed me to write a cookbook, publish a weekly podcast with my cohost and friend Justine Campbell another NTP, create an online nutrition course and opened up countless other avenues.

Encouraging others to live more joyful, vibrant lives is truly my passion and the fact that I can wake up and do that as a job each day is something that keeps me going!

Do you have any regrets with your training?

Not at all!

Why is this career fulfilling?

Each day, I feel like I am doing something to impact the future—I feel like I am apart of something bigger than myself.  There is a lot of negativity in this world, that we sadly don’t have control over, but spreading positivity and light is something I do have control over.  I believe that when we feel our best self physically, we have the potential do live our best selves, for our future, our families, our businesses and our joy each and every day.  Nutrition goes beyond the aesthetics as it has the potential to change lives and future generations.  Some days I feel stuck, I feel like I am not enough or not smart enough to tackle a situation, but I remind myself that just even by helping one person feel better and live more vibrantly, I have done my part to influence the world for the better.

What is your biggest business advice?

• Don’t try to do it all on your own—get help in crafting a plan, website, graphics and taxes!
• NEVER do anything for free—you have a heart, passion, education and your value is irreplaceable.
• Get good headshots from the start—take the time and money to invest in this one.
• Focus on income producing activities—for so long I just wanted to serve and help others but I had to make an income too!

Need more info?

Listen along to Episode 25 of the podcast: “Why We Love Being Nutritional Therapy Practitioners and Beyond.”

I can’t say enough great things about the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner program and truly am so thankful for my training! If you register, be sure to mention Caroline Potter sent you 🙂

If you have any questions, you can get in touch HERE.