We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Fitzgerald RD and we’ve shared our conversation below.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am really blown away by how many years I’ve been in my profession, but what always surprises me is the moments where I can see my own wisdom shine through. You hear about wisdom, but until you actually experience ‘being wise’, it’s often one of those ethereal ideas that describe someone who’s older, who has a lot of experience. I feel very proud of my wisdom. It has been something I have earned through my commitment to ongoing education, always learning new science, technology and therapies that can further support my patient’s health and wellness goals. It also comes from time spent working with many amazing and brilliant physicians and practitioners as well as counseling thousands of patients over the years. Wisdom is something you earn, but don’t realize you’ve attained it until you experience it. So, I feel very proud of the work I’ve done over the years. Of course, I’ve made mistakes and learned from those lessons as much as I’ve helped patients get to the root cause of their imbalance, supported and educated patients to empower them and overcome obstacles to attain their best and healthiest. I think that one aspect of what sets me apart from other health professionals is my passion for advocacy and communication. Specifically, I am always willing to work with my patient’s other providers, communicating not just what we are working on, but also creating a strategy with my patient for how they can communicate with their other providers in order to get what they need. Not all healthcare providers have the ability to easily communicate tactfully with their patients, which can lead to misunderstandings and patients’ perceptions of being ‘condescended to, or talked down to’. I think that I’ve always been a good communicator and believe that having more than one brain working on a patient’s health, can only be helpful. Unfortunately, that is not always the way that the world works, especially when it comes to some providers’ egos. In those cases, where other opinions are not welcome, I choose to empower my patients to learn to successfully navigate and work with their other providers to reach their health and wellness goals. I think success is not just how busy you are, how financially successful or which school you graduated from, but rather how you live, work and communicate with all the people in your life…. patients, colleagues, family and friends.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We would start by driving up the coast to Malibu and having lunch at Nobu. Once we’ve finished enjoying the amazing sushi while enjoying the ocean view and waves crashing along the coast, we’d head up further to do some shopping at Cross Creek in Malibu. The next day, I would take my friend with me to do a Pilates reformer class for a challenging workout! We’d then head to the Getty Center for the day, enjoying lunch at the restaurant and meandering through the botanical gardens, and seeing some amazing art, while enjoying the expansive views the Getty Center offers. Next, I’d take my friend to one of the weekday Farmer’s Markets, notably the Wednesday Market in Santa Monica, where we’d shop for the freshest organic fruits and vegetables and sample some amazing foods from the vendors. I’d then take my friend to dinner along Ocean avenue, to perhaps The Lobster, right on the pier for some delicious seafood and some cocktails. If possible, I’d also plan to go to a music event/concert at Sofi Stadium as it’s such an incredible venue to see a live performance. If that was not possible, I would take my friend to a Laker basketball game to experience that, as it is super fun and always entertaining. There are so many things to see and do in Los Angeles, so the list goes on and on….

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am going to give some credit to my original mentor, Diana Lipson, RD, who also trained me right out of college, after moving from Michigan to Southern California. Diana is a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders and sports nutrition. My first two years in Southern California I was paired up with Diana, who had a thriving private practice counseling patients in both eating disorders as well as sports nutrition. She trained me in the non-diet approach, which is based in listening to your body’s physical cues for hunger and satiety. She also trained me on how to counsel patients with disordered eating, body image dysmorphia and countless other areas of nutrition. Coming from Michigan, I was looking to find a mentor that could help me find my way in my career path. When I met up with Diana, it was such an exciting time to be able to train with her and then eventually, I opened a satellite office in the next beach town over from where her private practice was located. I learned the fundamentals of how to run a business, how to market to my specific demographic, and how to utilize my knowledge and skills into helping others. It’s one thing to gather knowledge, it’s another thing to put that into practice with real people, on a daily basis, to help them achieve their health and wellness goals. I feel eternally grateful for Diana’s encouragement and training, both of which were invaluable to me as it was my foundation for creating my own career path.

Website: www.heatherfitzrd.com

Instagram: @heatherfitzrd

Facebook: heatherfitzgeraldrd

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