Latest / Nutrition Connection by Dr. Kristen Hicks-Roof / 38: Nora Minno RD, CPT - CPG FOOD AND SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY / PERFORMANCE
Transcript
- Kristen Hicks-roof: Welcome back to the Nutrition Connection Podcast, the show where science meets storytelling. I'm your host, Dr. Kristin Ickes-Roof, dietitian, researcher, and lifelong advocate of the role of nutrition, health, and wellness. Each episode, I sit down with dietitians and nutrition experts all across the food and healthcare landscape. Leaders whose work touches nearly every aspect of our lives. So whether you're a student, a seasoned professional, or someone simply curious about food, nutrition, and health, this podcast is just for you. The views, thoughts, and comments on this podcast do not reflect those of my employer, nor those of my guests. So let's go ahead and get connected. I'm super excited to bring on a long time connection of mine. We have Nora Minow. She's the Director of Nutrition, Product and Regulatory Communications at WIP. Welcome to the show, Nora. Nora Minno: Hey, Kristen, thanks for having me. This is so fun. Kristen Hicks-roof: So it's been so fun watching you over the years. So Nora and I actually went to undergrad together at University of Arizona and I would say it's been a couple years, right? So it's been fun watching you and you've had awesome positions at Red Bull and now at WIP and I can't wait for us to really dive into your career, but let's bring it all the way back to the beginning. So what inspired you and made you want to become a nutrition professional? Nora Minno: Yeah, so I grew up dancing and that was my lifelong passion. I wanted to be a dancer. I thought I was going to be a dancer professionally. And with dance comes a lot of body image issues. ⁓ And so that was just kind of ingrained in the culture of dance. And so I always struggled with my relationship with food since a young age. I also grew up in a house where diet culture was prevalent, know, slim fasts for lunch and low fat cookies for dessert type of thing. And so I just never really could get a grasp on nutrition. So I struggled to understand how much fuel my body needed. It was too much. was never enough. And I, you know, I never felt like I had that kind of perfect dance body. And so one day I went to my mom and asked her, you know, what can I do? And she found a nutrition coach for me to meet with who was also a dancer. And honestly, this was probably about the time that I was maybe 15. And so I wasn't super young. I also wasn't super old, but it was really the first time somebody sat down and explained nutrition to me. And I was like, what? Like this makes so much sense. I've been eating for 15 years of my life and nobody's ever told me how this works. Like this is amazing. And I just remember a simple lesson she taught me about portions of like, we're at a restaurant, here's a big portion. Eat, you know, until you're full and then you can save the rest for later. I was like, I can't, it just never, nobody had ever explained it to me. So that just stuck with me. And I started to pay a little bit more attention to what I eat and how I fueled my body. ⁓ and then I did pursue a career in dance. went to, my first undergrad actually before U of A as a dance major and a business minor. And ⁓ as I was there, it just started to click for me. Like don't think this is really what I want to do for the rest of my life. Like making a profession out of my art, it just started to take a lot of the joy away. And so I was there for a semester. I took a semester off to kind of pause and I worked professionally, danced and performed. And just also to think about really where I want to go in my career. And I'd remembered this kind of nutrition conversation and thinking it was so interesting. And at the same time, my grandparents were struggling with some health issues. So I was just doing my own independent research and understanding how nutrition and lifestyle factors affect, you know, neurodegenerative diseases, et cetera. And so this is funny. This is before like online courses or apps. I bought a DVD pack from Dr. Andrew Weil, who's like, you know, I think he actually was at U of A for many years, ⁓ but a well, you know, a well-round nutrition expert. ⁓ And just like, let me just explore this nutrition thing a little bit. And I really started to like it. And they mentioned University of Arizona in the DVD. And I thought, you know what, let me, let me look into it. They had a great nutrition program, a great dance program. And I was like, okay, let me, let me go full force. when I got to you and started, you know, immersing myself in the nutrition classes, just absolutely loved it. And again, it was like, wow, there's a perfect science to all of this. Like I eat a tomato, my body knows exactly what to do with that tomato. Like that is so cool to me. And so, ⁓ I'd never loved science before. would like avoid all my, you know, high school science classes, like the plague, but when it was applied to something that really interested me and, and I felt like I had a real passion for it, just took a whole new meaning. So that's really the genesis of how I got into nutrition. Kristen Hicks-roof: When you and I were talking before, of A was a pre-med track. And so you did have a lot of those really science heavy. And you know, we were trying to recollect like, who do we know back then? I'm like, I don't even know. We had a massive class and people went into all these different health professions. But I kind of was in a very similar boat of view of I was a soccer player and I went to U of A playing soccer and it was nutrition. And I knew and I never had a dietician talk with me when I was younger. But what I did find is I was always injured. And when I ate better, I wouldn't get injured or I would at least heal faster, you know? And so it was really like you're blending science with practical application. I think that's when dieticians really excel. And really, I mean, it's a skill set we have, but I think it gets molded during our career of taking this really complex science and being able to apply it into all sorts of different career paths. let's... Nora Minno: I'm sorry. Kristen Hicks-roof: Let's dive into your journey a little bit. ⁓ You know, I, like I said, I loved watching you and that's the beauty of ⁓ online social media and LinkedIn of being able to watch you in your career throughout Red Bull because I, I mean, I was an avid energy drink, ⁓ energy drink drinker. And we were talking again before the call, like I was a monster rep in college. They gave me 20 cases a month to throw parties and hand out like, Nora Minno: You Kristen Hicks-roof: What a better job. When you go to a party school like U of A, you're like, yeah, I'm coming with 20 cases of monster to this party. And so just think it's really cool to have dieticians serve in these career fields that I would say sometimes are controversial, but also so imperative and needed to dispel some of these poor nutrition myths. So let's talk about your journey. Where have you gone? What's your journey been like ultimately to get you where you are today, which is at WIP. Nora Minno: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So, as you kind of heard, like my, my transition to nutrition and pursuing that as a career was pretty quick. wasn't something that was premeditated for more than a couple of months, but I was like, this feels right. Let's go. And that's kind of the story of my life. And you'll hear that a little bit in my career of like, all right, this sounds cool. Let's, let's try it and see if I like it and see how it goes. and so to be honest, like I was interested in nutrition. I love studying it. I love the application. loved. you know, the people that I was, you know, surrounding myself with, but I really hadn't thought about, okay, then what? And as you know, as a dietician, then the matching period starts to come up and internship. And I really hadn't thought that far ahead. And so I'll be honest, I didn't get matched with an internship right away. And that was pretty devastating. And so I... graduated, I'm really not quite sure what I was going to do in my career. I knew I wanted to be in or around New York and doing something in health wellness and impacting people's lives in a positive way. ⁓ And so I moved to New York and figured out what jobs I could get there that would pay me something and, ⁓ you know, spend a summer, which I'll maybe get back to later in our conversation. but I started getting interested in personal training. So I pursued my personal training. I was interning at Beth Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center. So I was just starting to get a taste of health and wellness in a professional sense. And I knew I still really liked it. But again, left that summer in New York with no real prospects, came back to my hometown, was working at the front desk of my dance studio that I grew up at and kind of like, what do I do next? I was driven, but I just had no idea what was next. And I got a call from my old advisor at U of A, Kelly Jackson, and she said, Hey, Nora, I know you really wanted an internship. A spot just opened up at Stony Brook University. Interviews start on Monday. You'll know by Friday and you're going to have to get out there quick because it's already a month into the program and they want to fill that spot ASAP. So got all my transcripts together, started interviews on a Monday, was told on Friday that I got the position of the internship. And the next week I was out in Long Island looking at a and moved there within two weeks and started the program. So I started a month or two after everybody. ⁓ And so I did my dietetic internship ⁓ out in Stony Brook and there we go. And, ⁓ you know, it was, I really loved that internship because there was a ton of variety, but still I hadn't really pinpointed down what I liked to do. But I thought, you know, why don't I just start with clinical? Everybody kind of says like clinical is where you can start. You're gonna get a lot of knowledge. was like, okay, let's do it. So I started out. as a dietician and skilled nursing and geriatric care. I loved working with elderly population. I actually really did like working in that clinical setting. It was a great chance to learn a lot about the healthcare system, about different disease states, et cetera, preventative care measures. And ⁓ then Hurricane Sandy happened and I was like, I don't like being on an island. One step closer to mainland, which was Manhattan and continued my clinical career there. ⁓ Kristen Hicks-roof: valid reason. Nora Minno: enjoyed it for many years. ⁓ But you know, what it was starting to hit me was, I'm meeting these people in their hospital bed. What if I met them a month, two months, a year, five years before this, right? And I always felt like I was a little too late. I still like serving that purpose. And as a lot of dietitians know, you become therapist, you become friend, you become family counselor, you become chef, you become all of the above, which was really great because I thrive just on relationships and being with people. But I wanted to get to people before I met them in their hospital bed. And so I started to explore some options outside of that. And what I eventually did was kind of put together my own little business of multiple different gigs, if you will. I'd started doing some, I left the clinical world. I started doing some in-home personal training. I started taking on some one-on-one clients, actually started writing for some healthcare publications. And then I'd seen a job for Daily Burn, which is an online streaming fitness platform. And at the time they had a health coach position. So I applied for that. I thought this is so cool. I can do it. anytime, anywhere on my couch and I'm just corresponding with folks. ⁓ And then eventually they launched a show, a daily show that started to, ⁓ you know, put live workouts on every single day. It's kind like the today show of fitness, if you will. And they would bring health coaches like myself on and I'll get back to that in a second. So I was kind of doing all of these things, you know, for about a year and I, after about a year, I wanted to pause because I was like, wait, all of this is so dependent on me doing so much. If I'm sick or want to take a vacation, like there's no coverage, you know, and this isn't scalable. Like how do I scale this? So right before that year mark, I said, I'm just going to pause at the year mark and really think and reflect what part of what I'm doing do I want to scale. And it was right before that year mark that Daily Burn, ⁓ launched this show and they started to bring me on as a trainer as well. A funny kind of side story, I happened to walk into the Daily Bruin corporate offices after I'd done headshots for the personal training company that I was working for. And so I had hair and makeup and the fitness producer was in there and she goes, I like your look, send me a video. And I was like, Like I never worked out in front of camera before. Kind of going back to my dance days, I had body image issues and was like. ⁓ my gosh, like I'm not fit enough. I'm not thinning. I'm not X, Y, or Z enough to be in front of a camera, but I put together an audition tape and sent it and they put me on the show a couple of months later as a trainer. ⁓ yeah. So right place, right time saying yes to a lot of things that aren't always in the plans, but like, let's try it. Let's see where this goes. and so I started training on for daily burn and we get to that year Mark. like, okay, I need to plan a little retreat where I can sit and think. What do I really want to do? And I get an email from Red Bull via LinkedIn. And even back in the day on LinkedIn, like, you know, this is almost 10 years ago at this point, you'd get spam of like just random thing. Hey, are you interested? I'm like, this is for real. I never really respond to these things, but I responded and lo and behold, it was legitimate. And turns out they were recruiting for a position they were just creating. ⁓ both in the US and globally, a very small cohort of health professionals. So dieticians, PhDs, food scientists, et cetera, that could sit really close to the product ⁓ and help explain to both ⁓ consumers, to retailers, to distributors, media, whomever it might be, really what's in the product and how it works. ⁓ And that was one of those moments where I was like, look. This wasn't really in the cards for me, ⁓ but this is an opportunity that's falling into my lap, so to speak. ⁓ I can either say, you know, I can say yes. And if I hate it, I can always go back. know I can make enough money to survive on my own doing what I was doing before. Right. If I really hate it. And so I said yes to Red Bull. Best decision of my life. ⁓ I spent about six and a half, almost seven years there. And when I entered the position, ⁓ The energy drink industry was in a much more defensive posture. There was a lot more regulatory scrutiny. There were kind of threats of age bands or, you know, different regulatory measures to ⁓ put against energy drinks. And so we were really training up to be in a bit more of that defensive posture. ⁓ But landscape changed and ⁓ it turns out we were able to be a bit more proactive about how we educated on the product. And it's funny to think like a big company at Red Bull hadn't historically talked about the product and the ingredients very much, you before our team came in. and so we were really the first team to think about what, does that look like at Red Bull and for this, this global iconic, you know, brand. ⁓ and so the role there, was, was really interesting and similar to what I do now, which I'll get to, but, we really worked across all facets of the business. ⁓ legal and regulatory, communications, marketing, sales to help really ⁓ communicate what's in the product and how we position it to consumers. Also, how do we overcome product objections? How do we build trust in the can? So there was a massive strategic element in terms of advocacy building ⁓ for the product. so... ⁓ really cool position, number of ways I got to travel globally. had counterparts in multiple countries around the world. And that to me was just the coolest thing, especially being young and in my twenties at the time, like this company is going to pay me to go all over the world and do these cool things. Are you serious? ⁓ and so I can't say enough good things about my experience at Red Bull and the people that I worked with, ⁓ there and happy to go into that in more detail. But, ⁓ you know, I eventually. Yeah. Kristen Hicks-roof: Well, I want to, I want to pause for a second because I think what you said too is so powerful. Like they had never really played so much on the offense and the education about what the product is and what it can offer you. And I think that's where nutrition experts sit at this epicenter of all products, right? Whether it's good for you, not good for you. I hate those terms, but right. There's this continuum. And when we have nutrition experts on staff, Nora Minno: Yep. Mm-hmm. Kristen Hicks-roof: we're able then to take the science and being able to talk about here are the benefits of the product across the ages and across, right? And so I think that you're just such a great showcase of that at a product that, you know, I'm sure there was some controversy, right? There's controversy with all sorts of food. Even, I feel like even a banana, they're like, it's too much sugar. I'm like, at what point is there, is there going to be a food that's just okay, right? ⁓ Yeah, but I do, I do think that is so important that Nora Minno: Yeah. Great. Absolutely. ⁓ go ahead. Kristen Hicks-roof: we can come in as nutrition professionals and really show what we have to offer to the broader business, whether that is a domestic or an international. And I also, I'm super jealous. love international travel. And what a fun job when you're in your twenties. And to talk about a brand that I'm sure was meaningful to you in the performance side. You know, it's just, cool to take your passions and being able to have a career. Like you really don't work in a day. Like you get to do things that you love. And I think that is really powerful. Nora Minno: Absolutely. And I had my aha moment. Red Bull reached out and yeah, my first thing was like, what does Red Bull want to do with a dietician? And I remember looking into the product and being like, oh, okay. Like it's pretty simple ingredient list. And my rule that I've created over my career is if I'm ever going to work for a product, particular CPG product, I have to feel comfortable consuming it myself. and I have to feel comfortable recommending it to friends and family. Like that's full stop, right? And so I'll never forget, know, Red Bull energy drinks, whatever can get such a bad rap, but I was in the midst of the interview process. I was going to a Barry's bootcamp and I'm walking down the sidewalk. I had stopped at my coffee shop to get an espresso. I had my water bottle in my... ⁓ gym bag and I had a Gatorade tucked under my arm because I had just been sweating a bunch lately and I needed some sugar and some electrolytes to refuel. And I remember being like, this is a red one. It's caffeine. It's sugar. It's vitamins. They just put it in a can. And so to your point, that really is the job of the nutrition professional is to take some of these ingredients and figure out really how to either demystify them for the consumer. or market them to the consumer in a way. And as a dietitian and just personally, believe like ethically, right? And that's why I did really enjoy working for Red Bull because we have very strict responsible marketing guidelines that I learned a lot from. it is what I've really taken a lot into my job at Whip now, how, know, something like caffeine, which can be hard to always know how much is in your product or, you know, how much you're consuming. ⁓ Just how do we make ⁓ how do we make it easy for consumers to make informed choices? And so that's what I think, particularly for dieticians or healthcare professionals working on the brand or the CPG side, is just a really simple lens. Like how do we help the consumer make informed choices? And the information could be great flavor, right? That's information. It could be what the ingredients are, what's in it, but I think that's just a really important thing to level set on is how do we help consumers make. informed choices. Kristen Hicks-roof: when you'd rather have dieticians sitting at the table than absent, which you know many CPG brands don't have dieticians. So I think it is an opportunity for us to come in and say, hey, here's what we can offer, right? We know how to take this complex science and being able to translate it across different segments. So whether it is going to a consumer or it's going to regulatory, it's going to a health professional, like we can speak those lingoes. So I think that is really. ⁓ It is an opportunity. let's let's dive into your current role at whip. Like what do you do in your day? I'm sure most people are like, I want that job number one. But what do you do? What is your day to day look like? Nora Minno: ⁓ Yeah. Well, so WIPP, we're an energy pouch company, which is a very new and emerging category. And so I really oversee, as you mentioned, nutrition, regulatory and product communications. we are a startup. So when you're in a startup, you know, as most people know, you wear many different hats, but really at the core of my job today, I'm really responsible for a number of things. But first piece is really kind of bridging the gap between legal and regulatory and marketing. So we start really with what's in the product. What are the ingredients based on FDA, FTC guidelines? What structure function claims can we make? How can we market this again in a way that's truthful and not misleading to the consumer? So we have two different products. We have 200 milligrams of caffeine and 100 milligrams of caffeine. what claims can we make based on the 200 milligrams of caffeine? Alertness, energy, focus, et cetera. So then I'll take those claims over and things that we can say over to the marketing team. And we think about, OK, well, who's our consumer? What are their use cases for this product? It's a morning pick me up, a pre-workout. Now, how do we want to message the functional benefits of this product to that consumer in a use case that makes sense to them? So that's kind of the basis. And then the marketing team and the brand team will figure out how that kind of shows up to the consumer. So that's really one way. Another thing I do for the company is support our sales team, because if you're a sales person and selling a product with a number of functional benefits or ⁓ even just a new product, how do you explain that to a retailer? How do you explain that in the B2B world? And so I support our sales team on how to speak to the product, what information might be ⁓ useful depending on what channel. who is receiving that information, et cetera. ⁓ And then the third piece that I actually didn't sit as closely to at Red Bull, which I do here, is really product development, which is really exciting for me. And that's been a really fun piece of this job ⁓ beyond flavors and things. What are other functional ingredients? What are other benefits that consumers are looking for in this format that could serve them? And so how do we start to explore ⁓ those? And so that's been really a fun opportunity in this job. ⁓ And then, like I said, being a startup, you get to do a lot of different things. But ⁓ really, first and foremost, starts with compliance, legal and regulatory, and then the tentacles spread from there. Kristen Hicks-roof: I mean, I feel like there are so many hats that we can, again, that we can wear as nutrition experts. It's just depending on which role you're in. So I'm curious. I'm sure for those who are listening, they're like, how did you learn how to do that? Right? Like a lot of people are really nervous to go into industry, especially CPGs where they have to do regular story. They have to do marketing and maybe they didn't have the classes, which I know, shoot, I don't remember any regulatory or marketing classes. So, and you know, those are things that I've learned throughout my career, but Would you give any like tips or advice for someone who like wants this but they don't feel like they have the background to get there? Nora Minno: Sure, I think ⁓ there's a couple of different things. Obviously, I kind of was ushered into it via way of Red Bull. And I think back, like I used to always be standing in the grocery store, just like studying packaging and reading the ingredients. Like I just had this natural inclination. I was always paying attention to like how brands were communicating to people, what new products were coming out. So you probably know a lot more than you do because I'd never taken a marketing course in college to your point and take a regulatory class. And so A lot of it is just having the confidence in your own skillset and to the ability to learn and the openness and the willingness to learn. when I would mentor people coming into Red Bull, I'd say, sit in on every meeting, ask every single question. You know, I think a lot of times as dietitians are like, we feel like we have to know it all. And it could be intimidating because, you know, I get asked about every new product ingredient. Sometimes I'm like, I don't know. And it's hard to say, I don't know as a dietitian, but sometimes I don't know. I have to ask the. So the openness to learn and then it's really about relationships and you know being somebody that people want to work with and bring into the meeting and to teach and coach and so those three things have really served me ⁓ and you can fill the knowledge gaps right like You know even going from a traditional food and beverage product over to the supplement side a dietary supplement side I had some knowledge gaps to fill And that's okay. I spent the time sitting and learning and going on the FDA's website, et cetera, and just filling those knowledge gaps, right? And so it really is just having that willingness to learn and step up to the plate and say, ⁓ knowing what the skills are that you can bring to the table and then where you can fill those knowledge gaps later. Kristen Hicks-roof: when I was at Expo West not too long ago, and I like, you're talking about all these different ingredients, and there's so much that I just don't know, right? Like I went to just kind of like explore, I wanted to see how nutrition was marketed and what new products are out there and why are they adding whatever ingredient, right? Functional benefits is like a big thing right now. And it was Nora Minno: you Kristen Hicks-roof: fascinating. I'm like, I've never heard of that. So then I go home and I'm like, what is this ingredient? And then I'm like, ⁓ this is really cool. And there was a lot about, right, like some of these non-synthetic dyes. And I was like, where do these come from? Like things that I just don't know. But now I feel comfortable because I just, you kind of like fill those gaps and you have to be a go-getter in terms of wanting to learn those, that information, especially as a startup. Like you can't go into a startup and just kick your heels back, like you'll get annihilated, right? But what you can do is you can come in and say, hey, I am a learner and a continuous learner and I'm here to help support cross-functionally. So I do think that if you have that mentality and that personality, these are industries that you may be a good fit for. And sometimes you just gotta put your name in the hat and you never know, like you'll learn whether you like it. And if you don't, you can always go back to clinical worst case. you, you know, we always have our roots Nora Minno: Absolutely. Kristen Hicks-roof: So I love science, right? We always talk about science, especially when it comes to nutrition. So how does scientific data and evidence really fuel your day to day, especially when you think about regulatory? Nora Minno: Absolutely. scientific evidence is really, it's the foundation of everything I do for my job. So to enable the marketing team to be able to go and speak about the product, ⁓ you know, they have to get, we have to know what we can say and what's substantiated in science. So the first task I had at WIP was to develop a marketing code rooted in responsible marketing guidelines. So of course, starting with what the FDA and FTC, ⁓ you know, regulates and then really looking at our product and saying, you know, where is there substantial scientific evidence to make various structure function claims? ⁓ And so that is really the basis of everything that I do. ⁓ And even just a step beyond that, again, how do we want to position the product? And there's a lot of things you can say, right? You know, we have ⁓ chromium in our product, which has been shown to support stable blood sugar levels. Are we gonna go out there and say, this product stabilizes your blood sugar, right? As a dietician, we know from the scientific app, there's so many different factors that play into what your blood sugar is doing and this is not a blood sugar product. it's really figuring out what's in the product, where the substantial evidence sits and then with that, how do we wanna go and translate that? to the consumer again so they can make an informed choice about what they're consuming. Kristen Hicks-roof: when I think it's responsible marketing, right? And I think there's been a lot of questions about how dieticians work for various industries. And I think to me, it's all rooted in a dietician can help be that connection point, right? Taking the science into responsible marketing, promotions, regulatory, whatever it is. Because without that... If you didn't have a dietician on staff, then you may have a marketer, which marketers love to say everything they possibly can. You would have a marketer who may not be able to translate that science into a correct practical application. And so I do think that there is a role there again of we can fill this gap. I'm always a huge promoter of nutrition experts, like sitting at the crux of all these other cross-functional teams, whether it's your IT team and how you build your online, you know, Nora Minno: Yeah. Hahaha Mm-hmm. Kristen Hicks-roof: viewpoint or it's all the way to the regulatory team and in what claims that we're making. So I do think that is really important. Nora Minno: ⁓ Absolutely. And even, you know, our product contains caffeine. What does the FDA recommend as a single, you know, as a, you know, safe serving amount in a single day? So that's what our recommendations are based off of, right? And that's what our formulation is based off of, like what would be both an aerogogenic and also a safe single serve amount. So it's all rooted in science because also at end of the day, you want to have a product that works for your consumers and they're going to say, that worked and I want to go back to that. You could put a small amount of caffeine and still call it an energy product, but it's not going to work for consumers. So it's also thinking about the consumer experience and how the science and the formulation of the product plays into the consumer experience at the end of the day. Kristen Hicks-roof: Yeah, well, and something that tastes good. The amount of products that I try over time, right? Like, so every week I take my youngest daughter and we go to a grocery store and we pick out a new food every week. And we go home, like I'll let her pick out. She's three guys. So she's three and sometimes it's a different popsicle and sometimes it's a chip or sometimes it's a canned product. And, sometimes it's a new fruit that I've never seen. Like the other day she picked these tomatoes that are the smallest tomatoes I've ever seen, but they're so good. Nora Minno: Yes. I love that. Kristen Hicks-roof: And it's just been so fun because I'm like, I love better for you. And I think CPG industry does a great job at trying to move that direction, which is really hard because you have to balance better for you with flavor, right? Like, because if it doesn't work, I mean, if it doesn't work is a whole one thing, but if it doesn't taste good, then people aren't going to go back to it. Right. And so like, I think nutrition, again, you're at this like crux of how do you have it taste good? So someone wants to come back, but also Nora Minno: Mm-hmm. Thanks. you Kristen Hicks-roof: it may be good for them and whatever they're looking for in terms of the product. Nora Minno: Absolutely. And I mean, every dietician has their kind of own philosophy, but the center of mind is always like, this should feel good. This should be enjoyable. This should be something you connect to. I mean, there's, and that could be this tastes good. You know, I'm getting satisfaction out of this piece of cake because, ⁓ my gosh, like it's making me happy and it's making me think of, you know, my birthday parties as a kid, or it's making me feel good because this is what my body needs to feel fueled and to feel. light and to feel the energy, whatever it might be. So it really, is going back to that connection of being able to enjoy some of this stuff. You we always say, you know, you could just take a caffeine pill if you really wanted, but why do people, because it tastes good. It's fun. It's enjoyable. It's like this experience that kind of connects you to your performance, your energy or your focus. And so there is this whole experiential piece to food, nutrition, and what we're consuming, which is really. Kristen Hicks-roof: But I think a lot of times people miss that. Like I eat certain foods because they just bring enjoyment, right? Like I, no one will ever take Blue Box Mac and Cheese away from me. Like I just love the old, I have made it my own. I made it from scratch. I don't care. Like nutritionally, I'm not going for Mac and Cheese for nutritional factors. I'm going because it brings back memories and it's taste and right. So there's, I think when we have nutrition professionals, like we have to. balance all these different skills. And like if I'm looking for an energy boost, I'm not necessarily going to a pill. And maybe that's just my philosophy, right? Like I'm going to go to these different products, especially when I think about performance, like if I want to do really well. So anyways, you've had a really cool career so far, and I feel like I'm still going to call us early career, okay? But what has been something that you're most proud of or that has been your favorite so far? Nora Minno: Thank you. Wow, like each phase of my career has been my new favorite in a way, because every time I feel like I'm doing something new and that's what excites me and that is really what excites me about this career. I still feel like I could do a hundred different things after rep and still not have, you know, maxed out what is possible in the nutrition world. And so that is really what excites me. I think, ⁓ I'm proud of taking risks and I'm proud of trying and I'm proud of putting myself out there because I think that's where that's what's gotten me to where I am. ⁓ I used to always laugh. I wish I was one of those people that could just, you know, have this perfect trajectory of I'm going to be manager then senior manager then director then senior. And mine has been like, know, but I love that and it's okay to own that. And I used to feel I think imposter syndrome about that. Or I think I used to feel bad and I'm not so organized. don't have my perfect five or 10 year plan. And then I had to shift my mindset to be like, wait, this is really fun. Like you can do so many different, you can be on a fitness show and an hour later you can be having a meeting with one of the biggest, you know, grocery retailers in the world talking about the most, you know, worldwide popular beverage, you know, and it's like, it shouldn't feel bad about doing multiple. It's, it's cool to be, and I think dieticians and healthcare professionals and you know, folks with a nutrition are kind of natural multi-hyphenates. And like lean into that, like, and don't be ashamed and like lean into all of those skillsets, whether they're the hard skills, you know, of our, you know, our science background or, you know, what we can do from like, you know, the technical side, but bring the soft skills, bring the relationship, bring the... whatever it might be, the comfort in front of an audience, bring all of those. And so that's, think I'm really proud of being able to just personally bring all of that, ⁓ you know, into my career and just really be at a place now where I just own that. And that's fun. ⁓ And then just kind of the third thing is it's fun to be able to kind of impact people's habits at scale. And that's what kind of got me from the shift of doing this one-on-one work, which I really loved and there might be a time in my life I go back to that. But being able to go to scale, I'll be honest, there's nothing like seeing a product that you sat late at night on your computer and picked apart, where the logo goes, what color, yellow, you know, et cetera, in somebody's hand and them enjoying it and it doing something for them that makes them feel good about themselves. That makes them feel like they can go work out or try something new or be part of a brand that's bigger than them. Like that is a really cool. feeling. So there's a lot of proud moments within my career. But you know, that's just kind of a handful with some advice sprinkled in there too. Kristen Hicks-roof: feel like you hit the nail on the head in like, we don't have a one size fits all approach. that's one of, I mean, that is one of the core reasons I love this podcast is because I obviously am biased because I'm the podcast host, but my goal is to show that there's dieticians and nutrition experts in every single nation sector because there really is. And so I think for you, like how I envision you and how I've seen your career grow, like, You've always been into sports and fitness. see it, you know, your videos. And so like now you're in and you've taken on positions that really bring in your passions plus your skill sets. And like, and you're right, watching a product go all the way through like the supply chain and to actually watch someone enjoy it. Like if you're at a cycling class and someone's enjoying it, you're like, that's just so cool. Right? Like it's just so cool. And that is something that can be so powerful that Nora Minno: Mm-hmm. Kristen Hicks-roof: we can be beyond just an individual person. And sometimes I think there are dieticians and nutrition experts who want just that individual level change, and that's perfect. But there's others who want that population level impact, right? And I even see it every time I record a new episode, like some people are just like, that's their jam, like one-on-one with patients. And other people, they want like system infrastructure changes. And it's just so cool. Like you can do anything you want. So, Nora Minno: Mm-hmm. Kristen Hicks-roof: knowing that and you've given us some sprinkles of tips and advice throughout, but do you have any other suggestions or tips for someone especially interested, I would say like in the CPG space or startup space and then also who love performance. And we know a lot of people who go into the field of nutrition. Maybe they're a former athletes. They love sports and more as they wanted to be a sports dietitian. Like how did you be able to bridge that gap between the two? Nora Minno: Yeah, I think it is really, like, it's like following your heart and just feeling what aligns with you, and brands that align with you or products or just jobs. And I've always been somebody that says, no, that's why I left my first undergrad very quickly. This isn't for me and that's okay. But I think, just pay attention. you know, especially if you don't know what you're fully interested in yet, just keep paying attention. Like, it's funny you say, ⁓ you were always into sports and fitness. I'm like, yeah, I was, but I was never like, this is going to be a career for me. Or, and so you just start to pay attention to those things. And I believe that they will come out in your conversations, who you align yourself with, what you're attracted to, the jobs you start to look at. ⁓ and then just like really immerse yourself in those worlds. Like, you know, go to the grocery store, pick up those things, see what the cool brands are doing, you know, at the expos, you know, on Instagram, because there really are so many different tracks, especially nowadays, there's content and there's branding and there's writing and there's communications and there's B2B and there's in front of camera work, talent work. I mean, it is truly endless. So just keep paying attention to those passions, keep leaning in and then just really immerse yourself in that world. And the last thing I'll say is just be nice and work hard. Relationships, nine times out of 10, have gotten me my jobs. You have to have the chops to back it up. You have to show up and do the work and do it well. ⁓ But be nice and work hard, and that's gonna go much further than you would ever expect, and really prioritize your relationships. ⁓ And that is truly, I think, what served me the most in my career. Kristen Hicks-roof: When I always talk about relationships are bi-directional, right? You should have reciprocity in relationships. like, I mean, you and I have never worked together in the last, what, 15 years or whatever. So it's not that you need this like transactional relationship, but you know, maybe it's liking a post or it's like, oh, that's super cool. You do that, right? And so it's kind of just continuing to support each other, I think, in a way. And... Nora Minno: Yeah. Kristen Hicks-roof: we do have so many people in our profession, right? Over a hundred thousand dieticians. However, everyone knows everyone through one or two connections. So don't burn bridges because probably chances are you will cross that person in the future. And so I think that is a good tip of advice of know your network, use your network and be able to like support each other for both you being the mentor, but also being the mentee who may be looking for a new career. Nora Minno: Thank Kristen Hicks-roof: So my favorite question, if you had a crystal ball, what do you think is coming next in nutrition? Nora Minno: This is so hard. I thought about this. What's coming next? We're seeing two paths diverge, I think. There is the ultra personal and the ultra informed. And then there is kind of the opposite of just going with the flow and doing what feels good and just kind of getting back to basics. So I am very curious where those two worlds were come together and where I'm starting to see that and what I as a trend, not starting to see, where I see that coming together and where I don't see that going away is convenience. And I'll say a bit more about that. You were at Expo West, protein is in everything. We all know you can get protein from chicken, from beef, from eggs, from tofu, from beans, but why are we putting it in a popcorn? Well, it's convenient, right? And so I think we start to think of it as like function maxing or this at the end of the day, it's convenience. ⁓ I can get more protein here. That's easier than boiling a chicken breast, you know, or whatnot. And same with whip, you know, energy drinks have been around for 40 years. Why? Why is whip starting to emerge? Well, it's a bit more convenient. So I think convenience like bringing these two worlds together of like, ultra personal and functional and being really fine tuned in every ingredient possible. And then also what feels good, tastes good, etc. ⁓ are gonna continue to find this middle ground in convenience, which I think is really interesting. Kristen Hicks-roof: when I see like a convenience overlay with an ingredient overlay, right? Like, because people are questioning at least what I've seen. And, you know, I think we are also in different worlds. So it's always so fascinating. I sometimes hate algorithms because I'm like, wait, is this what you guys are seeing or is this what just is coming up on mine? I ask that literally every week with some people that I work with. But I think... Nora Minno: You Kristen Hicks-roof: Knowing ingredients, right? So whether that's functional benefits, like if you're adding different vitamins and minerals and things, or are you adding things that maybe were not necessarily needed in ingredients, right? Like I think that is one thing that the maha movement, they're trying to re question whether you're aligned with the movement or not. They're trying to re question like ingredients. And so you do see maybe some drive for whole foods. However, whole foods will only go so far because I'm a mom of three kids. work full time. My kids are in gymnastics or in soccer. We got music lessons. Like I sometimes just have to grab a Sonic on the go because I just don't have capacity or I'm packing an uncrustable because I have no groceries. Right. We were just talking about like, have no groceries right now. And so I just need something that's easy. That's in my freezer on the go. Am I looking for it for nutritional value? Not really. I'm looking for it for substance. And so I think it's really interesting. Like Nora Minno: you Thank Kristen Hicks-roof: and you see differences on socioeconomic statuses, you see differences in if they have kids or no kids. So I just hope that health and wellness will continue to remain popular, right? Like whether that is that ultra conserved, they're wearing glucose monitors, like they are super personalized, yeah. Nora Minno: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. And I agree with you. mean, look, no matter what end of the spectrum you're in and, you know, I convenience is king. And I think there's a way like, I like to think of the balance too. I mean, I, you know, big all foods fit type of where I love whole foods. I love all of it, you know, and I also love my, you know, fill in the blank. ⁓ so I think there's a world where all of this exists. I, what I think the best thing is again, whether you believe in like the ultra personal and people who are wearing the glucose monitor or. the other end of the spectrum is we're all talking about nutrition and bringing it people are starting to pay attention. And I'm going back to my initial story, like, I was like, I've been eating all my life and nobody's ever told me about it or like how to do it or how to think about it. And so I am really grateful for that. And I think it's great that we're all having these conversations. And I think our cohort and the dietitians that came before us and the ones that are coming after are doing a great job, you know, bringing the conversation to the forefront. And I think it really just comes down to like, have to know yourself and what works for you and your body and your needs and your life. And you figure out a way to make it work. And I'm all about building this personal relationship with your body, with your food and finding like what. what fits in that world. And that's really for you to decide for you and for me to decide for me. And of course, us as nutrition professionals, we're there to kind of provide the information to get for people to make those informed decisions for themselves. ⁓ so that's really, you know, the exciting part of this career is to be able to get people to think about that and to think about their bodies and build that relationship with what they're consuming. Kristen Hicks-roof: It really is, it's so exciting. The opportunities are limitless. If you haven't learned that by whatever episode number this is, like the opportunities are literally limitless and health and wellness is trending. We need to continue to be part of it ⁓ across the profession. So thank you so much, Nora, for being on the show and telling your story. And if you liked the show, make sure you like, subscribe, leave a review. But most importantly, check out the next episode because every episode I bring out a different dietitian and nutrition expert to tell their story and give you tips and advice. So thanks again. Nora Minno: Yes. Yes.