Biography
Melissa Joy Dobbins, also known as the Guilt-Free RD, is based in the US. She is the CEO of Sound Bites and the creator of Do M.O.R.E with Dinner – Make Ordinary Rituals Extraordinary. She was the outstanding dietitian in the US in 2014 and has been named one of ‘10 Dietitians You Need to Follow on Social Media’ by US News & World Report.
Melissa is an award winning, nationally recognized food and nutrition expert, media spokesperson, speaker, blogger and podcaster with more than 20 years’ experience and a proven track record of providing real solutions for real people so they can enjoy their food with health in mind.
People are hungrier than ever for realistic options that empower them to make healthier choices, while bringing back the enjoyment of food. No one wants to feel guilty, especially when it comes to their food! Wondering whether to buy organic or conventional, what to make for dinner, which snack to grab or if dessert is okay? Melissa helps people digest food and nutrition information so they can make their own well-informed decisions based on facts, not fear – and most of all, come away with meaningful steps toward better nutrition and health.
Melissa’s background includes nearly a decade of clinical nutrition and client counseling as well as corporate wellness, public speaking, academia, and research. She’s a former supermarket dietitian, a certified diabetes educator, and also specializes in weight management, family nutrition, and food safety/technology. A former national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the National Dairy Council, Melissa has been a regular voice in the media for over 15 years. She has conducted hundreds of TV interviews and has been quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Shape, Fitness, and O Magazine. Utilizing her communications expertise, Melissa enjoys coaching other food, nutrition and wellness experts on media, social media and public speaking skills, with an emphasis on creating and delivering meaningful messages that engage and empower audiences.
Balancing work and family life, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and two children (7 and 16 years old). In 2012, Melissa started running as a “mid-life experiment” and has since completed thirteen races (ranging from 5K to 15K) as well as her first triathlon. Now she’s taking ballet for the first time in over 25 years and loving it. In the kitchen you can find her cooking up a family favorite or trying a new recipe that is not only good for you, but tastes good, too!
In this episode, we discuss:
– A creative family and an introduction to chemistry – what sparked Melissa’s interest in Dietetics.
– Melissa’s career journey and in pioneering a number of areas within dietetics.
– The job of a supermarket dietitian.
– Working to her strengths and fulfilling her passion for teaching others; how this lead to the birth of Melissa’s own business.
– How to be compelling and evidence based in this crowded nutrition space.
– Melissa’s tips on delivering fantastic presentations.
– Melissa’s podcast: Sound Bites, how it originated and the freedom it comes with!
– Melissa’s podcasting package for you to get started today!
– Digging deep and discovering what your passion is to define your brand.
– Melissa’s ‘Do More with Dinner’ initiative.
– All about Melissa’s business – training dietitians and expertise in digital communications, media training and speaking.
Additional resources:
Click here for Melissa’s website: Sound Bites, where you can download her FREE Sound Science Toolkit
Click here for Melissa’s podcast
Click here for ‘How To’ series for dietitians
Click here for “Who Needs the Media? Videos & Podcasts Increase Your Visibility & Build Your Brand” post with resources (from Today’s Dietitian Workshop)
Connect with Melissa on Twitter
Connect with Melissa on Facebook
Connect with Melissa on Instagram
Connect with Melissa on Pinterest
Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn