Katy Harvey helps women break free from dieting and make peace with food as a non-diet dietitian

Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business

I help women ditch dieting, stress less about food and make peace with their bodies so they can feel comfortable in their own skin and live life more fully. I'm all about eating the foods you love, unapologetically, and without going overboard. I fully believe that you can eat for satisfaction while still honoring your health. I am obsessed with intuitive eating, self-compassion, body acceptance and living life according to YOUR values. I also know in my soul that your worth is not determined by the size of your pants or the number on the scale - and I want to help you believe that too. If you wouldn't say it to a friend, I'm going to help you stop saying it to yourself. You deserve to feel comfortable in your own skin, and if you come hang out with me I'll show you how!

Who are your customers?

My customers are high-achieving ambitious adult women who are fed up with dieting, and who are ready to learn how to trust themselves with food, while taking care of their bodies. I also serve women who are struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder or disordered eating. I help women who struggle with all sorts of eating and body image issues - everything from restrictive eating, obsession with healthy eating that's gone too far, overeating, binge eating, and anything in between!

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I worked in many settings as a registered dietitian, including hospitals, eating disorder treatment programs, corporate wellness, and breast cancer research.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

I had a mentor who was an entrepreneur, and she gave me the courage and confidence to start my own part-time private practice the side, which then grew into my full-time business. I love the creativity that comes with running my own online business, with many ways of supporting clients and helping to reach people from across the world.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No, not at all! In fact, had you asked me prior to starting my own business I would have said that I'd NEVER want to do so. I always pictured myself in a corporate or healthcare setting.

Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

When I first launched my business I naively thought that people would flock to me simply because my program was so great (Lol). Turns out that nobody cares how great your program or service might be if they don't even know it exists.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

My biggest challenge has been scaling. I have maxed out my ability to add more 1:1 calls to my schedule, and I'm working on building out my scalable offers and filling them up so that I can create more white space in my calendar. I've learned that I need to step back in certain ways in order to propel myself forward.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

Hands down: The lives I have changed. The stories of healing make me so proud of the work that I do and the business I've created.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

I just hit episode 200 of my podcast, Rebuilding Trust With Your Body! It has been a labor of love, and it's taken a lot of dedication to put out an episode every single week, but I've done it and I can't wait for what it will grow into from here!

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I'm branching out into providing training to other dietitians and health and wellness professionals. Being able to help other practitioners know how to best support their clients who struggle with their relationship with food and body image is something that I feel extremely passionate about right now.

What is your top productivity tip? 

Just do it. Stop avoiding the things you don't want to do. Once you get yourself in motion, it becomes a lot easier to keep it going.

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

I have a boundary against working nights and weekends (for the most part). I also carve out time for hobbies and self-care like running, playing piano, and reading.

What is your approach to work-life balance / integration?

I try to do what I can, when I can. I embrace the fact that my business is flexible enough for me to take the day off when my kids don't have school, or to attend their class parties during the day. This means that I sometimes work during what would otherwise be family time, but I balance out my priorities based on the season that we are in.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

I'm not even sure yet - I'm just getting started! I'm so pumped to be here!

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

I haven't hired anyone other than contractors yet. One mistake I have made is not interviewing enough people before saying yes to a candidate.

Are you a Mamaprenista? If so, please share your best advice for simultaneously managing a business and a family

Yes! I am the mom of 2 boys, ages 10 and 7. My best advice is to keep family dinnertime a priority as much as possible. That time together at the table is so important for connection.

What's the one app on your phone you absolutely cannot live without and why?

Facebook - that's where my audience is and where I build trust with them inside my Facebook group, Intuitive Eating Made EAsy.

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

Asana - it keeps me organized! Also, Kajabi. I love having my email list, checkout carts and products all in one place.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

You can't lose if you don't quit - keep going!!

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