Exploring Life & Business with Steph Wagner MS RDN/LDN of Bariatric Food Coach

 

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steph Wagner MS RDN/LDN

Hi Steph, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was blessed to find a career that I loved early in my life. A Registered Dietitian specializing in weight management. My passion for walking alongside my patients who had bariatric surgery grew quickly, but the challenge was in my time. My schedule was packed to the brim and I yearned for the chance to be more helpful than what I could accomplish in twenty-minute visits. It was 2012 and food blogging was growing so I begin posting photos of my dinner and telling my patients to go there for more help in between their visits.

I started selling meal plans for $5 on my little food blog to help make a little money on the side since I found myself working at night. I couldn’t believe it worked and I was making money “passively.” Around this time I was in a really bad car accident with my husband, one that nearly ended my life. After months of healing and slowly returning to work, I realized I didn’t want to live to work. I wanted to be more available to be with the ones I loved and prioritize what mattered most. I knew I wanted a family one day but didn’t want to give up the career I loved.

My husband suggested I make a membership model offer to unlock my recipes for a small fee. I didn’t like ads on my site but had only heard of a subscription site because of Pandora, it was 2014 after all. We didn’t know as much tech back then as we do now, but we fumbled our way to create a membership website and I sold fifty spots in the first day.

Since then we’ve had over 7,000 members walk through our virtual doors. Some come and go, and some have been with me since that first day. We’ve added over 600 bariatric-friendly recipes, a customizable meal planner, handouts, guides, ebooks, several video courses, a vibrant private community with games and challenges to stay on track. I never had to give up the career I loved and those I love helping most, but I also get to run around Kansas City with our two kids enjoying every splash park and hiking path we can find.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey has been full of bumps and roadblocks. One of the worst moments was the site breaking when it was time to go on vacation and we had no payments coming through. I often felt like we weren’t growing as fast as I thought it could or should be. Raising babies and a business is the craziest thing I’ve ever done and I’m still not certain I recommend it! The moment you plan a big launch is the moment everyone in the family will have the stomach flu. Over the years I have learned to balance things a bit more, be more patient, stick to priorities and outsource help as soon as we can afford to do so. I’m proud that we’ve been able to cash flow this business and not incur debt. Not every business has that luxury, and I’m so grateful we have.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Bariatric Food Coach is the most comprehensive nutrition library & community for bariatric surgery patients as well as those taking obesity management medications. Here you’ll always find encouraging, experienced coaching from an obesity medicine specialized dietitian creating tools for the support you need to stay on track in between follow-up appointments, amid your busy life and schedule demands.

Hi, I’m Steph —a registered dietitian nutritionist. I noticed my bariatric surgery patients looking for more help in between visits.

So, I began a bariatric nutrition website offering more education, resources, and community to help patients consistently stay on track.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
YES! Obesity Management Medications like Wegovy, Saxenda and Zepbound (Ozempic is a diabetes medication but is in the same class of GLP1 recept agonists) will change things big time. There are two additional medications in stage III FDA trials and things won’t be slowing down anytime soon. If (when) the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act is passed, we will see access to these medications increase. Dietitians who have experience in bariatric surgery nutrition are very well equipped to help patients utilizing these medications and everything on my website will support them as well!

Pricing:

• Premier Access Membership $29 per month

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bariatricfoodcoach.com
• Instagram: @bariatricfoodcoach
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bariatricfoodcoach
• Youtube: @bariatricfoodcoach