Stephanie Jean - Registered Dietitian, Fresenius Kidney Care
Stephanie is a Renal Dietitian at Fresenius Kidney Care, where she spends her days researching, coordinating and recommending nutrition education that helps meet her clients’ needs. Her hustle takes a lot of focus, patience and proper time management—an elusive trio that many of us know (or struggle to know) all too well. In this interview, Stephanie shares a bit about how she balances it all while always prioritizing her health, too—because in order to effectively take care of others, we must always take care of ourselves.
The Basics:
Hometown: Tampa, FL
Current city: Alexandria, VA
Alma mater: University of South Florida; University of North Florida
Degree: B.S., Health Sciences; B.S., Nutrition and Dietetics
Very first job: Sales Associate, Aeropostale
Hustle: Renal Dietitian, Fresenius Kidney Care
The Interests:
Babe you admire and why?
My very first thought was Myleik Teele, founder and creator of CURLBOX, a monthly subscription service that provides curly hair products for girls with varying curl types and textures. She was the first person to provide this service (and NEED!) for women, with the majority of her customers being women of color. Her entire brand shows her passion and love for what she does, and I admire her decision to share her professional highs and lows. She is ALWAYS dropping gems and wanting more for people. I love that about her.
What’s your favorite way to start (or end) your weekend?
This is something that I am definitely still working on—not to perfect, but to be more intentional about. I’m at a stage in life where my weekdays are very demanding with work, so I strive to have my weekends be truly about me and what I want to do. It sounds selfish, but I’m finding that it’s the best way for me to be more present for others throughout the week. I start by easing in with a fun and interesting Friday night dinner (I’ve really been into Asian cuisine lately) and maybe a cocktail or two. To end it, I like to read, take a bath, and indulge in all the self-care things.
What’s one essential item in your workday?
My Beats headphones. I am SO late to the game ( I just purchased them last year), but I bring them with me everywhere and couldn’t imagine life without them!
The Hustle:
Tell us about your hustle, providing a summary of your roles and the work you do daily.
In the past when I heard the word “hustle,” I used to exclude myself, because I didn’t think I fit the role of what mainstream hustle looks like. I feel like this word has taken on an over-exhausted, burnt out, no sleep, 100% devotion definition. In my new way of thinking of the word, I feel as if I absolutely fit the model of a woman who hustles. My hustle is about being consistent, flexible and focused. No matter where I’m working or what I’m working on, I find that these qualities give me the most solid results that meet my expectations. Being in a dialysis clinic, certain weeks of each month are more demanding and require extreme focus. I am aware of when these weeks are, so that gives me an advantage because I can better prepare for what’s to come. A typical example of what these weeks entail is medication titrations for bone mineral metabolism for two clinics that I serve, and frequent communication amongst the nephrologist and nurses based on these recommendations. This used to be the most draining and difficult part of my job, but I’ve trained myself to think of it in a different way to center more joy around it. My other roles are essentially the result of titrations weeks, where I then present these results to my patients and provide nutrition education to meet their needs.
How have your past professional and academic experiences and lessons prepared you for the work you do today? How have they not prepared you?
During my dietetic internship program, I was challenged to work with people that I didn’t necessarily get along with. In a particular rotation, I felt as though my self-esteem and confidence were being tested and tried to the point of tears on a couple of days (privately, because we don’t cry at work! LOL), and I resorted to my parents for better clarity on how to be guided through this challenging season. As a result, I learned how someone we may see as a “difficult person” can provide more insight on who we are based on our response to that person. To my understanding, a lot of people transfer, quit or even get fired from jobs because they don’t “like” someone they have to closely work with. The issue with this is that it WILL happen again at some point in my career and/or personal life. I’ve found these situations to build my character in a more positive way than negative, and for that I am thankful for the ability to maintain my character despite the energy that is being shed in my direction. Of course, there are limits to the extent in which something must be tolerated, but the older I get the more I can gauge whether or not I am responding based on emotion or facts.
How has being a woman impacted your professional experiences? What can we collectively do to support and empower women in your industry today?
Thankfully, I am currently in an environment where I’m surrounded by women who lead. Because of this, I don’t feel like I have a wild desire or determination to see myself in a position where I can also lead and/or manage others. In spite of the difficulties that we still face to see women (especially women of color) in more spaces, I make it a priority to not limit myself solely on the basis that I am a black woman. Collectively, there’s a need to embrace and empower a variety of women with different viewpoints and approaches. I think we often see businesses and corporations checking their box for filling a role with a woman and/or woman of color, and I believe that this is also why we see this trophy-like system where many other powerful and talented women are not being noticed and unfortunately compete against others to be seen and acknowledged. This trophy-like system is not nearly as impactful and inclusive in comparison to filling an entire space with varying types of women across the spectrum. There really is room for all of us to make it!
What’s one thing you’re proud to have accomplished in your career thus far?
I’m proud to say that I have not just met my basic functions and benchmarks in my first year as a dietitian, but I have surpassed those benchmarks. I’m proud of my efforts to set the bar high this past year, despite still being in the early stages of my career. I believe this is fueled by my curiosity and passion, and I expect to always be led by these two qualities. Secondly, I faced some of the biggest challenges during the pandemic this past year that hit close to home in my career. As an essential worker, I was required to face the pandemic head-on and push through negative and pessimistic emotions for the sake of my patients and those that I work with. Fortunately, I believe that every single essential worker will come out on the other side of this with a set of skills that have yet to even be defined.
Who are some women in your field that you look to for inspiration?
I have always been drawn to and inspired by Jess and Wendy, the lovely ladies of Food Heaven Made Easy. A large part of why I’m in the field of dietetics is because of them. When I started to become more serious about choosing a career as a Dietitian, I felt it important to see black women that were a part of the practice. I fell in love with their style, their message, and inclusion of culture into nutrition. I also look to Diversify Dietetics, which is a nonprofit organization that works to increase racial and ethnic diversity in the field of nutrition by empowering nutrition leaders of color. The two women that founded this organization, Tamara Melton and Deanna Belleny, have really shown how the power lies within us to see that needs are actually met with a solid vision and the expertise to execute.
How do you rest, recharge and find inspiration?
Lately, I’ve taken up more reading in my spare time to get away from screens, and have really enjoyed the feeling of getting wrapped up in a good book. On days where I really feel like I need to recharge, simply turning on the “Do Not Disturb” setting on my phone can really free my mind from distractions and connections related to social media, texting, etc. I am a firm believer in creating that necessary space for yourself to do what serves you best. My inspiration comes mainly from Podcasts. I am so interested and intrigued by the advice and recommendations that other people share from their own experiences, and I find it so gracious of them to share their expertise for the benefit of others.
Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Stay curious, be optimistic, and create a strong work ethic.
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