Mentoring Circle Program

Mentoring provides a valuable opportunity to foster colleagues' professional growth and resilience. Our mentor/mentee circle used a mastermind approach, promoting brainstorming, problem-solving, and peer accountability to help mentees achieve their goals. I had the privilege of working with exceptional colleagues across various fields, including private practice, medical nutrition therapy, social media, sports nutrition, and wellness. Mentees shared insights on virtual business platforms, client management software, and social media marketing. Mentees also highlighted the importance of group support in navigating professional hurdles.

– Theresa Logan MS RDN LDN ACE-CHC

The CV-Well Mentor Mentee Circles have been such a great experience. Listening to my mentees, hearing their career goals, and collaborating with them to strategize their plans has been educational for me and I hope beneficial to them. It also is exciting to hear such dynamic RD's share their goals knowing that they are building careers that they, and our profession, will benefit from.

Learning from other mentors has allowed me to bring back to my circle new ideas and tips for practice. 

– Connie Diekman, M.Ed., RD, LD, FADA, FAND

I have been a CV-Well mentor for almost two years now, and it has been exciting to see all my mentees elevate their professional practice. Everyone in our circle has had some success story. They started or expanded their careers into private practice, pursued specialty certification, or were encouraged to take the leap to take their dream job. The support of the mentoring circle has helped each of us pursue our goals. A lot of RDNs can feel like they are on an island, and the mentoring circle program provides camaraderie. We also just have a lot of fun together!

– Beth Abbey, PhD, RDN, CDN

Being a part of the CV-Well Circle has allowed me to connect with other members through our share experiences as dietitians. Each month we have each taken on a topic, researched it, and presented it to the group. This has not only structured my regular commitment to diving deeper into a topic, but to also honed my skills in communicating important nutrition science to others. Because there is so much to know in this field, we often don’t give ourselves the credit or have the confidence to pursue something bigger — and that is what this group has done for me. The support of mentors and other mentees hastruly shaped my experiences and my path in this field. I am grateful!

– Nicole Roesch, RD, CHWC

3 year Mentee, Affiliate President Elect 

For me, this has been instrumental in understanding the power and utility of being a member of the academy. I have greatly appreciated the mentorship and education from participating in the CB-Well group. I feel connected to our community in a much better way. I would recommend it to anyone interested in gaining the benefits of our community. 

Kelly LeGros Strickler , RD

2 year Mentee, Elected to CV-Well EC

Being a member of the CV well mentoring circle has been a valuable experience for me. This is my second year and I plan to participate again next year. I am an inpatient and outpatient dietitian at a hospital. Having fellow dietitians to discuss challenging nutrition cases with helps me provide the best care and improve my skills as a dietitian. The circle has also made me familiar with resources I was not aware of. The friendships you make are a blessing!

Sandra Gifford , RD, LD

Nearly three years ago, as a newly credentialed Registered Dietitian, I had a general understanding of the vast opportunities within our field. I had met several accomplished dietitians, but the prospect of navigating a new career path felt overwhelming. Joining the CV-Well mentoring circle became a transformative experience. It allowed me to connect with innovative and inspiring professionals who were creating meaningful change in our field—through ventures like writing books, launching websites, and developing nutrition programs tailored for employee wellness. Being part of this mentoring circle has been an incredible privilege. It not only expanded my perspective but also gave me the courage and tools to refine my goals and map out my professional future.

Roxana Appelman MBA, MS, RD, LD 

When the email from CV-Well “re: the Mentorship Circle” arrived in my inbox 2 years ago, I was over the moon as it couldn’t have come at a better time. I had been out of the workforce for 15+ years raising children and I was contemplating my next career move. Before kids, I had a successful nutrition consulting private practice in NYC, but it had been many years since then and I realized the nutrition therapy landscape and the spaces in which we RDs have historically practiced had changed dramatically. Unsure how I might fit back in, I felt rudderless and disconnected from my vocation. Participating in these circles as a mentee has afforded me so much relevant and intelligent discourse as to how we now practice, allowed me to make meaningful connections with both mentors and mentees, and highlighted new and more innovative ways in which I might practice. 

Jacqueline Bush  MA, RDN, LD

Thanks to the privilege of mentorship in the CV-Well Mentoring Circle for the past three years, I have been able to accept the challenge presented to me by these trail blazer and visionary dietitians about whom I had only read about before. The details of their vast and impressive experiences provide the challenge lifting my sights as I daily strive for excellence in my small practice. To be able to rub shoulders with them at FNCE and be part of the group showcasing CV-Well at annual meetings helps me feel a new stimulus to continue to grow, and yet still be comfortable among them; their energy is contagious. So glad I have had this unique opportunity.

Fran White, MS, RDN, CSG, LDN