Meet Jessica Soderberg | Nutrition Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Soderberg and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
As I began my career, I lived in San Francisco and work-life balance was all about how much I could fit into a day. In order to do that, I woke up early, very, very early. I fit in a solid workout, a long day at work and social obligations. It was fun, rewarding and simply exhausting! As I became more focused on my career, work-life balance, mostly included work. Lots of travel, being on the go and putting in long hours. I didn’t mind it at the time, and got great fulfillment from “feeling important” at work. At some point I decided that living a really fast-paced lifestyle was starting to wear on me. So, I left the big city of San Francisco and headed to a more mild-paced Colorado. As I was still single, work was still a top priority in my life. I still traveled quite a bit, put in long hours, but I also slowed down to really enjoy my environment and my relationships. As life evolved and become more complex, work-life balance, for me started to look very different. Through life experiences it became very apparent what was important… family, friends, taking time for myself and truly living. Certainly work is important to me. However, it’s no longer about putting in long, intense hours or proving myself. It’s about doing meaningful work. Work that I can be proud of. Work that if I need to take time away from my family for, I feel good about it. In some ways I feel as though everyone has to go through the different stages of life to get to a point where work-life balance is achieved. I do feel as though some may not ever get there, for various reasons. For me, there is nothing more important than my beautiful family. I wake up each day feeling grateful that I don’t have to spend countless hours at a job that doesn’t better the lives of others. I get to do work that is important and can make a difference. And most certainly, life is my priority now, not work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I worked in the corporate world for a Training and Consulting organization for nearly 17 years as a Project and Product Manager. While this highlighted skills that I excelled in, I began to lose energy and passion for what I was doing. I had a constant feeling I wasn’t fulfilling my true calling. I couldn’t put it aside. After much exploration and personal experiences, I found myself in the world of nutrition, craving deep knowledge of how food supports our body and how we can nourish our body to encourage sustainable, life-long health. It wasn’t easy to make a shift — I was working full-time, going to school part-time and I had a family. Talk about work-life balance! I knew it was the right decision, so I kept moving forward and I have to admit, I’ve never felt more accomplished. I’m proud to be a Nutrition Consultant, focusing in prenatal nutrition. Nourished Beginnings, my business, supports women by providing them with the education and tools they need to incorporate essential nutrients for a healthy pregnancy. What I learned in my corporate life, translates deeply to my nutrition business. Being successful for me is all about building strong relationships with my clients. Listening to them. Being a partner. Creating sustainable solutions that can be implemented long-term. I’m thrilled to be able to work with women to create a better world not only for them, also for their family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I certainly feel grateful to live in a place that has so much to offer! –I would start with lots of great hikes in the area… Brainard Lake, Sanitas (to see a view of Boulder), Rocky Mountain National Park. –There would be some walking along Pearl Street Mall. –I always love hitting fun spots in town: St. Julien for Happy Hour and some live music, or the Kitchen Upstairs for great wine. And, a delicious dinner at Oak. –Picnics in one of the many beautiful parks in Boulder. Maybe even picking up some goodies from Cured, for the occasion. –Visiting the Boulder Farmer’s Market. –And, doing a relaxing foot soak and massage at DragonTree Spa!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To my sister, Johnna who always supports my endeavors. And, to my children, Jemma and Gavin who are my greatest teachers.

Website: www.nourished-beginnings.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nourishedbeginnings.prenatalnutrition

Image Credits
Tanya Dueri