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

Hi Kristen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
To support my lifestyle as a professional athlete. After Graduate School at The Ohio State University I pursued professional cycling. With this pursuit I needed to be able to make my own hours, work from anywhere, and make enough income to sustain a humble lifestyle with minimal expenses. I started small with a 3 clients per month and grew from there. 

What should our readers know about your business?
I am the sole owner and RD of a sports nutrition for women private practice. My specialization within a specialization (sports nutrition, for women) sets me apart from others. In the world of nutrition and private practice, sports nutrition is already considered very specialized. My goal with this specialization is to better enhance the performance and health of women across the lifespan with a growing body of research which specifically investigates how the menstrual cycle and hormones affect fueling needs. In addition to being an expert in this area of research I aim to empower girls and women through cultivating healthy and balanced relationships with food and their bodies through methods like intuitive eating. I describe my business as having an evidence-based foundation with empathetic and practical guidance to enhance performance, health and well-being. I got to where I am today with practice and patience. When I started my private practice many people told me to specialize and through specializing I would hone in on my audience to have more people come to me. This sounded scary as it sounded limiting to me. As I have grown my practice I have acknowledged that just getting started and doing it was the best thing I could have done, which I did! Taking that first leap to work with clients with minimal expenses and overhead allowed me to hone in on what I am truly passionate about. Specializing in the way that I have is my truest passion and I could not be happier to make this leap last month. I was not ready at the beginning of my business when I started it 6 years ago. I’ve learned that trying something new or risky is better than not trying it out at all. At the same time it is okay to allow yourself the patience to feel ready to take risks.

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?
Little on Mountain is just a few blocks from my house and is a staple spot in Fort Collins. A neighborhood meet spot with passionate staff and community-driven ingredients. Bean Cycle is my go-to coffee shop. Delicious coffee and roasted beans, a fun vibrant atmosphere and a cute local craft corner. Horsetooth Reservoir is a must visit. Just a short drive away from Old Town and an incredibly beautiful spot to have a picnic, hike, or mtb ride.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Not super original, but I’d like to thank my parents and husband. When starting my business I was able to surf between my parent’s and now husband’s places and minimize expenses in order to have enough time to train for bike racing and grow my business. My husband, Taylor Kruse, has helped me along the way to understand marketing and organizing my business as its grown.

Website: sportsnutritionforwomen.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenkarnold/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristenarnoldrdn

Image Credits
mountain bike photo – Adam Koble road bike photos + smoothie photo – Pat Daly counseling computer photo – Sam Rosenholtz

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