Meet Andrea Rumschlag, Mba, Rdn, Ld

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Andrea Rumschlag, Mba, Rdn, Ld a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, really appreciate you joining us to talk about a really relevant, albeit unfortunate topic – layoffs and getting fired. Can you talk to us about your experience and how you overcame being let go?

I was laid off from my full time job in the spring of 2023, when the start up I was working for made the difficult decision to discontinue operations. It was a strange feeling as I had never been laid off before, nor been part of a company that fully ceased to exist all together. While the situation was completely out of my control, it’s still easy to think “could I have done something differently?” Instead of looking back, I made myself look forward. I took advice from a close friend, and instead of diving headfirst into another similar position, I took the time to step back and truly decide what I wanted to do next. Do I stay in the industry I was in or pivot another direction? I had started my own nutrition business as a passion project six months prior to this layoff, so I took the opportunity to accelerate and grow my personal business, versus seek a full time position growing someone else’s dream.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist specializing in sports nutrition and performance. I am the founder and owner of Functionally Fueled LLC, and the Head Nutrition Coach for Rise & Reign Training & Nutrition. My mission as a dietitian is to empower everyday athletes through coaching and guidance to achieve their nutrition related goals for performance. As a dietitian and coach I lead my practice with four core values: empathy, empowerment, credibility and growth. I am committed to being empathetic in my work, dedicated to maintaining myself as a credible source of sports nutrition knowledge, passionate about empowering my athletes and I have a steady pursuit of growth, both in knowledge and self-improvement. Using these core values as my guiding stars allows me to provide the best nutrition care possible to my athletes. I work with athletes individually, as well as reach broader groups through virtual nutrition presentations. I also provide general sports nutrition education and guidance through my Instagram page, @risereignnutrition.

My business continues to grow and I am excited to be accepting new athletes and speaking opportunities for 2025!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

My curiosity, persistence and drive have all led me to where I am today. My first degree was in English Rhetoric and Composition, and my first career path had nothing to do with nutrition, let alone health care: I was a sales and underwriting representative at an insurance company! During that time I allowed myself to be curious and pursue alternative careers, which lead me to resuming education to become a Registered Dietitian. My journey has been anything but linear, but each experience I’ve had has led me to my next opportunity, however unrelated they may have seemed at the time. Had I stuck to a traditional path, I very likely would not be where I am today. My advice to anyone early on in their journey is to keep an open mind, look for alternatives where they may exist, and say yes to opportunities that excite you, even if they may scare you a little.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

It’s taken time, but over the years I’ve become a strong believer in amplifying my strengths versus trying to constantly improve my weaknesses. I realized I was burning myself out trying to overcome traits that were not inherently natural to me, nor gave me energy. I recognized this in my sales career, where it’s common to assume that sales people must be extroverted to succeed. I am naturally introverted, and a strength of mine is being able to deeply listen and connect with people in order to truly understand and address their problems. At its core, sales is problem solving. By leaning into my listening strength, I was much better at meeting my customers’ needs than forcing myself to put on an extroverted personality.

One thing I think we may overlook is that just because someone chooses not to improve their weaknesses does not mean they are not motivated to continue to improve and grow in other ways. Instead of dedicating energy to overcome weaknesses, I choose instead to use that energy to continue to grow and refine my strengths, leading me to greater success and happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.risereigntraining.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risereignnutrition/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreamrumschlag/

Image Credits

Christine Ruth Photography