At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Shailvi Soni for an exclusive interview with us. Shailvi is a Leader, Entrepreneur, Leader, Nutritionist, Founder and Chief Nutritionist at Shailvi’s Nutrition Therapy. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Shailvi:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
So, I had been ever passionate about Foods and Nutrition right from the time I started studying it as one of the Major Subjects in my B.Sc. Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics were my majors in Bachelor and it had always intrigued me to push myself further in keeping myself acquainted to surrounding knowledge of Health & Nutrition & what was happening in the sector & around.
I passed my B.Sc, Foods & Nutrition (Dietetics) in 2012. With that, I developed a deeper interest in Public Health Nutrition. I completed my M.Sc. in Public Health Nutrition in 2014 from the prestigious The M.S.University of Baroda, Vadodara. My faculty was and is a WHO collaborating centre. My areas of focus become much more intense with the Master’s Dissertation that I took up to assess the Health & Nutrition outcomes, condition of the children living in the Govt. Shelter care homes.
From then my passion grew deeper in working for Vulnerable children, & Maternal Health. My journey in this sector for 9+ years has been very satisfying, where I have been fortunate to work for Maternal & Child Clinics, Fitness Centers, Government Malnutrition Pro-grams, Government School Feeding programs at Pan-India Level, Catering & Feeding firms. I have largely worked with Non-profits, NGOs, Government, & Private organizations, before jumping to start with my own little baby “Shailvi’s Nutrition Therapy.
How did you discover your passion as a ‘Nutritionist’?
Being in this sector, being a Nutritionist and what actually it shall take from me to become a Qualified and Worthy Allied Health Care professional, I had got that insight right from the start of my career.
I felt very good, very able when I could very confidently counsel my patients of Nutrition Therapies in Govt. Hospitals during my internship. And more satisfying was to get that respect from them. I got respect for the knowledge I carried. I had always strived to get something innovative on the table, and that itself was the ignited passion in me to become a Nutritionist.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
To be honest, my intuition has been my greatest guide. I wanted to launch Shailvi’s Nutrition Therapy 2 years back. But somewhere I could not because of my own inhibitions and fear.
My intuition has driven me here, to kick-start something I really wanted to do, which was definitely in me. Four things have always pushed me:
– Optimistic Attitude
– Motivation to do things in my own style
– No matter what never giving up attitude.
– My intuition
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My struggles and my drive to keep going no matter what. I have failed a lot and have risen too. So I know, even failure cannot stop me now, since I know the pattern to bring myself up and that itself is a motivation.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
> Intense Reading of all that is being published in the Health & Nutrition Sector
> Gratitude Prayers & Journalling
> Writing
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Believing in yourself, keeping yourself updated with all that’s happening in the sector, accepting when you are wrong & taking corrective actions timely and lastly not giving up no matter what is definitely my keys to success.
What advice would you give to our readers?
I shall say pertaining to my sector, so many concepts, health & nutrition advice are being put up by social media influencers who do not have the education, qualifications and expertise to become that subject matter expert.
My advice is – always, always check the qualifications, ask for the qualifications of Nutritionists, Dietitians whose advice you want to start following.
After all, it’s your health that will be at the cost of it. There are so many learned professionals & colleagues in this sector who are super qualified & have country-specified qualifications to practice which is mandatory.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
In this phase my journey is exciting, I still look at myself where I was 2-3 years back struggling thinking to start something of my own. It needs courage.
I am super grateful for the time, universe and my intuition that pushed me to start 2 start-ups i.e., Shailvi’s Nutrition Therapy & Zaika with Health in a matter of only 2 months. So yes, it’s exciting that my journey is leading to re-discovering myself, my limits and knowing that I had so much potential in me that was hiding beneath my inhibitions, not chasing a full-time anymore, but trusting yourself that you have so much in you to create greater impact, will soon turn satisfy-ing too.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
