Being a mom and running a business can feel like juggling a million things at once. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to choose between raising your family and building a meaningful career. Jennifer McGurk’s journey is proof that it’s possible to do both—and do them well. Her story is one of resilience, passion, and helping others find balance and success.

From Personal Struggles to Professional Purpose

Jennifer McGurk’s path to becoming a successful registered dietitian and business coach wasn’t a straight line. Like many of us, she faced challenges that shaped her journey. Her struggles with an eating disorder in high school and college were pivotal. During her recovery, she discovered intuitive eating—a philosophy that completely transformed her relationship with food and her body.

That experience fueled her passion to help others. Today, Jennifer runs Eat With Knowledge, a private practice in New York, where she helps clients heal from dieting and embrace intuitive eating. She’s also the creator of Feel Fabulous About Food, an online course focused on eating disorder recovery and intuitive eating principles.

What is Intuitive Eating?

If you’ve ever heard the term “intuitive eating” and thought it just meant eating whatever you want, there’s a bit more to it. Developed by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, intuitive eating is about reconnecting with your body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, while letting go of diet culture’s restrictive rules.

The approach encourages self-care and body respect. It’s about:

• Letting go of the “diet mentality” and focusing on what your body truly needs.
• Understanding hunger and fullness cues.
• Learning to enjoy all types of food without guilt.
• Prioritizing both physical and emotional well-being.

Jennifer’s work centers around helping people build this healthy relationship with food. She shows her clients that it’s possible to eat what they love while honoring their bodies’ needs.

Helping Dietitians Build Thriving Practices

Jennifer’s impact doesn’t stop with her clients. She realized that many dietitians needed support in building their own businesses, particularly in the niche of intuitive eating. That’s why she started Pursuing Private Practice. This program provides resources, tools, and mentorship to help dietitians launch and grow successful practices.

By equipping professionals with the confidence and skills to start their own businesses, Jennifer is creating a ripple effect. More dietitians are spreading the message of intuitive eating, helping even more people heal their relationships with food.

Lessons for Moms and Entrepreneurs

Jennifer’s story offers plenty of inspiration for moms who are balancing work and family:

1. Resilience is Everything: Whether you’re overcoming personal struggles or navigating business challenges, resilience will carry you through.
2. Pursue What Lights You Up: Jennifer’s passion for intuitive eating fuels her work and keeps her focused on her mission.
3. It’s Okay to Start Small: Success doesn’t happen overnight. Jennifer’s journey began with her private practice and grew into something much bigger.

Making Intuitive Eating a Family Affair

As a mom, Jennifer applies the principles of intuitive eating at home. She’s all about giving her kids a positive relationship with food. In her house, no food is off-limits, and her kids are encouraged to listen to their bodies. She uses a family feeding approach inspired by Ellen Satter, where parents decide what and when to eat, and kids decide how much.

By modeling a healthy relationship with food, Jennifer hopes to teach her kids resilience and self-trust—skills that will benefit them in every area of life.

You’re Setting an Example

Whether you’re running your own business or simply pursuing your passions, you’re already showing your kids what’s possible. Jennifer reminds us that we don’t have to be perfect to be great role models. Just by pursuing what matters to you, you’re teaching resilience, passion, and independence.

The Power of Educating and Empowering Others

Jennifer believes in arming people with the tools and knowledge they need to make their own decisions. Instead of following rigid diet plans or rules, her goal is to empower individuals to embrace intuitive eating—a practice that encourages listening to your body and focusing on self-care rather than restriction.

Jennifer is equally passionate about supporting healthcare professionals. As someone who’s built a thriving private practice, she realized the need to guide other dietitians in starting and growing their own businesses. She loves mentoring others and creating opportunities for them to make meaningful changes in their clients’ lives.

Starting Pursuing Private Practice: A Milestone Moment

Jennifer’s journey into coaching other dietitians began shortly after having her first son. While balancing motherhood and her own practice, she noticed a recurring theme among her peers: they wanted to know how she built her business. This inspired her to write her first resource guide in 2015—a step-by-step manual to help dietitians start and grow their private practices.

The guide quickly evolved into an online course in 2016, introducing dietitians to the world of intuitive eating, private practice essentials, and more. Jennifer’s program, Pursuing Private Practice, now blends education with community, offering group accountability and specialized training to help dietitians thrive.

Why Dietitians Hold Themselves Back

For many dietitians, the biggest roadblock to starting their practice isn’t a lack of knowledge—it’s the fear of not having all the answers. As Jennifer explains, dietitians are often trained to be the “authority,” which can create unnecessary pressure. However, she believes that success lies in embracing a partnership approach with clients.

“Clients lead their own healing,” Jennifer shares. “Dietitians provide the guidance and support, but the journey is full of ups and downs. It’s okay not to have all the answers.”

This mindset shift can be transformative for dietitians and their clients alike. Jennifer’s message is simple: you don’t have to be perfect to start—you just need to take the next right step.

Breaking Down the Barriers to Intuitive Eating

For those curious about intuitive eating, Jennifer provides accessible resources for anyone ready to explore this approach. Her Eat With Knowledge website is full of tools, including a guide on binge eating and practical advice for building a positive relationship with food.

Jennifer’s coaching emphasizes that food freedom isn’t about eating whatever you want whenever you want. Instead, it’s about understanding your body’s needs and learning how to honor them without judgment.

Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Jennifer also highlights the importance of having a support system when building a business. Whether it’s connecting with peers in a Facebook group or attending live events, surrounding yourself with like-minded women can make a big difference. She recalls the energy from a recent live event, where women entrepreneurs from various industries came together to share ideas and collaborate.

“It’s amazing to learn from women who are doing completely different things,” Jennifer says. “There’s so much power in collective energy.”

Final Thoughts

Jennifer McGurk’s work is a testament to the power of resilience, passion, and community. Whether she’s helping individuals heal from dieting or mentoring dietitians to build impactful businesses, Jennifer proves that meaningful change is possible.

If you’re a dietitian ready to grow your practice, check out her free training at PursuingPrivatePractice.com/five-secrets. For anyone looking to explore intuitive eating, her website EatWithKnowledge.com offers valuable insights and resources. Jennifer’s story is a reminder that whether you’re a mom, a business owner, or both, you have the power to create something amazing.

Guest Bio

Jennifer McGurk is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist whose mission is to help people heal from dieting and feel fabulous about food. She is the owner of Eat With Knowledge, a private practice, in Nyack, NY and the creator of the online course Feel Fabulous About Food, dedicated to teaching clients all about eating disorder recovery and intuitive eating. She also offers resources for professionals on growing an intuitive eating business with the Pursuing Private Practice for Intuitive Eating Program. 

To connect with Jennifer, head to

https://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcGurkRDN 

https://www.instagram.com/jennifermcgurkrdn/ 

https://twitter.com/jenmcgurkrdn 

To  find out more about Eat With Knowledge, visit https://eatwithknowledge.com/free-binge-eating-guide/

And to learn about the top 10 mistakes professionals make in private practice, head to http://pursuingprivatepractice.com/join/ 

To go to the link mentioned by Jennifer in this episode, visit http://pursuingprivatepractice.com/5-secrets