Dietitian Private Practice Tips: Why Imperfect Action Builds a Profitable Business
If you’re sitting on an incomplete CAQH application, refreshing your inbox waiting for credentialing approval, or Googling “how to submit a CMS-1500 claim” for the 27th time, this is for you.
Let me be clear about something right from the start: I did not begin my private practice because I felt fearless or ready. I started because I was tired of waiting for everything to be perfect.
When I launched my practice, I was still a dietetic intern at Yale, finishing what was easily the most difficult year of my life. My younger brother, who struggled with heroin addiction, passed away on October 7, 2007. There was nothing ideal about that timing. It was hard, painful, and chaotic.
But I got started anyway.
And here’s the honest truth: the “perfect” moment never came.
I didn’t have a biller.
I didn’t know what a fee schedule was—or where to find one.
I didn’t have an EMR.
I had no workflows.
I wasn’t even sure if I was officially in-network yet.
But I still moved forward. F*cked A LOT of sh*t up 🙂
I called provider services and stumbled through the script.
I submitted messy claims.
I launched a group program before I felt ready.
And I kept going.
Imperfect Action: The Key to Building a Private Practice as a Dietitian
This is the part no one tells you when you’re looking for dietitian private practice tips: perfectionism is just procrastination in disguise. It looks smart. It feels safe. But really, it’s fear dressed up as preparation.
You won’t feel ready. You’re going to feel overwhelmed, disorganized, and like an impostor.
That’s part of the process. That’s what it looks like to build something real.
Eventually, something clicks. You realize it was never about getting it all right from the start. It was about taking consistent, imperfect action until the system started working in your favor.
So if you’re waiting for someone to give you permission, this is it.
Submit the application.
Send the claim.
Pitch the group program.
Raise your rates.
Yes, you’ll make mistakes.
Yes, something will get denied.
Yes, you’ll send an NPI to the wrong payer at some point.
That’s not failure. That’s business.
What’s the first step to start a dietitian private practice?
Just start.
Here’s what matters most: You earn confidence by doing, not by thinking about doing. Growth doesn’t come from researching more; it comes from showing up and figuring it out along the way.
If you need support while building your practice, even if it’s messy, I’ve got you.
Explore the free resources available on my site.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE where I break down billing, credentialing, and more.
Share this post with a colleague who needs to hear it.
You don’t need to be perfect to be profitable.
You just need to move.
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