07/29/2026
Twelve years ago, I stood at the back of this conference room in tears and asked the speaker: “How do I get my child to eat?”
My daughter was so small she wasn’t even on the growth curve. When we learned that there was the possibility of a feeding tube, I was terrified and desperate to help her.
That question I asked 12 years ago changed the direction of my nutrition work.
I immersed myself in the research on pediatric health and picky eating, and built a plan that changed how our family approached food.
Slowly, things began to shift and my daughter’s eating was no longer a concern.
She’s now 13, thriving, and loves more foods than I could have imagined. ❤️
This weekend in Chicago, life came full circle again.
For the 4th year, I stood at the front of that same conference room in Chicago. Not as the parent asking the question, but as a speaker helping to answer it.
During the 3 day conference, parents came up to me in tears.
One said, “You were first person who gave me hope, and a plan to help my child.”
Other families shared that one small insight from my talks over the years forever changed how they fed their child (and their family).
Whether I’m helping a family navigate picky eating or helping team leaders create the conditions for people to thrive, my work begins in the same place: translating nutrition and wellbeing research into practical action, and giving people a clear path forward.
Twelve years ago, I couldn’t have imagined standing at that podium speaking and having my 3 girls there to witness it.
Thank you to the team at The MAGIC Foundation for creating a space for families to learn, connect and work through challenges together. And for including nutrition as a part of that. 
