The Empty Room That Changed Everything...

Get smarter every week with expert opinions, in-depth analysis, and real-world case studies to elevate your practice.

Expert Opinion - The Empty Room That Changed Everything

This Week's Expert: Dr. James Morehen reflects on his earliest business lesson

Key Insights: Fresh into his PhD, flush with confidence, Dr. Morehen decided to host his first nutrition workshop in Widnes.

Professor Graeme Close warned him: "Don't waste your time."

But sometimes the best lessons come from not listening.

Armed with flyers, shop visits, and a polished presentation, he set a £10 ticket price and dreamed of the profits that would surely follow.

On event night, he stood in an empty room. Not a single person showed up.

The next day, Prof Close simply said: "I could have told you that."

Looking back, Morehen laughs at his past self - young, fresh into Widnes Vikings Rugby, thinking being "the nutritionist" made him instantly credible.

The experience taught him priceless lessons about business:

• Expertise alone doesn't fill rooms

• Trust must be earned before asking for money

• Sometimes mentors know better than your ego

Actionable Takeaway: Before asking your audience to pay, ask yourself: Have you earned the right to sell to them?

Remember: Every empty room is teaching you something about your next full one.

Get mentored by Dr. James via the Performance Nutrition Network. Save 25% off per month for life with code “pnnmember25”. LINK

Market Opportunity - The Rise of Padel

Top Pick:

Padel’s Popularity = New Clients for Nutrition Coaches

Our Take:

Padel, the fast-growing blend of tennis and squash, is attracting players worldwide—from casual enthusiasts to serious athletes. Its intense, fast-paced rallies demand agility, endurance, and quick recovery, making it the perfect niche for performance nutritionists.

How to Leverage This:

• Padel-Specific Plans: Create fuelling plans specific to the demands of Padel.

• Collaborate with Clubs: Partner with Padel clubs for workshops and assessments, positioning yourself as the go-to expert.

• Share Tips Online: Publish Padel-focused nutrition advice on social media to build your reputation with this active community.

Padel’s growth offers a unique chance to expand your client base and establish authority in an emerging sport.

Resource Roundup

A curated list of helpful links, resources, or reads. Three amazing performance nutrition textbooks.

• Sport Nutrition by Asker Jeukendrup & Michael Gleeson – Essential textbook covering the fundamentals of sports nutrition, practical applications, and the latest research to support athletic performance. LINK

• Biochemistry for Sport and Exercise Metabolism by James Morton & Don MacLaren – Key text for understanding the physiological principles that underpin exercise and nutritional strategies. LINK

• Physiology of Sport and Exercise by Kenney, Wilmore & Costill – A foundational text for understanding the physiology behind sport and exercise, critical for tailoring effective nutrition interventions. LINK

From the Partner Community

This Week’s Shoutout:

A member asked for recommendations on finding a collagen supplement in tablet form for a player recovering from injury.

Key Insights:

• Use Informed Sport's certified supplement search to find collagen tablets that meet safety standards.

• One member shared a direct link to streamline the search for tablet or capsule options.

• Another suggestion was to check with supplement brands directly for white-label collagen tablets that might suit specific needs. You could start with someone like SiS who are known to make custom formulations due to their in-house manufacturing.

High Impact Job

Job Opportunity: Lead Academy Performance Nutritionist at Liverpool FC – A leading football team is looking for a performance nutritionist to design and implement comprehensive nutrition programs for academy players, with expertise in youth athlete development and individualised nutrition planning.

Competency Improvement:

• Youth Athlete Education Resource: Check out these youth athlete nutrition blogs. LINK

• Improvement Tip: This week, practice creating interactive nutrition lessons for different age groups (8-18). Focus on making complex concepts accessible and engaging for youth athletes while incorporating parent/guardian communication strategies.

Explore More Job Opportunities: Find more high-impact jobs here.

Challenge of the week:

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." – Socrates

Reflect on a client’s nutrition habits that might be holding them back. This week, work with them to replace an outdated habit with a more positive one.

That’s all for this week.

See you next Monday.

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