Graduate Spotlight
Julie Conner, Ph.D in Holistic Nutrition
Julie Conner’s introduction to holistic nutrition occurred at her mother’s knee. “My mom was a nutritionist way before her time. We were on supplements, she was mixing herbs and homeopathic remedies in our kitchen. That’s how we were raised. So, I have always thought of myself as a holistic nutritionist, even with my traditional degrees.”
Julie Conner truly balances the worlds of traditional and non-traditional nutrition. After finishing a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University and a master’s in Public Health from New York Medical College, she knew that she didn’t want to work in a hospital or the food service department of a nursing home, which at the time were the only jobs that dietitians could get. Julie opened her practice by getting a job during the day and then she began building her practice at night. “It was a lot of hard work and a lot of perseverance. In 1983, I began knocking on doctor’s doors, telling them that I was here to help their patients.” Over the next four years, Julie's practice grew to five locations all over New York State. By this time, she was raising two small children as well.
Then, with the premature birth of her third child, Kristi, now age 12, she knew her life had to change. “That was a stopping point. It made me reevaluate my life. I could now bring my children to the office and take them to their activities between patients. I am able to pick them up after school and study between appointments. This is the best of both worlds.” She moved her practice to one location in CT, and built a room there for her children.
Healthy Weighs, the name of Julie’s practice, is a nutrition center and health food store. “I keep the costs down by having a small staff that works the store and schedules clients for me. About 6 years ago, I added the health food store to my 20 year old practice. I used to take my clients shopping to show them the foods and products that I recommended, but now it is ‘One stop shopping’.” Offering practical advice has always been an integral part of her nutrition services.
Julie Conner has her own definition of “working full time”. She is at the center six days a week, seeing 100-120 clients. Her practice is the largest in her area, and, as she states, possibly the largest in Connecticut. She now has 120 physicians on her physician referral list – gastroenterologists to psychiatrists, psychologists to social workers.
Julie is devoted to her family, Billy Ryan, 16, Brian, 15, Kristi, 12 and her husband Will. “I have a wonderful, supportive husband. We got married three weeks after I graduated from Cornell. Will has been by my side, supporting me in all my endeavors, helping me build my practice. He is the ‘wind beneath my wings.’ He has been there so I could do my thing.” In fact, she included the following dedication of her dissertation to him: “Will, who has been my soul mate for over 20 years. He has given me the support, love, motivation and inspiration to achieve my lifelong dream of completing my doctoral degree.”
She takes long, well-deserved vacations with her beloved husband and children, traveling to Europe, all over North America including Hawaii and Alaska. She carries multiple cameras on every trip. “I love photography. I always have my camera, video-camera, back up camera and a disposable.”
“My kids used to complain when they felt a cold coming on. Now, they go to the cabinet and pull out the homeopathic remedies, they know how to mix things for themselves – tea, tinctures. ‘I have a date, I can’t get sick’ or ‘I have this big exam, I can’t get sick.’ They only see their primary care physician once a year for their annual physical exam. Our doctor commented that my children have the thinnest charts in his practice.” So, Julie truly is “Dr. Mom”.
So where has this busy woman found the time to complete a doctoral program? She applauds the flexibility of the CCNH program format, which is what attracted her to our college and claims that this is the only reason she was able to juggle her personal and professional life. “After practicing all day, I didn’t want to go out to a local university at night. I needed something extremely flexible. I did my coursework between clients, working at my own pace. It has taken me three years and I haven’t had much of a social life, but it has been incredible.”
“As I worked through the program and learned the material, I immediately incorporated it into my practice, helping to further change the lives of my clients. That was the most exciting part of doing this simultaneously. I did this program for myself. I am established and busy, but I did this solely because I wanted to do this. And I got a great response from my clients. They said: ‘For years you’ve preached this, and now you’ll have your doctorate.’ It made my knowledge base more solid. It will show that I have the expertise. I have the best of both worlds – I have a clinical credential and a holistic credential.”
With more than full time practice, 3 active kids, a spouse, a busy household, Julie still believes, “If I can complete this degree, anyone can...if they want to and if they try hard enough.”
For more information: www.healthyweighs.com.
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