If you can't see it, you can't be it! Our How She Did It series features inspirational women who've reinvented their careers in midlife. Learn how they did it and take away usable tips from their professional journeys!
We're proud to introduce Raksha Shah, Founder and CEO of wisebitenutrition, LLC.
Raksha was a successful pharmaceutical executive with long experience in the industry. A registered dietician, her passion was women's health and nutrition. She longed to turn her passion into her profession.
After completing EvolveMe's Reinvention Collective, Raksha launched her nutrition counseling business.
Her focus is plant-based nutrition for managing chronic diseases and women’s nutrition health during perimenopause and beyond. She also leverages her personal experience, having practiced plant-based nutrition for over 30 years.
We’re so happy to see Raksha thriving, doing what she loves in her 60s by pivoting to entrepreneurship after a corporate career! And sharing her gift using food as medicine.
Read on to learn how she did it!
What's your personal mantra, mission, or manifesto? Persist, Explore, and Thrive
What inspired you to launch your business? My passion for health and well-being using food first as medicine and starting a business with a purpose! My mom was a big inspiration for me, too.
What's unique about pivoting in midlife? Challenges & opportunities? Pivoting in midlife brings challenges you may not have faced before. For me, it started with a fear of failure, which led to second-guessing my decision-making process. I spent an entire year rethinking my decision before launching my nutrition and wellness business in 2023.
The second challenge in my planning phase was feeling confident reconnecting with my network in the nutrition world.
The third challenge was over financial well-being - betting on myself to make it.
So what about opportunities? After 2022, I have a renewed sense of confidence and direction. I can finally see the opportunities that align with my purpose.
Purpose and Passion: Midlife often prompts reflection on one's purpose and passions. Pivoting instilled the confidence to become an entrepreneur and do what truly matters to me!
Learning and Adaptation: While developing additional expertise is challenging, I've enjoyed gaining new skills to add to my life's experiences. I love to learn and adapt effectively with a purpose.
What’s one intention you have for your work this year? My company intends to consistently provide exceptional value and personalized service, ensuring each client's unique needs and goals are met and exceeded, building long-lasting trust and satisfaction.
What are you most passionate about right now? Launching the marketing strategy for my business launch! I continue to learn and enjoy being my own boss.
What does a typical day look like for you? I'm in launch mode. So, a typical day starts with developing content for social media platforms, followed by networking (attending live conferences and virtual seminars). I also take the time for self-care! I have incorporated time for exercise and strength training. I dedicate one hour every day to me!
What’s one thing that's advanced your career in the last year? Expanding my network outside the world of pharma. EvolveMe's Reinvention Collective program was the best investment I made!
EvolveMe's Reinvention Collective program was the best investment I made!
Who’s your professional inspiration? My mom who inspired me to do my best with good intentions!
Favorite book, app, or podcast? Book: John Grisham Fan!! Podcast: Simon Sinek
You’re granted an extra hour each day; how do you spend it? Explore a garden center and a flower shop! I love flowers! Some of the best pictures of flowers I have captured are from the summer market in Nice France and the Sun Flower farm in MA.
The advice I wish I had given to my 20-year-old self is… Being in the present
The advice that I want to give to my 75-year-old self is... Stay on course and "age in a number" don't stop dreaming!! Don't take yourself seriously!
Your theme song that plays every time you walk in a room should be? Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World."
Best career advice for other women in midlife? If you dream of doing something you love, make it happen!!
When did you feel you got “you” back? In January 2023!!
What’s up next? I'll continue to strongly advocate for the importance of nutritional health for women 50 and above!
Want to learn more about the "best investment Raksha made" to advance her career and move forward in her next chapter? Learn more about EvolveMe's signature program, the Reinvention Collective. Sign up for a free 1:1 discovery call to see if the RC is right for you!