Career Conversations: Jenna Hope, Nutritionist
Career conversations shares the stories of brand founders, entrepreneurs and experts in their field. The ups, the downs and the lessons learnt on their journey. Today, it’s Nutritionist and Consultant; Jenna Hope MSc, BSc(Hons) ANutr.
Did you know what you wanted to be growing up?
I was convinced I was going to be an actress! Although, I realised in my final years at school that I wasn’t good enough to make it. This was around the same time that I started to make changes to my diet to try and improve my skin and energy levels. I was blown away at how such small changes could make me feel so different and I became fascinated by the way in which food can affect us. It was at this point that I became really interested in nutrition and started to look to study it at university.
What did you study at school / was there a particular subject that you loved?
I was really into PE and Drama when I was at school. I was never really into science until I started to learn more about nutrition. Once I started to be able to associate the scientific theories and processes with the food we eat, understanding the science felt much more achievable. I’m a big believer that if you enjoy something you’re much more likely to succeed at it.
Who in your career journey inspired you?
During my years at university I worked for Olivia Wollenberg, founder of Livia’s where I learnt a lot about perseverance. I saw numerous hurdles that Olivia had to get over and every time she got back up.
Jamie Oliver has also been someone who has inspired me from a very young age. He’s shown the nation that if you want to make change and you’re passionate about something then you need to go out there and make it happen.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
I’m really proud to have worked with some of the brands which I could have only dreamed about working with when I first started. I’m also very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had from the media.
What’s the most frustrating thing about your job?
There’s so many things but the main one which I think any nutritionist will agree on is that it’s so frustrating when you see people put out advice with no scientific evidence.
I also rarely switch off as even when I’m at a social event people are often asking for nutrition advice or telling me about their latest diet!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve had?
I was lucky enough to grow up in quite an entrepreneurial family and I watched people in my family work hard over the years.
I’ve always been a believer in if you want to succeed you should never give up and that if you believe in yourself enough you can achieve anything.
What does an average day look like for you?
There really is no average day for me as some days I’ll be in clinic (or online clinic since COVID-19), other days I’ll be giving corporate talks and others I’ll be working at home on media work or brand work. Although, I do try and fit a workout in 4-5 times per week and I also try to ensure I go to bed early in the week as I just don’t function well on little sleep.
What would you tell yourself now if you were just starting out?
Put yourself out there, when the time is right it will happen. I still believe that— there are things I’m currently chasing but they’ll happen when the time is right.
Jenna offers nutritional advice, recipes and information on her instagram @jennahopenutrition and her website jennahopenutrition.com