Beth Aldrich-Restoring Essence Nutrition

Beth's Story

 1.      Tell us the story of your journey. Include details about what inspired you to go into business, was this a life long dream or a newer desire. Share as many details as you are comfortable sharing.

One day while I was working on my PBS TV series in 2007, I was on my way to filmChicago’s Mayor Daley for a project I was volunteering on. Within minutes (in the back of a taxi cab), I was involved in a very serious car accident. While in the hospital, I had time to think and I realized that the long hours working on my TV series was taking me away from my family, too much. After I got home, I was catching up on some office work and came across an online ad for the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN). It hit me like a bolt, “I really want to study holistic nutrition and live my life helping others” My husband agreed and I started my holistic nutrition company, Restoring Essence, LLC. The mission was to help people get back to their true essence in life, health and through nutrition.  After completing my program at IIN throughColumbiaUniversity’s Teacher’s College, I began coaching individuals (mostly moms) as well as corporate wellness programs. Through natural progression, the TV bug pulled me back and I began doing TV news segments on food and nutrition. With this exposure, I was offered the job of national media spokesperson for two companies. A couple of years later, I partnered with my friend, Eve Adamson on the proposal for my book, Real Moms Love to Eat. We were fortunate enough to garner a deal with Penguin Book’s New American Library and we wrote the book in 2010 and the publisher published itJanuary 3, 2012. Throughout the year leading up to the book’s launch, I worked on tour sponsorships and partnerships to help offset costs and to support a successful launch of our book. This was a full-time process, however successful. We were blessed to partner with Bare by Solo, Eco-Forward paper plates/cups; Flatout Bread, the healthy, high-fiber bread alternative, Dreamfields Pasta, the “better” pasta, offering a low glycemic product that’s safe for diabetics, Vitamix Corporation-the world’s BEST blender, ever and Kitchen-Aid, a fantastic kitchen appliance company that offers everything you need for your kitchen. We also partnered with SocialMoms.com, a fantastic online community for moms, for twitter parties, blogger contests and online content, as well as a wine partnership with The Naked Grape Wine, an earth friendly wine that offers the “real” grape.



Writing a book has been something I’ve always wanted to do since I was in college and it’s the perfect complement to my nutrition and media work. It’s such a rewarding feeling when Real Moms come up to me at book events or email me and share with me their positive experiences with my book or website—a feeling that all of the hard work is worthwhile.

 2.      Did you go into business before or after you had children? How do/did your children affect your decision to go into business.

I started my business after I had children. I started my media company, For Her Information Media, after I had a waking dream while nursing my 3^rd son to sleep for a week. Having children while starting a business, gave me a appreciative look at what it takes to make a business or idea to work. It’s a long, hard road to TV, media and publishing success (I’m sure like most businesses), and the payoff hasn’t always been what I starry-eyed dreamed, but it gave me invaluable experience that could never be “bought”.  I’ve struggled with “mommy guilt” many times, but I have such an amazing support system from my husband and family. My sons give me inspiration, ideas and they don’t hold back. Truth prevails in my household. If my idea stinks, they tell me!

 3.Share your trials and triumphs. We want to hear about your highs and lows. Did you have any low points or worries as well as high points and huge shining moments?

SO many ups and downs. There have been days when filming a TV segment was so hard, or the editing just wouldn’t “cut it” and then there are days where I’d syndicate my series to Israel or Turkey and it would blow my mind. The money wasn’t anything like I hoped, but if I turned back to my mission, I would remember that my goal wasn’t always monetary, but to impact women all around the world…and I did. I had very high hopes with my book launch because of all of the hard work and time I put into the launch for a year, however the first week wasn’t a New York Time’s Best Seller. I woke up from my dreamland and realized that good things take time and ate some humble pie, only to open an email from a friend who informed me that I was on the best seller’s list on Amazon in three categories. CAH-RAZY! I was so happy, I took a computer screen grab three times, just to make sure and pinch myself. The reviews on my Amazon page have been so amazing, so genuine and so true. The readers “hit” the point exactly. I know my book has inspired thousands of women and I hope that the profound ripple effect will help my book “touch” more and more women each day. I get so frustrated when I see how women are with food and if they’d just give my suggestions a try, they’d have such a lovely love affair with food, for life. My shining career moments have been when PBS picked up my TV series, when I syndicated my PBS TV series to 60 cities (including Israel and Turkey), when I landed an interview with Dr. Jane Goodall and organic snack food guru, Nell Newman for my PBS TV series, when I landed my book deal, when Dr. Christiane Northrup agreed to share a cover quote for my book (I adore and admire her), when I got a book quote from Dr. Barry Sears, when I was hired as a media spokesperson for various brands, the day my book launched, seeing my book on Amazon’s Best Seller’s list in three categories and when my sponsors agreed to support my book tour. My low points or worries were when I was in my accident in 2007—it rocked my world, but I got back up on top of the horse! Another tough time was trying to find the perfect agent. The publishing process can be very trying, but luck finally was on our side when our dear agent, Claire Gerus came into our lives. Another tough time was going through the long book tour sponsorship process. Months and months of negotiations and correspondence and many “no’s” but we found the perfect fit in the end…isn’t that always the case?

4.   Do you have any encouraging words to share with mom entrepreneurs that may help to keep their spirits up on a trying day. Not necessarily trade secrets that pertain to business but more directed toward encouraging another mom not to give up and/or to keep following a dream.

I am always open to helping other mom entrepreneurs. I try to answer emails or calls, but when I share ideas and tips or ideas, moms have to know that there are hours, weeks, months and years of hard work. I also have discovered that by putting myself in the right place at the right time and by networking every chance I get, has helped me exponentially in my pursuits. My biggest bit of advice is to be very clear of what you idea/plan is and how you are going to fund it. It pays for itself over and over again, to WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN. It shows you your company’s ideas and strengths AND holes that need to be filled, in a snapshot. I feel like any time away from my sons better be spent in a worthwhile way. I’m not one to waste my time or spin my wheels, and if it’s not productive, I won’t be away from my sons. Look at your idea and see if it’s more important than spending time with your family. I always worked when they were asleep, at school or while they were busy playing. Sometimes we’d work side by side (them, homework, me writing). I also think every mom should never give up on their dreams, always help other moms when they can and remember that their first priority is being a MOM.

Beth's website is www.Realmomslovetoeat.com