Healthy-eating trailblazer wins BDC’s Young Entrepreneur Award  for Prince Edward Island. Check out her awards video here. 

(CHARLOTTETOWN, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – May 3, 2011) In a market saturated with quick-fix weight loss schemes, how can one nutritionist make a difference? The trailblazer behind Rachelle Wood Nutrition Inc. believed technology held the key. By Web-enabling the successful system she pioneered, Rachelle Wood is helping people across Canada change the way they eat. In PEI alone, clients of her SeeResults system have collectively lost more than 75,000 pounds. 

Rachelle, 29, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, blogger, educator and motivational speaker, is the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) 2011 Young Entrepreneur Award winner for Prince Edward Island and will be honoured tonight at a gala in Saskatoon. “A lot of nutritionists were coming to me to find out about my program,” says Rachelle, who founded her company in 2005.  “I thought about writing a workbook; then I decided to turn it into a software product which I sell to nutritionists across Canada.” 

Rachelle Wood Nutrition’s main offering, the SeeResults weight loss program, delivered in-office and online, is a 52-week system that features customized meal plans, recipes, goal-setting and tracking features, and homework exercises, with one-on-one coaching. For nutritionists, her software product provides a paperless virtual office, with a business model, consultant tips and client management tool.  “This gives you the tools to run your business with. I want to help mould nutritionists to create outstanding practices.”

The company’s innovative use of technology has created a more efficient, eco-friendly operation, cutting printing costs and reducing the carbon footprint as more clients benefit from online counselling.

Personal experience inspires others

With a family history of health problems, Rachelle struggled with obesity from a young age. “I decided the only way to change was to be proactive and study nutrition. I lost 100 pounds and decided to dedicate my life to helping others with the same problem.” After working for weight loss competitors, Rachelle launched her own practice. “I decided to create my own program to help people take back their control over food.” 

A graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, where she teaches business mastery, Rachelle also delivers graduate workshops and has volunteered her time as a speaker with a wide range of community groups, professional associations, schools and sports teams. A “household name” in PEI, Rachelle’s blog has loyal followers in Canada and abroad. “I feel somehow like I – just a girl from PEI – am actually affecting the way Canadians eat.”

In 2010, Rachelle Wood Nutrition won the inaugural Emerging Business award from the PEI Business Womens Association. Rachelle also garnered the award for Canada’s Best Nutritionist and Best Health Motivator/Educator 2010 from Natural Health Care Canada.

“Rachelle’s passion to help others has connected with a wide audience,” says BDC President and CEO Jean-René Halde. “With an instinctive grasp of technology, she is empowering individual Canadians and nutrition professionals, while breaking new ground in her industry.” 

To develop her online presence, Rachelle worked with a business planner and then partnered with a PEI technology firm. With an eye on continued growth, Rachelle plans to leverage social media, add iPhone/BlackBerry applications, and develop French and Spanish versions of her program.  “I want to continue developing strategic partnerships online; I want to see nutritionist resellers in every province, and really make a difference in the lives of Canadians.”

About BDC’s Young Entrepreneur Awards

Created by the BDC in 1988, the Young Entrepreneur Awards (YEA) pay tribute to remarkable young Canadian entrepreneurs who are outstanding not only because of their success in business, but also because of their creativity, innovative spirit and community involvement. This year’s sponsors include Deloitte, Cisco, BLG, Sage and The Globe and Mail www.bdc.ca