Rising Stars: Meet Susan Greenberg of West Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Greenberg.

Hi Susan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in New Orleans and have a deep love of people, community, and food. After a short stint in NYC I relocated to Los Angeles in 2012 to finish graduate school with my husband. And I am proud to be a speech language pathologist working at a pediatric hospital in Los Angeles for over 11 years. Much of my time is spent with medically complex children who have a difficult time learning to eat by mouth. It has been a great honor to work with these caregivers and help them experience the joy of eating with their children. But I am also a parent on the Westside of Los Angeles and have observed many parents struggle with mealtimes. Several of my children’s friends have to bring their own food to playdates or parties because they are not sure what their child will eat. It became clear to me so many parents have so much information and are just trying to make sense of it when it comes to how to best provide meals for their kids. And it is a struggle. So I created Mealtime Project to help parents gain confidence, streamline information to focus on what matters, and help give them actionable steps to bring some joy back to the dinner table.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the greatest challenge is trying to start a new business (I created the idea this summer!) when I am working full-time and am also a parent of 2 elementary-aged children. Finding time to make a business plan, create a website (thanks to my husband, who is in the creative field!), and slowly get my name out has been a challenge. But I have begun asking local preschools, elementary schools, or organizations if they would like a guest speaker to just come and provide information. I think it feels really good to just get out in the community and share information, and slowly work on the bigger elements of creating a business. And I am ready to take on consulting clients! I am just going one step at a time to see what parents seem to need most and how to be there to provide that support.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a speech language pathologist working for a Los Angeles Pediatric hospital. I am most proud of my work helping patients born with cleft palate speak and helping children learn to eat.

Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
With my background as a feeding therapist, I want to use my knowledge – based on evidence and experience – t0 try to help caregivers in West Los Angeles feel more confident when approaching mealtimes. I offer consulting services where I watch a mealtime (either in person or videoed in) and then provide actionable items how to improve the experience. I will provide a written plan with areas of strengths and areas of growth, along with 2 additional follow-ups to check-in and continue progress. I also offer educational opportunities, where I can come speak to a group – whether a parent group, preschool, or school, to provide general parent education around best practices at mealtimes, how to deal introduce new foods, how to deal with refusals, and when to seek other providers for more support.

Pricing:

• $500 for consulting services (video visit, written plan, 2 followup meetings)