In this edition of 5 Questions, FER chats with Christine Guyott, FCSI, RDN, executive principal of Minneapolis-based Rippe Associates, Inc. and chair of FCSI The Americas.

1. You started out as a registered dietitian. What role has that played in your career as a consultant?
My background has enabled me to bring a different perspective to foodservice design, with a focus on food as wellness. Whether it’s in a restaurant or a hospital setting, people today are more focused on healthy eating and we’re all becoming more aware of allergens and customers’ dietary preferences. We can take that into consideration in the kitchen by creating spaces such as gluten- or allergen-friendly prep areas.

2. What personality trait has helped you find success?
Even though I come across to most as reserved, I have a very defiant streak in me that I feel helps push me forward in a positive way. When someone tells me I can’t do something, it only makes me want to work harder. When I was young, my grandfather told me I couldn’t mow the yard because I was a girl. That just motivated me to learn how to use the lawnmower and get to work. Later, a professor said I would never make it as a dietitian, and a few years later I was awarded Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the American Dietetic Association (now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics). In all facets of my work, that drive helps me find new ways to look at challenges and make a new path when necessary to accomplish my goals.