NICE TO MEET YOU
Living Life in Full Colour
I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur, bestselling author, super-connector, vintage-obsessed, and heart-led in all pursuits.
Since 2008, I have worked as a nutritionist, educator (or edutainer!), and in 2014 founded the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, the world's leading culinary nutrition school.
In 2023 I took the radical step of hitting pause on the continued growth trajectory of my business and instead chose to scale down.
I call it empowered quitting (or retiring, depending on who is asking).
Having been recognized as one of Canada's top female entrepreneurs and with multiple features in Forbes, I am now committed to empowering those that seek my guidance to shift into heart-led living and leadership, to build and support a joyful, and wildly successful life.
This is how we elevate the love, kindness and compassion in our world.
Prosperity can be positive and powerful.
The Academy of Culinary Nutrition has been my greatest professional achievement to date, with more than 3,500 graduates and independent instructors in over 75 countries.
I have written two bestselling health/cookbooks, UnDiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health (2013) and The UnDiet Cookbook (2015), which won Gold at the Taste Canada Awards.
I live in Toronto with my husband Josh Gitalis, a functional medicine practitioner, and our school-age son.
With humour and an energy-driven approach to living a joyful, intentional, balanced and healthy life I am grateful for the journey I am on, and for you in joining me on it.
Things I love to do:
- Write long format
- Make messes in the kitchen
- Crochet
- Sew clothing
- Grow food and flowers
- Bhakti Yoga + Breathwork
- Ride my flowered bicycle (yes, it's still covered in flowers)
- Collect vintage kaftans + dresses that would be suitable to wear if I were to lead a cult
- Scroll Facebook Marketplace for ridiculous posts
- Tell people how to improve their business and their life (whether asked for my advice or not 😎)
- Write things just to see if people are actually reading until the end
Bio for media use
Meghan Telpner is a Toronto-based entrepreneur, presenter, bestselling author and founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. Meghan’s success in cultivating a global community along with her unique approach to business has garnered her multiple features in Forbes, and ranked her as one of the top 100 female entrepreneurs in Canada. Having intentionally hit pause on the growth of her primary business, Meghan is now on the journey of simplifying all aspects of life as she embarks on the joys of semi-retirement paired with deeply meaningful work teaching courses, and guiding top level performers in heart-led living and leadership.
Where it began
2006:
While embarking on a career in digital marketing, at the age of 26, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an autoimmune, inflammatory bowel disease. Without a solution available through conventional medicine, I chose an integrative approach to healing that included yoga, meditation, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and a transition to a real food diet. This changed the entire trajectory of my life.
Back to school
2007:
My experience in healing from an incurable autoimmune disease ultimately inspired me to go back to school to study nutrition. This ridiculous get-up was towards the end of school. I didn't know how to cook so I made a drink. Then proceeded to open a cooking school.
Cooking Together
2008:
I began my entrepreneurship journey as a nutritionist offering nutrition consulting, writing a blog called Making Love In The Kitchen that was nationally syndicated in a major Canadian newspaper, and teaching cooking classes in my loft in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood.
The Culinary Nutrition Expert Program Is Born
2011:
I ran the first in-person round of the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program for 8 people, while at the same time began experimenting with the capacity of the internet to deliver engaging online cooking courses.
Taking It Online
2012:
Long before you could click a button on your phone and go live to the world, I began experimenting with filming pre-recorded online courses and working with a crew to offer live streamed experiences.
UnDiet Becomes a #1 Bestseller
2013:
My first book, UnDiet: Eat Your Way To Vibrant Health goes into its second printing before its publish date. It goes on to be a #1 bestseller on Amazon (in all books), the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and wins the Gourmand Cookbook Award.
Introducing the Academy of Culinary Nutrition
2014:
After taking the leap and launching the Culinary Nutrition Expert Program online in 2013, in the Spring of 2014, I launched the Academy of Culinary Nutrition as a hub for this program that was clearly gaining in popularity and reach.
The UnDiet Cookbook is a #1 Bestseller
2015:
The UnDiet Cookbook (Appetite by Random House, 2015) was released and became a #1 bestseller and won gold at the Taste Canada Awards! It was also a #1 bestseller on Amazon and in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star.
Leading As An Entrepreneur
2016:
Profiled in Forbes for the incredible business that I have built with a health-loving community at its core, and was named one of the Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs in Canada by PROFIT.
The Dumpling Arrives
2017:
I became a mom!
Certifying The Instructors
2018:
I launched a new opportunity inviting graduates of my school to become Certified Instructors. By the end of the year we had 500 instructors worldwide offering the original classes I had previously taught in my Toronto kitchen.
Getting Into Coherence
2021:
What felt like a calling, I took a training with the Heartmath Institute and began facilitating coherence sessions as a service to my community that was struggling through the restrictions we were facing with public health policy. This planted the seed for the changes that would come.
Planning for Growth
2022:
Gearing up for scaling the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, while also expanding the reach of my own work with Heart-Led Leadership, 2022 positioned my company for massive growth.
The Big Quit
2023:
The year it shifted. Taking a major diversion from the plans, midway through 2023, I called it quits on the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. Intentionally choosing joy, space, freedom and peace over acquisitions or any other type of exit, I decided to intentionally scale down, simplify my life and in turn, my businesses.
Space For More
2024:
2024 is the year I put more than a decade of planning into action as I roll into what I call retirement, looking at what's possible from an entirely different angle. Still obviously creating and working, now from a scaled down approach, the objective is keep it small, joyful and meaningful. So far it's been a profoundly delightful experience. Plus I can do a headstand on a paddle board. Not a new thing but this was really just one of those tests to see who reads to the end.
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