Today we’d like to introduce you to Jena Brown.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in South Texas with deep roots of faith, family, and hard work. My connection to food, nutrition, and health was seeded in my summers growing up on the farm and participating in the 4-H Food Show. I ran track and cross country in high school, but I was not your typical athlete profile. My love for running and the endurance mindset began in college when I ran my first half marathon.
Running was the beginning of a journey through struggles with restrictive eating, body image, hormone imbalance, and compromised bone health. This experience impacts me as a professional today and how I approach my clients, helping them establish a healthy eating mindset when it comes to fueling endurance while navigating life demands.
Looking back, I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. From creating small “business” pop-ups as a little girl to dreaming of business ideas throughout my college and early professional career. As my story unfolded, life led me down many unexpected trails. Four children, seven moves across the state of Texas, homeschooling my children for seven years, the loss of a parent, and my own faith journey inspired the formation of my business.
These trails have shaped me into a sports dietitian for endurance athletes. I am inspired to help others find victory in small and large successes that impact their health, performance, and longevity. Faith is the foundation of my business, but trust sustains my daily work.
Victory is more than crossing a finish line and setting a PR. I love working with beginner athletes looking for small ways to improve daily nutrition and elite athletes dialing in fueling and hydration to set a PR or qualify for world championships–and everything in between.
I attended Texas A&M University and graduated cum laude with a degree in Nutritional Sciences. I was credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in 2008 and a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) in 2022. My ongoing pursuit of self-learning has led me to earn my ISAK Level 1 certification for skinfold body composition testing, and I am currently expanding my knowledge in advanced functional and integrative nutrition. I have been running for over 20 years injury-free and train for marathons as my outlet for physical and mental health.
In 2022, I formed Victorem Performance Nutrition. It embodies my story, values, and vision. Victorem is rooted in the Latin word “victor,” which means a “conqueror.” The brand color gold represents accomplishment and sacredness, and teal represents healing and well-being. The icon reflects a V for victory with a torch symbolizing understanding and spirit for competition. The icon is encircled with an incomplete circle to represent our brokenness and the ongoing pursuit of health and performance. Health and longevity through endurance training is a journey, not a destination.
My practice philosophy is summarized in my tagline: Purpose Driven Fueling. I believe that fueling and training with intention drive performance and health. I believe in an integrative approach that acknowledges the impacts of the athlete’s nutritional, hormonal, mental, emotional, and environmental health. We partner with other professionals who help support athlete performance and overall well-being, such as physical therapists, strength coaches, mental health professionals, lab testing, supplements, and endurance coaches. Our practice bridges conventional performance nutrition and functional sports nutrition perspectives to support the whole athlete. As a wife, mom of four, and long-distance runner, I understand the challenges that come with fueling as an athlete, working as a professional, and having a family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey has had many ups and downs. I have always resonated with Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken. Pursuing a dream and a vision through private practice requires an endurance mindset. Staying focused on a vision and commitment to values while remaining agile for unexpected growth opportunities is not for the faint of heart. As a wife and mom, my primary vocation is my family. This has taught me patience, acceptance of slower business growth, and embracing intention with my business endeavors. Starting a business has built resilience and inspired me to push my boundaries into areas of personal and professional growth.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Victorem Performance Nutrition is a private practice of registered dietitians tucked away in the heart of Texas. We use a personalized nutrition approach to help endurance athletes and active individuals improve their health, performance, and overall well-being.
Jena is a sports dietitian and registered dietitian nutritionist with over 17 years of experience. She specializes in personalized nutrition and hydration for endurance athletes through virtual and group services. She has worked with endurance athletes across the U.S., from beginner races to the Ironman World Championship and ultradistances.
Participation in endurance sports has expanded immensely, with everyday athletes and older adults training for and racing elite distances. This level of training requires special care and planning to reduce the risk of injury, avoid hormone imbalances, and ensure overall enjoyment of the sport.
Jena works with brands and organizations through media services to promote products and services that support endurance athlete health beyond performance. Promoting products and resources for informed purchasing decisions drives consumer demand and quality product development. We want to drive change in our food culture to impact health, longevity, and endurance performance positively.
Our brand values are expertise, relationships, transparency, and sustainability. Our mission is to help endurance athletes define their victory with personalized nutrition and hydration that fuels beyond performance. We are passionate about partnering with athletes, brands, and organizations that strive to support health and performance.
WHAT DO I SPECIALIZE IN?
Functional nutrition for endurance athletes.
WHAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHERS?
We believe in a personalized approach using conventional and functional nutrition strategies. Every athlete is unique. Training and life experience, emotional or mental trauma, physical injury, health conditions, life demands, and goals impact the route we take with each athlete we work with. Integrating conventional and functional nutrition helps us develop practical solutions while addressing the root causes of symptoms that impact endurance performance and longevity.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF BRAND WISE?
I am most proud of how my brand reflects my story and company vision and my vision for the athletes I work with: individualized victory, healing, and well-being.
WHAT DO YOU WANT OUR READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR BRAND OFFERINGS, SERVICES, ETC?
We are passionate about partnering with like-minded athletes, professionals, organizations, and brands as part of a holistic approach to health and performance. Nutrition is one piece of the puzzle.
We work with individual athletes virtually and through group events.
• We help athletes establish foundational daily nutrition through meal planning and supplements.
• We create race nutrition and hydration plans for all distances. Race nutrition planning includes pre-race breakfast, how to fuel and hydrate during long events, and recovery individualized to the athlete’s needs.
• We offer sweat sodium testing to individualize fluid and electrolyte hydration planning.
• We offer a variety of testing services, including blood panels, omega-3 index testing, and gut testing, to address underlying root causes or to proactively navigate nutritional needs to support metabolic health, longevity, and high training demands.
• Our online shop offers downloadable resources to help athletes bridge gaps until they are ready to meet for an individual consultation or long-term nutrition coaching.
We partner with local running groups and training teams for education and sweat sodium testing.
We work with businesses and organizations through corporate wellness services for high-performing executives in environments that demand focus, productivity, work-life balance, and training for elite distances.
We work with brands that offer clean, functional, and wholesome products that promote sustainability and transparency. Our media services include spokespersons, talent at events and trade shows, quotes and tips in press releases, interviews (broadcast, print, podcast, web), articles and blog posts, social media engagement, and sports nutrition consulting.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My business would not be possible without the support of my husband and children. They have encouraged me, challenged me to think differently, and picked me up in moments of discouragement. It’s like having personalized aid stations on the race course, fueling me along the way!
I am thankful for the gift of God’s grace and knowledge of nutrition. Without faith, I would not have had the courage to answer my calling and take “The Road Not Taken.” As a mom, it can be challenging to help my children discover their talents, dreams, and passions without giving up my own. That is an ongoing process, and my children acknowledge my struggle with grace.
Finally, I thank everyone I have encountered because each moment has given me a broader perspective and a bigger-picture outlook, which is essential to an integrative way of thinking and practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://victorem.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoremnutrition/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victoremnutrition
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenabrownrdcssd/
- Other: https://victorem.com/media
Image Credits
Heather Webb-Robards
Hanna Marie Hahn
Katie Alford
Fred Brumwell
