Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Anthony Chaffee, a medical doctor based in North Bend, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I am a medical doctor specializing in neurosurgery, but I also have a particular interest in diet and nutrition and how this affects health and chronic disease. So outside of neurosurgery, I do consultations in person or over zoom with people trying to optimize their health through diet and lifestyle changes, to come off medications and heal themselves naturally. I also have a successful YouTube channel, Anthony Chaffee MD, and podcast, The Plant Free MD, where I do talks and lectures as well as interviews educating people on diet and nutrition and how greatly this affects their health. My patients are anyone who wants to optimize their health, but quite often, these can be people suffering from chronic disease or obesity who want to change the course of their life for the better.

Tell us about yourself

I first got started with this in my undergraduate degree, learning about diet and nutrition as a pre-med student as well as a professional rugby player. Nutrition was very important to me on a personal level because I wanted to give my body exactly what it needed to work optimally on the field as well as in the classroom. I also had a particular interest in medicine and science, so the finer points of nutrition were very interesting to me as well. I recently started a YouTube channel and podcast, as well as seeing patients privately outside of neurosurgery, simply because I saw how dramatic the difference was in people's health when they followed a carnivore diet and excluded plants and vegetables entirely. Because of this, I wanted to share my knowledge with as many people as possible in order to help them be healthier and happier. Since starting last year, I have been overwhelmed by how well people have been doing. It has been a real pleasure to see people who have watched my videos or listened to my podcast implement the lessons that I teach and, in many cases, completely reverse very serious chronic diseases. That is why I do this, to help people. I wasn't interested in this as a financial outlet, but in fact, as something I would do in addition to my normal work out of my own interest and concern for people's health.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I think the biggest accomplishment I've had is how many people I have reached with my message, how many people have messaged me or emailed me, as well as commented on my channel how much this has helped them. I didn't know if really anyone would see my videos or get much from them, but it has been very popular in a short period of time, and because of this, I've been able to reach a lot of people and help improve their lives. That is my greatest accomplishment because that was my ultimate goal. I will also be featured on a new television series called Reversed, where I will be a medical expert on the carnivore diet and help several unwell patients optimize their health and nutrition and reverse their chronic diseases. Hopefully, this will reach many more people, who will see the example set by others that these diseases can be reversed and eliminated and try it for themselves.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest thing is the time commitment. I already work over 100 hours a week in my career as a neurosurgical resident. So everything I do with private consultations in person and virtually is done in my spare time, as well as researching and creating my YouTube and podcast content. I also run a Facebook group, The Carnivore Fix, as well as a 30-day Carnivore challenge support group for people wanting to take the plunge into a strict carnivore diet, so interacting with them and answering questions and giving support is again done in my free time. So this is very busy, but as it is a labor of love and I can see how much it helps people, it is definitely worth it.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. The first thing I would suggest is that if you have an idea and you want to do something that you think will work, just do it. You won't know how to get started, you won't know all the fine details on what you'll need to do as you go, but you will learn. And any new position, whether it's a job you apply for or a business you start, there will be a learning curve, and unless you are moving laterally and not upward, you will not have done this role before. So just go for it, attack your weaknesses, and make them your strengths.
  2. The next thing I would suggest is dedicating time to your endeavor. It is very easy to slack off and not put in the effort, but if you take this approach, you are very likely to fail. That's true with anything important.
  3. Always be learning from what you're doing and looking for ways that you can improve your service or product and your interaction and relationship with the people you are trying to reach. People understand a learning curve, but they expect you to try and fix your mistakes. If you get lazy and figure that what you're doing is good enough, someone else will come in and do it better.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Just that whatever you do, you should be passionate about it. These things take a lot of work and a lot of effort, so if it's not something you are passionate about, something that you wouldn't mind doing even if you weren't getting paid, it probably won't be worth it.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.patreon.com/thecarnivorelife
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/achaffee6
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonychaffeemd/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/anthony_chaffee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-chaffee-25786843/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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