Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Betty Murray, founder, and CEO of Living Well Dallas Functional Medicine Center, located in Dallas, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Living Well Dallas Functional Medicine Center is one of the first multi-specialty integrative medical centers with specialists in family practice, psychiatry, rheumatology, clinical nutrition, and mind-body-medicine in a collaborative care team dedicated to uncovering the root cause of our patient's health problems. We focus on the "why," not just the "what." Through a personalized approach, we help our patients restore health and vitality using advanced testing, diagnostics, genomics, and a collaborative care team to partner with you on your health journey.
Tell us about yourself
My interest in nutrition and functional medicine came from my own health struggles. In her early 30s, I was diagnosed with colitis, an autoimmune digestive condition. I just knew there was more I could do than take harsh medications for the rest of my life. I wanted to know why I was sick and to get to the root of my disease! This led me to a 20+ year educational journey that included immersion into the world of nutrition, biochemistry, and functional medicine, which has become the backbone of our approach to restoring health at Living Well Dallas.
I was able to restore my digestive health by changing my diet, addressing inflammation, reducing stress, and rebalancing my body chemistry through the functional medicine model. I knew that the functional medicine model could help others who were struggling with chronic conditions that many people struggle with, from hypothyroidism and hormonal imbalances to mood disorders, autoimmune conditions, and diabetes risk. So, I dedicated myself to creating a multi-specialty center where patients could get the help they need, not just the label of disease. Now, after 17 years, we have helped thousands of patients get well and stay well.
My motivation is to watch our patients recover from illness and disease to flourishing. We are not only dedicated to finding the root problem; we help our patients continue to improve their health as a primary care medical support team for years to come. I am also motivated to take the medical model we have developed and expand through telemedicine and opening clinics across the U.S.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is being able to fund and build Living Well Dallas Functional Medicine Center through my own investment over the last 17-years. As an entrepreneur, it has enabled me to make mistakes, correct them and be nibble. Now, as I expand my company vision with a focus on growth and investment, I am in a better position to bring a solid business model and clear clinical outcomes to the market because I have a long track record of success.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
There are several challenges to being a business owner, including cash flow and adequate capital. With limited resources, you have to get innovative and resourceful. Sometimes, this slows growth, but it also makes you focus on the most important thing in a business, which is focusing on impact and outcome - improving what you deliver. This constant focus on providing value has enabled me to continue to grow out of my own checkbook.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start with the end in mind. Focus on what you deliver, your outcome, and your exit strategy. Many entrepreneurs start without clear goals of how they want to sell the business, and they end up creating a job rather than a business.
- Have clear revenue, cash flow, and expense goals that you measure frequently. Lots of entrepreneurs use "bank balance accounting" to determine expenses - meaning if there is money in the bank when I look, I have money to spend. This leaves entrepreneurs always chasing money because they are unclear about where they stand financially.
- Learn how to delegate and become efficient before you start hiring people if you are starting your business. Many entrepreneurs struggle with letting go and instead do all the work rather than delegating. This leads to stunted business growth and owner frustration as more and more tasks end up on your plate.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Our focus in health care in the U.S. is fabulously equipped for acute illnesses where surgery and other acute treatments are needed. However, this same system of 10-minute visits and pharmaceutical-first approach is ill-suited to address chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions that are largely driven by diet, lifestyle, stress, and toxicity. I think our health care system in the U.S. is in dire need of a paradigm shift. I like to believe that I am leading the charge to change the industry for the better because I know that we can get healthier as a nation when we know how to do it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.livingwelldallas.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livingwelldallas/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BettyMurray
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettymurray/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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