Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in healthcare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Sandra Scheinbaum, Founder & CEO of Functional Medicine Coaching Academy, located in Lake Forest, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I founded the Functional Medicine Coaching Academy to train health coaches. People come to us from all over the world, ranging in age from 18 to 85, and representing all types of backgrounds and experiences, including doctors, nurses, dieticians, and many with no previous training in the healthcare field.
Tell us about yourself
Health coaches are critically needed. I founded FMCA when I was 65 years old. Having been a clinical psychologist for many years and an educator before that, I had a huge mission: to see the day when there’s a health coach in every doctor/‘s office. Physicians and nurses are burned out. Patients are dissatisfied with the quality of care they’re receiving from our current healthcare system. Health coaches are the key to reducing the incidence of chronic disease and lowering healthcare costs. It’s remarkably effective because the coaching process results in increased self-efficacy and desire to take control of one’s health.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
We started FMCA in 2015 with 19 beta testers desiring to become health coaches. To date, we’ve trained close to 5000 Functional Medicine Certified Health Coaches.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Business owners often devote almost 100% of their time to working on the business. As a result, they ignore self-care, including eating poorly, compromising on physical activity and sleep, and not spending time on what brings them joy. As my friend Joe Polish likes to say, would you care for a million-dollar racehorse the way you care for yourself? Entrepreneurs are million-dollar racehorses.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Start before you’re ready.
- Do stuff scared.
- As Dan Sullivan says, ask “who, not how.”
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://functionalmedicinecoaching.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.scheinbaum
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsandi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/drscheinbaum
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-scheinbaum-ph-d-17ba678/
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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