Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emil Uzelac, CEO of Illinois Alternative Medicine, located in Lincolnshire, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Illinois Alternative Medicine (IAM) is a telemedicine first hormone optimization clinic for men and women. Other than HRT, we also specialize in Sports Medicine, Peptide Therapies and offer virtual primary care anywhere in the country.
Traditional physicians still judge hormone optimization where patients in need are not getting their care readily. If they do, protocols are outdated, and folks are not getting the full spectrum of benefits. IAM destigmatize and normalizes the entire process, regardless of the patient, and we offer virtual solutions for all humans.
Our clinic understands patients' needs because we are patients too. IAM was founded by patients, for patients, and that makes a world of difference.
Tell us about yourself
My family has been in business since the early 1930s. We family-owned grocery store and fish market back in the 1990s. In 2018 I created Dad Bod Transformation to share my transformation story, hoping that my journey would help one or two. Today, we help tens of thousands of men worldwide to write their own stories. Currently, we are close to 80,000 members.
In 2011, I was sicker than I wasn't and spent lots of time in the ER room and hospitals. Finally, one day I blacked out, and the admitting MD treated me for the possibility of a heart attack. And since my dad passed away at the age of 66, heart health placed me on the automatic high-risk list.
MD said, "You're not a cat, and you don't have nine lives" "If you don't change your overall lifestyle now, nobody knows how you'll end up here next time." Or if the next time is even the possibility. Immediately after, I started taking care of myself, but it took me years to restore my health. Today, at 46, I am in the best shape so far.
All of the above influenced me to start a clinic and educate others about what happens once we stop looking after ourselves. The thing is that if we don't, nobody else will do this for us.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is knowing that I am making a difference and that people are getting help without being judged. IAM home-delivers medication at a fraction of traditional pharmacies' cost. The clinic does not charge for consultation. We are not subscription-based; there are no contracts or obligations.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing would probably be that we still can't help everyone. This is mainly because traditional physicians would influence patients and inform them that their population-based blood marker ranges are normal. In contrast, patients would have all the symptoms and don't feel like themselves. Thankfully, folks can self-educate and confirm that normal isn't always healthy.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- No start-up is perfect. If you have an idea, implement it early and don't wait.
- People you care for must be your number one priority, and nothing comes before that.
- Listen more, talk less, and that will help more than you think.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Brand yourself before you start branding your business, and I can't stress this enough. People don't buy from companies they buy from people.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://iamhrt.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/illinoisalternativemedicine
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamoptimized/
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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