Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Morgan Hewett, co-founder, and CEO of Options MD, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Options MD is a telemedicine company that tackles the $225B whitespaces that is severe and treatment-resistant mental illness. Although 2020 saw an influx of mental health companies, Options MD addresses the patient population other companies overwhelmingly ignore: the over 32M mental health patients that will be deemed “treatment-resistant” by physicians, meaning that they do not respond to 1st line medications. Through proprietary treatment-matching software, Options MD first helps physicians identify better treatments for these patients and then uses telehealth services to treat patients with personalized, comprehensive care plans.
Tell us about yourself
We (Morgan Hewett and Kyle Pierce) are co-founders and have been best friends for nearly a decade. During that time, we have supported each other, as well as friends and family, through their struggles with severe mental health issues. Kyle’s childhood friend was suffering from PTSD and tried multiple antidepressants to help her cope, but when none worked, unfortunately, she committed suicide. On the flip side, Morgan watched a family member battle suicidal thoughts for eight years. She watched him try ten medications and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to finally find balance with his mental health.
We felt like people shouldn’t have to choose between these two fates, and so we decided to leverage technology to bring the type of research-driven treatment only available at top institutions to those struggling with severe and treatment-resistant depression.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of our biggest accomplishments was being accepted into United Healthcare’s Accelerator, which is a program developed to invest in and mentor startups.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The biggest challenge is finding product-market-fit. Someone once described it to us as “when you don’t have product-market-fit, it feels like you are pushing your company up a mountain, but when you do, things start rolling downhill.”
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Entrepreneurship comes with sacrifice. Make sure that your company is solving a problem that is worth sacrificing for.
- The most common reason for companies to fail is business partner disputes, so make sure to choose yours wisely.
- Find a way to enjoy the rollercoaster ride that is entrepreneurship. Appreciate the highs, and try to find a way to laugh through the lows.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://optionsmd.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/optionsmd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optionsmd/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganhewett/
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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