Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dr. Vernon R. Stanley, MD, PhD., Founder of Dr. Stanley's ECG Courses, located in Fayetteville, WV, USA.

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

For 20 years, Dr. Stanley's ECG Course has been providing online CME courses (Continuing Medical Education) & textbooks in 12-lead ECG & ECG Rhythms interpretation. Our customer base includes physicians, PAs, NPs, RNs, and EMS - both professionals and students - from across the USA and Canada.

Tell us about yourself

As a young medical doctor, I realized there was a tremendous need for a systematic way to analyze the 12-lead ECG in the clinical setting. It was not a topic covered in detail during our training at that time. My background in Electrical Engineering helped me to understand the development and physiological origins of the 12-lead ECG and ECG rhythm waveforms.

Our website, textbooks, and online ECG courses grew out of the live lecture series I started giving to the medical staff and local EMS companies nearly 40 years ago.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Through the years, it has been incredibly gratifying to attend conferences and receive feedback from medical professionals from all corners of the world and all branches of the medical team. They relay to me and my colleagues stories of their ability to recognize and respond to life-threatening 12-lead ECG patterns from their patient cases after having taken one of my lectures or online courses.

It is rewarding to help train providers to care for their patients. The art of medicine is about providing quality care for each and every patient. I always tell my students: "YOU must see what others do not....do not wait for someone else to catch it or see it. By then, it may be too late. Treat every patient with the same care and respect as you would your dearest loved one."

We must ALL be engaged in patient care, from the first encounter with EMS to the cardiology intervention team and each provider encounter in between.

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

As a small business owner, it is very difficult to balance work and rest. Always make time to refresh and relax with your family and loved ones.

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

  1. Give excellent customer support.
  2. Learn from others in your field and know that competition is a good thing, not a threat.
  3. Realize that sometimes "perfect is the enemy of good enough." You are never finished polishing and perfecting your product. It is a growth process that is ongoing!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://ecgcourse.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StanleysECGcourse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drstanleysecgcourse/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ecgcourse
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dr--stanley's-ecgcourse-com


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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