RESET Your Gut Health - Cultivate Health & Wellness

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Angela Cates, Founder of Cultivate Health & Wellness, located in Marion, IN, USA.

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

Cultivate Health & Wellness is a functional medicine practice with a focus on the gut-brain connection. We work with clients looking to improve gut health and mental health and are especially passionate about partnering with parents of children and teens suffering from anxiety and depression. We use an integrative approach to wellness with a focus on the gut microbiome, nutrition, genomics, and functional lab testing to identify the underlying cause of symptoms and create a personalized treatment plan.

Tell us about yourself

I have been a pharmacist for 17 years, and in 2020 I started my own business focused on medication safety. I decided to start my own business because, although I loved working with patients one and one, I craved flexibility in my work schedule and the ability to work from home. After walking with my son through his mental health struggles over the past several years and seeing the limitations of the traditional medical model, I dedicated hours of my time exploring alternative treatment options and trying to identify the root causes of his anxiety and depression. I even completed a functional medication certification program in 2021 to further my knowledge to help my son and others.

Many parents have reached out to me looking for suggestions to help their children as well. This inspired me to create my practice with a focus on mental health. There are so many approaches that can be taken to improve mental health beyond medications. Many of these treatments can be used in addition to or in place of medications. My goal is to help parents explore the options, provide testing to identify root causes such as nutritional deficiency, toxic exposures, poor gut health, or genetic vulnerabilities, and create a personalized treatment plan to help them get their child on the path to mental wellness.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is the satisfaction of being able to help my clients regain health. Hearing positive results from clients such as weight loss, elimination of bloating and abdominal pain after meals, increased energy, resolution of brain fog, improved mental health, and decreased prescription medications make it all worth it for me.

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

One of the hardest things for me being a business owner is setting boundaries on my time. I love the work I do, so I find myself getting drawn to it whenever I have a few free minutes. When your business is small and just starting out, you have all the roles and responsibilities in the business, which can be very time-consuming. It has helped me to remember that one of the reasons I chose to start my own business is to have time for my family and to take care of myself. I have found that I am much more productive and successful in my business when I am setting boundaries and balancing my time.

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

Find a support system of like-minded entrepreneurs that you can connect with and learn from.
Make time to care for yourself, especially your mental health, because starting a new business will likely stretch your comfort zone.
As soon as you are able, start adding to your team to outsource tasks that are time-consuming or that you do not enjoy.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.cultivatehealthandwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consultingpharmacist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultivatehealthwellness/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-cates-2a323b100/

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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