Healthcare When You Need It - Eir Mobile Medicine

Team Subkit -

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mercy Southam, founder of Eir Mobile Medicine, located in Victoria, BC, Canada.

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

Eir Mobile Medicine is Canada's first entirely mobile Acupuncture + Natural Medicine studio. Housed in a fully renovated vintage Winnebago RV, we exist in that sweet spot between your favourite food truck and your local Walk-In clinic and provide comprehensive healthcare when + where you need it most.

We envision a world where natural and preventative medicine is accessible, celebrated, and integrated into our community’s daily life, so you'll find us everywhere, from the neighbourhood farmers market to your favourite music festival, to right on your front doorstep!

We specialize in removing time and location barriers to accessing holistic healthcare and love to provide a memorable healthcare experience. Our patients range in age from 8 to 88 years old and are folks looking for a new way to feel their best.

Tell us about yourself

I have always seemed to do things a little differently. My entrepreneurial journey started at the age of 10 when I founded my community’s first Dog Walking-Private Detective Agency. Seeing the potential of combining these two lucrative industries, I successfully spent the summer of 1996 with her eyes, ears, and (dogs’) nose in the neighbourhood.

Since then, I have competed throughout Europe and North America as a Rhythmic Gymnast, lived alongside indigenous communities in the Kalahari Desert as a Medical Anthropologist, been a Professional Pillow Fighter with Toronto’s former Pillow Fight League, and worked throughout North America and Uganda as an international non-profit Programs Coordinator.

But most recently, I have devoted my time and energy to studying Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine. This medicine first came to me when I was 12 years old and recovering from intensive spinal surgery. A doctor recommended it to me post-operatively, and I've been hooked ever since! In 2019, I received my Doctorate in Chinese Medicine and created Eir Mobile Medicine to provide a flexible and versatile way to access this medicine in my community. Introducing people to this incredible form of medicine is an absolute joy and keeps me going every day.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The very best part of my job is witnessing incredible moments of healing for my patients. Creating space for them to be heard, and take time for their healing, is an absolute honour. Being a business owner and a doctor simultaneously makes for very interesting daily To-Do lists, but I can always rely on feeling grounded and centred when I'm able to work directly with my patients one-on-one.

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

For me, the most challenging aspect of being a business owner is keeping a focused and motivated mindset. Being a solopreneur means that I am responsible for every part of the business, which can be mentally trying at times. But, making sure all my basic needs are met (food, rest, exercise, relaxation) is an easy way to combat that mental overwhelm!

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

  1. Believe in yourself + your idea! Starting your own business can be a lonely experience, but if you are excited by your idea, it will make the creation of it that much sweeter.
  2. Seek help when you need it! Even solopreneurs need help. Get comfortable with the idea of outsourcing tasks that are out of your wheelhouse.
  3. Build in time for rest! Running a business can easily become all-consuming. So, if you find yourself slipping into a workaholic mode, treat your downtime/rest time as a non-negotiable business task. Schedule your breaks, and commit to turning work off at certain times. (Your nervous system will thank you!)

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.eirmobilemedicine.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eirmobilemedicine
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eirmobilemedicine/

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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