Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Megan Miller, Founder of Fit Logic Functional Medicine, located in Buda, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Our foundation of care is grounded in a system that looks at YOU, a whole person. Not just a lab value, a number, or a chart. An actual person with thoughts, feelings, opinions, and emotions. We treat the underlying cause of the problem, including the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental influences that affect your health and well-being. Where you may have been told, "everything looks 'normal,'" we hear you - you don't feel normal, and what you are experiencing is real. Can you imagine feeling listened to, improving your quality of life, preventing disease, and promoting true wellness from the inside out while having a team of medical professionals to support you? That's what we do!
Tell us about yourself
I have always been an "outside the box" kind of thinker and problem solver, looking for different and better ways than what is traditionally done. I watched friends, and family members get sick and die of things that I thought could have been prevented. I started paying closer attention to my body. I realized that something was off, and I needed someone to listen to me and help me figure it out truly. I was diagnosed with PCOS in my early 20s in the army, but I had no idea it meant. The only thing I was told was that I "may have trouble conceiving someday." I also had chronic digestive issues and was pretty sure I had an infection in my gut. When I brought these things up, I was brushed off, and I still didn't get any explanation of PCOS or what it meant. About 12 years later, I was told by another provider that he didn't think I had PCOS - he thought it was estrogen dominance. So that began my journey to find out what that meant (again, no explanation).
I met with many healthcare providers and left feeling frustrated, in tears, and lost. Since I couldn't find the help I needed, I began a journey to heal myself! And now, every day, I get to hear success stories from my patients who feel joy again after years of feeling defeated. I get to hear how they have their life back again. And I am convinced that I have saved myself from breast and/or colon cancer, severe depression, anxiety, a hysterectomy, etc. Even though I am affecting a small population in our small town, I know it is making a positive difference - and this keeps me motivated to continue learning, improving, and helping to educate as many who will listen. Additionally, I am a public speaker and thoroughly enjoy giving talks about the effects of stress, hormones, and how our gut plays a major role in overall health.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Educating my patients and redirecting the emphasis from disease 'management' to disease prevention and health promotion. Increasing awareness that health care is not just a "pill for every ill," and that's it. Creating a ripple effect by word of mouth and public speaking that making lifestyle changes can significantly improve overall health and quality of life. When my patients realize that their commitment and investment in their own health have provided them with relief and they have found joy in life again, it is the ultimate accomplishment.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Over 50% of the states in our nation allow for Full Practice Authority (FPA) for Nurse Practitioners (NPS), which will enable NPS to practice within our scope and exactly how we were trained - to evaluate patients, diagnose, order, and interpret diagnostic tests and initiate and manage treatments — including prescribing medications — under the exclusive licensure authority of the state board of nursing. Full Practice Authority also removes dated regulations that require an NP to be part of an unnecessary regulatory-mandated contract with a physician as a condition of practicing their profession and provides better access to care for all individuals. The state of Texas is highly restrictive and does not allow FPA for NPs.
As a successful and highly educated Nurse Practitioner living and practicing in the restrictive state of Texas, I am required to have a collaborating physician, which, of course, I do. If I want to grow and continue helping more people, I need to hire and train another NP or healthcare provider. I love seeing my patients, and I enjoy running the business. However, because of this roadblock, I cannot even consider hiring another NP to help with patients until I find a collaborating physician for them. What happens then is that I cannot see patients promptly and/or efficiently run my business. And what happens if a physician changes their mind or gets ill, dies, or lets their license go? It leaves NPs like me in a huge bind. This is never-ending stress. Patients in my practice would be left without access to their provider, and there would be a great potential for a return of horrible symptoms and decreased quality of life. It would be a frantic search for another collaborating physician who understands Functional Medicine, is willing to be a collaborator, and potentially charge me thousands of dollars.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Trust yourself.
- Hire the right people.
- Make sure you have a good mentor.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
If you want to support NPS, please write to your state representative to change the outdated regulations restricting our practice ability.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://meganmillernp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganMillerFNP/
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.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.