Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Deborah Maragopoulos FNP, CEO of Genesis Health Products, Inc., located in Ojai, CA, USA.

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

Genesis Health Products has been incorporated since 2000. I created my business in order to provide nutraceutical support for the hypothalamus, which orchestrates your neuro-immune-endocrine system and is at the root of the majority of health issues. My customers are anybody who wants to live a healthy life and optimize their genetic potential. Anyone with hormonal imbalances including menopause, andropause, adrenal issues, thyroid issues, sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, insulin resistance or diabetes, autoimmune conditions, neurological conditions, anything that's out of balance at the biochemical level, your hypothalamus controls, and my product, Genesis Gold®, addresses.

Genesis Health Products also helps to provide education to customers to help them understand how their body works with a core focus on the five pillars of hypothalamic healing - nutraceutical support for your hypothalamus because you can't get it from your diet alone, the importance of nutrition, the importance of activity, the importance of sleep, and the importance of a healing mindset. My customers are of all genders, male, female, young, and old. Although the majority of my customers are women between 35 and 65 who are most concerned about their hormones becoming out of balance, I have many customers who have infertility issues, traumatic brain injuries, autoimmune conditions, hyper or hypothyroidism, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, insomnia, anxiety, depression, other mood disorders, learning disabilities, dementia, autism. Supporting the hypothalamus in children is very important, especially if they have learning and developmental issues.

Genesis Health Products focuses on balancing hypothalamic issues through nutraceuticals and educating people on how how to heal themselves. Once the hypothalamus is nutraceutically supported, most people naturally crave what they need in terms of nutrition, exercise, and sleep, and their mindset starts shifting from illness to empowerment and healing.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Deborah Maragopoulos, FNP and I'm an intuitive, integrative family nurse practitioner. What motivated me to create Genesis Gold® was working with patients who were very sick and out of balance, literal train wrecks in terms of their health. And after working in the conventional medical system for ten years later, I started my own integrative practice in 1997 and decided I really wanted to learn everything possible about the neuro-immune-endocrine system. So the universe started sending me the sickest patients I could possibly imagine. They were fatigued, depressed, anxious, couldn't sleep, and were taking multiple medications. They were toxic with malabsorption, autoimmune conditions, adrenal fatigue, hypothyroidism, and struggling with their weight. They had insulin resistance and infertility and were going through the change of either andropause or menopause. I was helping these patients get healthier through detoxification, more nutritious foods, and educating them on sleep hygiene and the best exercise for their bodies. I provided them with lots of supplementation in order to correct some of their imbalances. But they were walking out with a long shopping list or a big bag of supplements that, frankly, I would not be able to take myself. So I felt like I wasn't really getting to their core issue. Then I read an article in Scientific America regarding a study of obese white mice who had all the same symptoms as my patients.

The researchers sacrificed these mice and found out that their hypothalamus was not producing an adequate amount of POMC - one of many hormones that the hypothalamus produces, which controls glucose metabolism, adrenal function, and thyroid function circadian rhythm and what's left over becomes beta-endorphins. It was a very clear sign for me that if I just could help my patients balance their hypothalamus and optimize its function, then all these other things they were suffering from would heal, and we wouldn't have to provide them with so much support, including bioidentical hormone support. I dreamt of the formula that I later created, researched its effects, and got it manufactured in 2003. Genesis Gold® has been helping people ever since heal with smooth hormonal transitions, optimize their health, and age gracefully.

Genesis Gold® is a powder that you mix in water and drink every morning. I'm passionate about educating people on how their body works, especially in regard to their neuro-immune-endocrine systems. I do that through books, workshops, videos, and posts. My first book, Hormones in Harmony, doubled my business. I just recently published my Menopause Action Plan to help women prepare for and go through the change as gracefully as possible. I believe that middle-aged women are really the linchpin to helping heal their families and communities.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Being able to go online and be virtual in my interaction with the people who need me the most. While my product is not inexpensive, it's a lot cheaper than seeing me as a patient. I have lots of free content on my YouTube channel and my blog. My online courses are inexpensive yet effective at helping them to understand what's happening in their body. We have a growing subscription clientele who get Genesis Gold® sent to them every month. And you know, when things get a little tough, we may lose some subscribers, but they realize fairly quickly that Genesis Gold® is really a key part of their healing regimen, and they get started again. While I really enjoy working with patients in person, being able to virtually help somebody optimize their health and the number of people thatI'vee been able to help been awesome.

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

One of the hardest things about being a business owner is knowing when to delegate and actually doing it. I'm actually pretty good at delegation compared to many of the other business owners I've met. I learned the art of delegation by leading the California Association of Nurse Practitioners, 14,000 nurse practitioners across the huge state of California; I needed to delegate responsibilities to my board. So I learned how to be a very effective coach and cheerleader to help my board do their jobs. And I didn't have to do everything for them. But as a business owner, it was a little bit harder to delegate. Because I thought I could do most of it myself. But then, my work-life balance was a mess. So I made a diagram- with my time on the y-axis and revenue on the x-axis. That helped me see what in business needed to be done by someone else. Since my expertise is in healing and I'm naturally good at content creation, it was a waste of my time and energy to struggle with technology, bookkeeping, and marketing. Now I have a virtual operations manager and team that does all this and more so I can stay in my zone of genius, which is where we make the most money and energetically attracts more business.

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

  1. Be really clear on your mission. My mission is to help people heal through nutraceutical support and health education. Going off in any other direction is a diversion from your core business mission. Make decisions based on being true to your mission.
  2. You need a team. You can't do it all by yourself. So learn to delegate early but be very clear on what your zone of genius is and keep those aspects of your business close at hand, delegating everything else.
  3. Get financial advice. It takes an unbiased observer to get an overview of what's going on in your business financially, to see where you're losing money, where you're making the most money, and what's the best return on investment. If you don't understand the ins and outs of how your business makes and spends money and the flows of the buying seasons, it's going to be really difficult for you to feel secure and safe in your business.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I've taken part in quite a few business coaching experiences with different groups. In the relationship you have with the other participants in these programs, I've had quite a few start to focus on their health. When they started taking my product Genesis Gold, they found themselves focusing on self-care, getting enough sleep, eating more nutritious foods, shifting their mindset toward healing, making sure they're exercising and staying fit, and supporting their hypothalamus. And guess what? They became much more effective as business owners and more successful. Their business blossomed as they healed with a beautiful life-work balance.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://genesisgold.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehormonequeen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deborahmaragopoulosfnp/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3b1LhTF

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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