Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Michael Nguyen, founder of Longevity House, located in Toronto, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Longevity House is Canada’s hub for the study and practice of healthy aging. We employ a two-tiered approach. On a macro level, we are creating a Longevity Venture Fund that will fund start-ups in the biotech and bioscience sectors and the research and development of anti-aging molecules. On a micro-level, we offer a range of services to our members, from designing individual bespoke healthy aging protocols to hosting community-based wellness retreats grounded in ancestral practices. Ultimately our raison d’être is to help individuals increase their quality of life in the later decades so they can live as robustly at 70 or 80 as they did at 40 or 50.
Tell us about yourself
Longevity House is not about anyone individual - rather, it is about a collective movement that aspires toward human optimization. My journey to founding Longevity House began with the realization that life can be fleeting. I lost my mother at a young age. With my father’s health declining as he aged, I was inspired to commit my life’s work to maximize his quality of life and all of our lives for whatever time we have left on Earth.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have yet to achieve my biggest accomplishment. You are welcome to ask me this question again when Longevity House is considered a global leader in advancing healthspan extension through our community advocacy and breakthrough science.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Frankly, it is a trait that is shared with many edge entrepreneurs - that of Imposter Syndrome. I am not a scientist, nor was I an expert in the fields of healthspan extension and longevity before engaging in this venture. However, this lack of pedigree is a perceived weakness only. Howard Schultz, Chairman, and CEO of Starbucks, perhaps summed it up best when he said, “Very few people, whether you’ve been in that job before or not, get into the seat and believe today that they are now qualified to be the CEO. They’re not going to tell you that, but it’s true.”
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Believe in yourself. Outwork the competition. Be patient and persevering. And dream big.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
There is no rarer and more finite resource than time. Use it wisely and work hard to prepare your mind, body, and spirit to be able to enjoy it in its fullest capacity.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.longevityhouse.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longevityhouse/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.