Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Carine Carmy, Co-Founder of Origin, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Origin is a leading provider of pelvic floor and whole-body physical therapy with a specialized focus on pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and sexual health. Based in Los Angeles, we offer virtual and in-person PT sessions, covered by insurance and supported by proprietary exercise programs, educational content, and community experiences.
Today, Origin is building a category-defining brand that establishes a higher standard of care for every woman and individual with vaginal anatomy. We've built a tech-forward brand and business model that brings unprecedented access, affordability, and patient satisfaction to the field of pelvic health. Our proprietary digital platform empowers our clinical team to deliver personalized care, including therapeutic exercise programs and custom education. From holistic intake forms to exercise videos featuring diverse bodies in a beautiful environment, Origin is delivering a human-centric experience that supports both physical and emotional healing.
Tell us about yourself
My passion for women's health started in my twenties when I struggled with painful sex for nearly a decade. Following years of misdiagnoses, ineffective treatment options, and hearing "that's just the way it is," I discovered the power of pelvic floor physical therapy to treat not only pelvic pain but dozens of conditions and symptoms that impact some 40 million U.S. women and individuals with vaginal anatomy, every year. Using my experience as a go-to-market leader in healthcare and technology — with leadership roles at Amino, Shapeways, MarketspaceNext, and Monitor Group — I felt compelled to help make pelvic health the norm for women across the country.
What motivates me every day is that millions of people are still suffering in silence each year -- and don't have to be. I'm passionate about bridging consumer technology, clinical expertise, and brand-centric thinking to develop life-changing interventions at scale. And it's doubly rewarding that we get to build a culture that supports the incredible clinicians who do this work every day.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Surviving COVID! Truly, it was a very challenging time to be an early-stage healthcare company with in-person services, trying to navigate through the haze of fear and confusion. We were able to pivot during the depths of the pandemic and launch virtual care, which has been a huge success, and I'm incredibly proud of our team's resilience and innovation.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Understanding what is and is not in your control and focusing on what matters. Many founders and business owners, myself included, maintain a high degree of optimism and belief that anything is possible. That belief system is rocket fuel, but it's also critical to remember that there are many things outside your control (like a global pandemic or a recession) and that what you can control is how you respond to the situations you're faced with.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Build your "Tribe of Mentors." This can include friends, family, peers, business partners, and advisors who you can lean on during the ups and downs. Consider having folks who are ahead of you in their journey, as well as those who are at the same point and behind.
- Consider "product-market-capital fit." Going beyond product-market fit, explore what type of capital is best suited for your business. It's not always VC!
- Make sure you carve out downtime for yourself every day. For me, mornings are my sacred time for meditation, working out, journaling, and getting my life together so I can show up present for the rest of the day.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.theoriginway.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoriginway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriginway/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3vl3N0d
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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