Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Maura Dawgert, Founder and Owner of Wild Hearts Wellness, located in Portland, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Wild Hearts Wellness is a wellness center in NE Portland that offers acupuncture, massage, naturopathic care, nutritional counseling, yoga, breathwork, gong meditation workshops, and onsite community events. Our patients and students are over a wide demographic; we have male, female, non-binary, and trans patients ranging in age from 5yrs old to 85yrs old. We focus on pain management, emotional well-being and stress management, and reproductive health; however, we treat the gamut of health concerns.
Tell us about yourself
I started studying Chinese medicine after watching both my cousin and aunt struggle with and eventually succumb to breast cancer. These experiences motivated me to pursue acupuncture and herbal medicine. And my skill set has grown to incorporate functional medicine, qigong training, breathwork, and nutritional training. Initially, I was practicing on my own, and I knew that having a community of practitioners who could treat patients from different expertise was key to patients getting better faster. I also wanted to create a refuge where everyone was welcome and where people could leave their worries at the door and be taken care of. So I started Wild Hearts Wellness to be a collaboration of Portland's best natural health providers and yoga/breathwork teachers who could support our community in their physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
This wellness center! We have an amazing staff and community of patients, and it truly brings me joy every day to walk thru our doors.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is creating time for self-care.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
I would say to let go of perfection, trust your gut, and make time for the things that bring you joy outside of work. You may think you don't have the time in those early days, but it's so key to your success and longevity as a business owner!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.wildheartswellness.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildheartswellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartswellnesspdx/
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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