Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cami Smalley-Risano, Founder of Enroot Wellness, located in Portland, ME, USA.

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

Enroot Wellness provides nutrition and wellness support with a Functional Medicine foundation. Enroot Wellness is dedicated to listening to what the body is saying in order to help provide the means to restore vitality. A functional medicine, evidence-based, and personalized approach to health and well-being for people and pets.

I have a strong intention to assist clients through a wide range of conditions, including gut issues, hypothyroidism, low-functioning thyroid, and Hashimoto's, based on my personal experience. By the way, words are powerful, and when we use words like disease, our cells may hear permanence, whereas the word condition is, well, conditional.

My clients include both people and pets (mostly dogs). Individuals who are eager to heal from within are usually well-researched, determined, and purposeful. Their purpose is to look for resolve and root cause resolution to what is sometimes considered chronic conditions.

Primary services:

For people: food sensitivity testing and bloodwork analysis (looking at patterns of imbalance and nutrient deficiencies using optimal ranges for each biomarker, not just conventional lab ranges), accompanied by a thorough Functional Health report, a Functional Food Plan, nutraceutical recommendations, Internal Family Systems (IFS therapy), contact reflex analysis (like muscle testing), and breath work techniques.

For dogs: understanding pet food industry myths, how to choose a food, Functional Food Plans, nutraceutical recommendations, as well as a basic physical exam, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and T-Touch massage for in-person appointments.

Tell us about yourself

When posed this question, there is a part of me that responds with, "when have I not been engaged in this work." Since I was a young adult, I believe. The short answer is my mother was the inspiration. As a young child, I remember her talking about sinus issues she was experiencing and taking numerous rounds of prescription antibiotics, anti-this, anti-that. To no resolve. One day she said, No. At that moment, she took her health and healing into her own hands. She kicked off what I call the intuitive bridge. That planted the seed to lean into whole-body (holistic) healing for myself.

I worked as a Certified Veterinary Technician for six years in Veterinary clinics before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Animal Behavior from Colorado State University and then embarked on an internship in Marine Mammal Behavior, studying dolphins through the University of Hawaii. From there, I spent 10+ years in the Pet Food Industry as a National Sales Director and Director of Education. During this time, I developed a comprehensive nutrition education curriculum for both The Honest Kitchen in San Diego and a 17-location pet store chain in the northeast. I went back to grad school to further my studies in nutrition and completed a Master of Science program with a Functional Medicine-based curriculum. Having founded Enroot Wellness, I started with offices in both Portland and Scarborough, Maine, and today have an office on the east end in Portland. And a soon-to-be second location in Pine, Colorado.

As we have seen in the past couple of years, the opportunity for us to look at our own individual health, and that of the collective, is more apparent to me now than ever. The invitation is to go inside, find what's right for us individually, discover what truly heals us (and it's not going to be a pill, a shot, or a vaccine), and take those steps towards creating the life and the health we want. Having a better relationship with one's self, honoring the body as a temple, holding respect for oneself, releasing judgment, and anchoring the light is what ripples out to the collective. It's a big ask, though I think people are ready! Our pets surely are; they are great examples for us.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Feeling into the work. There is a lot of intuition involved in health, in healing, and in being a healer, to oneself and to others. There is no certification or degree that can bring this. It's practicing and getting quiet enough to hear the intuitive voice. I have a brief grounding practice I do prior to each and every client. This is to ensure my highest self is present. This is when the best listening to others' stories can occur.

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

Initially, it was imposter syndrome. The inside voice of 'can I do this, am I doing this right, am I serving my clients as best I can.' It feels a bit like being at the top of a 10-foot diving board and taking your first dive into the water. Every practitioner and healer I've spoken to about this, with no exceptions; doctors, acupuncturists, mothers, and other nutritionists, have all said they went through this too.

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

  1. SEO: If you plan on having a website, invest in SEO! Trust this, it's worth the cost. While my business has grown by word of mouth, site engine optimization of the website has been an important piece in people finding me.
  2. VISION: Spend some time with your vision of what the business will look like and what the work will FEEL like. As Jeffrey Allen would say, energy always comes before the physical. In other words, instead of focusing on the material world steps, focus on your dreams in the energetic sense first, and the physical will catch up.
  3. EVOLVE: Don't try to control where the business evolves. Let it evolve you. Find advocates that can be there as a sounding board, one or several people to hold space for the natural evolutions of the work. You know who you are, thank you, I have deep gratitude for you!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you for this opportunity and for highlighting small businesses. Community-building is so important, especially at this time.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://enrootwellness.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnrootWellness
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enrootwellness/

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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