Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Ashley Oswald, founder of Oswald Digestive Clinic, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

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

We are a functional medicine clinic specializing in gut health, helping people improve and eliminate bothersome gut issues like gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and more. Many of our clients come to us after years of struggling and not being able to find answers. We are happy to be able to fill the gaps in the medical system using functional medicine, to help our clients finally feel better. Plus, we now take insurance, so many of our clients get full coverage for their appointments! You can read our Google reviews to hear about our client's experiences.

Tell us about yourself

I founded Oswald Digestive Clinic in 2016 after being frustrated with the current system and knowing there was a better way to help people with gut issues. We were telemedicine back then, and still are today, allowing our clients' easy access to our clinic (they can schedule their appointments on their lunch breaks, don't have to worry about a commute, and can easily communicate with their licensed dietitian or nutritionist between appointments). On average, doctors have <20 hours of schooling in nutrition science, and on average, dietitians have 7! And most chronic health issues can be greatly improved using a root cause nutrition and lifestyle approach. This is how our clinic is getting such wonderful outcomes, as you can see in our reviews.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Reading our testimonials. They always bring a smile and often tears to my eyes. Also, growing the clinic allows us to hire more knowledgeable and caring licensed dietitians and nutritionists.

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

The hardest part of starting the clinic was having zero training in business. But, I learned along the way and am so proud of what we have created!

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

  1. Learn to enjoy the journey. You might be thinking you have to just get through the start; then, you can enjoy the end destination in mind. But it's always evolving, changing, and growing, and if you don't learn to enjoy the journey, you might make yourself miserable because challenges will certainly arise, and often being an entrepreneur is compared to being a firefighter. Always a challenge to solve. Learn to have fun with this.
  2. Learn to trust your intuition. You will receive all sorts of advice. Do this, don't do that, start a membership, create a course, offer 1:1, offer group, and the list goes on. But, what do YOU enjoy doing? What do YOU want to create? You can make it work.
  3. Consider your WHY. Why do you want to start your own business? Is it a strong enough reason to get through all the growing pains, or might you be happier working for someone else? Entrepreneurship is seen as glamorous and put on a pedestal, and there are many positives to it, but please remember too that most businesses fail. It's okay; just consider whether this is something you really are excited about and want to do, and not just following the trend. Really get to know your personality and understand what type of work situation you might be happiest in.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience! Just know this is only my experience, so as you read, take what you find helpful, and throw away the rest. This goes for your entire entrepreneur journey as well. Sending positive energy to you all!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.oswalddigestiveclinic.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oswalddigestiveclinic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oswald.digestive.clinic/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oswald-digestive-clinic/

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.