Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Shari Caplan, CEO of VitalityMD, located in North York, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
VitalityMD is the 1st physician-run Integrative Medicine Lifestyle Centre and Medi-Spa with the goal of offering a personalized approach that is tailored to address patients' unique medical problems and make use of both conventional and alternative treatment options. It is geared to help clients optimize their health and beauty from the inside out. It's a one-stop-shop for all your health and cosmetic needs with a special interest in women's and men's sexual health. Imagine a place where the aesthetics of an elite spa meet the warm welcome of personalized health care. This three-level retreat is the place where you can let go of the stresses of everyday life and experience cutting-edge medicine and anti-aging services and improve your sex life.
It is a true oasis in the city with a community feel; there even is a modern event space for talks, weddings, bridal showers, and corporate meetings. We offer innovative treatments to make you look and feel better. We offer Bio-identical hormones, functional medicine, IV therapy, a weight loss program, a phenomenal Medi-Spa with treatments like Scarlet RF, Micro-needling, PRP, Exosomes, and our recent claim to fame, home of the O-Shot, P-Shot, and Vaginal Rejuvenation. Because VitalityMD has so many different services that appeal to all different age ranges and demographics, everyone pretty much can use services at VitalityMD. If I were to break it down, Vaginal Rejuvenation and improving one's sex life are generally for 35-65 year-old women.
P-shot is for men 40-70 years old, Functional Medicine, and Bio-Identical hormones again women generally 35-65 but have women as young as 16 y/o up and women in their late 80's. Men generally range from 25 to 75 yr old, especially if they had a head injury. The Medi-Spa and injectibles age range from 25-70 y/o with a preponderance of women over men. But if I had to limit and market to only one group, it would be too burned out, stressed out women looking to improve their sex life, health, beauty, and wellbeing aged 35-65.
Tell us about yourself
I was 44, the age my mother was when she died from breast cancer. I started having peri-menopausal symptoms. I had the occasional hot flashes, started gaining weight, my brain wasn't working as well as it used to, and it was like a light switch turned off my libido.
A lot of my patients used to complain that once they hit 40, they had a hard time losing weight, and they were developing a spare tire despite their usual tactics to avoid this. They wondered if this was due to hormones. I told them, "NO." I told tell them that they weren't eating right or exercising enough. BUT, when it started happening to ME, I knew I was eating right and exercising right. I thought to myself….. IT MUST BE HORMONES.
I started going to conferences. This education opened my eyes to a whole new world. The world of Integrative and Functional Medicine. One that was evidence-based. It went back to biochemistry, genetics, and epi-genetics. It was about looking for root causes, how the environment can affect our genes and how micronutrient deficiencies can cause illness. I had a thirst for knowledge. I couldn't get enough. I felt like a veil was taken off, and I could see things differently now. My original intent was to learn about hormones, but I learned so much more. Hormones were just one part of the equation.
I began practicing what I had learned with my patients, and I saw significant improvements in their health. I also started progesterone and certain nutrients targeted to my genetics, and I felt significantly better. I feel better today than I did 4-6 years ago. I commonly hear that from patients in my practice, so I know I'm on the right track.
What do I tell people every day?—eat right, exercise, replace deficient nutrients, balance your hormones, get a good night's sleep, and manage your stress. I realized that this type of Medicine takes a lot of time and that I couldn't do it in the usual paradigm, and I couldn't do it alone; I needed a team. I wanted to do it in a healing environment where all providers could work together. Often patients who seek alternative treatments have a hard time navigating the medical system. They see their alternative care provider who says one thing, and their conventional doctor says another, and the patient is caught in the middle. No one talks to each other or collaborates. So, I decided to create the 1st physician-run Integrative Medicine Lifestyle Centre with the goal of offering a personalized approach that is tailored to address patients' unique medical problems and make use of both conventional and alternative treatment options.
Our team represents a group of innovative and experienced practitioners who can help patients bridge that gap. I believe it is a true oasis in the city with a community feel, a one-stop-shop for clients to optimize their health. I want to empower patients to live up to their full potential by strengthening their minds, body, and spirit. With my newest venture, I figured out to help women improve their libido, have better sex, and cure stress urinary incontinence. Making shifts in people's health for the better and seeing smiles on their faces makes everything worthwhile. I love what I do. I started this journey to improve my health, and in the end, I learned how to help many others.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I believe VitalityMD provides services to its clients that shift their health for the better. It addresses all the determinants of health. I chronically hear, "I feel better today than I did one year ago, ten years ago," etc., and "I look and feel better," and most recently, I've empowered women to take control of their sexual health and help them have better SEX. What more of an accomplishment can I ask for than that. Women chronically thank me for giving them an opportunity to talk about private matters that concern them. They felt heard and listened to. Clients are thrilled with their results that they refer others. VitalityMD is a unique clinic that others have tried to copy since its inception. There are two gynecologists in Scottsdale who call themselves Vitalitymds. There is another gynecologist in the USA that changed her medical clinic to Vitalitymd, and all provide similar services. Since the addition of vaginal rejuvenation, treatments for stress urinary incontinence, vaginal atrophy, and improving women's libido, the business has been taking off. It's been a game-changer, and patients are so happy with the results that it sells itself. Many clinics now in Toronto are trying to emulate it.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
VitalityMD is a relatively new business, and I have had many challenges to address. One of which was my husband being diagnosed with terminal cancer and dying in 2019. I went from having a partner to doing everything myself and running a business. Then COVID hit. During the last four years, I had to re-evaluate what makes me money and streamline services. With Covid, we closed many of our services and had to shift and pivot. I found a niche market and hit the ground running. (O-Shot and Vaginal Rejuvenation). We went from being signed in the hole to breaking even and even making money. We also started a venue rental just before COVID for micro-weddings, and we were booked every weekend but had to cancel events secondarily to COVID, so that hindered us from making money.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be passionate about what you do.
- Do the work and set intentions. Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Make a difference in people's lives, and the universe will support your endeavors.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We are a unique clinic that provides personalized medicine and anti-aging services. We address patients' unique needs, and we are highly successful in making people look and feel better. Patient satisfaction is paramount, and happy clients refer other clients. I have established myself as an expert not only in integrative medicine and bio-identical hormones but as Queen of the O-shot successful in helping women improve their sex life and reduce stress urinary incontinence. I am very passionate about what I do, and people see that. I love hearing success stories, I even have older couples coming to improve their sex life, and you should see the smiles on their face.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://vitalitymd.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalitymdtor/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vitalitymd/
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.
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