We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lindiwe F. Greenwood, M.D. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lindiwe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Looking back, I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. I can remember setting up my own dog walking and baby sitting business at the age of 9. Something about dreaming then creating, and ultimately executing, gave me a bit of a thrill. It was also around that time that I decided that I wanted to become a doctor. As the years went by and I completed all of my educational requirements, I can honestly say owning my own practice did not come into play. However, this all changed once I started to work for others. While I enjoyed the security and stability of working for someone else, I found that my entrepreneurial “wanderlust” re-ignited. I remember definitively saying to myself, ” I can do this better on my own terms,” so that is exactly what I did. I decided right then and there to create and build my own medical practice. I remember being referred to as “crazy” for doing this on more than one occasion, however this just fueled my drive more. I have always been a person that people sometimes consciously and unconsciously under estimate, for a myriad of reasons. This is probably one of the most important professional pearls I would offer… “Never let others opinions of you, become your opinion of yourself.” The other is to “never let your dreams and goals be dependent or limited to the the capacity of someone else’s imagination or viewpoint.” As you can imagine, it took a year plus from idea conception to practice open. Along the way, in addition to my medical expertise, I had to learn to become a bit of a construction foreman, a computer wiz, a saleswoman, a credentialing expert, as well as a furniture and tapestry guru. It was hard and overwhelming at times, but as a wise business colleague once told me…” I could not buy that experience if I wanted to.” There were times when even vendors that I paid for and hired, still came in looking for the “the actual owner” of the practice. I took it all in stride and built the practice from 0 patients to over 1500 patients. We played spa music, had a waterwall, and it was aesthetically a one of a kind for that time. Unfortunately despite that success of the practice outwardly, it was opened just before ” the bubble burst” and the recession in 2008 hit. I eventually ended up closing that practice, but the lessons I learned, the challenges I overcame, and the care I gave my patients, are all still a source of pride and expertise that can never be taken away from me. When I decided to “yet again” open my current health and wellness consulting business, Total Renaissance Wellness, LLC, I took all the do’s and don’ts from my old business and applied them to the new. That was 6 years ago and I don’t look back except to say “Thank you!” for all that those days gave to me, the good, the bad, and the resillient.

Lindiwe , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My Name is Lindiwe ( pronounced Lin-da-way) it is a South African name that means “the one they waited for.” I am a Family Medicine Physician by training, who is now the Chief Innovator, CEO, and Physician consultant with Total Renaissance Wellness, LLC,

Total Renaissance Wellness is a multi-faceted health and wellness consulting company. We offer transformative wellness education and advocacy. With over 20+ years of experience in many different settings of healthcare, I am a seasoned Board Certified Family Medicine professional. My goal is to bring health and wellness solutions to the masses…outside of the exam room. From early in my career, I have always been a teacher, teaching medical students and residents. My current love and passion is to teach individuals how to practice self-care to become resilient and thrive.

I am certified in Mind-Body Medicine from The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. I use a trauma informed self-care model to help individual clients, corporate staff and employees, students, and workforce, bring self-awareness and foster resilience. My goal in this work is to aim to “Inspire, Educate, and Transform,” helping people, patients and their families to live their best lives, practice self-care, stay informed, combat employee Burden/Burn Out, address health disparities, and to navigate the healthcare system and its challenges. I do this through several vehicles.

I create customized wellness programming. I also enjoy sharing my insights, expertise, and experience through public and motivational speaking, coaching, and writing. After practicing traditional medicine for many years, I decided to combat Dis-Ease from a more preventive approach.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

What I have learned above all else is that people just want to be seen and heard. It really goes back to the famous quote by Dr. Maya Angelou, ” People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, But people will never forget how you made them feel.” While degrees, certifications, and expertise matter, I know that my most important accolade is and always has been, my ability to be a good listener. Not just hearing what people say, but listening beneath the words, empathically. Healthcare is personal. Trust and connection go a long way. Its important to build both of these if you want to be successful in what you do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first opened my medical practice, I was on top of the world. The market was booming, friends and family were supportive, and I knew I had a gift that I could share with my hometown community. I had no idea that the economy was about to take a drastic downturn. After several years of business, I had to make the difficult decision to close my practice. I truly mourned the closing of my first medical practice. It was a entity that I dreamed of , nurtured, and built from scratch, from the ground up. Closing it, felt like I had lost a piece of myself. After sitting with the loss for a little bit, I had to pivot. I knew that the time, experience, and lessons that I learned while having that business, were invaluable and would help me at some point in my next chapter. It was painful and I did not know it at the time, but the lessons that I learned served as the foundation for me to create my current business and navigate future challenges. I learned a lot about people, friends, loyalty, value, and most importantly, my own strength and resilience. I also learned that there really is no such thing as failure. There are just opportunities for redemption and gained knowledge.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inspirehealthwellness.com or www.doctorgreenwood.com
• Instagram: totalrenaissancewellness
• Facebook: Total Renaissance Wellness, LLC