Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mar Rivero. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi MAR, thanks for joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

I was working as a recently graduated Nutrition Specialist MD in México, and a patient comes in with Chronic fatigue and chronic GI problems; she had been struggling with this for years and had consulted multiple specialist following their recommendations but not finding any improvement. She started her story with the frase; I lost hope and my good friend recommended I see you for your functional and wholistic point of view.

She spent hours telling her stories, listening to her stressors, her lifestyle and diet. Through this process, I realized just how much of an impact our daily choices and emotional health have on our physical well-being. This wasn’t just about prescribing supplements or making dietary tweaks; it was about uncovering layers of her life that had gone unaddressed. I approached her treatment holistically, considering her as a whole person, rather than a collection of symptoms. We worked not only on physical interventions but also on mindset, stress management, and self-compassion.

Within a few months, she was beginning to feel better, more energized, and empowered. Witnessing her transformation was incredibly profound, and it reshaped my approach to medicine. I realized that wellness is truly an integration of mind, body, and lifestyle. That experience shifted my career toward a more holistic, patient-centered approach and solidified my commitment to functional medicine. It reinforced my belief that every person’s path to wellness is unique, and that as practitioners, we’re here to guide, support, and empower individuals to take charge of their health in a comprehensive way.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I went into medical school in México at 19 yo, after that I did my residency in clinical nutrition followed by a Human Nutrition Masters degree at Columbia University NYC. At the same time I started my training as a Functional Medicine Practitioner, a discipline that was very new for México. As I graduated, I returned to Mexico and started practicing as a Functional Medicine practitioner and Nutrition Specialist. Finding there was a big need and thirst for Functional Medicine in México. And trying to learn more and more from each patient.

I provided the patient with options for healing through food and nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle. People are finding how the cheapest medicine is in their food. I love showing people how little twitches in their everyday life, their food choices, habits and supplementation can have a big impact in their well being.

In 2015 I got married and we had our first little girl in 2018. My husband was offered a job in Dallas tx, and so we moved, finding out 3 month later that we were expecting triplets. They were born as 27 weekers or micro-preemies, but are in amazing health right now. Two years later, patients kept texting me and reaching out to ask for a consultation, which motivated me to go back to work as a clinician and start a virtual practice. Which has been growing enormously ever since we opened. Patients/clients find in functional medicine a way to improve their lifestyle and physical health with the care and encouragement we provide. The idea of helping people fulfills my life and makes me want to study more and more about the body and how to improve people’s lives.

Showing people how food can heal and how it can make them feel better is empowering for patients..
After 12 years of practicing, my current business partner reached out to me, offering to co-create a line of supplements for the Hispanic community in the US, and I loved the idea. It took a year of planning until we launched our first 4 products at Univision, the largest Spanish speaking TV network in the US.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Being humble and connecting with the person in front of you, Medicine has turned into a business where people feel their doctor or health practitioner doesn’t really care for the person standing in front of them. In my case the person is the center of everything, and being available and reachable, relatable helps a lot on their healing process.

The ability to listen actively and empathize with patients builds trust and a strong therapeutic relationship, which is essential in a field focused on holistic health. Communication is also crucial for educating patients about complex concepts, which empowers them to take control of their health.

Healing through functional medicine often requires a longer, individualized journey, which can be challenging for both practitioner and patient. Success comes with the patience to see this process through and the perseverance to keep adjusting and personalizing approaches based on patient response.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

It is still old school word of mouth, in the case of a clinical practice what has helped most is word of mouth from my patients and their families. Social media has also been helping to get new clients. I constantly do reels and lives on social media with celebrity collaborations. The fact that the treatment is 100% personalized and there is no rush during the meetings, is something people love. I’m also going on live segments on Univision and other channels. We are also using other platforms like shopify to outsource my products.

I have also been doing medical events, such as conferences, to discuss the health and well being of women all around the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mar360wellness.com, www.bonavit.com
• Instagram: drmarrivero , bonavitusa
• Facebook: Dr. Mar Rivero
• Linkedin: Mar Rivero MD, MS

Image Credits

none, all pictures are mine