We were lucky to catch up with Alexandra Suozzo recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alexandra, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.
Upon graduating from acupuncture school, I had no immediate plan to start a business. I had come from the fashion industry and, although I loved practicing acupuncture, entrepreneurship was a distant idea in my view. It was an immense responsibility I expected to pursue after working for someone and expanding my skills and experience. Startup costs, building a client base, and income unreliability collectively influenced my perception that my own business would come in my career’s later stages.
Then, in the unexpected but seemingly fateful way the best opportunities arise, my chance came early. A week after graduation, I attended the opening event for a local holistic medical spa, where I immediately fell into conversation with the owner. In complete contrast to my expectations, she offered me an opportunity to start my own business from a room in her facility in exchange for administrative help.
The second she made that offer is best described as the moment of alignment – all doubts disappeared. I looked within myself and felt my passion ignite at the prospect of my dreams becoming reality, and I accepted. The fears and uncertainties initially surrounding my dream became the key challenges I faced with excitement.
Having secured a place in which to work, attracting clients quickly emerged as the most difficult aspect of starting my practice. I took on substantial up-front profitability risks by offering discounts and investing a large segment of earnings into advertising. Business was initially inconsistent, requiring me to rely on my faith in myself. It became clear why many people avoid the road of entrepreneurship.
In survival school, the number one rule is to always keep a positive mental attitude. You could say that translates into all areas of life, too. It’s one thing to know your worth – but putting yourself out there with the uncertainty of the public’s opinion of you, is the most humbling lesson I have learned on this journey. Allowing your ego to release is something I recommend all aspiring entrepreneurs begin to practice. What’s best for you is not best for everyone. Becoming the best business owner you could be requires a lot of patience, listening, empathy, and the ability to be flexible.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I was adopted from Ukraine as an infant and brought to the US. My family moved from New York to South Florida which became my home. I had a knack for design, and it had always been my dream to live in New York City from a young age. I pursued my vision and was accepted into the Fashion Institute of Technology at 18 years old. I quickly learned it wasn’t my calling. City life wasn’t for me. I missed the sunshine, sea breeze, and picturesque scenery I grew up with. Also, I was dealing with a stressful relationship that a huge impact on my overall well-being. I was looking for something to get me back into alignment – mentally, physically, and spiritually. I had always been healthy as a child, with no need for medication. I began to focus on improving my diet and increasing my fitness routine, but nothing seemed to push me out of my slump. A friend recommended me to try acupuncture, and with an open mind, I went. It sounds corny, but that first session changed my life. An immediate physical detox reaction along with what felt like my mind being reset sparked something within. I felt like me again. It was an instant obsession for me – I had to learn and understand this interesting medicine. I finished up with fashion school and moved back to South Florida, where I applied to acupuncture school.
Acupuncture is such an awesome field to be in. Many do not know that in certain states, including Florida, we are considered primary care physicians. With 4 years of schooling, we learn in entirety, both worlds of medicine – allopathic and holistic. Under our scope of practice, we learn about the amazing electrical highway in our bodies (acupuncture), herbal medicine, vitamin therapy, homeopathic injection therapy, and pharmaceuticals. The only difference distinguishing an acupuncture physician from a medical doctor is that we cannot administer pharmaceuticals.
Too often, we think that health comes in a pill form. While there is a time and place for such modalities, many people aren’t taught about forms of medicine that can achieve true and lasting results by getting to the root cause of the illness. I like to explain to my patients that the human body is a biological computer – with electrical currents flowing at each moment to keep our systems running how they were designed to. By stimulating such responses, we allow our brain to send signals into our central nervous system to activate our bodies’ natural healing abilities. I have successfully helped many patients correct and heal ailments from sciatica, body pain, migraines, insomnia, depression, neuropathy, paralysis, PTSD, infertility, and much more.
One of the best qualities I believe that sets my business apart from other’s is giving the gift of time. Luckily, over 4+ years, I have been blessed to have built amazing clientele, which for the most part, has been generated through word of mouth. My patients always mention how they appreciate the attention and energy given to them in each session. I understood early on, that while money is nice, so is loyalty. A happy customer will always return. My goal in life is not to work to retire, but to build a lifelong career helping and teaching others to become the sovereign beings they were born to be by becoming the healthiest version of their selves – mind, body, and spirit.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I would have to say that having a healthy level of confidence is such an important trait in succeeding in any field. Also, passion for what you are doing. True confidence comes from within – a true knowing that you are more than capable of achieving the results you want and having fun while doing it. I believe passion and confidence are so closely related. If you are doing something you truly love, it isn’t work. Clients respond to energy – and if you feel unsure or doubt yourself, they will pick up on that and feel the same. When the intentions are pure, there is no need to worry – the results will be great!
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
I absolutely would. Acupuncture has changed my life for the better in so many ways. Not only on my personal healing journey, but my clients as well. It’s brought me so many wonderful opportunities, allowed me to meet unbelievable people and gave me a degree of confidence as a woman, I would wish for any human to receive for their self.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.acupuncturebyalex.com
- Instagram: @acupuncturebyalex
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/acupuncturebyalex