We recently connected with Bryan Acheson and have shared our conversation below.

Bryan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

My passion for helping people overcome foot, knee, hip and back pain began long before I started my company, Solelytics. After careful consideration, I began the company in October of 2019. As with any new business, it was tough right out of the gate. Expenses were high and clients were low. Then the unimaginable happened – The Pandemic. My ability to help others was taken from me as the entire country shut down. Even after things started to open back up, I really didn’t start seeing much traction until March of 2021 as my services are in person, up close and personal with the client. Now fast forward three months to June. My wife accepted a position at VCU Health. She is passionate about helping others as well and an amazing opportunity presented itself for her so we packed up and moved to Virginia. Although we were both excited for the move and change of scenery, it meant I had to start all over again. In all honesty, moving to Virginia was the best decision I myself made on a personal and professional level. Coming from Denver, CO, we moved to a much smaller community just outside of Richmond. I took it upon myself to take advantage of the fresh start to jump right into the community and get involved as well as give back. I can happily say that my business is farther along after nine months than I thought it would be and I’m excited for what the future holds.

I have several pieces of advice that I would share with young professionals thinking about going out on their own:

1. Read. Learn. Experience. Learn as much about running a business as possible. There are some fantastic books on varying topics that will help give you the knowledge to be successful.
2. Get involved. I would not be where I am today after nine months if I didn’t get involved in the community and give back. This is the key to my early success as I moved to a place where I literally knew no one.
3. Network with like minded professionals. I’ve met a lot of very smart and seasoned business owners who have really helped me tackle some important aspects of my business operations and without them, I’m not sure I would have succeeded.

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 background and context?

I am a Certified Pedorthist. Not many people know what that is. We specialize in foot assessments, gait analysis/pressure mapping, orthotic solutions and footwear. My passion is helping others overcome foot, knee, hip and back pain. 80% of Americans will at some point in their lives experience a painful foot condition and a lot of them will not know where to begin or who to trust in finding a solution. And that couldn’t hold more true than with Social Media. Anyone who has experienced a painful condition provides their story and how they got better but everyone’s different. It takes someone like myself who is trained and board certified to really provide the right solution for an individual.

I’m proud that I’ve taken my company a different route than most. Most Pedorthists either work in a medical facility or a fabrication lab. And some own independent footwear stores. I have a lot of respect for those in the footwear industry as it’s not an easy life! But back to my company. My mission is to provide solutions to people before they need to see a physician as well as to make these solutions convenient, affordable, easy, and educational. I’m a mobile company so I’ll go to your home or business. I’m affordable. Some companies are charging over $1200 for their solutions and to be honest with you, one doesn’t need to spend that kind of money to live their best life. Thirdly I’ve made my process very easy and lastly, I’m interested in teaching my clients just as much as providing solutions.

I’ve also learned that in the workplace, foot health is grossly understated. Knowing this, I’ve created a wellness program for companies, The Healthy Feet Wellness Program. I offer the same services and follow the same process that I do with my individual clients but on a larger scale. I’ll tell you, if employees’ feet hurt at work, then they’re hurting at home and it affects their quality of life. I’m proud of this wellness offering and it’s just getting started. Companies need to start offering their employees more unique choices as far as non-monetary benefits go. What’s important to some isn’t necessarily important to others. They need to keep this in mind when developing a wellness program and why not start one from the ground up!

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I would have to say building relationships and just listening to my clients. Relationships are everything and getting to know my clients is super important. I need to learn about their foot conditions and anything else that’s ailing them that may be caused by their feet but as well as more about them. What’s their lifestyle look like? Activity level? Styles of shoes they like and don’t like. What do they do for a living? But it goes deeper than this. I like to know what moves them. About their family. And to get to know them better, listening to them has been paramount for me. People don’t often really listen when others are talking to them and yes, I’m guilty of this at times as well but it’s important.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy I’ve found to build my business from the ground up is no surprise! Building relationships and being active in the community. As I said before, I moved to a city in which I knew literally no one. I had to put myself out there and meet people. I became involved in The Chamber of Commerce and am a proud member of the Board of Directors. I’m a member of a very active Kiwanis Chapter. I joined several business professional and networking groups. I volunteer some time for organizations to better the community. This type of stuff is important for anyone owning their own business in my mind.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.solelytics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solelytics1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/solelytics
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/solelytics
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfL9h_zoJgWg5Onjut9Ch3Q
• Other: Solelytics Online Shop: https://www.shopsolelytics.com