We were lucky to catch up with Valerie Hwang recently and have shared our conversation below.

Valerie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

For an Ayurvedic professional, it can be a rough road. There are several roadblocks to overcome. I, like many other in the profession, embarked on my journey as an Ayurvedic practitioner because I want to help others heal, and Ayurveda provides a rich, detailed approach to healing in all aspects of life. However, Ayurveda is still very new in the United States and very few people are aware of the science and what it has to offer. Furthermore, there are very few companies and establishments out there hiring Ayurvedic practitioners, so there are few opportunities to start off as a beginner unless you commit to establishing your own practice early on in the path.

I knew when I started studying Ayurveda that I would want to practice as a full-time professional. That meant that during my schooling and my internships, I had to take extra courses and training on my own time to also understand what I would have to do to establish the business side of my practice. With very limited resources financially, I had to teach myself the best way I could how to market, establish the business legally, build my website, and manage clients all the while learning how to be an effective and skilled practitioner.

To practice Ayurvedic medicine with integrity takes years of schooling. As with any health professional, you need to commit to being a life-long learner of the trade. If you are committed to the path, you also need to know that sustainable growth takes time and experience. I honestly don’t know if I could have done anything differently to make things go smoother or faster. But I know now that asking for help is probably one of the most important aspects of running a business successfully. No business runs in a vacuum, and for small businesses especially, authentic relationships is how a business can survive and thrive.

Valerie, 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 Valerie Hwang and I am a board-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and the founder of Intrepid Ayurveda. I service clients locally here in Long Beach, California, as well as virtually all over the USA. My mission as an Ayurvedic practitioner is to provide my patients and students with the tools and guidance necessary for bringing the body and mind back into a state of harmony – the optimal state for the body to heal itself!

I come from a psychological services and education academic background, and had long desired to become a mental health counselor. However, for some reason I never pursued counseling after university, because I felt something was missing from the traditional mental health approaches taught in school. After over a decade of working in performing arts and international exchange and travel, and after seeking for more holistic approaches for my own mental health, I discovered Ayurveda while developing my yoga and meditation practices.

When I graduated from the California College of Ayurveda in 2020, I set out to create a holistic health practice that makes Ayurvedic healthcare and education approachable and accessible to all. I believe that with loving care, guidance, and dedication, we all have the potential to overcome our obstacles and live a thriving life of vitality.

At my clinic, I focus on Ayurvedic health consultations, herbal formulations, and traditional therapies. What makes Ayurveda so powerful and so valuable is undoubtedly the emphasis on each individual patient’s unique body, life, and experiences, and how those aspects inform and determine that patient’s treatment plan. When a client walks through my doors, not only to they leave feeling seen and heard, but empowered to make lasting positive changes that will help them for the rest of their life.

​In my practice, I have the privilege of serving as a health counselor, educator, herbalist, and practitioner all in one. I treat my clients as whole people with whole lives and pride myself on providing the support that they need to get back on their feet.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There are a few BIG lessons I’ve had to unlearn. The biggest lesson I’ve had to unlearn and am continuing to unlearn concerns an underlying belief that people don’t have enough money to afford my services, which also led to the belief that my services are not worth that much money because I was trying to make myself available for less.

I grew up in a culture where the belief was always if you work hard, you will be successful. So, combining the belief that people don’t have enough money with the belief that if I work harder, I will be successful – this just leads to burnout and discouragement. Because you’re always working harder for less in that situation.

I’m still learning to value my time and my effort even now. But there is no way to survive as a business if you can’t at least make the money that you need to survive, and no way to grow if you can’t find a way to make enough to support others as well.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I strongly believe that finding and growing your client base requires reflecting on your individual values and strengths as a small business owner. As such, I find that my most successful strategies so far have been face-to-face community events, intimate webinars, and in-person outreach efforts to other organizations that complement my business. Most of my clients have been through word-of-mouth.

I also provide free community education about Ayurveda through weekly newsletters and occasional events. This helps attract people who maybe interested in my services and also provides them with more information about what I do. Since I started providing more education, I find that my base has grown but also my existing clients have been more consistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.intrepidayurveda.com
• Instagram: @intrepidayurveda
• Facebook: facebook.com/intrepidayurveda