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

Alright, Alicia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

I was working in a very traditional sense as a physician in a job where I wasn’t happy. One day I had this epiphany that no one was coming to save me. No one was going to give me the perfect job or help improve my situation. And anyway, the type of practice where I wanted to be didn’t even exist. I think it was around the time I was turning 40 and I realized that I, and only I, could change the trajectory of my life. It was then that I made the decision to create what I wanted for myself and for my patients. I think changing one’s mentality is so empowering because otherwise you risk staying in “victim mode” and never taking control over your life.

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 got into this area of hormonal health/perimenopause after I started seeing this recurrent pattern of women coming to me for help and honestly, I didn’t have good solutions for them. We would often recommend they start a birth control pill but I became more and more acutely aware that it wasn’t really helping them. Additionally, I felt as OBGYNs we were sort of leaving women “hanging” after having kids and not really giving them any guidance on how to feel better after having kids. So I started learning more about the hormonal changes that happen to women in their 40’s and quite literally became so fascinated with this topic and discovering the treatments available. I read so many books, attended conferences and just basically inserted myself into this space and I truly think I have found my calling. I am so thrilled there is so much talk on menopause but perimenopause (the years prior to menopause and basically your 40’s) is even less understood by alot of MDs and I so I guess I consider myself the self-proclaimed peri doctor for women in their 40s.

I think one thing that sets my brand apart from others is I wanted it to feel elevated and luxe. Women’s health does not get reimbursed well at all which is why most traditional OBGYN offices are underfunded but I really thought, why can’t it look and feel like a dermatology office? I think we underestimate how important it is to make a woman feel prioritized and unrushed. What is more personal than seeing your GYN? So I really wanted the brand to convey professionalism but also be elevated.

Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?

I really didn’t not have any funding at all. In fact I worked night shifts delivering babies in order to save for the practice but that meant not sleeping so I tried to be really strategic in where I spent my funds and tried really hard to keep my costs low while still making it still feel special. I think sometimes you can’t go big with everything so you have to really think, “where will this make the most difference for my patient/client?”

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I think its so important to reward and retain your team. I really have been very selective with who we hire because I want us all to have fun and support eachother. You immediately tell when there is tension in a workplace and no one likes it. Most importantly however, patient care will be compromised if there is tension. I try and regularly check in with how things are going and hire people that will be team players and support one another. Honestly, this has meant that I hire people I already know or who come recommended. I am vary wary of hiring someone with no recommendations.

I try and create a culture of prioritizing work life balance which is really hard to do in medicine because everything always feels so urgent. But we regularly spend time outside of work and cover eachother for personal days off. I am always striving to make my team feel appreciated because well without them, it wouldn’t be possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theelmgreenwich.com
• Instagram: aliciarobbinsmd