We recently connected with Dr. Amy Day, ND and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Amy, appreciate you joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

Straight out of school, I was hired as the women’s health specialist at a general naturopathic medical practice. It was a great experience but my entrepreneurial spirit eventually led me to wanting to create unique offerings and group programs and do things “my own way”. I also moved further away and rather than continue commuting, I decided to start my own practice.

I found a cute little room for rent inside of a yoga studio near my new house, and set all of my systems up to be paperless and online. My part-time admin person could work from home and have flexible hours which worked well for both of us and kept my overhead low. For years I resisted growing because I thought that managing other people would be such a headache. As I got busier, I decided I wanted to work with committed patients where we could have a partnership over time so I transitioned to an annual membership model. I still didn’t want to hire more practitioners so when I became full, I had to close to new patients.

And then I met another doctor who I really liked and actually *wanted* to hire. And I felt bad about saying “sorry I’m full” to people who needed my help. Fast forward to now… I have 3 doctors, a health coach and a full time admin… and much to my surprise I absolutely love being their leader. I have hired carefully and trained heavily and created a very purposeful culture with defined mission and values. We all support each other and the beauty is that we are helping way more people than I ever would have been able to see on my own!

My advice: Don’t be afraid to grow. You get to decide how you want to grow and what you want your business to be. Instead of holding back, take the next steps sooner than you think and create things the way YOU want to!

Dr. Amy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I first learned about naturopathic medicine (as a senior in college getting a business degree!), it was the perfect blend of nature, medicine, science and holistic health. I was curious about nutrition and herbal medicine and realized that I loved learning about science and how things work. I also appreciate how complex we humans are and how nature has so much to offer that we will never fully understand.

While I was in naturopathic medical school, struggles with my own health, including a diagnosis of stage IV endometriosis, focused my attention and fueled my passion for women’s health. My experience as a patient led me to make a commitment that in the future I would provide a more caring and empowering experience for others. I became fascinated with the intricacies of how our bodies function, and I wanted more women+ to have the support they need on their path to healing.

After graduating in 2004, I joined a general naturopathic clinic in San Francisco and then opened my solo practice in Berkeley in 2013. Then, in 2018, I founded The Women’s Vitality Center and started growing a team so that we could help way more people than I ever could on my own.

With over 20 years of experience now, we are a team of women’s health and hormone specialists who support women+ with their energy, mood, sleep, brain fog, period problems, hot flashes and night sweats, skin and hair changes, sudden weight gain, changes in libido, etc.

Our primary area of expertise is *Perimenopause* and we treat many other health concerns like PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, as well as adrenal health and thyroid issues. We also support optimal immune system, digestion, blood sugar, brain, bone and heart health with an integrated treatment approach that blends nutrition, fitness, lifestyle counseling, stress management, nutritional supplements, botanical medicines, and we have extensive experience with bioidentical hormones.

The Women’s Vitality Center is a concierge-style virtual practice that has become known for providing effective, experienced and compassionate care. We take the time to get to know our patients and work in partnership to optimize hormonal balance as the health journey unfolds over time.

We approach everything we do with our signature VITAL Method which you can learn more about on our website!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I credit my family with giving me the entrepreneurial bug. I am grateful that I grew up this way, knowing that I could do things my way and create something in the world that was my unique offering. However, the business owners in my family all worked themselves to the bone. I made a decision early on to keep my practice simple so that I could still take care of my health.

With the help of business coaches and mentors, I eventually figured out that doing things myself was not the only way to stay healthy. When I finally decided to grow a team, and have a bigger impact, I actually found that I could have more freedom and flexibility.

It was a classic shift from either/or to both/and. I can have a thriving business AND I can be healthy and happy.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I really care about my patients. I commit to their healing as much as they do and I make the effort to be there to support them. I have the experience of being a patient and I can lead with compassion and meet patients where they are.

I love networking and meeting others who are offering services that support people in various ways. I am a big believer in the team approach and love working collaboratively.

Because my practice has been focused on women’s health and hormones for over 20 years, I have a LOT of experience. I know how to help my patients get to their goals and how to pivot in creative ways when the initial treatment plans aren’t doing the trick. I work WITH the patient to find effective solutions that they feel good about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://womensvitalitycenter.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/womensvitalitycenter/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/womensvitalitycenter
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dramyday/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-womens-vitality-center-oakland
• Other: Watch our free on-demand workshop “Navigating Perimenopause and Menopause: Is HRT right for me?” at https://womensvitalitycenter.com/workshop

  Get our Hormone Balancing Checklist download here: http://womensvitalitycenter.com/checklist