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

Hi Dr Jillian, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken was opening a five-room medical clinic in Chula Vista, CA less than a year after passing my board exams. At the time, I had very little savings, no business background, and moderate clinical experience. Most would have waited, built more capital, gained more experience, but I had a vision and I knew I didn’t want to wait years to bring it to life.
I had already established a small massage practice in Mission Valley/San Diego, CA and had strong relationships with my clients. Their trust gave me the confidence to dream bigger. I decided to take the leap and open a larger space that would reflect the type of healing environment I believed in: one that integrated acupuncture, bodywork, and holistic wellness under one roof.
The process was intense. I worked with SCORE, a free business mentoring nonprofit, to help me write a business plan, set up financial projections, and understand what it would take to launch. I did most of the legwork myself, painting walls, furnishing rooms and setting up systems, while still seeing clients to generate income. I started with just massage clients when I first opened in Chula Vista, but within a few months, I had a stead stream of acupuncture patients, as well. There were moments when I wasn’t sure how I’d make rent, and days when no one was booked at all, but I kept showing up, focused on building something sustainable and true to my values.
Just as importantly, I invested in myself. I worked with several business and personal coaches—not only to build a strong, resilient business but also to get right with myself. That inner work was just as crucial as the logistics. It helped me align my intentions, clear internal roadblocks, and lead with clarity and confidence.
That leap has since grown into Urban Sage Acupuncture + Wellness: a multi disciplinary medical clinic offering acupuncture, massage, weight loss and lifestyle coaching, and red light therapy. We see 60+ patients/week and since opening our doors three years ago, we’ve rebranded, refined our offerings, and created a space where patients feel seen, supported, and empowered. Looking back, it was a huge risk, but it was also the catalyst for everything I’ve built since.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those unfamiliar with me and my journey into holistic wellness has been anything but linear…but every step has deepened my understanding of how people heal. Before becoming a licensed acupuncturist and founder of Urban Sage Acupuncture + Wellness, I spent years as a fitness coach, a Pilates instructor, a nutrition advocate, and even a restaurant owner.
My career began in movement. I’m an internationally certified Pilates instructor, trained at The Pilates Center in Boulder, Colorado, often referred to as the “Harvard of Pilates.” That training emphasized precision, anatomical integrity, and deep body awareness, which continue to influence my clinical approach today. From there, I led fitness classes, coached clients one-on-one, and developed a keen interest in helping people feel strong, recover from injuries, and empowered in their own bodies.
Alongside my fitness work, I founded The Bella Donnas, an all-women’s cycling society in Milwaukee, WI. We taught women how to confidently ride in urban environments, perform basic bike maintenance, and navigate cycling as a lifestyle. It was never just about bikes, though. It was about community, mutual support, and self-sufficiency. That experience taught me the transformative power of women, connection and peer-led encouragement, all of which I now infuse into every aspect of my clinic.
Earlier still, I co-owned the New Riverside Cafe in Minneapolis, a collectively run vegetarian restaurant deeply rooted in social activism and cooperative values. That chapter gave me a foundational understanding of nutrition, community service, and running a values-driven business. The commitment to social wellness and sustainability that guided that work is the same ethos behind Urban Sage Acupuncture.
Today, Urban Sage Acupuncture + Wellness offers acupuncture, therapeutic massage, infrared light therapy, herbal medicine, and holistic health coaching. We help clients with chronic pain, anxiety, digestive issues, hormone balancing, fatigue, weight loss, and more. Our Life Point Reset program, for example, combines acupuncture and lifestyle support to help patients safely and sustainably reach their wellness goals.
What sets us apart is our integrative, patient-centered approach. Every treatment plan is tailored to the unique needs of the individual. We work hard to create a safe, inclusive space where patients feel genuinely cared for. I draw from a wide range of modalities, East Asian medicine, Pilates, functional movement, and nutrition to meet people where they are and help them reach their fullest potential.
What I’m most proud of is the community we’ve built. Urban Sage Acupuncture isn’t just a clinic, it’s a space where people come to reconnect with themselves, feel seen, and take meaningful steps toward healing physical as well as emotionally. If you’re looking for a place that honors both science and spirit, structure and intuition, we’d love to support your journey.

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

One of the most powerful lessons I’ve had to unlearn is rooted in how I understood money: how to make it, manage it, and relate to it. I grew up in a lower-middle-class, rural household in the 1970s where the guiding belief was simple: to build financial security, you had to scrimp and save. We clipped coupons religiously, bought only what was on sale, and were taught to never dream too big when it came to money.
This scarcity mindset stayed with me well into my 40s. I genuinely believed that wealth was for “other people,” that having money was somehow greedy or selfish. I was never taught how to save strategically, leverage money to create growth, or build sustainable wealth. And while I was doing meaningful work, coaching, teaching and helping others, my financial fear kept me small. I was stuck in the mindset that if I just worked hard enough and pinched every penny, I’d eventually “make it.”
It wasn’t until I started working with financial coaches that I began to unravel those deeply embedded beliefs. I learned that having money isn’t bad, it’s empowering! With abundant financial resources, I can live a full, inspired life and contribute to my family, my friends, and my community in ways I never could before. That shift, from financial scarcity to abundance, was a game changer.
I dove into the teachings of thought leaders like Eric Edmeades, Vivian Tu (Your Rich BFF), and Lewis Howes. They each offered unique insights that helped me see money not as something to fear or hoard, but as a tool for freedom, impact, and generosity. I started building real financial literacy, learning how to invest, manage cash flow, and make empowered decisions from a place of clarity, not fear.
If I hadn’t made this internal shift, I’d likely still be practicing acupuncture part-time in a shared room. Instead, I now own and operate a growing wellness clinic with a team, a strong brand, and a clear vision. Rewriting my money story was not only transformative for my business, it was also healing on a deep, personal level.

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

When it came to funding my business, I had to get creative. I didn’t come from wealth, and I certainly didn’t have investors lined up. I had just finished grad school, which everyone knows is an educational money pit. What I did have was a clear vision, a strong work ethic, and a whole lot of resourcefulness.
I started by working with SCORE Mentoring, a nonprofit that offers free business coaching and affordable classes. Their support helped me understand how to structure a business, create a plan, and think strategically about growth. With that foundation, I looked at what I already had, and that was a steady massage practice. The income from my existing clients was enough to cover the rent and basic bills when I moved into the new Chula Vista clinic. That gave me a cushion and the confidence to take the leap into a larger space.
Then I did something a little unconventional. I created an Amazon “baby shower” gift list and told everyone, friends, family, and clients, that this business was the only baby I would ever have. I asked for support in setting it up the space, whether that meant buying a $5 bag of cotton balls or contributing toward a hydraulic massage table or office computer. I offered massage or acupuncture services in exchange for larger items. The response was overwhelming and heartwarming. People showed up for me, and that support laid the groundwork, literally and figuratively, for the clinic I run today.
I also steered clear of traditional funding advice like applying for an SBA loan. Despite what people say, the SBA doesn’t fund brand-new businesses. You need to have been in operation for three years and show revenue streams, which I didn’t have yet. Instead, I opened a 0% interest credit card with a $15,000 limit and used it strategically to get everything off the ground. I was disciplined and only spent what I knew I could pay off before the introductory rate expired. That decision allowed me to launch without taking on high-interest debt or losing equity.
Funding my clinic wasn’t about a big loan or investor backing, it was about resourcefulness, relationships, and intentional financial risk. And honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://urbansageacu.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theacuqueen/
• Facebook: ttps://www.facebook.com/TheAcuQueen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-sage-acupuncture
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theacuqueen
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/urban-sage-acupuncture-wellness-chula-vista-3
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theacuqueen

Image Credits

All photos taken by WorkPlay Branding