We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ingrid Edshteyn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ingrid below.
Hi Ingrid, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
One of a series of risks I took over the last few years was deciding to move to a state that I have dreamed of living in since I was a kid, and then going against the grain on professional career advice by starting out my own medical practice, alongside a fitness training business.
We had been living in NYC for several years, had been working in a good job in preventive medicine for several months, and then we plunged into a big move to the west coast, not having any local family, friends, or secured job lined up. It’s definitely been a challenge, but we listened to what was calling us – the joy of being outdoors: going on regular hikes, swimming in the ocean, exploring the varieties of people and places in the LA area, and developing new friendships with wonderful people.
As part of the risk taking, after having worked for a private PrevMed company, academic medical center, and multispecialty practice, I knew it was time for another big risk – starting my own medical/wellness center. Because where I wanted to work didn’t exist! My vision was the incredible multidisciplinary practice at the former Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC where I had the opportunity to train during medical residency: patients could come in to meet with a doctor who specialized in integrative medicine, along with participating in a medical fitness program, and experience alternative modalities like acupuncture. It was a holistic model of care designed for healing, and I knew I wanted to make my own small version of it here in LA. So we did. We opened an integrated medical fitness center in West Hollywood, offering holistic primary care along with strength and conditioning training and yoga and meditation classes. The best part of it all was the committed team who supported the vision and had the tenacity and optimism to get through all the unexpected turns and changes in direction.
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 back background and context?
about yourself: love of learning, particularly about biology, medicine, and economics. This interest has been directed toward the exec MPH in Public Health and Preventive Medicine… plus the 2 additional Board certifications in Lifestyle Medicine and Obesity Medicine. I’m very curious about how we apply our knowledge for enhancing healthspan and the future of more personalized interventions.
how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc: Likely first with childhood training in martial arts (which offered an initial exposure to internal practices and self-regulation), then via an interest in natural medicine/integrative medicine and by becoming a yoga and meditation teacher during college. I saw the value of the inner contemplative traditions in supporting mental and physical health and wanted to find a way in which to apply this in a professional, medical setting. By chance, another medical school student had shared an invite to attend a PrevMed conference and from there, I became attracted to the possibility of applying mind=body medicine principles in the specialty. Also with continued good fortune had a number of mentors in the field of Lifestyle Medicine who encouraged and guided toward applying the principles of healthy living as both prevention and treatment for numerous medical conditions. I knew I had found my home in the medical setting with this group of clinicians who were spearheading nutrition, exercise, well-being and positive psychology as clinical tools.
what type of products/services/creative works you provide,: Currently I’m focused on a Preventive Medicine clinical practice that enhances healthspan by healing both body and mind. Think Peter Attia’s Outlive principles in a clinical program with the support of an integrative coach. For those in whom it is appropriate, I also offer ketamine therapy as a catalyst for lifestyle transformation.
what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others;
I help those who have been struggling with chronic health issues like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, alongside mental health difficulties like depression and anxiety, by offering treatment for both with mind-body medicine. Most of the time in the medical system we only address one symptom or a small piece of the puzzle, only to return to the same problems later down the road. What makes us different is that we address mental health as a priority, such as with ketamine therapy, as this can be a catalyst for health transformation that creates enduring positive change.
What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
I’m proud that we treat the whole person: an integrative approach to care that is science-based and compassionate, with the coaching to enable to the long-term changes we really need to make the fruits of our efforts last.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
COVID! We had opened our medical fitness center one year prior and had spent months preparing for our first marketing launch for the fitness practice, when one week after we started our first advertising, we had to shut it all down due to COVID. We then started offering online courses and outdoor training as options to keep things moving forward. And then there was a break-in with multiple items stolen, along with a continued increase in local crime, requiring us to get private security and even staying overnight to make sure the place stayed safe, knowing that if we were broken into it would take months to restart operations. The medical practice also went through a number of transitions with insurance models, offerings, and integration with the fitness training. The resilience would not have been possible without the most amazing staff members and friends supporting us throughout this whole time. We kept at it, looking for new opportunities and ways to manage with the current situation and surprises that came up along the way.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Perhaps as part of medical training we’re taught to have a risk averse, conservative mindset, focused on application of the evidence based guidelines. My lesson in running my clinical practice and fitness business is that this risk averse approach needed to be considered with operational management objectives and a client-centered mindset.
Wearing the hat of the physician, my first inclination is not toward sales, but in offering the highest quality of care. So I would spend double, triple the average amount of time another doctor would in patient appointments, and then write out detailed care plans (with references!) My fitness trainers were also motivated in this direction and would go above and beyond in detailing the why behind the training, and ensuring the client got the most out of the session. In other words, not just your typical doctor appointment or personal training session. This had to be refined over time to fit into more realistic operational management, factoring in what are the clients’ priorities and preferences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.valialifestyle.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valialifestyle/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ingridedshteyn/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/valia-lifestyle-los-angeles