We were lucky to catch up with Katherine Altneu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Katherine 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?

Before I made the career move to be an acupuncturist I had two very different and important-to-me jobs – one was in finance, and the other was as a rafting guide.

In finance, I was a buy-side analyst for a small investment fund which meant, in a nutshell, that I picked stocks. I was fresh out of undergrad with a magna cum laude degree in Economics… and they let ME pick the stocks… little-old-me! The lesson I learned was that maybe no one actually knows what’s going to happen and can predict what will go up or down. I did my best and the stocks I picked that year were ironically for a needle-disposal company and an electronic health records company – it’s ironic when you consider that now as an acupuncturist I use both of those things constantly throughout my workday, lol. They both went up that year and I got lots of high fives. Fhew. But I still think… does everyone feel like they’re just winging it? It’s a helpful reminder to me whenever I find myself doubting myself. Just do your best, trust yourself, and try to have some confidence.

As a rafting guide on class 3 and 4 rapids on Browns Canyon, I built on that lesson. I learned that while you can have a ton of experience, factors change constantly and every situation is different. And so to be a good leader, it takes having the best intentions and training and then getting comfortable with a bit of uncertainty.

In my acupuncture practice, I think of these lessons all the time. I try to give my patients a good idea of what to expect, how much they’ll need to come in, and what progress and results will look like. But it’s impossible to tell my patients exactly what will happen. Especially because I specialize in fertility, which is so complex and nuanced (and fascinating). I wish I could promise people that they’ll definitely get pregnant and in “X” number of months. But while we have an excellent success rate and so many heartwarming success stories, that’s impossible to promise or predict with integrity. Sometimes I feel like I’m still navigating people down a rambling river in which the conditions are rapidly changing and every trip is different. Almost all of the time, it’s wildly successful, and I love it.

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?

I’m an acupuncturist, herbalist, holistic women’s health expert, and the founder and clinic director of The Point Acupuncture & Holistic Medicine in Denver. I’m also the creator of the Becoming Mama program.

When I had health and period problems of my own, I discovered the healing power of holistic medicine and left my career in finance to help others achieve optimal health and wellbeing holistically.

As a fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine, I’m one of under 300 practitioners in the country to have advanced certification in fertility. I’ve passed rigorous training and testing, and have completed a preceptorship in a Reproductive Endocrinology Clinic.

I’m the mama of two beautiful children. Both were “geriatric pregnancies” (ugh, that term), born right before my 37th and 40th birthdays. I especially love supporting people of advanced maternal age (again, with that term), diminished ovarian reserve, poor egg quality, PCOS, a history of miscarriage, and other fertility challenges to improve their fertility, get pregnant, and have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

At my clinic, The Point, I have four associate acupuncturists on my team. And they’re all amazing. We treat not only women’s health and fertility, but also everything from physical discomforts like IBS & back pain to emotional discomforts like anxiety & depression, and all the other things that doctors tend to shrug their shoulders at… we want you to know: there is hope; true healing is possible. Honestly, this is where acupuncture and holistic medicine shine!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Sharing educational posts on Instagram has been huge for building our reputation. I think people don’t really understand how we work, what acupuncture is, how it could help them or change their life, and all that it can do. People don’t really understand what we mean when we say “we identify and treat the root cause”. Sharing posts that SHOWS them this, rather than just TELLS them, with real-life and helpful examples of this in action… has really been impactful.

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

I really like applying the Love Languages in my work relationships! I think that for many people, especially in my healing profession, a paycheck is not the biggest or only motivator. People want meaning and purpose, to feel appreciated, and to know they’re making a difference in the world.

I like to try to figure out my associates’ love language and make sure that I’m showing them my appreciation in a way that will be meaningful for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thepointdenver.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepointacu