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

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I originally started my career in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and worked in the hospital system for 14 years. I eventually knew that I needed to make a change so that my work more closely fit my lifestyle and ethics, so I took a job with a holistic pediatrician office. That job was such a great experience and I learned so much! However, when I decided not to return to that job and be a stay at home mom after delivering my second baby, I knew I was going to open my own business. There were specific things I was going to implement in my business to address the common complaints of an insurance based medical office, as well as to create a business that was unique from all of the other offices around. Some of the things I wanted to make sure were present were as simple as wanting windows in every room to make sure that I didn’t feel like I was working in a cave all day! I wanted the families and children to feel like they were in a pleasing environment with plenty of space to relax and move around. I wanted my office to look like a house, or even be in a house. It was important to me that the children coming in felt at home and more felt like they were on a play date. Many of our families institute a no shoe rule at home to keep the floors clean of chemicals and toxins, so I wanted to create this environment as well so everyone was comfortable playing on the floor. I also decided that I would not be performing procedures in the office such as blood draws. Because there are so many children with sensory issues now, it is incredibly scary and stressful for them to come in to a building where there is a lot of crying or screaming. I had to create a process for how those things would happen seamlessly outside of the office. Most importantly, I knew that I was not going to have a “front desk” at my office. The biggest complaint I get about other offices when parents switch is that they could not get hold of the front desk, the staff was not helpful, it was difficult to establish care and make same day appointments, and it was almost impossible to get to their provider when they needed something. Therefore, I made an office without a front desk and where the providers handle all of their communication. As we grow I will need to implement a patient contact liaison, however unlike other offices, their job will be to connect the family to their provider, not provide a barricade to protect the provider from them. We also do not have any other staff that parents have to deal with during their appointments. The providers do all the communicating, history taking, and measurements, etc.

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 love babies. This is truly the crux of how I ended up where I am today. I always have loved babies and toddlers, and I always will. As to how I ended up owning my own holistic office, that is something that happened because of my own experiences in my own life. I was a very very sick child. I caught every illness, had chronic ear infections, and was exposed to way too many antibiotics throughout my childhood. By the time I was in college and in nursing school, I was so sick and underweight from stomach issues that I almost didn’t make it through school. Nine doctors and absolutely no help later, I ended up in a doctor’s office who had gone to alternative treatments. That was the start of me realizing there was so much more to learn and a place for both western and traditional medicine in life.

What really sets me apart from the other providers, even the other “holistic” providers, is that I very much believe in providing advocacy for my patients and their families. I will always step in and help someone who is not being listened to, who is being bullied, who is being mistreated, or who is being threatened. I frequently joke that I am always down for a good fight. However, really, I am just saying, I will do what is right, and I will put my personal life aside or rearrange my business life if someone needs my experience, training, and services so that they can get the care that they deserve. Whether they are in the hospital, another doctor’s office, dealing with a government or insurance entity, or even Child Protective Services, I am going to help them. My clients have a cell phone number to send me a flare via text, and they know they are welcome to share that number with their friends and family who may need help. Even other providers, including other doctors and providers, midwives, and doulas use that number so that they can have my help. I truly believe this is where medicine should be going. Yes we should provide sound evidence based care, and yes we should provide helpful and thorough appointments for them, however we have come to a period in medicine where it is time for the providers to step out from behind their barricades, employee watch dogs, and system walls to do what is right for everyone at all times. This is the only way we will change the system for the better.

Finally, in my office we strive to pay very close attention to everyone so that they can have the best health that they can. Weekly we have families coming in from other offices either having been dismissed or confused about what their plan of action is supposed to be. Sometimes they even come in with lots of information they gained from their last office whether it be labs or studies, but they haven’t been given the time needed to sort out what is really going on and what the specific and stepped course of action is that will get them where they are trying to go. We love a good mystery or complex case in this office, because we like to help those who have been dismissed or rushed through at other offices. Even for well visits or simple issues, we strive to answer every single question asked. If we don’t know the answer, which is rare, we will put that on a list and get back to you, every time. And if for some reason something falls through the cracks, you can shoot a direct message to that person to follow up. You can’t get all of these things anywhere else.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I recently had to make a major pivot in my business. I had the unfortunate experience of my business partner leaving my business suddenly. After recovering from the shock of a life time, I gained immediate control of every account, log in, and system, and replaced the office equipment needed to take care of clients. I contacted a PR expert that evening for help on how to respond, what to say or not say, and through which avenue to communicate to my clients. Most importantly, within 2 weeks flat, I brought on another nurse practitioner who very much resonates with my values and the way I practice to come on and help me with the older children that come to my practice. In the process of those two weeks I had a very open discussion with the physician she was currently working for, found her replacement for that physician to hire, and worked closely with my new hire to make sure the bare minimum was covered at my office, while she stayed on with the other physician to help train the new hire. This process could not have happened more seamlessly, and to be honest, I’m still in shock I was able to turn the tables so smoothly and quickly. What is exciting is that this new nurse practitioner also has a passion for helping moms and enjoys seeing adults as well. So during this event that could have very much been catastrophic, we also started building a whole new offer in to the business that is going very well. Building the adult section of the offer to become seamless while a provider acclimates to a customer intimate office without a bunch of ancillary staff is most certainly an undertaking for the two of us, however we have been working extremely well together so far and are excited about what we are up to. My advice to all business owners is to make sure that you know how to handle and access every facet of your business, whether that’s because you do it yourself, or because you have files you ensure are constantly updated to tell you how to do those things, in the event that you are ever faced with the same kind of potential catastrophe.

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

I had actually spent a lot of time inadvertently building my reputation in the market before I had even embarked on starting my own business or even thought it was a real possibility. My reputation certainly started in the holistic pediatrician office I worked in after leaving the hospital by providing good quality care while providing advocacy for patients as needed, and also took off with some radio interviews I did that went viral. However, within my close knit community, I joined them when I was a stay at home mother. As a rule, providers tend to feel themselves “above” everyone else. They do not feel that it is appropriate to become friends within their clientele group or join those groups in anyway. In fact, I had several other physicians and providers contact me saying that I couldn’t do that! Meanwhile, I was a stay at home mom wanting to spend time with other mothers who raise their children the same way I raise mine. Not only did I join them, I created a group for them and we actually meet up. I also freely offered my help to them as needed. Most people believe that they should not give away free help or free advice because then they would not have anything to offer to make money on or drive their business. This could not be further from the truth. The more people see what you have to offer and see that you genuinely care and want to help, the more they will be drawn to you as someone who can help them with the breakdowns they are having. In addition, long gone are the draconian ways of medicine and having “higher echelons” of people. People want to see what your life is really like and they want to see that you are just like them. And guess what? You are!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wmwsanctuary.com
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