We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natalie Geary a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Natalie, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I had always worked for other people, including in medicine. Right out of residency at NYUI was hired at a prestigious Faculty practice there. When I moved with my husband and young children to Santa fe NM I joined the hospital-affiliated practice there. Great jobs, well respected, safe. However, I was also trained in medical anthropology and ayurvedic medicine so I really believed in what was first called alternative medicine, then complementary medicine and now integrative medcine. But at the time, working for other MDs, I kept those practices quiet. Most MDs thought it was all “quack” stuff. But when I moved back to my hometown of NYC I had gained the confidence to practice medicine the way I believed it should be: holitistic, personalized, calm and integrating the best of healing practices. So I chose to open my own practice and do things differently than I had been while employed by other practices. So now I am called an ” integrative medicine doctor with a concierge practice”- not a label I would choose.
The main first steps on a practical level were finding space, learning about running a medical practice ( legal, insurance, supplies, admin). I was very fortunate that I was born and raised in NYC so I had a lot of people to spread the word that I was opening my own practice. And I committed to being 100 percent available for patients.
What would I have done differently? Setting boundaries with patients was hard. Still is. And ” networking” with colleagues was not something i did enough of- because any free time I had was spent with my children. Would not change that.
Advice: medicine has changed a lot. The rules are different. Build a practice with very clearly defined goals and set parameters for services offered Start a practice with a trusted colleague if possible- and do not start seeing patients too fast- its exciting and you will want to jump right in, but its hard to take back things you originally provided, and its hard to correct patterns once they are in place. And be sure you know why you are practicing medicine in the first place.
that said, stick to your guns about what you want to ffer, and how you believe care should be delivered.

Natalie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was a medicial anthropology major at Harvard, with plans to study health care in the context of culture- ie how different cultures perceive and respond to illness and treat disease. But while doing research in India, and studying Ayurvedic medicine, I decided I wanted to be more hands on and could be more effective if I went to medical school. So I became an MD and also trained in Ayurveda ( East Indian medicine). Afyer 30 years imostly practicing in my primary care office, I have moved entirely to sustainable preventive and corrective care. So now I provide care, coaching and consulting to children and adults about nutrition and wellbeing. I believe that ” wellness’ has become an industry in our culture, often promising quick fixes and misguided advice. My goal is to provide sustainable wellness which really means helping people take baby steps of attainable change towards a long term goal of sustainable wellness- in their diets, in their work habits, in their personal choices and in their self-care.
My practice/company , vedaHEALTH, I believe offers a unique support system for people to achieve their health and wellness goals because I bring together both allopathic ( MD) and holistic ( Ayurveda and nutrition) to support a person’s growth and sustainable health. No quick fixes, no instant and therefore fleeting changes. I break down the issues and concerns into baby steps. Its a longer journey, but one that is attainable and sustainable.

Any advice for managing a team?

I think the key to management is to create a healthy work environment which means 1. Clear articulation of expectations and metrics for success
2. A forum for open discussion, with the caveat that it is not a place to just vent, but rather a place to come with constructive criticism AND a possible solution
3. A meaningful appreciation of the workplace culture- from the physical space to the food, vacation protocols to holiday schedules, from daily appreciations and pep talks, to clear leadership voices

Morale is based on feeling seen, heard and appreciated. This does nt mean that everyone is each others buddy, but that their is a culture of respect that is articulated and reviewed often and carefully.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

My practice grew by word of mouth from other clients and by reputation with other colleagues who referred to me. I did not advertise: I think the old adage that a happy client is the best advertising you can get is especially true in my field. So tending to clients’ personal details, taking the time to personally call specialists to thank them for seeing my referrals etc- the personal touch. But it needs to be genuine-people are very savvy- they can tell when you actually care and when you are paying lip service to an issue.

Contact Info:

• Website: vedaHEALTH.com
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/drnataliegeary