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

Hi Njideka, thanks for joining us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

My defining moment happened when I went to college with the burning desire, I wanted to be a doctor. When I got to college, I received a big eye opener about my definition of a doctor verses what a doctor really did. To me, I saw a doctor as a healer because as a child growing up that’s what I saw doctors do. But the reality was doctors did not heal people. They did tests and gave medication. I immediately knew that I would not make it in the medical field, so I decided to become a social worker. During that time there was no such thing as alternative/complementary medicine. In my many years as a social worker I still had that burning desire to be a doctor, because as a social worker I saw the need. My clients used the emergency room as their doctor for many social reasons. So, when the field of alternative medicine was starting to happen, I enrolled in school to become a Naturopathic doctor. This opened the door for me to become the doctor I wanted to be as a child.

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?

Njideka Olatunde, ND, MSW, CRI, PhD the visionary and creative energy behind Focus On Healing Wellness Institute, founded in 1985, as a community education and research organization providing information on prevention and wellness approaches for healthy lifestyle changes needed for a better quality of life.

Njideka is an accomplished Naturopath Healthcare practitioner, with expertise in the cultural integration of alternative health care approaches with conventional medicine for mind, body and emotional wellness.

Dr. Olatunde is the creator of The Feminate Factor Educational System™ a program for women on how to live a better quality of life, Marketing Your Way To Success™ a marketing program for health and beauty care professionals, The Touchology
Reflexology Therapy Method™ for medication and addiction free pain relief, Work-Life Balance Wellness Program™ for worksite employee wellness programs, and H.E.L.P. Youth Training Program™ for youth ages 8-17 focusing on youth empowerment and self-sufficiency.

An acclaimed author, Master Reflexologist, Pain Relief educator, media personality, mentor, and consultant who has helped thousands of women and men make healthy stress-free lifestyle changes in their personal and professional lives.

For over 40 years serving as a Holistic Healthcare ambassador on a mission advocating medication and addiction free hands-on therapy for pain relief as an alternative to the opioid epidemic plaguing our communities.

Njideka’s life dedication as a health care activist allowed her to opportunity to serve as a founding board member on the American Reflexology Association Board, she established a private practice, developed several certification programs and organized the first Washington, DC Reflexology Association.

She is the author of an award-winning book Reflexology Today A Family Affair that awarded her the honor of being the first African American to represent America and nontraditional healthcare therapy at the Adult Wellness Conference in the People’s Republic of China and the International Congress on Natural/Traditional Bio-Energetic Medicine in Holguin, Cuba and the Bio Natural Health and Wellness Conference in Havana, Cuba.

In addition to a healthcare practice, she founded the Financial Empowerment Services Network, a financial education training and support services network that supports the goal of “Health Is Wealth and Wealth Is Health it is your birthright to have both”. The program was a collaborate effort with a group of health care practitioners and financial business professionals, who came together to support the vision of helping people learn about money, make health and financial lifestyle changes needed to erase illness and poverty consciousness mentality.

In celebration of 40 years’ service as a practitioner she republished Reflexology Today A Family Affair 2nd edition, The book is dedicated to pain suffers and pain care givers seeking an alternative to OTC and opioid meds using Touchology Reflexology™ therapy in relieving pain.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

I am in the business of relieving pain and assisting the body in the healing process. To relieve pain means you must be a good listener first. When a client visits a doctor, it is because they are in pain and want pain relief. The problem in my years of practice is I see “not enough time is spent” with the clients”. To relieve pain means you must seriously listen to your client, because the pain is more than physical. It is a mind, body and emotional connection, known as wholistic. When your client shares the story about their pain you then discover the source of the pain. When you find the source you can then address the pain problem and give your client what they want pain relief. The listening strategy I use is based on being patient centered. I call this give the patient what they want first instead of treatment. My reason is because no treatment or medication will work until the body is in a state of rest and relaxation. Relieve pain first then provide treatment. When this happens, the body can then begin to heal itself and the patient/client is willing to work with you in achieving optimum health and wellness.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

There are two books that are my business guide bible. To build my business the book Company of One by Paul Jarvis. I had no desire to build a big business. I wanted to have a productive and profitable business that provided a meaningful service to the clients I served. Having a company of one instead of a business with many has allowed me to be creative and innovative in building my healthcare practice. I can delegate tasks and hire independent contractors, so I can maintain my free spirit business growth and development style.

The second book is Mindset: The New Psychology of Success By Carol S. Dweck. This book is my personal business mental empowerment guide. To be in business requires understanding the mindset of your clients and the people you work with, which is needed to be successful. This book has helped me understand and recognize how to build and nurture rewarding and lasting relationships based on interactions with people who have a fixed or a growth mindsets. To pursue your business passion understanding the mindset is your key that opens the door to generating clients and managing consultants in achieving the goal of having a lasting, successful and profitable company of one.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.focusonhealing.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/evolving_butterfly
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/njidekanolatunde
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/FOHReflexology
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@touchologywellnessexperience

Image Credits
Focus On Healing Wellness Institute