Nilgun Onal

I attribute my success to myself as a person who can think outside of the box. I really want to understand and problem solve instead of just getting through the motions. Most corporate jobs or hospitals feel like a vicious cycle where people keep going with the motions, dealing with the same problems over and over. I look for the root causes instead of just going with the normal flow.

The best career advice I've ever received is really don't be scared to pivot and change things around if you feel like that you're not aligned. I've spent so many years in education getting my master in nursing and MBA and 12-plus years in the conventional healthcare setting, really investing in that career. When I felt like things didn't align with how I wanted to help people, having that courage to pivot is how I started my company. That was the best advice that I got from my business mentor.

If they're in a profession, they got the education and went in that profession for a reason, but as we grow as a person and as a professional, things might change and you might not feel well aligned with what you're doing currently although you've spent so many years investing in it. Don't be scared or afraid to make that change. I know it's a financial risk for a lot of people, but at the end of the day what's important is do I feel alive going into that workplace, do I feel like myself, do I really feel like I'm making an impact on people's lives. So don't be scared to make that change if you feel drawn to it.

Right now people are so conditioned to thinking that having a disease like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes means not changing anything until it's an actual problem. They wait until the pain of the problem is greater than the pain of change, and sometimes by then it can be too late to get their health back 100%. The biggest challenge is shifting people's mindset and mentality around health so they own their health and become the CEO of their own health instead of outsourcing it, and they have to pay out of pocket since I don't accept insurance which makes some back off.

I would definitely say integrity and authenticity. When people come to me with their problems, I am very open and honest in telling them your body didn't get to this stage overnight, there was a process until disease or symptoms show up as a problem so it will take us some time to heal your body. We're not looking here for immediate satisfaction or gratification, it will be a little bit delayed. You just have to stay consistent with the plan of care and the little behaviors that we introduce every week, whether that be lifestyle, diet, nutrition, exercise, stress management, or having a good sleep protocol.