Not very supportive on an emotional level after getting a serious diagnosis I have to say... Initially, I went to see the doctor getting a biomarker panel done with the intention to check on my health.
The blood panel was passed on to me from a colleague who had learned blood chemistry analysis from a functional medicine doc in the US by the name of Dr. Datis Kharrazian, a Harvard Medical School trained and award-winning clinical research scientist from the US.
I did not expect that I would leave the doctor's office with the diagnosis of an "incurable" autoimmune disease "one can not do anything for", according to the doctor.
Seriously, how would you feel going through this?
A year prior a member of my own family had received a diagnosis of autoimmune disease and I remembered the grief and pain my parents went through...
To make things worse I felt ashamed as a healthcare practitioner that I ended up with such a grave medical diagnosis. So the diagnosis hit me quite hard emotionally.
Nevertheless, deep inside I knew that I was going to handle this situation. I was certain that my diagnosis was not the end of my life.
In my own family history, there were a lot of cases of autoimmune disease, so I knew I needed heavier guns than just flower medicine to get better.
It was perfect timing to dive into something new that I intuited was offering a great solution to my health challenge: FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
While going through all this I was building my Integrative Chinese medicine Clinic in Canberra.
Running my own business I quickly realized that patients don't just appear out of thin air. Instead, I had to be smart about how to attract the right clients I could get results for:
In only 3 short months, I set up an SEO optimized website and through sharing my story went from an unknown "Chinese medicine guy" to becoming an innovative "functional medicine informed healthcare practitioner". I used Youtube for this back in 2013. I worked with doctors to get blood labs done, put athletes on a paleo diet, ordered stool tests, and used cortisol profiles to optimize the health of my patients.
I loved working in my clinic from 2009 to 2013 with a focus on fixing adrenal and gut health issues for overtrained CrossFit athletes. At the same time, I worked with Dr. Ruth Edwards, an integrative GP from Melbourne to get on top of my own health.
For sure there was a lot to learn and it was difficult to get an education for functional medicine in Australia at that time but I knew I was onto something.
Then in 2013, when my wife and I moved to the Netherlands to be part of a tech startup I became aware that I was an "Early Adopter of Functional Medicine" in Europe. No doctor who I wanted to get help from was clued in on it yet.
During our start-up journey, I even ended up advising high-level entrepreneurs as a "Biohacker" on how to fire up their energy levels for faster and better execution because of my insights into nutrition, functional medicine, and systems biology.
When I moved to Germany in 2018 I got featured in Bavarian television and FOCUS Online Magazine due to some social media posts I made in which I shared my story of how I got my health back due to applying functional medicine as a biohacker and early adopter of this new approach to personalized precision medicine.
It was then when I experienced first hand the power of social media and what storytelling could do. I understood that I could be an advocate for functional medicine in Germany.
When I had gotten symptom free from my autoimmune disease and got rid of debilitating symptoms like brain fog, occasional depression, and fatigue I knew that I wanted to play a bigger game to make this innovative medicine, developed by the brilliant Dr Jeffrey Bland, bigger in Europe.
The story continues: due to my passion for storytelling and functional medicine, I am now co-hosting monthly live events featuring leading functional medicine doctors and health coaches in Germany.
Since I launched fxmedaccelerate.com I am seeing more and more opportunities coming my way because of having shared my story online, creating high-quality content, and giving generously to the people who are connected in the European functional medicine ecosystem.
Often I end up becoming a key project partner to functional medicine and biohacking leaders via adding value through strategically advising on digital content strategy and connecting them to other key players in their field to maximize impact on society and value-driven bottom lines.
Generosity, kindness, respect, and loyalty are the key values around which I am aiming to build up my brand and business operation. Personal happiness that reflects on others and community building is what I am really passionate about.
Not at all... Being an entrepreneur in the functional medicine ecosystem in Europe is challenging, especially in a healthcare system that is not clued in yet on how powerful functional medicine is.
Yes... I was part of a startup with my wife in which we had an original investor of PayPal who invested 250.000 EUR which was incredibly stressful when it did not work out...
Sure... I was really sick and burned out due to autoimmune disease and I was afraid that I would lose my family and could never work again due to an autoimmune disease...
Finally, I had times in which I could not even record a video in the past because I had so much brain fog and anxiety due to an undiagnosed Helicobacter pylori infection that for a while I even had to drive a delivery van of organic foods to kindergartens...
This is only a tiny fraction of all the challenges that I had to overcome to become the person I am today...
Here's the thing: since I've successfully launched fxmedaccelerate.com during the covid19 pandemic, with a proven digital business model that can be done 100% virtually, even from Australia where my wife's family is from, I'm committed to this.
I made it my mission to help functional medicine health experts like you to do the same: creating a virtual business model that works - day in and day out, pandemic or not, from home or abroad.
You see, exceptional storytelling is the key for you to get connected and visible with patients or clients that can and want to work with you.
Yet, I bet my favorite green tea from China you still don't have a compelling and authentic story and digital strategy in place that attracts the ideal patients or clients for you and to educate them on autopilot how to get well faster.
I'd really love to work with you and give you the frameworks and tools you need to start telling your story with a more compelling message to attract the right patients and clients to you.
When we do this together it might just change the way we do medicine in the world.
So what happens when you don't bring your story into the world?
Patients with a chronic disease will end up in a soulless medical system that will never truly help them to heal and have a good life with their families ever again.
Chronic disease crushes hope, it destroys families, and ends careers. I know this from the struggles I went through. But it does not have to be this way...
Please stop playing small, play your part, and create a bigger purpose that will change the way we do medicine. And how do you start?
You start by crafting your story! I can show you how...