Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Orvieto.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always knew I wanted to help people and it took a while to figure out what that looked like for me. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine was introduced to me at an early age, about 18 years old. There was a period of time that I was always sick, was on endless amounts of antibiotics and nothing was helping me. I had exhausted all of my resources in Western medicine and decided to try another approach. I started to see an Acupuncturist (who spoke very little English), and after about three months of consistent Acupuncture (going 2-3x/week), I was significantly better. It amazed me! It never crossed my mind that I could even study Chinese Medicine because my Acupuncturist was from China, so in my eyes, it was this ancient medicine that you could only learn in China. I continued on the traditional path, received my Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from Barry University and when I graduated, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Before starting school to become an Acupuncturist, I was a Middle and High School Chemistry teacher, which although I loved, I knew it wasn’t what I could see myself doing professionally forever. It wasn’t until my cousin casually mentioned to me that there was a school to study Acupuncture in San Diego that I realized that is exactly what I wanted to do. Soon after, I applied to school, moved to San Diego and started my journey to become an Acupuncturist at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego. After four years, I received my Masters in Traditional Oriental Medicine, moved back to Miami (where I’m from), applied for my Doctorate in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. While I was completing my Doctorate, I started practicing and graduated in May 2018. It wasn’t until April 2019 that I opened my own Clinic in Hallandale Beach and it has been the most pivotal point in my career thus far.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My journey to get where I am has definitely not been smooth and I’m sure I will continue to have some challenges along the way. Some of the struggles I have had are probably very similar to others starting their own businesses. I left school with a mountain of student loan debt and no idea how to start my business. I didn’t know how to read a lease or contract, what to charge my patients or where to start my business (how many rooms, how big a space, the location, etc). I also struggled with finding new patients and keeping my business running. There came a point that I questioned whether or not I was in the right field because I didn’t feel as I was able to run a successful practice.
Something I advise young women who are starting a new business is compressing time by finding the right mentor/coach with practical industry-specific knowledge. The right mentors/coaches can help relieve anxiety, increase confidence, and give you the guidance to get your business where you want it to go. I was able to hit goals that I had written down for 3-5 years in 3 months by finding the right team to guide me. My team consists of three coaches. They work on my mindset, retail, community outreach, communication, analytics, marketing, and clinical ability.
The right coach is still in the game, they are still practicing. They are walking the walk and talking the talk and they keep it simple. In my experience, the amateur bloviates. The experts are able to break things down Barney-style simple, just like the kid’s show. Almost everything my mentors/coaches have taught me has been counterintuitive and the opposite of what conventional wisdom common sense is. Another piece of advice is if you find the right mentor/coach, make sure you are coachable, listen to them and aren’t afraid to take action.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine licensed in the State of Florida and nationally board certified as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine. Most of the time, I am my patients’ last resort. They have tried almost everything, have exhausted all of their resources and nothing has seemed to help. I have two sides to my practice: one of my specializations is chronic conditions/illness. My other specialization is Cosmetic Acupuncture, which is a natural way to get rid of lines and wrinkles and give the face a natural lift without toxic injections or invasive surgery.
I am most proud that I have a practice that gives my patients hope that their quality of life can improve. I have built a practice that I can see a variety of ailments and have about a 90% success rate.
What sets me apart from others is that I give my honest recommendation at the initial meeting. I dig in and do some detective work to understand what exactly is going on to determine whether or not I am able to help each of my patients. If I believe I can help, I create a customized treatment plan for each of my patients. From the initial meeting, each of my patients has a clear idea of how often and how long I will need to see them in order to address their concern. There are no surprises and that creates great trust between us.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
This may sound counterintuitive, but when it comes to my business, one of my biggest reasons for my success is that I spend my time implementing and taking action in my business, that I don’t have the time to listen to podcasts or read a book. There is an endless amount of great information out there, on books and podcasts, and what has happened to me in the past is that I’d start to read or listen and never take action with any of the information because I have many unanswered questions. Most of the time, the books end up collecting dust and the podcasts sit on pause, unfinished. A lot of my peers have difficulty focusing because they don’t know how to utilize the information they’re given from these podcasts and/or books.
In my down, I absolutely love reading and even listening to books for leisure. It’s a way for me to relax my mind and not think about the everyday hustle
Contact Info:
- Address: 400 S. Dixie Highway Suite 3
Hallandale Beach, Fl - Website: Www.soflaacupuncturewellness.com
- Phone: 954-251-2182
- Email: info@soflaacupuncturewellness.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/dr.andrea.orvieto_dacm
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Andrea-Orvieto-DACM-of-SoFla-Acupuncture-Wellness-1570781169837374/
Image Credit:
Courtney Ortiz of Courtney Studios
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