SHORTS 1 | Madeline Kent with Sante Health & Wellness

Welcome to the Loco Shorts Podcast from Loco Think Tank. In this podcast series, Loco Business Developer Rory Shah will help unfold bite-sized business learnings through the crazy experiences the business owners face along their small business journey. Listen in and listen up because these short business stories may just have the secret ingredient to taking your business to its next level of success. Okay, so let's go ahead and get started. So welcome everyone to the first Loco Shorts Podcast. And I'm really excited to have Maddie Kent here with us from Sante Health and Wellness. She's a personal really great friend of mine and also a aspiring business owner. And so I'm excited to share her story with you and have her talk about her journey in her own words. I know it's got some good stories behind why why she started a business and really the passion behind helping people with nutrition. She's got a really good heart and an awesome business model too. With that, Maddie, do you want to introduce yourself? Let us know more about your business and really why you started. Sure, thanks Rory. I'm happy to be here. So my business, Sante Health and Wellness, I started in 2017. And it's actually if anyone speaks French is also a word for health or to your health as a cheers in France. And it's an acronym as well. So it means scientific approach to nutritional therapy and empowerment. And I picked that word for a number of reasons. Primarily empowerment really resonated with me because I really like to equip my clients to be able to live sustainably without me. And I think that's why I like to give them tools. They can learn from that and they can carry that with them throughout the rest of their lives. So my journey with nutrition, like many health practitioners started because of my own health struggles that I had in my early 20s. And through a lot of in in and out some lots of lab tests and some great people that I met along the way. I was able to recover from, you know, having a parasite that I'd had for a long time that was making me tired and sick and unwell for many years. And so once I figured that out, I went right into nutrition school because I was ecstatic about the approach that I was given to heal. It was really an alternative route. And I just realized there were so many people that were falling between the cracks, right? Their doctors couldn't really give them a diagnosis because it wasn't, you know, showing up in their traditional lab work. And then other people that just are too embarrassed to talk about their GI problems. And so I kind of found this sweet spot where I really hold a sweet place in my heart for people that have GI issues and want to treat it naturally. And they want to work with a provider to find balance. So that's kind of the population I've narrowed down to. I mean, I certainly didn't start just working with that population. And it's such a huge topic these days that people are realizing it's not just GI pain. That means you have a GI problem. It could be acne, it can be headaches, it can be fatigue, it can be weight gain, it can be all of these things. And so a lot of my business now is about educating people that if you heal this very, very vital system in your body, everything gets better. So even if people come to me by just having, you know, some brain fog or, you know, difficulty with a rash, I mean, I almost always can like it back to some problem in the, in the GI. Well, how, how many people or what percentage of your clients would you say have GI issues then? Well, I would say probably, probably 50% of them come to me knowing that they have a GI issue, like they're suspicious because of bloating or bowel problems or they've done their own research. But by the end of my initial intake with people, I would say probably 90%. We have uncovering something that has to do with the GI, whether it's a food sensitivity or a bacteria imbalance. Wow, that is a lot. But I guess that means you know how to handle those people or what to look for, even if they're not self-reporting them. Yeah, and it's needed. I mean, I think that, you know, people are very uneducated about their bodies just because it's not in our education system at this point. And so it's, it's kind of fun to teach people like to listen to their symptoms, like that's a message from your body. Something is out of balance and, you know, they just need a little help interpreting it. So that's kind of where I come in. Got it. So I'm curious no more about how you made the transition from a nutritionist and you know all these, you, you've studied this immensely. You have this huge background of science. How do you transition that knowledge to become a business owner and running a business? Right. It wasn't intentional. Actually, I was going through nutrition school and, you know, getting business 101. It really wasn't a big core part of my program. And, you know, I jumped right in being an employee to somebody and, you know, this, it was an interesting situation. I basically landed my dream job and I hadn't even graduated yet. And I, before I knew that I just wanted to work with, with really gut health as a focus. I got a job, you know, only 30, 45 minutes from my house, working with an integrative clinic of, you know, chiropractors and a couple other people. And they were just launching a weight loss program. And they needed another hand on another nutritionist to kind of facilitate this weight loss program. And, you know, they, they told me all about it as far as it being really healthy and there wasn't any like anti, you know, appetite type drugs or things that a lot of clinics do. There wasn't a calorie counting and I was like, oh, this sounds great. I would love to help people, you know, lose weight naturally and feel good in their bodies again. And so I went through like three different interviews to get this job and was so excited that I got it. And the hours were weird started at 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. But there was a two hour break in the middle of the day where most people would go home. But I was at 45 minutes from home. So I was like, okay, well, I guess I'm going to take this to our break. And I'm going to study because I still had a couple more months of school left. And I was still working in a restaurant on weekends and because this job didn't pay very well. And I was in school still. And so I was finding myself just totally worn out. And those two hours I gave myself to study, I couldn't even stay awake. I actually would nap. And I was like, this is crazy. I'm like, you know, in my mid 20s, I'm healthy, I'm strong. And I was just being totally burnt out. But what really got me was once I actually learned what this job entailed at question everything that I stood for. And, you know, the very first assignment I had when I started this job was to create, you know, bags for all of our new members. And so I was looking through the checklist and I was putting in welcome packages and I was filling up these goody bags. And then I started realizing there was like list of food that I needed to put in. And I was looking around this clinic being like, well, where's the food. And then I saw this huge wall of powdered food. It was anything from pancakes to soups to jello to, I mean, whatever you can imagine, a liquid could come into once you add water. But I was just like jaw dropped, like, how did I get duped into this like this can't be real. And so I go and I look at the ingredients and it wasn't, I was like hoping it was maybe dehydrated food or something of substance. But no, it was, you know, it had all of the additives that had all of the food colorings and like the flavor chain. I mean, it was jaw dropping. So I didn't know what to do, but I talked to my immediate boss and I was like, hey, aren't you concerned about, you know, these ingredients like superlose like this has been connected to cancer, like this is a big deal. This isn't every ingredient of every meal that you're trying to feed these people. And it was completely not a concern to anybody. And so I, you know, kind of swallowed my pride a little bit and was like, you are interning, you got this really good job to stick it out. I had a goal to stay there for a year because I knew that I just wanted to learn as much as I could. I didn't even last six months. I every day went to work. I just like the integrity was just draining out of me and as much as I tried to look the other way and talk myself into, you know, all these rationalizations. And I had never really thought about the entrepreneurial path. And for some reason, something in me just started to rev up. And I was like, well, there's such a better way this can be done. This is a hell, there's a healthier way this can be done. And meanwhile, I'm totally strung out by working, you know, two jobs and still being in school and then just having my morals questioned every day that when I quit, I had a really kind of instantaneous moment of you're going to sink or swim. And I quit my job. I rented an office space and then I sat there in this empty office with no clients and no plan. And I just started networking my my butt off to get people to know that I was there and that I had a big heart and a big passion and and it works. Thank goodness because I didn't have a plan B. And I didn't want to go work for anyone else because I felt like it was going to be really hard to find what I felt like I needed to feel like I was living in line with my purpose. So that's kind of the quick story of what I think it was four or five months I worked there and it was probably some of the hardest months of my life, but it led me here and I don't know if I would have been an entrepreneur otherwise. Awesome. And now that you're on this side, would you have it in the other way? I can't imagine any other way. And it's, you know, and it's not for the reasons of, you know, I set my own schedule and, you know, I don't have a boss. It's, it's really not about that for me. For me, I really, I like working with people one on one and I like having the ability to shift my model if I, if I learned something new, you know, I don't feel restrained by a system and I don't feel restrained by, you know, a model that works. It's so ever changing for me and, and I think I really thrive off of that because I'm in an industry where I'm constantly learning new things and I have to say, that's not going to work anymore. The science is saying this now and, you know, that's the direction to go. So I really like having that fluidity. Yeah, I mean, that's impressive to know how fast that changes and you have to stay up on it. That's a, that's a big thing to take on. It is. And I mean, especially now with our endless amounts of information. It's like podcast and, you know, webinars and like constant information that it can be information overload. And, you know, I have to catch myself and restrict myself from learning too much because it just doesn't really make sense to just go overboard all the time. So it's great though. I mean, I, I have to say even up on the things that I don't really want to follow because clients will come in and say, Hey, I heard about this new crash diet. I want to do it. What do you know about it? And I have to know about it so I can tell them exactly why it would be a good choice or why it wouldn't be a good choice for them. And so it's interesting to follow the science. You know, the PubMed world and the leaders in the industry versus the pop culture and the trends and the things you see on Instagram and they're very different. So it's it's cool to help people sift sift through all of that noise and help really find them find them a place that resonates with them because it's different for everyone. Absolutely. And to find true results and to customize that with them, I think that's that's pretty powerful. It is. Yeah. And I think it helps, you know, that I do lap testing in my clinic as I really, I value the hard science when it comes to really understanding what's happening in a system of the body that we can't see. And so, you know, doing stool tests, doing blood analysis and showing people, I mean, people like to see their personalized results on paper to and to look at something and say, Oh, I'm not going to eat X because that makes my body inflamed is so much more powerful than me just suggesting that they don't eat something. You know, people really like to see it in red. And so I feel like people are more excited to follow through with suggestions when they see that it's bio individual to themselves too. Yeah, absolutely. I would feel the same way. Something was underlined and in the high category, I would definitely pay attention to that. Yeah, absolutely. So I'm curious to know your perspective on this year. I know it's it's been a half a year. But knowing what you know now, what would you tell yourself as a business owner, January 2020, how would you have prepared yourself to successfully make it through as you have? Or to calm yourself? Well, I was lucky enough I had already switched over to a database that allowed me to do virtual calls. I, you know, I work with people out of state and, you know, not not local. So I had already switched to a platform where that was accessible and I was comfortable using it. So I was very happy with that because most of my clients did move to virtual sessions, at least for a few months. You know, depending some people do come in now, we just are safe about it and follow regulations. But one thing I'm doing now that I wish I would have done earlier in the year. As I'm actually creating a digital course and that can be accessible to anyone to, you know, purchase and learn more about their body and it's not going to restrict me to my bubble here in Fort Collins and Colorado. But I would have I wish I would have done that a bit earlier. I mean, I think that there's so many people home wanting to learn. And maybe for the first time tapping into how they cook, you know, if there are a lot of people eat out a lot and now they were stuck at home. And so I wish I would have created some more tools for people knowing that that was where a lot of people would end up. And so I'm doing that now. You know, I would have loved to equip people with those skills early on. Like, you know, here's a webinar on how to create a healthy meal in 30 minutes and, you know, with the kitchen tools you have and the kitchen skills you have. And so I see that in my future. I think I'm launching my first, you know, program about got got repair and got health in December of this year and probably well into 2021 as well. That's fantastic. Yeah, thank you. Tell me what were you most proud of that you did this year? Oh, this year, I felt like I was okay to not meet goals on the way that I had anticipated. You know, I we always have as business owners goals for growth or goals for revenue goals for personal, you know, achievements and, you know, I, I did some of those things. I was a spark a word recipient, which was really a great honor from the BBB. But as far as, you know, my goals for for growth and revenue absolutely did not hit what I was hoping. You know, when March, April and May came, I was proud of myself for just not over analyzing things and giving myself some grace and just being happy that I had the ability to still work. I think a lot of people were completely shut down. And as a previous restaurant worker, I could see that that could have been me. I could have been totally out on the curb. And so I felt really grateful even in my lower revenue months that I was still I was still working. I was still able to help people. That's fantastic. I like that you have some self kindness in there. That's okay. That didn't happen. They didn't beat yourself up about it. I think that's that's critical. Yes, you have to. I mean, one thing I've learned about gut health is that I mean stress. There's one of the biggest ways to mess up your handsides. So I mean, yes, I was stressed. I have lots of tools to handle stress, but you know, I think that that was kind of the motto this year for a lot of people is is how are you managing like you can't fix anything. A lot of things are out of your control. All you can do is manage your little world. And for some people that's watching the news every day and for some people that's completely shutting out the world for a couple months because it's too stimulating. So whatever you have to do to take care of you. Yeah, that makes me think of my next question. How do you fill your cup. How do you recharge? I mean, I do so many different things. Probably the first thing I do every day is I am out with my dog every single day. I probably take at least two hours every day to walk her, you know, it's separate times, you know, once earlier in the morning and then once in the evening, sometimes once at lunch and just being out in nature with her is is the favorite my favorite part of the day. But when it comes to just me and recharging, I also do a lot of energy work and that is a part of my life that I've had ever since I was a young teenager. And so I do some self care that way, as well as reading, I mean, as much as I read nutrition geeky things, I definitely indulge in a fiction novel and I'm in a book club with my sister. So I treasure that and I allow my mind to do some escapism and, you know, that's one of my favorite parts of recharging too. That sounds pretty balanced and connected. You've got some other people in there to help keep you accountable and on with that. Absolutely. So what, what is your next big milestone for your business? Well, let's see. So November this year will be officially my three year marker. So I'm almost at my three marker. I just super exciting. So yeah, I would say that's probably my biggest milestone coming up. But you know, there's little ones in between. I mean, I quit my restaurant job shortly after that. So I kind of have my my anniversary of totally hands off of not having income anywhere else, but from what I find. And that's that's my personal like anniversary of like that's when you jump ship entirely like that's when you really, really decided to trust yourself in this. So yeah, those are two. Awesome. I guess my last question for you would be if you have any tips or tools or tricks and nutrition or that you'd like to share with other business owners that maybe along their journey. Any key things that you learned that you want people to know they don't have to go through this alone or they don't have to do this by themselves. They can maybe learn this from you. Yeah, that's a good question. You know, I'd say on like a business standpoint, not doing it alone. Just the words you just use is critical. I mean, I think that out of all of my classmates, I was the first person that started a business on my own. And I think they're also calling me now like how did you set up your LLC and like what license do you need and what insurance can you get. And I didn't have that help when I started my business because I didn't know anybody that had done it before. Not to say those people aren't accessible. So I would say as a business owner, starting your business like get that help, you know, like we have so many great resources here like the SBA and places that just make it really easy to kind of filter through all of the if and some butts and can help you, you know, get all the documentation needed. But as a curb business owner needing to connect with other business owners, like what you guys do at loco is so vital. And I found that primarily networking at the Chamber of Commerce and then joining some like women's groups and doing things where, you know, those people are your friends and they're not your family. And it creates this space for you have a sounding board that isn't connected you personally, per se, but they will give you really great critical advice on your business and you're not going to muddle up any relationships because I made that mistake too of like just, you know, blabbing to my family and my friends like wanting to get support and they just, you know, it's just too messy. I mean, I feel like it's really vital to get a mentor or a business coach or some peers that can, you know, sit with you and talk business and that's that relationship and it keeps it clean and it keeps it level headed. And I think that's maybe my next goal in 2021 is to hire a business coach and I've met a couple that I really resonate with and I've always held back because of right finances that's always worried about, but ultimately, when you hire somebody that can look at your business in a bird's eye view and give you some really, you know, unbiased information is and pushes you to grow. I think is awesome and I think I'm ready enough and I'm fixed and enough now that someone can come in and and tear apart my business and I would say, okay, okay, I'll listen to you because I know that I'm not a business pro by any means, I mean, I think that I spend 70% of my time learning new nutrition and 30% of my time taking business classes because you know, no one teaches you how to do all this. You know, use resources, I think would be my biggest piece of advice. Absolutely, that's a great piece of advice. Yeah, there's a lot out there that people don't know when they're embarking on their journey and they're really good at what they do and they're so passionate about serving their clients and customers, but some things fall a little bit like processes or finances. So finding help in the right ways that works for individuals, I think yep, totally key, totally can. So I think that's all for now, do you want to share with us where people listening can get a hold of you or find more about you? Sure, yeah. So my website is Santé, which is spelled S-a-n-t-e-healthand-wellness.com. I'll spelled out all one word. So on there, there's contact info for me either by email or telephone is on there as well. But yeah, I'm local here in Fort Collins and I mean, as soon as I'll be launching that digital course in December, I'm hoping to have that available on my website as well for purchase. So if people want to gift health to somebody they know that could use that information, it should be really interactive. I'm going to be actually a part of that launching program to support people on the way. And my office is over by the hospital. I'm in Robertson Medical Park. So I am here on the ground and also working virtually. Well, Maddie, thank you so much for your time and sharing your business story. I know a lot about you, but it's nice to know the different layers of the grit. It takes to be a business owner and knowing that there's so many pieces to make it successful. You have to have a balanced personality and a balanced business and you know that a balanced gut. It all has to be balanced. So thank you for sharing your story with us. We'll talk to you on the other side. All right. Thanks, Rory. Hi, welcome to the local shorts podcast. I'm Rory Schar. I am the business developer at local think tank. And I have the pleasure of being here with Maddie Kent. She is the owner of Santa Health and Wellness and she is going to be talking to us about her journey of how she started her business, why she started getting into nutrition and how she helps people beyond just their their gut health and balancing some nutritional issues that they're going through. So let me pass it over to Maddie and she can start telling her story. Thank you for listening to today's episode of the local experience podcast. This is Kurt Baer, founder of the local think tank and host of the local experience. And I'm here with Rory Schar, local business developer and host of the local shorts episodes. We hope you heard some new ideas and business perspectives in this episode. Our mission and all that we do, including this podcast, is to share collaborative business ideas and solutions that uplift the business community. Subscribe and follow us where you listen to podcasts to get new episodes as they are released. Curious about local? You can learn more about us at localthinktank.com where you'll find more information about our chapters, business resources and events for business owners and key leaders. If you're looking for perspective, accountability and encouragement along your business journey, why not apply for a chapter near you today? Why not? Why not? Why not? We'll catch you next time on the in-depth local experience podcast with me, Kurt. And with me, Rory for Bite Size Business Lessons in the local shorts. Bye!