Meet Merendi, an Intuitive Business Strategist and Start Up Queen

Meet Merendi, an Intuitive Business Strategist, Coach, and a Start-Up Queen of her Authentic Healthpreneur that supports, guides, and empowers female health clinicians worldwide to escape the 9-5 clinician mould, helping them start and grow their own unique and authentic businesses.

Merendi helps female health clinicians remove fear and find their inner power to step up and start their own health businesses. Her ideal client has a business idea or dream but just doesn’t know where to start. She helps remove these blocks and guides them to create their authentic health business and thrive. Moreover, she is very passionate about creating business systems and processes that work to streamline your business, and have you working less. She loves creating procedures and policies and completing audits within a business to determine if their HR, WHS, and other business policies and procedures are current.

What is more impressive about her is that she created her first health clinic for a hospital in my early 2os. Since then, Merendi has gone on to open 3 of her own health clinics and started health clinics from scratch for a university and private clinic.

Let’s get keen to learn more about her in our Q&A.

Tell us a little about yourself and your business?

I’m a leading health entrepreneur and Intuitive business strategist. I am also a single mum to 5 children aged 5 – 17. My business is Authentic Healthpreneurs and my mission is to support, guide, and empower female health clinicians worldwide to escape the 9-5 clinician mould and start and grow their own unique and authentic businesses.  I help launch women working in health and wellness into their dream businesses with a no ‘fluff’ approach. I get them super focused on the right strategies so they can work smarter – not harder, take massive action, and deeply love what they do.

I am a multi-award winner in the Pine Rivers Press Quest Business Innovation Award in 2009 and also the Ausmumpreneur for Best Service Business and Quest Best Health Care Service in 2010. I have also been nominated 3 times in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards, nominated a second time in the Ausmumpreneur Awards in 2012, was a nominee for the ESSA Industry Award for “Practice of the Year” and ESSA Industry Award for “Practicum Supervisor of the Year” in 2019. Most recently I was a finalist in my local Hills District Chamber of Commerce Inaugural “Women in Business Awards”. It’s fair to say, my work has been widely recognised by my peers! As a result, I am regularly approached by women in all stages of their health and wellness business journey seeking my guidance and wanting advice to propel them forward onto greatness.

During my 20+ year healthpreneur career I have successfully started and grown a variety of health clinics in hospitals, universities, and private practice. I was a new mum when I started my first health clinic with 3-month-old twins. Now, I’m sharing my knowledge, skills, and expertise with other female health clinicians who want to break away from working for someone else to owning their own successful and profitable health clinic. All of this hands-on experience allows me to provide exceptional value and support. I have been a business mentor for 10+ years to many inspiring women through USQ, CQU, ESSA, and most recently Business Qld and Inspiring Rare Birds. I am also honoured to have been asked to be an Ausmumpreneur Award Judge for the past 8 years.

I don’t offer the ‘cookie cutter’ strategies that other Intuitive Business Strategists and Coaches offer. I use proven, genuine, and individualised business strategies that will grow a health clinic that is truly authentic, unique, and profitable. I have walked this path before and I know what it takes to step up, set up, and grow a successful and reputable health clinic whose core values focus on integrity, quality, and honesty. I have a genuine interest in my clients to support and guide them through the clinic start-up process. I know what works and what doesn’t, so I can cut away the ‘BS’ and only give them the tools and strategies that work. I know all the tips and tricks there are to be a successful Mumpreneur and Health clinic owner.

Although my area of interest in health clinic setups, I have wide and varied experience in all aspects of business acumen from creating and updating procedures and policies, to streamlining business processes to save the business owner time and money. I love helping business owners create business plans and formulate their business vision, mission, and core values. I also love product development and helping clients create new services and products in response to the changing needs of their target market.

What inspired you to make the leap and go out on your own, and when did you first start working for yourself?

I have always been an entrepreneur. My first business idea was to design and print stickers, but as I lived in a rural area, it was hard to find the helpful people I needed to get that idea off the ground. I did get my first paying client a fellow school student, but I had to refuse his money as I did not know how I would make my idea a reality. My next business was starting a school newspaper at my high school. My parents were both entrepreneurs too. My mum had her own hairdressing salon before I was born and both of them ran a farm and winery for 20 years before having to sell due to my father’s poor health. I guess you could say I had entrepreneurism in my blood. I started my first business 20 years ago in my early 20s, as an Exercise Physiologist. At the time I was working for an Occupational Therapist and she wanted to refer a client for exercise physiology, but it was seen as a conflict of interest if she referred to her own business, so she asked me if I would get an ABN and see the client for her. 4 years later with 2-year-old twins, I opened my first health and wellness clinic. The rest is history….. Authentic Healthpreneurs was born 2 years ago, but I had the idea 10 years prior but did not know how to monetise it or start as my idea was well before the times in terms of technology and before the times of online programs.

Tell us about your experience of working for yourself?

I love the autonomy and being able to choose the types of clients I work with as well as the projects. I have been working for myself on and off now for 20 years and it seems I always come back to working for myself as I love the freedom it brings to work when I want and to be able to be available for my 5 children. Working for myself has also allowed me to work with some amazing clients and on some interesting projects that I would not have been able to if I had a corporate job. I love variety and I certainly get bored easily. I need constant stimulation.

What’s your best piece of advice for someone wanting to make the leap?

Just do it! There never really is a perfect time and most certainly do not wait to have all your ducks lined up, they never will be.  Start small with just 1 or 2 clients – provide quality service and let your clients be your raving fans. Rome was not built in a day and neither is your business. Don’t worry if you end up getting a ‘waiting list’ of clients. If they genuinely want to work with you, they will wait. Don’t over promise and under deliver. Get out there and start promoting yourself!

Best tips for winning new business?

I am big believer of developing and growing genuine relationships. Businesses that provide services need to build rapport and trust with someone before they are willing to spend money and engage your services. Make sure you have examples of your work to show them and testimonials will also provide reassurance. I also love word of mouth referrals. So don’t be afraid to ask your current clients if they know someone who may benefit from your services. Some clients do not think to refer who they use on to others.

What has been your favourite project to date?

My favourite project to date would be my current client who is expanding their business from sole trader to moving into her own premises and employing staff. I am helping them with all aspects of expanding their business from reviewing and updating their business plan, creating HR policies and procedures, automating business systems, creating job adverts, interviewing staff, sourcing other services and businesses to help set up their new health clinic – phone systems, computers, first aid kits, signwriter, marketing etc. This is the stuff I love advising and guiding my clients in what they need and where to find it to help reduce the overwhelm and stress.

What is a business win you’re currently celebrating?

A current business win I am celebrating is that I was recently one of 5 finalists in my local Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Awards. I still don’t know who nominated me, but it was a great reminder that what I am doing in my business is worthy of celebrating.

What led you to join Freelancing Gems?

I was finding it hard to find the right clients to work with. I have been relying on social media and word of mouth, but I thought I need to start promoting myself and the great things I do. I heard about Freelancing Gems at a networking event I attended earlier this year and did not think my services would suit. It was until recently I investigated it a bit further after talking to a friend about it, only to discover this is exactly what I needed. I love freelancing and working on small projects, so I feel this is a great outlet to get the type of work I am looking for.

What is one word you would use to describe Freelancing Gems?

Unique

What’s next for your business?

I want to attract some quality clients and work, so I can demonstrate the varied skills and expertise I have. I would love to get some repeat work with clients, as I love watching and assisting other businesses to grow, expand and thrive. I would also love to run regular training seminars and workshops as I love this type of work too.

Merendi loves showing women their potential and helping them flourish and succeed in business. She is a systems-driven person and loves building businesses from the ground up. She has over 15 years of experience mentoring women in a variety of businesses, so if you think you would like to work with Merendi, you can connect with her on the Gem Directory. Not a member? Join now.