This week Jess, Jen, and Kate had the opportunity to meet up with one of The GOOD Fest speakers, Nicole Rivera of Integrative Wellness Group to get to know her a little better and we are dying to share how amazing she is! We went over to the Intergrative Wellness Group office and met up with Nicole herself to learn more about her and the company as a whole.
How did you get started/ What’s Your Background? :
Originally I was strictly practicing Chiropractic, but found many voids when working with my patients. I felt that I couldn’t provide them well-rounded care without addressing their lifestyle. Nick (my husband) and I were living in the Seattle at the time and we were working with many big corporate execs, from brands like Amazon who are based in the area. They needed more than adjustments, they needed to address their lifestyle which was full of stress, caffeine and little sleep.
I started with mini health coaching, just making small recommendations for supplements and other healing modalities. Then I began heavy metal and blood testing because many patients were coming for answers. They had hit roadblocks or plateaus and were used to not feeling great.
Today IWG is very individualized to the patient. We have a very collaborative environment here and chances are our patients will work with multiple team members. Possibly visiting Nick for Emotional Therapy and muscle testing, or Sam for help with nutrition. I love the team we’ve built because we’re always encouraging one another to learn more, discover more, and bring additional forms of healing to our patients through our services.
Tell us a bit about IWG's offerings and when you choose to bring new ones to the office:
Well we continue to grow our services and treatments, but always do extensive research before deciding if it’s right for IWG.
We first begin with the Bioresonance scan to uncover what could be happening on a cellular level. That’s followed by additional blood samples and testing, and then we put together a comprehensive treatment plan. Our most popular forms of care are our programs
Functional Medicine Program: Lead by Dr. Nicole, this program emphasizes on discovering the root cause of your “mystery symptoms” through comprehensive lab testing.
Physical Medicine Program: Dr. Nick, Dr. Kyle and Dr. Phil lead this program, and it includes includes a head-to-toe approach that looks at joints, muscles, and surrounding soft tissue. It finds the root cause of your pain or dysfunction and uses a strategic approach to resolve it
Brain Health Program: This program is geared towards the balance of mental and emotional disorders by monitoring the way the brain analyzes activity and assessing any imbalances based on activity
We offer immersion weeks for those who want to travel in the area, and partner with a local hotel so they can stay for treatments and really commit their time at our office to bettering their health.
Any words of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Discovering your WHY is number one. Know your why, and money shouldn't be it.
So ask yourself why do you want to serve? My why was that I wanted to become a larger voice in the industry and evolve the current healthcare industry. I live and breathe this work, so it truly doesn't feel like work to me.
However it’s important to remember that you don’t start a business to work less.
Plans for future?:
I’m working on developing a training program for others in the industry who feel they need a similar model in their area. I’d love to provide all the support and guidance I wish I had when taking the risk to open IWG. More Integrative healthcare available in more cities would be a wonderful way to give back to the healthcare industry as a whole.
How do you remain so confident as a female business owner? Have you ever doubted yourself through the process of starting IWG?:
In my first year of business sometimes the doubt would creep in. But today I have the full confidence and belief that I have value to provide not only to my patients but the information I give to my audience through my blog and podcast.
Our Experience at IWG:
First, we had a chance to sit with Nicole and incredibly welcoming team and ask all of our questions about the business she’s built, her approach to health and what’s on the horizon. The beautiful view of the water put us right at ease, and we all wanted to move in. Like, actually live there full time. (Can’t say that about our doctor’s office now!)
Next up, it was time for our Bioresonance scan. Each of us got a chance to sit with Dr. Nicole and it was VERY accurate and insightful based on what we’ve been currently experiencing. We uncovered potential reasons behind our brain fog, fatigue, and general allergies and deficiencies. For example, Jess learned she was allergic to COLOMBIAN coffee, Jen should up the B12 and Kate found out she’s EXTREMELY sensitive to bleach and should avoid it in any cleaning products or around the home.
Next we made our way to the detox spa for some additional treatments! First we had an Ion Cleanse Foot Bath. This bath helps drain toxins from the lymph nodes of the body, and the color determines the organs detoxed! Very cool. Lastly we had a relaxing 20 minute session in their infrared sauna, heating us from the inside out, and extremely anti inflammatory.
