Wellness Reimagined: Larry Siegel Of Yunique Medical On 5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry

An Interview With Maria Angelova

My five things to improve and reform the health and wellness industry are client-centricity, value-driven services, results-driven focus, education in medical institutions, and removing the barriers caused by Big Pharma, insurance companies, and the FDA. These changes will go a long way in improving the industry and providing better care to our clients.

In our world of constant change, and with life moving faster than ever, topics such as mental health, self-care, and prevention have become popular buzzwords. People are looking to live healthier lives, and there is superb care out there that is being offered. At the same time, there are misconceptions about the meaning of self-care and exercise. Many opt for quick solutions — surgery, pills — to dull the problem without adequately addressing the underlying cause. Meanwhile, many parts of the industry are unregulated and oversaturated. People with years of training are competing with people with weekend training. Many providers are overworked, overwhelmed, and underpaid. The general public is not educated about asking the right questions when selecting a wellness provider. In the face of all this, what can be done to correct the status quo? In this interview series, we are seeking to hear from a variety of leaders in the health and wellness industries who agree that the wellness industry is in need of an overhaul and offer suggestions about what can be done moving forward. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Larry Siegel.

Larry Siegel is the founder and lifeblood of Yunique Medical, which has gradually expanded into several clinics in Central Florida, including Fruitland Park (The Villages), Ocala, Port Orange, and Orlando. Not satisfied with just administering medicine, Larry’s goal is to offer sustainable solutions for the underlying cause of his client’s symptoms while prioritizing clear, evident, and tangible results. With a commitment to top-notch patient care and life-changing results, Larry has separated himself from the pack and earned recognition with accolades such as Gator100 and Inc 5000 regionals.

Thank you so much for doing this interview. It is an honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal backstory? What has brought you to this point in your life?

I was born and raised in Ocala, Florida where my journey began. At the age of four, I knew that I wanted to become a doctor and help people. My fascination with science, anatomy, and biology led me to pursue this goal, but I faced various challenges along the way.

I was placed in lower learning classes because teachers thought I was a slow learner, and my academic performance suffered. It turned out I had ADHD and was just bored with what I was learning. Once they placed me in higher learning classes, my academic performance began to improve, despite struggling with dyslexia and extreme learning disabilities.

Throughout my academic journey, my mother played an instrumental role in supporting me with projects and studying, even during high school. Despite getting admitted to the University of Florida to pursue pre-med, I continued to face challenges due to my learning disabilities, particularly with organic chemistry. Although I informed my professors about my ADHD and dyslexia, my concerns were not adequately addressed.

Nevertheless, I refused to give up and began learning about nursing and nurse practitioners, which eventually led me to pursue owning my own business while still fulfilling my passion for taking care of people.

Through this experience, I developed a unique medical method that utilizes minimal resources to achieve maximum results. My journey of self-discovery and self-learning has led me to explore various aspects of medicine, including hormones, pellet hormones, and cellular medicine with peptides. These explorations led to the development of the YM method, which forms the basis of my Yunique Medical practice.

Overall, my story highlights the importance of resilience, perseverance, and the critical role of support systems in pursuing one’s dreams.

What is your “why” behind the work that you do? What fuels you?

My “why” behind the work I do is driven by my desire to provide accessible functional medicine and cellular therapies to the masses at an affordable price point. My ultimate goal is to expand my business to multiple locations, reaching as many people as possible, particularly those in small niche places where I believe there is a need for such therapies. I am motivated by my desire to bring the same quality of care that Fortune 500 CEOs, professional athletes, and movie stars receive to a broader audience. I am committed to making these therapies accessible to everyone at an affordable price point, and I aim to scale my business without compromising the quality of care I provide. Providing quality healthcare to my patients and making a positive impact on their lives is what fuels me.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now?

I am currently working on several exciting projects, with one of the most significant being the development of a franchise model for my company. This is a substantial undertaking that aligns with my “why” of scaling my business to reach a broader audience. As part of this process, we are diving into our systems and processes to ensure that we have a robust framework in place to support our expansion.

To support our franchise model, I am building a Yunique Medical University that will serve as a comprehensive teaching platform for anyone involved with the company, from check-in to sales, medical assistance to medical providers. This university will have an all-inclusive training module and process with quizzes and tests to provide individuals with the skills and knowledge required to work in any of our locations.

The development of this university is particularly exciting to me as it aligns with my passion for educating others and sharing my expertise. Moreover, this initiative is crucial to the success of our franchise model and the continued expansion of our business. I am thrilled to be a part of this project and look forward to seeing its impact on our company’s growth.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I strongly believe that mistakes are valuable learning opportunities, and I’ve certainly made my fair share of them. While I don’t have a funny story to share, I can reflect on one of my early entrepreneurial experiences, which taught me a critical lesson.

Back in 2015, I co-founded a company called Coastal Health and Wellness with two other individuals. Although I had a basic understanding of the medicine we wanted to provide, I quickly realized that I lacked the necessary business skills to succeed as an entrepreneur. I was clueless about how to run a business, and as a result, our company ultimately failed, and we had to shut it down.

This experience was a harsh wake-up call that taught me how much I had yet to learn. It showed me the importance of acquiring a comprehensive skillset, not just in my field of expertise but also in business management. Although it was a difficult lesson to learn, it ultimately made me a better entrepreneur and strengthened my commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement. While this experience may not be funny, it is one that I believe any entrepreneur can identify with. Starting a business is a challenging journey that requires learning from mistakes, and I learned that dusting myself off and pushing through failures is critical to ultimately achieving success.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. From where you stand, why are you passionate about the topic of Reimagining The Health and Wellness industries? Can you explain what you mean with a story or an example?

From my perspective, I am deeply passionate about reimagining the health and wellness industries because our current healthcare system is fundamentally broken. It’s designed to treat illness rather than prevent it, and this approach simply isn’t sustainable or effective in the long run.

As a medical professional, I believe that preventative medicine and wellness are critical to achieving optimal health. Eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly are simple yet effective ways to prevent many of the health issues we face today. However, many people find it challenging to maintain healthy habits and need additional support to improve their well-being.

I founded Yunique Medical to provide people with an alternative approach to wellness that doesn’t require complicated treatment plans or extensive discipline. Our goal is to help people make significant strides in their health and wellness journey quickly and efficiently, so they can live their lives to the fullest.

Unfortunately, the health and wellness industry is often inaccessible and unaffordable for many people. I believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare and wellness resources, regardless of their financial situation. That’s why I am committed to creating a model that is affordable and accessible to as many people as possible.

In summary, my passion for reimagining the health and wellness industries stems from a desire to provide accessible, affordable, and effective healthcare solutions to individuals who are seeking to improve their health and well-being.

When I talk about Reimagining the Wellness industry, I am talking about reimagining it from the perspective of the providers as well as from the perspective of the recipients and patients. Can you share a few reasons why the status quo is not working for both providers and patients?

As a medical provider, I can say that the current healthcare system is not working for both providers and patients. Medical providers are getting burnt out because they only get a few minutes to see their patients, which is not enough time to provide the proper care that patients need. On top of that, insurance companies and drug companies often make it difficult to provide the therapies and testing that patients need, creating a constant battle that ultimately leads to unsatisfied patients. This leads to burnout among physicians, making it difficult to attract new professionals to the industry. The wellness space is becoming more crowded, but unfortunately many providers in this space lack proper education and expertise. As a result, the market is being polluted with alternative medicine that doesn’t work. Even in the alternative medicine space, we are constantly being persecuted by the FDA, making it difficult to provide the care that patients need. I believe that there are no solutions in the near future, and this situation is truly sad.

Why do you think there is a good opportunity now to improve and reform the health and wellness industry?

In my opinion, the healthcare system is broken, and it is widely acknowledged by everyone. Insurance and drug companies, along with the government, seem to be on the same team. However, making systemic changes is a daunting task and requires leaders to step up and initiate changes from the top down. I do not believe in socialized medicine, but I do think that some version of capitalism is necessary for scalability and to incentivize providers to take care of people. Currently, I am in the health and wellness space, and I appreciate the non-insurance models. However, this means that people have to pay out of pocket, which makes it harder for some people to afford it. We charge a decent amount of money to keep our business running, but the goal is to make it sustainable and scalable while keeping the prices down and navigating the laws and regulations set by the FDA.

Can you please share your “5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry”? Please share an example or story for each if you can.

First and foremost, we need to be client-centric and prioritize their needs and preferences. At my company, we focus on creating a culture that is aligned with our clients and staff, and we only work with clients who fit into that culture. The second thing that needs to be done is to be value-driven. We need to deliver value to our clients and ensure that they feel better after receiving our services. This leads to the third thing, which is results-driven. Our focus should be on making our clients feel better, providing them value along the way, and delivering results that matter. The fourth aspect that needs to be addressed is the lack of education in our medical institutions about health and wellness. Medical schools and other institutions do not prioritize teaching wellness, and this needs to change. We need to include health and wellness in the curriculum of these institutions to provide a strong foundation in this area. Lastly, we need to get Big Pharma, insurance companies, and the FDA out of the way. They often dictate care and prevent us from providing the best possible care to our clients. By removing these barriers, we can reform the industry and provide better care to those who need it.

Overall, my five things to improve and reform the health and wellness industry are client-centricity, value-driven services, results-driven focus, education in medical institutions, and removing the barriers caused by Big Pharma, insurance companies, and the FDA. These changes will go a long way in improving the industry and providing better care to our clients.

From the recipient and patient side of the industry, can you please share a few ways that patients and recipients should reimagine what the wellness and healthcare industry should provide?

I believe that patients and recipients should reimagine what the industry should provide by becoming more proactive in their own healthcare and wellness. They should do their own research and be less reliant on traditional healthcare methods. Patients should educate themselves by staying up to date with the latest research, articles, podcasts, and other free resources available to them. By doing so, they can become their own advocate for their health and find providers or institutions that align with their health goals and values. Taking accountability for their own health and wellness is key to achieving their desired outcomes.

What do you think are the biggest roadblocks to reforming the industry? What can be done to address those hurdles?

The biggest roadblocks to reforming the health and wellness industry are the intertwined interests of big pharma, insurance companies, and the government. Money is a major hurdle, and there needs to be an extensive discussion among all parties to effect any kind of reform. As a health and wellness provider, I face daily battles to keep governing bodies, such as boards of medicine and nursing, off my back for not practicing mainstream medicines. Additionally, I have to worry about the FDA and litigating, which takes time away from helping people. Addressing these hurdles will require significant effort and collaboration between all parties involved. I believe that open dialogue and innovative solutions can pave the way towards a reformed and improved health and wellness industry.

I’m very passionate about the topic of proactive versus reactive self-care and healthcare. What do you think can be done to shift the industries towards a proactive healthcare approach? How can we shift the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike?

Shifting towards a proactive healthcare approach and mindset for self-care requires greater access to wellness services at various price points. I believe that many people are already on board with the shift towards a wellness and health mindset, but there are barriers such as the affordability of wellness services that need to be addressed. It’s important to educate the public on the fundamental principles of health and wellness, such as proper nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, good sleep habits, and hydration. However, many individuals may not have the discipline or motivation to make those changes in their lives. As a wellness provider, I believe it’s my role to continue educating the public on the benefits of a wellness approach to healthcare and offer personalized solutions to help individuals achieve their health goals. It’s important to recognize that while there is a place for traditional medicine in emergency situations, a proactive approach to healthcare can prevent many health issues from arising in the first place.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

My favorite life lesson quote is actually from the Rocky movies. It says, “It’s not a matter of how hard you hit but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward because that’s what life is.” This quote resonates with me so much because it speaks to the challenges we all face in life, whether it’s personal struggles or the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. It’s a reminder that life will inevitably throw punches at you, but what’s important is how you respond and keep pushing forward. This quote has been a source of inspiration for me during difficult times, and I believe it’s a message that can resonate with anyone looking to overcome adversity and achieve their goals.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

If I had the opportunity to have a private breakfast or lunch with someone, it would be Tom Bilyeu with Impact Theory. His content was extremely helpful for me during some of the toughest times in my entrepreneurial journey. He had a lot of business people and mindset experts on his show, which helped me shift my own mindset and improve both my personal and business life. His work in the healthcare industry with Health Theory also aligns with my own values as a healthcare advocate. I would love the chance to sit down and have a conversation with him.

I appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question, how can people reach or follow you?

https://yuniquemedical.com/, https://www.instagram.com/yunique_medical/, https://www.facebook.com/YuniqueMedical/

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.