Grid110 Founder Story: Holisticism
Also, it’s just really tough sometimes to run your own business. Having support from a team that knows their stuff, who says, “We believe in you, you’re *not* crazy, and you’re on to something,” was really key during my time at Grid110.
Holisticism is the single destination for virtual holistic wellness experiences. Michelle Pellizzon started Holisticism in 2017 on a mission to make wellness and wellbeing more accessible to more people. Launching Holisticism was personal for Michelle. At the age of 17 she was diagnosed with Epilepsy and was prescribed medication that constantly made her feel worse. Four years into her diagnosis, she decided to see an alternative medicine practitioner. After one session, she never had another seizure…and has been off medication now for seven years.
Holisticism is now a network of 19,000 community members and counting. Wellness offerings run the gamut: from Acupuncture to Reiki, Breathworks to Hypnosis, the platform hosts over 175 wellness practitioners and facilitators ready and able to help you achieve your wellness goals!
Michelle recently graduated from the Grid110 Residency program and credits the program for helping her to define Holisticism’s value proposition and key objectives. Having the support of the Grid110 team and community may have caused her to nix some aspects of her business — or in her words, “kill my darlings,” but through Grid110 she learned to continually ask, “Does this [business decision] support our value proposition?” We’re excited to see where Michelle and Holisticism go from here. We think only upwards ↗!
Check out Holisticism at holisticism.com and follow them on Instagram at (@holisticism). And if you are ready to book an appointment with one of their 175 wellness practitioners use the code GRATITUDE for 10% off!
And for wellness practitioners who want to be on the platform, check out: holisticism.com/for-facilitators
Full Transcript:
What is your venture? How do you seek to change the world?
Holisticism is a software solution that helps holistic wellness practitioners run their end-to-end virtual businesses.
We help wellness practitioners like nutritionists, dieticians, health coaches, and intuitive guides find more clients, book more virtual sessions, and then scale their businesses so they can help deliver more services. Think: telemedicine for alternative healthcare.
Our mission is to make wellness accessible to everyone — no matter how much money they make, where they live, or how they identify.
What prompted you to start your venture? Where did the idea come from?
Oh lawdy, is it a *story* 📖
When I was 17, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. The medication I was prescribed and told I would take every day for the rest of my life made me really sick. Four years after my diagnosis, I decided to try seeing an alternative medicine practitioner as a last resort. After one session, I never had another seizure…and I’ve been off medication now for seven years. But it was really hard for me to find the person who helped me finally get healthy — even while living in “wellness-centric” ecosystems like NYC and LA.
I wanted to create a system that made it easier to find and work with these types of alternative medicine practitioners — so one newsletter and 19k community members later, I started Holisticism.
What’s special and advantageous about being in LA (if applicable, DTLA) for you and your venture?
First, DTLA is truly my favorite place in Los Angeles. It’s inspiring, vibrant, and dimensional — and it’s such an interesting cross-section of culture. From the very wealthy living in penthouses to the houseless living on Skid Row, the people of DTLA remind me of just how many types of consumers our practitioners are trying to reach and help.
LA itself is the wellness epicenter of the United States. The level of talent here is insane — and it’s been such a gift to be able to grow our community organically from Los Angeles. Our location definitely gives us credibility in our market.
As you think back to your Grid110 experience, what are the 1–2 lessons or takeaways that still stick out to you?
How much time do you have?
A huge theme from Grid110 was focus. From setting OKRs to learning I needed to ‘kill my darlings,’ the mentorship team at Grid110 reminded me constantly how important it was to focus on our value proposition. Now, before I make big decisions I ask myself, “Does this support our value proposition?”
And I’m constantly blown away by the community that’s been created at Grid110 and how helpful people are. It’s awe-inspiring, and I’m incredibly grateful.
Considering what Grid110 provides and offers, what has been the most impactful to you as a founder and business? How has the Grid110 experience influenced your entrepreneurial journey?
I was pleasantly surprised at how important having an office space was to me. I spent the last year as a consultant working from home, and never really wanted to go back to working in an office like I did before. But having a physical space really changed my mental game — it got me in the zone.
Also, it’s just really tough sometimes to run your own business. Having support from a team that knows their stuff, who says, “We believe in you, you’re *not* crazy, and you’re on to something,” was really key during my time at Grid110.
Fun Questions
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A professional dancer. 💃(And before I worked in tech, I was!)
What is your spirit animal?
My animagus is probably a porcupine, because they’re really cute and soft on their bellies but if you mess with them they’ll spike you.
Who is your personal role model?
Whitney Wolfe Herd at Bumble is beyond inspiring to me — from the way she leads her team, to the way she’s grown her business, to her vision to end mysogyiny with a dating app!
If you could have a meal with anyone, living or deceased, who would it be?
I think the Obamas would make excellent dinner guests.
If you were a superhero, what would be your superpower? Your super weakness?
If I were a superhero, I’d want to be able to change someone’s mood with my mind. My weakness would be/is sugar in all forms.
Random Fun Fact:
I was a professional modern dancer and performed at places like Lincoln Center in NYC before I started working in tech!
About Grid110
Grid110 provides mentoring & key resources for early-stage entrepreneurs in underserved regions. We support early stage companies by connecting them to office space, mentors, and important resources during the most critical phase of their business life-cycle through education programs. Apply by February 1st for our Spring 2019 programs! Apply HERE!
