WoW Woman in Wellness I Nathalie Garcia, co-founder of Practice Better
Nathalie Garcia is the co-founder of Practice Better, an industry-leading Practice Management Platform enabling health and wellness professionals to be successful and empower their clients to live better lives.
As a former holistic nutritionist, Nathalie learned firsthand the challenges of starting a practice and wearing two hats -- health professional and entrepreneur. She was inspired to create Practice Better because she needed a simpler way of building a practice and coaching clients without burning herself out.
Today, thousands of practitioners and coaches worldwide trust Practice Better to automate day-to-day admin work, keep clients engaged, and unlock new revenue streams for their businesses.
Practice Better is a leading all-in-one practice management software solution transforming how health & wellness professionals run their practices and support their clients. The company serves 10,000+ customers in over 70+ countries across the globe and processes hundreds of millions annually in payments on behalf of customers. Over 65% of PB customers’ growth comes from word of mouth and referrals, Practice Better has recorded a 300% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). In addition to supporting thousands of nutrition-focused practitioners and coaches, Practice Better has seen incredible adoption from other verticals within the health and wellness space including naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, mental health therapists, and other wellness professionals. Its platform empowers wellness professionals to streamline admin work, engage clients, and scale their practices beyond the traditional 1:1 model. Its consistent, best-in-class NPS score and organic growth from word-of-mouth referrals are a testament to its happy customers.
Tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.
Like so many others, my path has been far from “traditional”. That said, the common theme of my professional career has been focused on having an impact.
When I started out as a holistic nutritionist, I found it very challenging to stay on top of my business operations while also providing the level of care and support I wanted for my clients. My co-founder Graeme and I created Practice Better to solve my own problem. From there, it became about sharing those tools with other inspiring professionals so they too could have a greater impact.
Now, six years later, it’s incredible to see the impact our community has had on the industry. We’re seeing so many more professionals within the health and wellness industry asking for help and we want to be here to support them. We are just getting started.
How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you had many challenges?
Nutrition became a passion for me after witnessing someone I love get sick. I felt helpless and started reading about nutrition to try and make a difference. This was a pivotal moment in my life and while I wasn’t able to help my loved one, I was able to transform my own health. This is what started my journey to help make health and wellness more available to others.
How long did it take you to be where you are now? What was the biggest obstacle? What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in?
We officially launched Practice Better at the end of 2016 but have been planning, building, and testing since 2014. My biggest obstacle has really been more of a mental one as I’ve struggled with doubting myself as a first-time entrepreneur. While it’s been an obstacle at times, I’m proud that it’s never prevented me from moving forward.
What are your biggest achievements to date?
There isn’t one moment, business metric, or milestone that I would say is my biggest achievement. Instead, I’d say Practice Better as a whole is my biggest achievement to date. It’s tested me, inspired me, and helped me grow tremendously. I’m proud of the commitment we’ve honored to our customers, our team, and ourselves.
What are the projects you are currently working on?
It’s an exciting time right now as we start to double down on growing our team, expanding our product and partnerships, and furthering the development of our community to better serve our customers.
Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why?
Yes, it’s incredibly important to me as a woman in tech. We need to ensure that we’re creating an environment where women feel excited and supported to bring their solutions to life! As a mother of two wonderful daughters, I think about the world I want them to feel welcomed into and how I can play a small part in that today.
What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?
Over the next five years, I see health and wellness professionals needing to leverage technology to meet the growing demand for their services, without compromising client engagement and collaboration. Technology will play a critical role and benefit both professionals and their clients.
For clients, this means more engagement and connection, more access to virtual health and wellness services, and new modes of learning.
For health and wellness professionals, this means unlocking the potential to work with more clients, offering customizable levels of support, and adopting diverse group educational programming.
What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?
My biggest piece of advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Health & Wellness would be to leverage technology from day one!
Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry you admire?
Fortunately, I don’t have to look very far to find inspirational women. The strong, smart, and talented women on our team, in our community, and within our tech ecosystem inspire me and teach me new things every single day!
If you want to share your story with us and be featured on our WoW Women blog, get in touch.
This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Follow Marija on Twitter @MarijaButkovic and read her stories for Forbes here.