Maggie Berghoff, health and business strategist, reflects a growing community of entrepreneurs … [+]
Transformations across all segments of the economy have been commonplace in recent years. Workers, especially in the sectors drastically hit by pandemic pressures such as education and healthcare, are in the process of a broad rethink in their approach to work-life balance and goal setting for the future.
Health coaching and other similar offshoots are becoming particularly attractive to those in the health professions wanting to remain in service while escaping the stressors of traditional health careers. In addition, a growing population searching for alternative methods to improve their own care and well-being is opening up possibilities in the health wellness sectors.
For many, the old way of doing things is not easily acceptable anymore, and businesses are trying to adapt and evolve in a changing landscape. The ‘Big Quit’ and more recent ‘Quiet Quit’ are results of workers making what they believe to be the most healthy response to unhealthy workplaces that have fallen prey to pandemic-related hardships and understaffing, according to a recent Forbes article.
Rather than gutting it out, some are choosing to leave their jobs for careers with greater personal meaning and life purpose as a goal.
Maggie Berghoff is a prime example of someone in healthcare who, through a personal health scare of her own, reshaped her mindset and professional knowledge to effect change. Once a practicing nurse, she transitioned to functional medicine practices that saved her life and became the basis for a health and business services company.
She is the founder and CEO of Celproceo, a leading-edge health and wellness company specializing in functional and integrative medicine practices. In addition, she has expanded her personal branding and offerings with her add-on self-titled venture, Maggie Berghoff. Her multi-tiered efforts are shaped around individual health counseling practices and business strategies geared toward celebrities, professional athletes, and business executives looking for an integrative approach to growth.
Berghoff is also the author of a new book, published by Simon & Schuster, Eat Right for Your Inflammation Type, a step-by-step guide to improving energy, strengthening immunity, and healing pain.
This reporter sat down with Berghoff to hear her backstory and how her shift in mindset and practice led to a burgeoning business.
Rod Berger: Describe the background and circumstances that led to your decision to become a Health Strategist.
Maggie Berghoff: I always wanted to be in medicine because simply put, I was good at chemistry, anatomy, and all things science related. I went to Vanderbilt, and my dream was to be a nurse practitioner. But I also wanted a family and knew that nurse practitioners make great money with excellent job security.
After graduating from Vanderbilt, I honed in on my dream job at a hospital where I had always wanted to work. I knocked down doors to get that job, making many phone calls and even emailing the hospital’s CEO. I felt ecstatic when I was finally offered the job and began my practice.
I loved my job, but things drastically shifted when I fell ill.
My life turned into a series of doctor appointments and a visit to the Cleveland Clinic for an extensive diagnosis. Long story short, all my doctors told me there was nothing they could do and that my condition would be lifelong.
First, I was told I had kidney disease and had experienced a mini-stroke, a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), at the age of 24. Second, I was informed I had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and a severe immunodeficiency of unknown cause. Again, after subsequent appointments with the best specialists in the world in immunology, I was told there was nothing anyone could do.
My final appointment with a specialist was devastating. He told me he didn’t know what was happening and to schedule an appointment in 6 months. Afterward, I remember sitting in my car crying. My body was a mess, and I had gained excessive weight with severe water retention.
Then, I began my journey into functional medicine and alternative routes to figure out my health independently.
Through study and research, I completely reversed my ailments. For instance, I was told I was infertile but had three healthy babies. I was told I’d be on medications for my lifetime. But now I’m fine without any medicines. If I had stayed in the traditional model, I would have died, and I’m not being dramatic.
Berger: It must have been difficult for you to go against your traditional training in medicine and explore the functional medicine path. What was your mindset at the time?
Berghoff: It wasn’t just my sickness that took me away from traditional medicine, but a newfound interest in nutrition and a mindset around eating, stress levels, and detoxifying environments. Soaps, shampoos, and cleaning products I had openly accepted growing up were all thrown away for non-toxic replacements. I made dramatic shifts across all areas of life.
I quit my job as a nurse and entered a period of feeling suffocated and restricted in my potential as a human. I’ve always been a high achiever and explorative by nature. However, I realized a one-career traditional path didn’t align with me and maybe never did.
Berger: Describe how your newfound understanding led to the creation of your business.
Maggie Berghoff exchanged hospital privileges for the narrative rights to her career.
Berghoff: To be honest, I was first driven by a desire to stay home with my newborn baby yet still make money and work as a career woman. I knew I had a lot of knowledge in health and wellness that could help others and be put to good use. My goals grew extensively from there.
I had a sense that I could monetize this passion and build a life that I love. It came from a shift in mindset and not necessarily a strong burning desire to be an entrepreneur, which is interesting.
I often tell business clients that the objective is to build a business around what they envision for their life. Of course, you can build doing a million different things and succeed financially. Still, it should be about structuring the company around what you want in life and placing service offerings around that vision. It can naturally shift and change depending on the season of life.
Berger: Tell me about your typical client in health wellness and business that request your services. What is the demographic or standard type?
Berghoff: Many are high-performing men and women, CEOs, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and professional athletes. But also 75-year-olds with rheumatoid arthritis down to 18-year-old college kids with anxiety. All are seeking direct life changes and health-related services.
Berger: As a health strategist, where did you develop the social marketing aspects to propel your company’s growth?
Berghoff: I learned social marketing from the ground up on Instagram. At first, I contacted people, messaged them with mentorship requests, and invested in conferences. But the real breakthrough occurred when I found Jasmine Star, who excels at social media marketing strategies. I studied her concepts and teachings and began to recognize the power of social marketing. I concentrated on captivating captions through photos and mainly worked on aesthetics and brand.
It resulted in multi-six figure earnings our first year. All organically with Instagram posts, with no other platforms or paid marketing. For instance, I documented many different remedies, from food choices to reduce bloating to dryer balls in the dryer to reduce toxins. I concentrated on examples of what I was doing in my life. The social proof and the credibility of being in the wellness field also helped inspire others who wanted to level up.
I offered high-ticket one-on-one consulting. Soon, people started hiring me to be their go-to health consultant. Essentially, that’s how I monetized in the first year.
Berger: The worlds of health and wellness and business seem very intertwined in your offerings. Would you agree that one feeds the other?
Berghoff: I realize the overall importance of my background is health and wellness, and I still run the health and wellness company I founded. When I help people build their companies, I bring my business experience, demonstrating fresh concepts and enthusiasm. Therefore, it’s easy to replicate my successes by showing them the strategy structures and how everything is tied together, so they don’t have to figure it out from scratch as I did.
Berger: It feels like you are just scratching the surface of future growth. What is your general sense of what’s next?
Berghoff: I see myself fully stepping into more of a founder’s role in my work. I’m still the CEO, but I envision myself continuing to build a solid team to mentor, finance, and grow this community without me being involved as much so that I can focus on the next thing.
Structure and organization have been the most helpful in avoiding lowering standards as the company begins to scale. Recently, I reserved an Airbnb five minutes from my home for two days and recorded 75 training videos. The objective is to create consistency within all the team members that align with my vision as the CEO. As we begin to scale, that vision needs to remain steadfast.
Berger: When it comes to education in a broader sense, a great deal of talk revolves around preparing young people in a way that navigates and demonstrates the experiences of successful platforms. Essentially, it provides learning that shows the playbook so they can receive a headstart. What is your perspective on modern approaches to incorporating entrepreneurial mindsets into learning?
Berghoff: With grit and resilience as my only compass, I learned so much from trial and error. But it doesn’t have to be so drawn out and can be replicated for others.
First comes the playbook. That’s why I’ve dedicated so much of my time, energy, and resources to create a framework and roadmap with accessible step-by-step guides to follow. For instance, if you go to medical school, you train, test, and digest the necessary knowledge to become a surgeon. The same is true in business startups. You must learn to become a great online marketer, brand expert, and media-savvy professional.
Secondly, let young people know that a personalized business is an option. It’s not just about income; it’s about creating a life you like and enjoy while giving back to the world and the community. When you help others, it shows your talents and opens up possibilities for personal growth.
To step into your best self means getting out of your comfort zone. It takes confidence and courage to do something different, and the mindset can be learned. It all starts with education.
The playbook for the younger generations is changing, and with each successful entrepreneurial venture of people like Maggie Berghoff, a new career guide is written. Healthcare, in particular, is a sector that is seeing more individuals buck the traditional route for a more holistic path that includes freedom, independence, and individualized life pursuits.
The old model is not only less secure in the eyes of the youth who have seen economic shifts and inflationary increases in their existence, but it lacks a certain balanced approach they are seeking. It appears part of their playbook often includes larger concepts of community building sustainability and healthy options that coincide with a generation striving for change.
Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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