What are your biggest business concerns surrounding COVID-19?
This has of course been a difficult time for everyone and has presented challenges that I don’t believe any business was ready for, but I am actually not concerned at all. For our company Next Health, we took quick and decisive action that was necessary to preserve capital. As we had to shut down our locations, which immediately stopped all revenue from coming into the business, we took the following quick and decisive actions. We placed the majority of our team on furlough, which was the most difficult thing we have ever had to do, but we knew this needed to happen to ensure we could weather the storm and make sure Next Health survived this so they had a job to come back to. We also negotiated rent abatement with all of our landlords. Then, we combed through every single expense we had to pause all services that were not necessary and to establish new payment terms for all pending debts.
The Next Health clinic at Westfield Century City.
Next Health prides itself on being at the forefront of offering the absolute best, latest and greatest services in health and wellness.
When going through a crisis like this, it is easy to forget about everyone else and just think about your own survival, but you have to remember that every person and vendor that we stop paying is also suffering. So, we did our absolute best to be mindful and considerate and to over-communicate with all of these relationships to ensure that collectively we would all make it through this.
Then, we had the incredible luxury of using this time when the world seemed to stand still to focus on what was actually important and develop innovative ways to improve our business and the value we bring our customers. I have a lot of faith in humanity and I have no doubt that we will not only weather this storm, but we will emerge stronger. Of course, there will be short term impacts for example: a dip in the economy and some businesses will go under, but as a whole this will be a challenge that will foster growth.
Next Health offers a variety of wellness treatments, including cryotherapy.
What is your current business strategy for dealing with the situation?
We completely shut down for 2 weeks while we converted our locations to COVID-19 antibody testing centers, which we have been doing since early April. Next Health is working with lab partner Vibrant America to offer high-complexity laboratory antibody testing. This is approved for use under the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA. Next Health has tested over 1,000 people.
What makes NextHealth antibody testing different is:
- Tests for the 4 known antigens, which is the protein that makes up the virus vs. others that test for only 1.
- Tests for the 3 known antibodies vs. others that test for 2.
- Draws blood from the patient and sends the blood sample to a U.S. high-complexity laboratory (Vibrant America) to then run the sample through a machine vs. using a potentially defective device on the spot for instantaneous results.
- Results in 2-3 days.
- Medical professional from Next Health calls patient to talk through results and recommended treatment, if required.
This is something we have been very proud of as we have had a significant impact on bringing the first testing option to LA and increasing the overall testing capacities. In early May, we began offering limited immunity services to the community, which include: IV Therapy, peptides and Ozone Therapy.
IV treatments at Next Health.
How do you think things will look in your industry a year from now?
I think the biggest impact we will see is the community at large will be a lot more focused on health optimization, so I feel that we will have a bigger platform to make an impact. Pre-COVID, Next Health was considered to be a little fringed with the advanced wellness and health tech services that we provide, such as the biomarker testing. Next Health prides itself on being at the forefront of offering the absolute best, latest and greatest services in health and wellness.
Now more than ever people are going to be paying attention to their overall health and Next Health provides the tools and services to make that possible. But now, it seems like the whole world is focused on what they can do to proactively improve their health and immunity.
What have you learned from other difficult times in the past?
I learned a long time ago that everything is temporary, and no matter how dismal the situation may seem, if you keep a cool head and an open mind to evolve and roll with the punches, odds are you will succeed no matter what the challenge is.
Safe–and entertained–at Home: What business leaders are doing with their downtime
Morning routine?
I do what I like to call “micro-dose” on health and I am constantly fueling my body throughout the day with the healthiest, most nutrient-dense items I can get, along with physical and mental wellbeing. This starts with a big dose in the morning: warm lemon water with olive oil, avocado with olive oil, glass of green juice or superfood coffee, handful of vitamins, 3-minute workout, and a walk through my garden.
Currently binging?
Well I pretty much watched Tiger King in 1 day! Now I am onto Hollywood on Netflix.
Currently reading?
I am currently reading Ray Dalios Principles. One of my goals before we reopen is to create a new framework for our Next Health Core values and principals.
What are you doing to spend quality time with those you’re sheltering with?
I play chess with my brother and am teaching my 6-year-old niece to play. We have a chess table in the living room with two boards that always have ongoing games happening. I have also been connecting with my close friends over Zoom. We have a Trivia game that we play every Sunday night which is a lot of fun.
What are you doing to stay healthy mentally and physically?
Gardening and working out. However, in truth, I have been working like a maniac and could probably use some help in this department. I thrive on challenges, and this COVID situation has certainly presented one of the biggest challenges in my life so I feel like I have been on a two-month adrenaline high, battling this to make sure Next Health not only survives but is set up to thrive on the other end.
Where are you dreaming of visiting once things are back to normal?
I’m excited to get back into the gym and be back with my team in person! Zoom has been great, but it doesn’t substitute for personal connection!
