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Name: Jenny McElvaney
Business: JM Complementary Health
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Industry: Healthcare, Wellness & Fitness
Reason for starting? I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Breast Cancer, and given a massive chance of recurrence. This has driven me to educate myself and learn more about educating and helping those going through a diagnosis. My services are with nutritional advice and herbal remedies, but I have also developed my first skincare product for those suffering with damaged skin.
How do you define success? My definition of success is helping to inspire others to take control of their own health. Living a life with purpose and knowing who you really are is the first and most important step to happiness. Fulfilling a customers needs, not only improves their life, but improves mine too. Having my health, and being given the time to spend with my family, and doing a job I love is what I believe is real success. It has given me the life I have always dreamt of.
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Biggest success: My biggest success to date has been creating my own business from scratch. I have developed my first skincare product, as well as a busy nutritional therapy and herbal medicine clinic. I am furthering my studies in to Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, where I will be able to bring these different therapies together in order to help my clients. My skincare products have been developed through my own experience of damaged and burnt skin after surgery and radiation. I feel this has brought my business full circle and I can now offer many services and products to those suffering with health and skin issues.
What is your top challenge and how you have addressed it? My top challenge to date has been marketing myself. I feel others always see us as being more inspiring than we see ourselves. Believing in myself and my ability to tell my story and reach those who need my services was a struggle to begin with, but its getting easier with repetition. At first, I did not want to work with those going through cancer. I felt I needed to escape what I had gone through myself, and was not ready to help others. Looking back, I feel I was still very raw from my own experience. Therefore, I worked with general chronic illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, lyme disease, digestive issues. Somehow cancer patients began to find me, and my Practice became busier and busier with those going through conventional treatment.
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Who is your most important role model? My most important role models are the cancer patients I work with. Most will put fear, resentment and self pity aside in order to fight for their life. I feel cancer allows us to display a more spiritual side to us, that otherwise may never have been shown. I see them let down their guards and allow their trust in their bodies to heal. Every day I am inspired by my clients journeys and how strong they are in coping with a life threatening disease.
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Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jennymcelvaney/[/box_light]
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Edited by The Story Exchange