 Welcome to Adventures in Small Business. This program is a collaborative effort by the U.S. Small Business Administration Hawaii District Office, the Hawaii Small Business Development Center, the MINK Center for Business and Leadership, and the Veterans Business Outreach Center of the Pacific to showcase the stories of local entrepreneurs and small businesses. Today we have a very special guest and one of the showcases is a woman owner business success story and our topic is Experiencing the Wonderful Benefits of Eastern Medicine. I'd like to welcome Tuyen Mac from West Oahu Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine. Good morning, how are you Tuyen? Good, thank you for having me Dennis, great to be here. Thank you and I'm happy that when I asked you, you agreed to become a guest because I think there's a lot of information that we can share on a topic that so many people have questions about acupuncture. But there's a lot to learn and even things that you've told me about and I've just discovered and I've been actually going to an acupuncturist myself for two years. That's wonderful. But before starting, why don't we go back to the beginning and if you can tell everyone what a person has to do to become an acupuncturist and what type of educational background and clinical training is required. Sure, yes, so there is actually a lot of training involved. It's a master's program ranging from three to three and a half years to five years and so you need some kind of a bachelor's degree beforehand to even apply for that. So I myself went to Boston University major in psychology and minor in business and then afterwards I went to the New England School of Acupuncture and that involved 3,000 hours of academic and clinical training. In those 3,000 hours, there were 925 hours of clinical patient care just in the school clinic and in local hospitals. So a lot of training and time and energy involved and becoming an acupuncturist. That's a lot of commitment. That is definitely. It's a believer of love. Well, obviously you're very passionate in what you're doing and helping people and but I'm kind of curious, what type of certifications do you have and can you tell us the type of forms of treatments that you employ in your practice? I'm a diplomat of Oriental Medicine certified by the NCCOM. I practice utilizing a combination of master tongue style, tan style and traditional Chinese medicine. So we at the clinic, we do acupuncture, we do cupping, we do clinical medicine, herbal medicine, and we have an herbal fixed opium. So we utilize everything in our toolbox to really help the patient get to optimal care, optimal health. I see. And you know, you talk about Eastern medicine, integrative medicine, alternative medicine. I mean, what is this difference between the three and how they benefit people or your patients and how they correlate together? Sure. So alternative medicine is basically anything kind of outside the realm of Western medicine. And then integrative medicine, everything that kind of works with that. Eastern medicine is its own kind of sphere from China, of course. And I think there's a lot of benefits that people can get from it. So we see people with back pain, you know, anything that's acute or chronic. So back pain is number one, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, patients come in. And then we have a lot of patients with internal issues that are helped as well. So anything from anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, diabetes, not with any digestive issues as reflug, gas, bloating, constipation, a woman's issues is really up there as well. From PMS pain to fibroids. And fertility is huge. We can help, you know, the success of IVF studies have shown up to 40%. So that's a huge one. And of course, men's health benefits. That sounds like everybody can use it. Yes, yes, yes. Well, you know, when did Eastern medicine first come on the scene in the United States when Western cultures, you know, when did it gain its popularity and how did, you know, when did it start integrating with Western medicine? So my alma mater, New England School of Agriculture was the first and oldest school. So they opened in 1979. I would say in the 80s, it really started getting bigger. People were recognizing that it was a viable technique. I say maybe in the last decade or so, you've seen a really big growth in areas where insurance is getting, you know, covering it more under the benefit as well. So I would say it's getting there. Not every plan is covering it at the moment, but I'm seeing more and more and definitely you're seeing it with veterans as well. The VA Choice Program covers that. That's a great sign. You're actually educated in London, too, weren't you? Not necessarily, yeah. I see. Your training came more in the Boston area with clinical centers and hospitals. Yes, yes. I see. And so with these, when you see patients or when they come to you or they inquire, what is some of the common questions do patients have? Sure. So they usually ask me what acupuncture is and basically the theory is that we have these channels and meridians in our bodies related to the different organs and illness and pain come from blockages in these channels and acupuncture works to unblock those blockages. The other question that I get a lot is how often do I need to come in? So in China, they actually do every day for 10 days and then you take a couple days off and then you do another course of 10 days. So depending on how severe the problem is and how chronic it is, we usually like to see the patients starting twice a week or say a month and then reevaluate at the end of the month. And then when we get to the level of care that we want, then it becomes maintenance and then that could be either every other week or once a month at that point. So in the beginning, it takes a little time. It's cumulative. Yes, it's cumulatively. Exactly. So the more you do in the beginning, the faster and the stronger the results. I see. So as far as in acupuncture too, I noticed that I've heard and I've experienced it myself actually that there's different type of needles or pins, different sizes, thicknesses. Can you tell us about that and how does it work? Sure. So the different sizes depends on basically what you want to treat and the area you want to treat. So if it's a point on the hand, you're not going to use something very big. So you're going to use like half an inch needle for that. Also depending on what you want to treat. So if it's a skin issue, you're going to just treat superficially. If it's a bone issue, you actually want to get to the bone area. So you're going to need a thicker and longer needle to get to that. But you also treat all different parts of the body too. You mentioned about, you know, if you have treatments in the head or the skull and versus even down to your feet. Yes. You know, what is the differences when you do head treatment? So I have been heard it's great on if you have colds or sinuses or different areas. Can you tell us a little bit more about that? Sure. So I mean, theoretically you can treat any part of the body on anywhere of the body. So if someone comes in with shoulder pain, I would actually treat the opposite side opposite side. Yeah, I know it's a little counterintuitive, but it balances out the body and Eastern medicine. That's what you mean about balancing? Yes. Yes. Yep. It's all about balance. Yeah. So, you know, great for colds. Just boosting your immune system. You can do cupping on the upper back if you have a cold. And that'll help relieve the cold as well. I see lots of options. What about when you put pins in the cranium or they, you know, I guess it's all enough. What is that? Yes. Yes. So that helps with neurological issues. So say stroke. Victims can be helped with scalp action. So it's not only physical too, but it's also neurologically. Yes. Yes. Yes. It can affect on, you know, so many different levels on physical level, neurological, emotional as well. I see. So, you know, in doing your business practice and all that, you know, what made you decide, you know, from the business end to start your business? And, you know, where are you located? Tell us about that. And why did you choose the Ewa area? Okay. So I'm located in Ewa beach at the La Lani shopping center. And, you know, when I first opened, I wanted to find a growing community that was really lacking in alternative care. So I think Ewa beach is one of those areas where you're not, you don't have a lot of choices in that. So I think I made a really good decision because it's it's been really great. We've been open for only a month and a half and it's been a very warm welcome. Everybody's really excited to have someone on the west side that they can go to. Well, how does your practice, you know, acupuncture, eastern medicine, how does it integrate or work with other type of practices like state orthopedics, chiropractic, physical therapy? Oh, yes. Can you tell us about that? Yes. So it's a very harmonious relationship. We, you know, we love referring to each other because each brings a different aspect to the table, a different benefit to the patient. So I am actually right next to a chiropractor and we refer to each other all the time and the patients benefit from going to both chiropractor and acupuncture. So yeah, it's a great relationship. Now, is there any anyone as far as age groups that are more likely to see you or how does it apply from whether from a youth or an elderly person? So we see a whole range of people from, you know, I've treated children before to very, very elderly, but I would say most common demographic we're seeing is maybe older women and people who are a little older who have needs and pains that they've tried western medicine and want it. And it didn't really work the way they, you know, they want it. There's a lot of side effects. So they want to try something more natural and then they come in and we help them. I see. Yes. Well, the, when you think about the treatment and all that is it, you mentioned that it helps your resistance, knowing it's preventative to illnesses. And even how does it work towards as an alternative before surgery or pain problems or, you know, how does that come into play? So I would really strongly recommend everyone consider trying acupuncture before surgery, because I have been able to help a number of people not need surgery. So I had a patient come in with spinal stenosis and was told that they need a surgery. We did all back-to-back treatments within two to three months. She was in almost pain-free to the point where her doctor said, okay, you don't need surgery anymore. Same thing with had a shoulder pain patient said that they needed surgery. He came in for a few sessions and pain resolved. And so no longer needed surgery. Yes. It's coincidental that you mentioned that because I, you know, I have spinal stenosis and I've had major surgery myself, too. You know, I've had disc problems that had to be replaced and had to go and do the surgery, but, you know, due to the acupuncturists I had seen before I met you and this is, you know, about two years ago. And even to my massage therapist, they both told me, yeah, I wish I, you know, that you saw me or talked to me about this before that. Yeah. You know, because at least it would have given an alternative opportunity to resolve a certain problem. Yes, yes, yes. We can either try to prevent that or even if the surgery is necessary, we can help with recovery so that it's faster and not as debilitating. Okay. Yeah. Thank you very much. And then I do have more questions to ask. Okay. Let me come back to our program. Yes, sounds good. Aloha. I'm Wendy Lowe and I'm coming to you every other Tuesday at two o'clock, live from Think Tech Hawaii. And on our show, we talk about taking your health back. And what does that mean? It means mind, body and soul. Anything you can do that makes your body healthier and happier is what we're going to be talking about, whether it's spiritual health, mental health, fascia health, beautiful smile health, whatever it means, let's take healthy back. Aloha. My name is Amy Ortega Anderson, inviting you to join us every Tuesday here on Pinoy Power Hawaii with Think Tech Hawaii. We come to your home at 12 noon every Tuesday. We invite you to listen, watch for our mission of empowerment. We aim to enrich, enlighten, educate, entertain, and we hope to empower. Again, maraming, salamat po, mabuhay, and aloha. Thank you, Thuyen, for the information that you've given us so far. But I want to go into the deeper aspects as far as now and as far as the insurance involved. Is there insurance available to patients? Can you go into that area? I've seen more and more every year, which is great. So it really depends on your employer if it's added as a benefit. I also know that some Medicare plans actually cover actions, which is great. And then we have also the VA Choice Program, which is available for veterans, and they cover actions as well. You mentioned it's opening about a month ago and you're beginning to have veterans call you and all that. So how is that linked? Are you getting referrals or how they come in to see you or getting to know you? So a lot of it has been word of mouth since we're still new. So people who kind of walk by or do a search for acupuncture come see me. So anyone who's a veteran can get acupuncture. All they need to do is call the VA Choice and tell them who they want to see, and then they'll set up an appointment for them. Very simple. And also I want to ask you too. You told me about your foot soap. Yes. And I didn't know about it. I've heard very little bit about it, but could you tell me more? Sure. So we have a foot soap room that it's an herbal formula. Instead of taking it internally, it's actually absorbed through the feet. So ideally for anyone with a Chinese diagnosis of either Chi or blood stagnation. So it helps with circulation issues. So any type of pain, especially feet, but anywhere in the body could be back pain, shoulder pain. It helps with tension headaches, migraines, high blood pressure. It helps with and digestive issues, even fertility. It helps with. So the analogy is as we get older, it's the skin cells are kind of like a snow globe. Everything kind of settles in the bottom. And what the foot soap does is kind of shakes it up and gets things moving again. Yeah. So it's really good, you know, therapeutically, and it's just a relaxing experience as well. So you're sitting with a warm herbal foot soap and then the chair has a heat and vibrate option as well. So it's kind of like a mini spa experience. Yeah. Well, then you've invited me and I am going to try it. Yes, definitely. Come in. Yes. What about the, as far as herbal drinks or supplements that you can take? Can you tell us more about that? Sure. So we have herbal formulas for almost anything and everything. I would say that would be for pain. We have herbal medicine that can specifically target areas. So if you have neck pain, there are herbs that can help with pain and inflammation that go directly to the neck or the back or the knees, what have you. And then any other internal issues we can help with. Digestion is really, really top up there. Stress and anxiety. There's an herbal formula that's really helpful called Shao Yao San. You can either take it in tea form or pill form as well. So lots of options. We also provide CBD oil for patients who want to try that as well. So where do you see your business going in the future? You mentioned also adding a massage therapist or what are some of your plans and goals? Yes. So we've been open for about a month and a half and the herbal foot soap room was the second phase. So we added that about two to three weeks ago. And then going forward, we're looking to add maybe a massage therapist in the next month or two just to give people the options, writing a one-stop shop for everything that they might need. I see. And so where do you see the role of Eastern medicine now as far as, I know we touched briefly about that, but going further in the future, as far as what type of influence it'll have and how bigger it'll become. I think it's growing and I think it's going just to be more integrated into Western medicine as time goes on. I think people want more choices in their health care, choices that are more natural, that don't have side effects and are effective. So I think it's going to grow a lot. That's good. What about as part of the segment, who is a woman in business and your success story and what were the challenges that you had in starting up a business and how did you get assistance through walking from the process from wanting to start your business in Hawai'i and opening it? It was always our dream to open a practice in paradise and I'm happy to say that we were successful definitely with the help of SBA and SBDC. They were really instrumental especially in the beginning to just kind of maneuver everything that's here in the state. I signed up with SBA and SBDC and got a advisor and luckily we were paired up and you've been my business guardian angels since then. It's been a great experience. You've been great to work with by the way. Thank you. So just anywhere from finding a space, negotiating the lease because it's a big process. There's so many aspects to it. Working through loans if necessary, finding the right insurance, finding some legal representation. There's so many moving parts when you're an entrepreneur that having you by my side was such a great help to be a sound board, to bounce ideas off of someone with so much experience in the industry and on the island was great. It's wonderful and now I understand that you're even going out into the community and to networking events, meeting other professionals and kind of like supporting other business people and integrating together with them. Can you tell me some of your experiences and what have you, you know, benefited from? So I am part of the co-adaptor of the BNI which has been really great. So many great entrepreneurs, fellow printers in there just make networking and meeting people, helping each other out with referrals has been great. I met a local yoga instructor. We're thinking of maybe incorporating, collaborating, doing an acupuncture and yoga class together, which is very unique and different. So that's in the works. I'm also going to be talking to the Kaplay Village Senior Center up on Thursday, I think May 2nd, to just let them know about all the benefits of Eastern medicine. So just little, you know, just going out to the community, a lot of educating and a lot of meeting people and telling them how great Eastern medicine is. So with other people, I'm often going to a different, to the University of Hawaii or the community colleges systems and you have a lot of people with big interests in starting their own business. And I've visited centers like culinary or fashion apparel or it's, people have a desire to open an infrastructure business. And as a business consultant and a retired banker too, you know, I've been privileged to meet a lot of people and I'm a firm believer in the benefit of small business or locally owned post-health business. Wait, is there any advice to give people when we're stuck into business? I know you talk about support programs that help you at all, but seriously you were not alone. You sought help in looking at different avenues of getting assistance. Do you have any parting shots or anything to help people? I think, you know, if you have a passion to do what you want to do with it, keep going. It's hard work. It's definitely hard work, but the end result is so worth it. You know, doing what you love, being your own boss, don't give up. Just keep fighting and you'll get there. My personal motto is keep going until you can't. So that kind of got me through grad school. But yeah, you know, everybody has a passion and it's great, you know, just being who you are. And yeah, there's just so much freedom in being your own boss. It's just wonderful. When did you first realize you wanted to start your own business and, you know, how did you get the interest into becoming an acupuncture? After acupuncture school, it kind of goes hand in hand with being an acupuncture. So you kind of have to start your own business. And I've always wanted to do that anyways. I wasn't really comfortable working for someone else, just being very independent myself. So I always knew that that was the path for me. At a very youthful age? Probably a little. I mean, I worked in a corporation in my 20s. And from that experience, I knew that wasn't what I wanted. So from kind of, I guess, trial and error, knowing what doesn't work for you, then you know what works for you. Yeah. So getting into acupuncture, it was kind of, I was at a crossroads in my life. Do I continue with my past career that I knew I wasn't happy with or do I make definitely big change in my life? And I'm so glad I did. I went to the open house. I had a friend who had just graduated and I went for a few sessions. Really loved the experience at the open house. I just felt right, like I was supposed to be there. And I signed up that day three and a half years later. I was an acupuncturist and it was the best decision of my life. I love what I do. I get to help people and make a living. I don't really foresee myself ever retiring, really, because it doesn't really feel like a job. It's just enjoying what I do. That's wonderful. Actually, that's why I'm in the place where I'm at, because I've been four decades working with business owners. People started up their business, expanded, acquired, or even sold. And I've worked in all different type of industries. And to this day, it's always so fresh to me healing. And I think business is alive and it's so necessary. It gives forth creativity, independence, and it really stretches you to do more. And a lot of times, it's people's calling and purpose. I see people just from a very youthful age wanting to be self-employed. And they look at areas of what businesses should I start, creativity, and all that. And I think by having guests like yourself and sharing your experiences, I think it can help other people. That's great. I'm happy to do so, yes. Follow your passion, follow your path, what you're meant to do, and just being happy. It's a better community and society, I believe. Yeah. And it's kind of neat working with other business people, too, that own their own business, and you can share stories and help each other and work together. Yes. Definitely hurdles. It's not easy, but benefits outweigh the hardship 100 times. Well, it's been a privilege having you today and being a guest and sharing your experiences. Thank you very much for joining me and I appreciate all that you've done to share your experiences on this program. Thank you. Thank you for having me, Dennis. It was great to be here. Thank you, Thuyen. Yes. My success to you. Thank you.