We had the good fortune of connecting with Lorna Driver-Davies and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lorna, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Being a party self employed person my whole working career, is always a risk in itself but also always paid off. My psychological approach to risk is to really think situations through and do your research. I find many people just focus on the worry of a risk when that energy could be better used to weigh up risk (worrying isn’t proactive but risk assessment is). Of course, as a human, you always still get moments of worry – but – if you have done your due diligence then the concern or worry should be very minimal.

One big risk-area in nutritional therapy is having enough clients to have an income that pays your bills and so forth. Right from the start I vowed to only take on clients that made sense to me to take them on – not because of the money – for other sensible reasons. Too many health workers take on anyone just because of the money or worrying about money. I find this creates issues along the way and doesn’t turn your business into a success.

My ethos is ‘hold tight’ and trust – and by being selective with clients its enabled me to work with people that are right for me and for mine and their success – and in the end this is actually less risky and more profitable and creates a more successful business. Taking on anyone for the sake of the money (because someone worries its risky to say ‘no’) is short term thinking and is more risky to me. To this day, I still work like this. Its having the guts to sit tight, trust and make prudent non-reactive business decisions. Stay grounded.

What should our readers know about your business?
Lorna Driver-Davies has worked for a decade as a registered naturopathic nutritional therapist, integrating functional medicine practice with her knowledge of botanicals as a herbal medicine dispenser. She has expertise in teen and women’s hormone and gynaecological nutrition, working with diagnosed conditions and irregularities (including psychological changes related to menstrual and hormone health), menstrual cycle optimisation, the promotion of healthy female hormones, healthy peri-menopause and menopause, healthy fertility, pregnancy and post-natal health, thyroid health, minimising the affects upon organs and systems that connect to the stress response, sleep and energy optimisation.

Lorna recognises the important role of the immune system, digestive health and the microbiome, detoxification and genetics in women’s health. Lorna has special skills in working with complex conditions that require medical or surgical intervention and medication, and is able to ‘complement’ medical support with safe appropriate nutrition and lifestyle programmes. She often refers to and works alongside, doctors and nurses who specialise in women’s health.

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What sets me apart very much so is my expertise in Endometriosis – this is unusual for a women’ health practitioner as its a very tough area in nutrition. So much so, I contribute towards evidence based texts books on the topic, lecture to endometriosis surgeons and teach nurses about endometriosis – at the highest level. I am extremely passionate about getting women out of being in pain, having healthy menstrual cycles, and that their female health doesn’t create a negative ‘hole’ in their mental health or limit their lifestyle. I want women to feel good, to feel looked after, to feel loved and listened to.

Knowledge and experience always require time and every nutritional therapist has moments like I don’t know enough or people will think I won’t know enough – that is normal. My approach is not to stress, as knowledge and experience take time. This is why I laugh when freshly qualified practitoners worry – don’t stress. Its just called time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Kew Gardens – a royal botanic garden, sipping a chai latte or organic coffee as we look at all the beautiful flowers. Then for lunch at https://petershamnurseries.com/.

In the afternoon (based on it being summer) I would take them for outside climbing and bouldering to the Castle
https://www.castle-climbing.co.uk/

And then for dinner, to https://ottolenghi.co.uk/

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart three very special women who have contributed hugely to my success:

My Mother Jill Davies, who is very successful Medical Herbalist – for all her love, care and mentoring to help me become the best health clinician after watching her support and change for the better people’s health since the 1970’s. My idol!

Best friend and fellow health practitioner – Nicole Parsons – expert Physio (Egoscue method), Sports and Exercise expert and Coach – for giving me the first opportunity to see clients using her studio and being there for all the highs and lows in this business

Henrietta Norton – co-founder of https://www.wildnutrition.com/ – for taking a chance and trusting me, as a young nutritional therapist and allowing me to flourish and grow and be a part of amazing Wild family for all this time.

Website: www.lornadriverdavies.com

Instagram: @lornadriverdavies

Facebook: Lorna Driver-Davies

Image Credits
image credit for the blue dress one is Emma Harris Image credit for the climbing one is Ed Hastings

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