Chris chilling out in his consulting room

1.What is your philosophy on life and health? What have u always stuck by?

“I try to keep things pure and simple. Essentially if the outcome of a situation can’t kill me I try not to worry about it. If you do your best and use your talents to the best of your ability then you can’t go very wrong. With regards to health I am not particularly hardline however I have never liked fatty foods. I have been fortunate that a number of vices have never appealed in the slightest. I don’t drink alcohol because I never liked the taste and never considered smoking as I hate the smell. I am lucky in that a classically healthy lifestyle has come pretty naturally to me.”

2. Why did u decide to set up Health Consultants Inc?

“The timing was right in my life. I had previously worked for other healthcare companies and established new clinics and services for them. I had the advantage of spending their money to establish these services. Pleasingly they were all successful and it proved to be a great learning experience. Having to wait so many years to be eligible for a UK passport I had to do the hard yards and play the waiting game for longer than I would have liked before starting HCI. However that waiting time was well spent and possibly benefited me ultimately. My feeling at the time was that private healthcare in the UK was not of an acceptable standard. I wanted to make a difference and create a higher level of expectation from patients and clients. I wanted to provide a very professional service in a relaxed and approachable manner. I did not want a clinic that had unnecessary barriers such as staff that were from a superior race that could not relate to real people and I did not want an uncomfortable hospital like setting rather a warm, welcoming and comfortable environment. I was excited by the challenge. Interestingly I have discovered that the “challenges” never go away, there is always a little something or mountain that I want to move.”

3. Why does HCI stand out from competitors?

“To be honest I don’t spend much time considering what competitors are doing. I know they are interested in watching what we are up to. I like to think that Health Consultants Inc. are the innovators. We are a small enough organisation to make quick decisions and implement changes and improvements quickly. We try to provide a world class health service that is still personable. I know the facilities and environment created for Marylebone Physiotherapy & Sports Medicine are the envy of many physiotherapists who would love to work with us. Many patients who have been around the houses of Harley Street and surround with no joy are now some of our biggest referrers. Our service delivery is a constant work in progress. I personally enjoy the process of trying to be a leading light in healthcare provision. In business generally people say if you are standing still then you are relatively going backwards. In healthcare provision this is even more evident with new research and changes in thinking occurring on a daily basis. I believe it is essential that the service we provide is constantly evolving and adapting to new innovations. Harnessing new developments in specific niche areas and focusing on very specific target areas such as back pain, knee rehabilitation or tendon pathology ensures that we channel our resources most effectively.”

4. Based on your experience, what start up business advice would u give?

“I think the most important thing is to have a passion for what you do. There is no doubt that you will work harder than you could have ever possibly imagined when you attempt starting a business for yourself. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing your level of success will match your level of unhappiness and dissatisfaction. I would also recommend not trying to be everything for everybody. Have a specialised service or target audience. My third tip would be to build a strong team around you that you can trust. Learn to delegate and don’t get caught doing everything as this would result in burnout and limited growth potential for your business. It will be interesting to see whether my views have changed in another 10 years. Stay tuned!”

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

“I have a very good imagination so I could go anywhere with this question. As surprising as this may be to many people I am actually responding to this question whilst literally on a beach in Thailand. I can assure you that if I am here in 5 years time I would be very happy. Another thing that I can assure you is that I won’t be retired and that isn’t because I have a wife and 5 children but because of the influence of a wise friend who told me that, “retirement is God’s waiting room Chris, never retire”. He was 76 at the time and going stronger than ever.  I genuinely enjoy what I do and creating opportunities along the way, I guess I will have evolved by another 5 years by 2016. I receive a tremendous amount of satisfaction from seeing people benefit from the services that Health Consultants Inc. provides. Who knows but it would be nice to think that we were able to positively influence over a million people across all services by 2016. I do have a longterm goal to own a tropical island someday and create something special…… will it be in 5 years, well that is the question, fingers crossed.”