From Side Hustle to Wellness Empire: An Inspiring Conversation with Sam Tejada, Episode #189

Sam Tejada is the President and Founder of LIQUIVIDA®. He’s also a former paramedic firefighter revolutionizing the healthcare industry with his personalized approach to modern wellness.

LIQUIVIDA® is a multi-million dollar company with franchise locations throughout the US. Sam developed the concept, combining his medical background and a deep desire to help others lead healthier, happier lives.

Sam is an expert in transformative wellness services that cater to individual needs, such as IV therapy, weight management, regenerative therapies, hormone replacement therapy, and more.

Sam’s book, “How To Win In Modern Wellness,” is a collaborative effort with the top CEOs and leaders in the wellness industry, educating, enlightening, and empowering medical professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs, and health-conscious consumers about the benefits of preventative therapies.

Listen in for some great takeaways about Sam and his journey helping countless people to live happier, healthier lives.

How being a firefighter helped Sam start a side hustle

As a firefighter, Sam worked 24 hours and was off for 48 hours. That schedule is unique, which allows the majority of firefighters and paramedics to have some sort of side hustle. While many firefighters/paramedics worked at hospitals or ran power washing businesses, Sam decided to get into the health and wellness arena.

If you want to start a business, Sam encourages people to start a business as a hobby—and to make it something you enjoy. You don’t have to quit your job to do a hobby. As that hobby progresses into something more, you can decide whether or not to leave a full-time job.

What led Sam to found LIQUIVIDA®?

Sam was working at a company in alternative medicine that took a proactive approach to health and wellness, catering to affluent individuals around the globe. They had 350 patients in South Florida alone. Sam spent his days off going to multi-million-dollar homes to draw blood from their patients.

Many of his patients talked about IV vitamin therapy treatments that they’d get when they traveled to the West Coast, which got Sam thinking. What if he could launch the same concept and do it better? That’s how LIQUIVIDA® was born.

Why vitamin therapy?

Everyone recognizes IV therapy as a hangover cure. Why? Because you have an electrolyte imbalance from drinking the night before. However, there are other deficiencies that IV therapy can treat that are not caused by drinking alcohol.

LIQUIVIDA® does a comprehensive blood analysis to look at micronutrient deficiencies in their clients. The human body uses 35 different nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and amino acids) to function daily.

Once you figure out where your deficiencies are, the most common route of treatment is oral supplementation. But many adults have acid reflux, IBS, etc. where it doesn’t allow them to absorb nutrients properly. However, when you give vitamins intravenously, you see 100% absorption because you bypass the digestive route. It helps people optimize their health to perform at their best levels.

Sam’s advice for those considering the franchise model

Sam’s goal is to build strong relationships with his franchisees so they understand the mission and vision of the company. He believes that the more training you offer your franchisees, the easier it is to keep your desired business culture in place.

He also emphasizes that if you decide to franchise, it’s a whole other beast. Sam recommends hiring a coach who understands the world of franchising. Do everything you can to get a good understanding of what it means to be a franchisor.

If you want to be successful as a franchisee, you have to put in the work. The franchisor provides the tools and ammunition you need to be successful. They’ll provide numerous branding and marketing assets. But you still have to do the work. Nothing is just given to you.

Why did Sam write “How To Win In Modern Wellness?” Why are relationships the cornerstone of new businesses? Listen to learn more from a successful health and wellness entrepreneur