The Pharmacist's Voice ® LLC

EPISODE 23: INTERVIEW WITH DR. ANNA GARRETT, HORMONE EXPERT AND AUTHOR OF PERIMENOPAUSE: THE SAVVY SISTER’S GUIDE TO HORMONE HARMONY

Podcast

Today’s episode is an interview with Dr. Anna Garrett, hormone expert and author of Perimenopause: The Savvy Sister’s Guide to Hormone Harmony.  I invited her on the podcast because she’s a women’s health educator and advocate.  

Dr. Anna Garrett has been a clinical pharmacist for over 20 years and has worked in a variety of practice settings. While traveling her career path, she discovered that working with women in midlife is her true passion. She offers a variety of services including hormone balancing, weight loss, and health coaching designed to help women in perimenopause and menopause escape from hormone hell and feel amazing in their bodies so they can rock their mojo through midlife and beyond. Dr. Anna is passionate not only about helping women get their hormones balanced but also about teaching women how to advocate for themselves in the healthcare system.

Dr. Anna received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) and is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She is also a Certified Intrinsic Coach®, and has studied through the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Anna is the author of Perimenopause: The Savvy Sister’s Guide to Hormone Harmony which was published in April of 2019.

Dr. Anna works with her clients virtually and locally.  Her website is drannagarrett.com, and you can reach her via e-mail at info@drannagarrett.com.

Mentioned in this episode

According to Dr. Anna, perimenopause is the 5-10-year period between when your hormones change (starts ~late 30’s-early 40’s) and menopause.  Menopause is a single day that marks one year since your last period.  Post-menopause is everything after that one-year anniversary.  

Perimenopause: The Savvy Sister’s Guide to Hormone Harmony was written in the same spirit as What to Expect When You’re Expecting.  It’s easy to read without a medical background and helps women prepare for perimenopause and/or a conversation about perimneopause with a healthcare professional.  Women need to read this book around the age of 35, because it will be relevant around age 38-42 years old.

Highlights

  • drannagarrett.com was launched on Dr. Anna’s birthday in 2012.  
  • Dr. Anna’s tagline is “Rev Up Your Mid-Life Mojo.”
  • She advocates for women’s health and educates clients about their health.
  • When she was working at Mission Hospital doing health coaching, Dr. Anna realized she had a passion for women’s health and working with women.  
  • Knowing her ideal client well and how to market to them was important.  She was able to develop marketing messages because she knew her ideal client.   
  • Dr. Anna saw a gap and filled it.  
  • After 5 years, Dr. Anna’s private Facebook Group has 6,000 members. 
  • The Facebook Group and referrals from other patients are her main two sources of clients.  
  • Dr. Anna attracted a younger clientele when she wrote the book on perimenopause.  
  • Her clients are all over the world.  They tend to be professional women who are underserved by the medical community and/or want a natural treatment.
  • Having a niche practice is helpful because if you try to help everyone, you will help no one.  Knowing who you can help makes marketing messaging easier.  
  • Some of the challenges Dr. Anna overcame were being in the spotlight/the face of the business and charging for services.  In general, pharmacists struggle with pricing services.
  • One of the best things that has happened since Dr. Anna started her business is location independence.  She has been able to travel more.  
  • An important piece of advice she received was starting a private Facebook Group for potential clients.  She is able to help a lot of people using the information she gathers in the Group.  
  • Dr. Anna started a pharmacist coaching practice called Start-Up to Success.  She helps pharmacists who are starting new businesses.  Contact info@drannagarrett.com to learn more.
  • Imposter Syndrome is the little voice in the back of your head that tells you, “You can’t do that!”  It even affects successful entrepreneurs like Dr. Anna.  In spite of her moments of doubt, she is able to help a large number of women using her identity as a pharmacist.