T.U.T — The Unwritten Teachings

In this episode, I speak with Rachel Herren, President and owner of Hess Equipment Solutions, a third-generation family business founded in St. Louis in 1946. Rachel’s path to leadership is an unusual one: she spent her early career as a critical care nurse before joining the company her grandfather started after World War II. Since taking the lead, she has doubled revenue over five years, expanded into multiple states, added new manufacturer lines, and relocated the company’s headquarters to Webster Groves. Her story offers a clear view into what it takes to modernize a legacy business without losing the values that sustained it for generations.

Our conversation covers how Rachel moved Hess from a founder-dependent operation to one built on documented processes, technology, and clearly defined roles. She explains why the company stopped selling the product that built it once it became a commodity, and how a high-touch, full-service model allows Hess to compete when customers can buy the same equipment online. We also discuss her approach to hiring for culture and values, giving team members ownership of their numbers, and why she views turnover as healthy rather than a failure. Finally, Rachel shares her perspective on private equity interest, future acquisitions, and her goal of building a business that runs without her.

Connect with the Host

Twitter twitter.com/ItsRajTut

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

Instagram instagram.com/ItsRajTut

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-herren-674b0143/ 

Timestamps

00:00 Episode preview: building a team that is invested in the business

01:13 Introducing Rachel Herren and Hess Equipment Solutions

02:13 From slicers in a van to supermarket scales: 80 years of Hess history

05:46 What critical care nursing taught her about leadership and worst-case planning

07:35 Why Hess stopped selling the product that started the company

11:25 The software switch that carried the business through COVID

14:00 Moving from a founder-led to a systems-led business

15:56 The drivers behind doubling revenue in five years

17:21 Hiring for culture and values over skill

25:04 Competing with online sellers through a high-touch service model

28:27 Getting team buy-in and giving employees ownership of their numbers

32:05 Why turnover is not always a bad thing

36:32 Leading as a woman in male-dominated rooms

41:01 Private equity interest and why she is not selling

50:01 Rachel’s unwritten teaching

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you’re looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #SmallBusiness #FamilyBusiness #FoodserviceEquipment #SuccessionPlanning #CustomerExperience

In this episode, I speak with Dan Abel Jr., Chief Chocolate Officer and co-owner of two St. Louis institutions: Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company, the business his parents founded in 1981, and Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier, a brand whose roots trace to Paris and a 1668 appointment as confectioner to the court of King Louis XIV. Dan is a second-generation chocolatier who, alongside his brother and sister, oversees manufacturing, distribution, national sales, and product development across both companies. We begin with the centuries-long history of Bissinger's and the story of how his father built Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate from a single storefront, then trace the family's path to acquiring Bissinger's in 2019. Throughout, Dan speaks to what it means to grow a handmade, heritage brand without ever compromising the craft that defines it.

Our conversation covers the operating principles behind that growth: a discipline around cash flow that treats every expense as consequential, a relentless product-innovation cycle that brought new energy to a traditional industry, and the decision to acquire Bissinger's just six months before the pandemic forced a rapid pivot to direct-to-consumer sales. Dan explains why the company entered Palm Beach first when it began its retail expansion, reasoning that winning the most demanding luxury market would prove the model for the twelve stores that followed in a single year. He also discusses why he avoids chasing fads in favor of longer product cycles, how the business scales through small artisan production lines rather than industrial ones, and the lesson he values most — that staying hands-on and leading by example is something no book can teach. It is a candid look at building durable, premium growth in a business defined by tradition.

Connect with the Host

Twitter twitter.com/ItsRajTut

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

Instagram instagram.com/ItsRajTut

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-abel-jr-15541765/

Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier https://www.bissingers.com

Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company https://www.chocolatechocolate.com

Timestamps

00:00

01:22 Meet Dan Abel Jr. and the family's two chocolate brands

02:12 Bissinger's history, from 1600s Paris to the court of King Louis XIV

06:03 How his father fell into the trade and founded the company

10:27 Growing up inside the family business

15:11 Building the craft and the business discipline at once

22:35 Igniting wholesale by knocking on doors across St. Louis

27:15 The seasonal truffle breakthrough and a competitor's advice

30:47 The Bissinger's acquisition and what made it fit

35:21 Six months of chaos, and the $1 million line they couldn't cancel

40:47 Lockdown closes retail as direct-to-consumer explodes

44:34 The omnichannel flywheel and following the data to Florida

47:00 Why they opened in Palm Beach first

49:55 From one Palm Beach store to twelve in a year

65:22 The lesson you can't learn from a book

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/ LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

#Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Business #FamilyBusiness #LuxuryBrand #RetailExpansion #ProductInnovation #StLouisBusiness

In this episode, I speak with Kevin Riggs, co-founder, partner, and CEO of BeLeaf Medical Co., one of Missouri's first vertically integrated cannabis companies and the organization behind the Swade dispensary brand. Riggs's background is in engineering rather than cannabis; he built and ran a civil engineering firm before his interest in concussion research and pain management led him into the plant sciences. He was named a St. Louis Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, and his career has since spanned politics, engineering, and now one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country. What stands out in this conversation is how much of BeLeaf's origin traces back to a picnic table shared among three partners with no established roadmap to follow.Our conversation covers what is required to build a vertically integrated cannabis company from seed to sale, including the banking restrictions, zoning obstacles, and regulatory uncertainty that defined the industry's early years. Riggs details Missouri's seed-to-sale tracking requirements, the tax code provisions that treat cannabis operators similarly to unlicensed drug traffickers, and the deliberate culture work required to scale from a handful of founders to five hundred employees without losing what made the company function in the first place. He also shares the piece of advice that has stayed with him longer than anything he has read in a business book: there is no playbook, and the people who succeed are simply the ones who continue showing up.Connect with the HostTwittertwitter.com/ItsRajTutLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/Instagraminstagram.com/ItsRajTutTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtutConnect with the GuestLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-e-riggs-p-e-9b71101/Websitehttps://beleafmedical.com/Companyhttps://swadecannabis.com/Timestamps00:00Cold open — the mentor who told him "you owe me this"01:06Introducing Kevin Riggs and BeLeaf Medical02:05Growing up in St. Charles between sports and music05:32Jim McMahon, Junior Seau, and the concussion research that led him to cannabis07:24Founding BeLeaf Medical around a picnic table14:27What Missouri's cannabis landscape looked like before legalization16:21The 2018 Farm Bill loophole and the fight over Amendments 2 and 324:02The real barriers pioneers faced: banking, zoning, and vendors31:33What vertical integration actually looks like, seed to sale34:26Inside Metrc: how every plant gets tracked and traced37:16Why cannabis is one of the highest-taxed industries in the country40:05Building and defending culture across 500 employees50:42Kevin's role today: boardroom vs. the dispensary floor57:01What actually drove BeLeaf's growth and turnaround65:47The best business advice he never found in a bookThis podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sat down with Julie Abner, Principal Designer & Owner at Julie Abner Interiors, an award-winning full-service interior design firm based in St. Louis. Julie has been building her firm for nearly 20 years, with work featured in publications like St. Louis Magazine, Sophisticated Living, and St. Louis Homes + Lifestyles. We talked about her early creative influences, how her parents helped recognize her interest in design, and the path that took her from Southern Illinois to Chicago and eventually to St. Louis. Julie also shared how she transitioned from working under other designers into building a firm of her own.

We also got into the real business behind interior design: earning client trust, managing process, building vendor relationships, avoiding trends that do not last, and creating spaces that feel personal rather than copied. Julie broke down how she reads a client’s inspiration images, why five photos can be more useful than 100, and how she balances a client’s vision with budget, scale, materials, and long-term livability. She also shared practical design ideas for elevated spaces on a budget, her view on AI in the design process, and the unwritten teaching she would pass on: value yourself, trust your instincts, stay focused, and do the work.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut/ ⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julieabnerinteriors

Website: https://www.julieabnerinteriors.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie_abner_interiors/

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Design hacks for an elevated look on a budget

00:42 Storyboard Living multifamily acquisition note

01:13 Introducing Julie Abner and her 20-year design career

02:15 Growing up creative in Southern Illinois

04:21 Choosing design instead of a traditional path

05:33 Chicago, St. Louis, and the next career goal

06:49 Learning the business before starting her own firm

09:35 Moving from home office to The Hill studio

10:48 Wearing every hat in the early years

13:03 The first award and early validation

15:34 How Julie earns trust with clients

16:44 Balancing client vision with professional experience

19:09 What designers see inside inspiration images

21:33 Design lessons for commercial real estate spaces

25:08 Budget-friendly ways to elevate a home or apartment

27:37 Avoiding one-signature-style design

30:02 Timeless design versus trends

34:44 Staying current without copying what is overdone

37:19 What separates great vendors from average vendors

38:40 How AI fits into interior design

41:06 Lessons from year one to year twenty

43:49 Building a team, reputation, and confidence

45:52 Julie’s goals for the next decade

51:09 Rapid-fire design opinions

54:18 Julie’s unwritten teaching

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected]

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

I sat down with Tom Schlafly, President at Schlafly Beer, co-founder and chairman of The Saint Louis Brewery, an attorney, author, civic leader, and minority owner of the St. Louis Blues. Tom helped pioneer craft beer in St. Louis when he opened what became Missouri’s first microbrewery in 1991, at a time when craft beer was virtually nonexistent locally and Anheuser-Busch dominated the city’s beer identity. We began with Tom’s deep family history in St. Louis, from his Swiss immigrant roots to his great-grandfather’s entrepreneurial path through banking, mineral water, railroad ties, and the family’s long connection to the region.

This conversation explores how Tom used legal training, timing, patience, and a willingness to look foolish to build something durable in a market many people thought was impossible. We talked about the early laws that made brewpubs difficult in Missouri, why the first Tap Room location looked irrational in 1991, how the craft beer market has changed, and why brand credibility mattered more than gimmicks. Tom also shared his views on civic responsibility, downtown St. Louis, immigration, the future of the region, and the kind of leadership that helps boards and communities make better decisions. His throughline was clear: take the risk you will regret not taking, but build with enough seriousness that the work can outlast the original bet.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-schlafly-1ba26410 Schlafly Beer: https://www.schlafly.com/

Thompson Coburn Bio: https://www.thompsoncoburn.com/people/tom-f-schlafly/

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Tom Schlafly’s introduction and the founding of Schlafly Beer

01:11 Family history, immigration, and deep St. Louis roots

03:05 Choosing downtown St. Louis over Clayton

04:35 The Schlafly family’s entrepreneurial history

09:12 Contrarian thinking and the origins of the brewery idea

10:10 Discovering English beer while studying at Oxford

12:09 Why a microbrewery could work in St. Louis

13:16 Missouri liquor laws and the first microbrewery license 

19:09 Early business challenges and regulated alcohol markets 

21:23 Opening the Tap Room in a neglected downtown neighborhood

26:21 Downtown St. Louis, real estate bets, and neighborhood change

31:17 Craft beer competition and changing consumer behavior 

36:03 Building the Schlafly brand with seriousness and stability

37:57 Becoming a minority owner of the St. Louis Blues 

39:20 Civic involvement, local impact, and “two zip codes”

43:16 Why St. Louis still offers opportunity

49:22 Favorite beers, best decision, mistakes, and final advice

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sat down with Ness Sándoval, a Professor of Demography and Sociology at Saint Louis University and one of the leading voices sounding the alarm on population decline. Ness walks through his personal journey from growing up in a small, segregated town in Nebraska to becoming deeply focused on demographic trends and spatial inequality. His early exposure to contrasting environments and access to education shaped his perspective on opportunity, migration, and long-term societal shifts.

We dive into the reality that population growth as we’ve known it is ending, driven by declining birth rates, aging populations, and reduced migration. Ness explains how this shift will fundamentally impact housing, economies, and entire regions—especially cities like St. Louis. He outlines why migration is now the only path to growth, why young people are the key to survival, and why many regions are unprepared for what’s coming. The conversation highlights both the risks of inaction and the narrow window of opportunity cities still have to adapt before long-term decline becomes irreversible.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ness-s%C3%A1ndoval-a42ba938/

Email: [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:00 Demographic collapse warning

 01:07 Guest introduction and background

 03:00 Early exposure to inequality and education

04:20 Transition from pre-med to demography

07:00 Discovering demographic trends and data

 08:50 Global examples: Japan, Russia, Middle East

11:00 The Great Recession as a demographic shock

 12:30 Why population decline matters economically

14:00 Housing demand collapse and empty towns

16:00 Migration as the only growth solution

19:00 Why St. Louis is losing population

 22:00 Attracting young people and “stickiness”

 24:00 COVID’s impact on births and deaths

 26:00 Pittsburgh as a case study

28:00 Housing shortages and policy resistance

30:00 Immigration and growth in suburbs

34:00 Schools driving family migration decisions

37:00 Best vs worst-case future scenarios

42:00 Aging population and economic strain

 46:00 School closures and declining youth population

49:00 Midwest’s future opportunity for growth

 52:00 Why St. Louis fails at storytelling

55:00 Tracking migration with IRS and cell data

01:01:40 Where to follow Ness and closing thoughts

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living. If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] Connect with us at our Website: 

https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sat down with Laurie Schultz, Principal & Co-Founder at Avenue, Viva Bene to discuss how aging demographics are reshaping real estate and why traditional senior living is due for a major transformation. Laurie shared her journey from growing up in St. Louis to building a career across apartments, healthcare real estate, and senior housing. She has helped develop more than $1.5 billion of projects and now focuses on solving one of the biggest unmet needs in housing. We also talked about how entrepreneurship often starts long before people realize it.

Laurie explained why many older adults do not identify with the traditional senior living model and how that gap created the opportunity for active adult communities. We broke down Avenue’s Viva Bene concept, which combines age-restricted housing, social connection, and preventive healthcare services. She also shared how AI is changing development, why construction labor remains a challenge, and how housing could eventually become part of healthcare reimbursement models. This conversation is a masterclass in spotting demographic trends early and building around real human needs.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with the Guest

LinkedIn: Laurie Schultz, CCIM

Website: Avenue Development

Company Updates: Avenue LinkedIn

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Why traditional senior living is changing

01:14 Introducing Laurie Schultz and Avenue

01:56 Growing up in St. Louis and first career steps

04:19 How entrepreneurship developed early

06:33 Entering healthcare and senior housing real estate

09:10 Aging in place vs moving to senior living

10:07 Building Avenue through medical office projects

14:31 Expanding into development, construction, and investment

19:20 How AI is changing real estate development

21:54 Why Viva Bene was created

25:21 Why St. Louis became the first pilot market

32:19 Early leasing success and expansion plans

37:23 Challenges facing senior living today

39:35 Designing active adult communities differently

44:21 Laurie’s day-to-day and long-term mission

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.

If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sat down with Sharnie Grewal, Functional Wellness Coach focused on helping women over 30 optimize their health through a root-cause, functional approach. Sharnie shares her journey from growing up in London to becoming a physical therapist and eventually transitioning into entrepreneurship after experiencing her own health struggles. What stood out to me is how her personal frustration with low energy and being told “this is normal” pushed her to challenge conventional thinking and build something that actually helps people feel better.

We dive deep into functional medicine, the importance of addressing root causes instead of symptoms, and the biggest health mistakes people make—especially around sleep, movement, and food habits. Sharnie also breaks down how identity, mindset, and daily choices shape long-term health outcomes. Beyond health, we talk about the realities of starting a business, overcoming money beliefs, and building a life that aligns with both family and purpose. This episode is a powerful reminder that your health—and your life—can change dramatically when you take ownership of it.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with our Guest:

Website: www.sharniegrewal.com

Contact email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharniegrewal/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharniegrewal/

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 Overcoming exhaustion and “normal” burnout

01:17 Introduction to Sharnie’s business and niche

02:05 What her health coaching business does

02:52 Growing up in London and early interests

03:53 Path into physical therapy

06:44 Personal health struggles as turning point

08:00 Discovering functional medicine

10:30 What functional medicine actually is

13:07 Leaving traditional healthcare limitations

15:20 Starting a business with no experience

17:20 Building a wellness community online

20:27 How her coaching process works

23:15 Biggest health mistakes (sleep, food, movement)

30:47 Gut health and nutrition fundamentals

34:28 Money mindset challenges in entrepreneurship

39:30 Rapid fire health insights and habits

42:04 Daily routines and non-negotiables

46:14 Final message: your body can heal

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected]

Connect with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sit down with Steve Smith, co-founder of Lawrence Group and founder of New + Found. Steve started Lawrence Group in 1983 in the attic of his home with just a few hundred dollars and a vision of building what he once called the “super firm” — a company that designs, builds, develops, and owns real estate. Over four decades, that vision has grown into a vertically integrated organization operating across architecture, development, construction, and hospitality.

We talk about the mindset behind transformative real estate, including how Steve nearly went bankrupt on his first development, why he believes developers should lead change instead of chasing trends, and how the idea for City Foundry STL was born during a visit to Krog Street Market. We also break down the financing behind one of the most complex real estate deals in the country, how historic tax credits helped unlock massive redevelopment, and why investing in downtown St. Louis remains a mission larger than profit.

Connect with our guest:

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut

⁠⁠LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Connect with our guest

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-smith-faia

Lawrence Group: https://thelawrencegroup.com

New + Found: https://newandfound.com 

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00 The moment City Foundry was conceived

02:15 Introducing Steve Smith and Lawrence Group

04:19 Growing up in an entrepreneurial household

05:07 Deciding to become an architect at age 10

06:07 Starting Lawrence Group with $7,500

09:01 The failed development that nearly ended everything

13:00 Rebuilding the architecture firm and delaying development

16:06 The motorcycle museum that sparked new development

21:00 Learning historic tax credits and adaptive reuse

24:34 Creating markets instead of following comps

27:54 Studying other cities to inspire developments

29:27 The origin story of City Foundry STL

35:04 Environmental cleanup and the brownfield strategy

44:05 Financing one of the most complex deals in the country

48:54 Measuring success beyond financial return

52:16 Why Steve keeps investing in downtown St. Louis

55:02 Staying calm during crises and downturns

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

In this episode, I sat down with Sonia Cajigal, an Allergy/Immunologist at St. Louis Family Allergy, to talk about her path from an accelerated medical program into allergy and immunology, and eventually into building her own private practice in St. Peters, Missouri. She has a strong clinical background, but what stood out to me was how intentionally she has built a more modern, flexible, patient-centered model of care. We talked about the difference between training to become a physician and learning, in real time, how to become a business owner. Sonia also shared how her own experience with allergies helped shape the way she thinks about patient care and innovation.

We also went deep on what is changing inside allergy treatment today. Sonia explained oral and sublingual immunotherapy for food allergies, the difference between food allergies and intolerances, and why newer options like Quick-LI are creating a much faster path to relief for environmental allergy sufferers. Beyond the medicine, we discussed the business realities of private practice: choosing location strategy, managing overhead, handling insurance headaches, delegating operations, and deciding whether growth should mean getting bigger or becoming more specialized. One of the biggest themes from this conversation was that meaningful innovation often starts before the broader market fully accepts it.

Connect with the Host

Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-cajigal-a3476616b

Website: https://saintlouisfamilyallergy.com/

Practice Profile: https://www.mercy.net/doctor/sonia-rani-cajigal-md/

St. Louis Family Allergy — private allergy, asthma, and immunology practice in St. Peters — https://saintlouisfamilyallergy.com/

Timestamps

00:00 Food allergies, myths, and why treatment has changed

01:26 Sonia Cajigal’s medical background and accelerated training path

05:53 The moment allergy and immunology clicked

06:59 Why she chose to build her own private practice

08:11 The first steps to launching a medical business

10:12 Location strategy and why she opened in St. Peters

13:33 New allergy therapies: oral and sublingual immunotherapy

17:21 Success rates, patient comfort, and treatment goals

19:28 Environmental allergies, allergy shots, and Quick-LI

23:18 Equipment, technology, and evaluating new tools

26:31 Private practice vs. hospital systems

27:39 Why food allergies are rising

34:09 Food allergy vs. intolerance: what parents get wrong

38:15 What frustrates her most about the healthcare system

43:49 The biggest surprises of business ownership and her advice for founders

This podcast is brought to you by Storyboard Living.If you're looking to sell us a 40+ unit multifamily property in the St. Louis region, or another part of MO/IL, please email [email protected] with us at our Website: https://storyboardliving.com/

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/storyboard-living/

#Podcast#Business#Healthcare#AllergyTreatment#PrivatePractice#FoodAllergies#Immunotherapy#MedicalEntrepreneurship

Connect with the HostConnect with the GuestAssets Mentioned During The EpisodeTimestamps for Key Segments