Today we’d like to introduce you to Deika King.
Deika, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
During the pregnancy of my daughter Leah, I began to experience health problems like never before. I use to be an outdoor person (mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, etc.) All of the sudden, I began to suffer with migraines, was diagnosed with a heart murmur, anxiety, gained weight, and so on. It truly changed my life.
After the birth of Leah, I was put on too many medications. They were strong and helped me to get back to work and function at a sufficient level. If I were to miss a dose, I would be in shambles for days. Through the years I began to resent being dependent on them. I tried to discontinue the meds, but every time that I tried, I would have strange side effects.
Then, in 2011 I received a call from my dad saying that my mother had just been told that her brain cancer had returned, but this time it was stage 3 (anaplastic ganglioglioma). I cannot begin to describe the thoughts that came across my mind at that moment.
A few days later I realized that every one of her brothers and sisters, either had some type of cancer or had died from it (all different cancers). I thought about the health struggles that I had been dealing with, I thought about my mother, I thought about the future health of my daughter, and I wanted to do something to change it.
I began to do a lot of research on brain cancers, and holistic medicine. I wanted to get my mother well, the thought of losing her was too painful to bare. During my research, I came across a company called BRAS (Breast Research Awareness and Support) and Inquired about what they did and how they did what they did.
At first, I was a little disappointed because the screening they offered did not offer a lot of research when it came to brain scans. But I liked that the technology did not expose the client to radiation and actually looked at the function of the area being screened. The technology is mainly used for breast and body screening with the exception of brain and prostate. But what intrigued me the most, was the education they provided to their clients. It was all natural and holistic. No medications. This was something that my mother’s medical doctors did not offer us. We were lost and we had to figure things out ourselves.
After I completed my MS at Texas Tech, I began to consider using my degree to become a business owner and educator using natural methods. So, a couple of years later, I became a franchise owner and expanded my education to include, not only breast health but naturopathic, herbal and more. My mother is still with us, she ended up with dementia due to the radiation treatment for her brain cancer, and I have resolved some of my health problems, but still have a lot of work to do. Best of all, I help so many of my clients both with screening and providing invaluable education about breast health.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path of an entrepreneur is never without struggle. Making mistakes is part of growing both personally and in business. Like most new business owners, my struggle was never about the level of education or knowledge I possess to produce desired results for my clients or provide great service. My struggles were financial and being a pleaser.
Starting a business, especially this type of business without the proper finances needed to keep things going was very difficult and stressful. It’s an easy way to lose your business and your investment quickly. Too often, we are so excited to start a business, that we jump in unprepared. That is not a good idea.
I also remember when I started, I wanted to serve everyone, my prices were low and I was giving great value, but it wasn’t being appreciated by those I was serving. This is a great way to get the joy sucked out of you too early in business. I had to make some changes if I wanted to do this long term. I struggled early on to realize the need to be self-assured and confident that the right people would come and show gratitude for what I had created for them.
I love my clients. Many have been with me since the beginning, but I had to let a few go. Once I took the initiative to do so, I was better able to focus on my ideal clients. It allowed me to connect better with them on more a personal level. And that is important when you are dealing with personal issues.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about BRAS Thermography & Wellness – what should we know?
The name of my business is BRAS Thermography & Wellness. BRAS stands for Breast Research Awareness & Support. We provide full body, women’s wellness, and breast thermography screening, Breast Health Consultations, and Naturopathic Consultations. We only recommend natural remedies to our clients in their journey to better health.
Thermography is a functional test that can be used to screen the entire body (except for brain and prostate) including the breast. The screening is non-invasive. There is no radiation, no touch, no pain, nothing to drink prior to screening and it is safe. Because it’s a functional test, it is looking at the function of your body (inflammation, cystic, vascular patterns, etc.) and not structure like other technologies that look for what is already there such as mammograms, MRI, etc. We like this screening because it gives us early signs of a disease process allowing us to tackle it before it becomes a chronic condition.
We like working with clients who know that there is something wrong with their health and want help figuring out what’s wrong, or with a client that knows what is wrong with their health but don’t know what their next step should be and would like guidance.
As I said previously, the thing that I am most proud of in our business is the level of education we provide our clients, especially in reference to their breast health. We also provide them with a breast prevention booklet when they come in for a thermography or breast consultation.
We hear a lot of our client’s frustration when dealing with other practitioners or screenings and we do our best to be better. This is why when our clients are scheduled for their appointments, they are not made to wait. They are seen at their scheduled time. I tell my client’s that we have a small waiting room because we don’t want anyone waiting.
When it comes to breast screening, clients are confident that their images will be reviewed with them before they leave our office (no stress in waiting weeks for results) and they always walk away with tools they can use to keep their breast health. We want our clients to walk out knowing that they received value and I don’t want them to leave stressed.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
The best quality that has attributed to our growth is providing a personal service in a personal way. People are not comfortable talking about their trials and tribulations as it pertains to their life or health.
But creating an environment where they are relaxed, comfortable and feel safe, can make the biggest difference. I can’t get to the root cause of anyone’s health concern if there is a lot of noise, doors opening and closing, people interrupting, bright lights and so on. So I pride myself in making their time, just that. I don’t overbook and I give my undivided attention to them during their sessions.
Pricing:
- Breast Thermography Screening – $215
- Women’s Wellness Thermography Screening – $340
- Full Body Thermography Screening – $470
- Initial Breast Consultation (60 min) – $140
- Initial Naturopathic Consultation (60 min) – $175
Contact Info:
- Address: 14526 Old Katy Rd. Ste. 108 – Houston, TX 77079
- Website: www.thermographyandwellness.com
- Phone: 832-422-7271
- Email: bras.fortbend@gmail.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/brasoffortbend
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/DeikaK
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