June Wekesa is an exceptional health and wellness practitioner whose dedication to helping individuals achieve their fitness goals led her to establish a unique wellness center.

R&R IV Wellness and Weight Loss, located in Aurora, Colorado, offers a comprehensive range of services to enhance overall well-being, focusing on weight loss. As a Family Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of experience in hospital settings, June has amassed extensive expertise across various healthcare domains.

Recognizing a significant gap in holistic health and wellness management, June was inspired to address this critical area. She recently discussed her passion for the wellness sector, her challenges in penetrating the market, and her plans to expand her business beyond Colorado with Vera Azuka Idam, Publisher of Afrik Digest Magazine. Please read.

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Afrik Digest: Can you introduce yourself and take us through your journey prior to launching this business?

June Wekesa: My name is June Wekesa, a Family Nurse Practitioner. I have worked with patients for over 10 years as a hospital nurse. Over the years in my career, I have garnered extensive experience in various healthcare domains such as cardiac telemetry, renal transplant units, urgent care, and primary care. While my clinical expertise extends to managing minor acute illnesses, stable chronic conditions, and emergencies, I am also skilled at interpreting diagnostic tests and formulating accurate diagnoses to guide patient care effectively.  I noticed a huge gap in health and wellness as a whole person and not just focused on one aspect of health. So I decided to jump in and fix this critical area.

Afrik Digest: What inspired you to start a wellness and weight loss company? 

June Wekesa: I was inspired to start a wellness and weight loss company because there was a significant gap in hormone therapy for middle-aged women. Many providers were hesitant to prescribe hormone therapy, partly due to misconceptions from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study in the 1990s. This large-scale study aimed to address risk factors for cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Although the trial was stopped early due to health risks outweighing the benefits, many believed it was halted because hormones caused breast cancer. As a result, numerous women continue to suffer from symptoms that could be safely treated.

Afrik Digest: What specific services or products does your company offer?***

June Wekesa: Our company offers a range of services designed to enhance wellness and address various health concerns. These include:

IV Hydration Therapy: Administering fluids, electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidants directly into the bloodstream for faster absorption. It’s beneficial for hangover relief, stress relief, fatigue, anti-aging, immunity boosting, pain or migraine treatment, and athletic recovery.

Weight Loss Programs: Tailored plans to help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Sexual Wellness: Comprehensive services addressing the physical, psychological, and social dimensions of sexual health for women.

Comprehensive Lab Review: Detailed analysis of lab results to guide personalized treatment plans.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (TRT/BHRT/HRT): Treatments to address hormone imbalances, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, alleviating symptoms like hot flashes, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, and sleep difficulties.

Botox and Filler: Cosmetic treatments to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and enhance facial features.

Peptide Therapy: Using short chains of amino acids to signal the body’s cells to perform specific healing tasks, promoting overall health and well-being.

These services are designed to provide holistic care and improve the quality of life for our clients.

Afrik Digest: How does your company’s approach differ from other wellness and weight loss programs? 

June Wekesa: We continuously improve by leveraging market research metrics. Before launching, we conducted surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather insights directly from potential clients. This helped us understand their health priorities, concerns, and the types of services they seek.

At R&R, we believe wellness and weight loss are deeply personal journeys that require more than a one-size-fits-all solution. Our commitment to personalized care sets us apart. We take the time to understand each client’s unique needs, goals, and health history, tailoring our plans to ensure the most effective and sustainable results.

Weight loss is just one of our focus areas. Our comprehensive approach includes IV hydration, hormone replacement therapy (HRT, BHRT/TRT), peptide therapy, and sexual wellness, among other services, to support your overall well-being. We utilize cutting-edge treatments and comprehensive lab reviews to provide the most effective care based on the latest research and medical advancements.

Our clinics in Aurora and Greeley offer serene, private, and supportive environments where you can relax and focus on your health journey. We provide continuous support and follow-up, ensuring you stay on track and feel your best. Our team of experienced professionals guides you every step of the way, from your initial consultation through all phases of your wellness journey. They are always available to answer questions, adjust your plans as needed, and celebrate your successes and milestones.

Afrik Digest: Who is your target audience and how do you identify their needs and challenges?

 June Wekesa: At R & R IV our target audience includes adults seeking wellness. These are individuals aged 25-65 who are proactive about their health and wellness, and looking for holistic approaches to maintain or improve their overall well-being. We also work with those focused on preventative care and preventative health measures, such as IV hydration, hormone replacement therapy, and comprehensive lab reviews, to stay ahead of potential health issues.

Individuals facing specific health challenges such as weight management issues, hormonal imbalances, or sexual wellness concerns who are seeking expert guidance and advanced treatment options are also part of our target audience. Busy professionals, men and women with demanding lifestyles who need convenient, effective, and tailored health solutions that fit into their busy schedules. Our potential clientele also includes aesthetic clients. These are individuals interested in non-surgical aesthetic enhancements, such as botox and fillers, to maintain a youthful appearance and boost confidence.

We ensure the efficacy and efficiency of our programs by continuously following up and checking on the client’s progress, their feedback is an integral part of the program. We stay updated with our research by attending informational conferences that are geared toward the services we offer. We also attend industry-focused conferences throughout the year.

Afrik Digest: Do you plan to scale your business to reach a wider audience?

June Wekesa: We want R&R IV to be everywhere, so yes, we want to reach a wider audience. Why limit your growth? We want R&R to come up in conversations on everything related to aesthetics and wellness for years to come. We have plans to advertise our services massively to reach audiences we haven’t been able to reach previously. We are already reaching out to other entities that would like to partner with us and have plans to set up centers in other cities as well. Then of course, like I said earlier, we cannot discount the word of mouth from successful clients. The power of referral is one we lean on strongly to reach a wider audience.

We will broaden the range of services that we offer, integrating mindfulness, mental health, and stress management in a fast-paced world. Explore opportunities to expand into new markets and regions as the need arises and continue to partner with other organizations, health providers, and wellness enthusiasts.

We also plan on developing both online and in-person communities to foster engagement on a broader level, continue to offer support and stay ahead of the industry trends by continuous education and research into ways to continuously improve our services. We will also continue to work on personalization of services based on individual health and preferences.

Afrik Digest: What were the biggest challenges you faced when starting your company? 

June Wekesa: The biggest challenge we faced when starting our company was the lack of start-up funds. We often met in coffee shops and restaurants to brainstorm ideas on how to penetrate the industry and improve our business standing. Advertising was another hurdle due to high costs, so we relied heavily on word-of-mouth to attract customers. Additionally, we struggled with competition that had more resources for marketing. We also had to grapple with maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Afrik Digest: How do you measure the impact of your wellness programs on your clients’ lives? Do you count these impacts as successes? 

June Wekesa: We measure our impacts through our clients’ satisfaction! The feedback that we get from our clients as well as their willingness to spread the word about our business says a lot. We hear all the time, “This medication and these ladies have changed my life. My health has never been better.” We strive to offer a more intimate setting that is less like a clinic and more like coming to meet a friend for a conversation. We love building relationships and helping each client feel like they are our only client.  

And yes, we count these impacts as successes. Within the short period we have been in operation, we have been able to open a second location. We quickly got our name out to the public by massively promoting our programs to gyms and other related businesses to offer our services. It’s been exciting!

Afrik Digest: What is the current state of the wellness and weight loss industry? 

June Wekesa: The state of the wellness and weight loss industry is very competitive with people offering services via social media with minimal interactions with the clients, no lab work, and no follow-up.  In Colorado, people are very interested in living a healthy lifestyle, so the concentration of gyms, fitness studios, and wellness centers has experienced a massive boom. More and more people are engaging in outdoor activities like hiking, and biking which support an active lifestyle.

This is where R&R IV comes in.  We have remained attentive to client feedback. By closely listening to potential and existing clients, we keep refining our offerings. Feedback helps us adapt and introduce new services that align with their evolving needs.

We also follow our industry trends. We stay informed about the latest trends in wellness and weight loss, allowing us to anticipate what our target audience might be looking for in the future.

Another thing that helps us stay ahead is researching the demographics of our communities. Once in a while, we go out to study the age and preferences of our local populations of Aurora and Greeley to ensure our services meet the specific needs of these communities.

Another important point is that our years of experience in the wellness and medical fields, come in handy. We understand the common challenges people face from balancing a busy lifestyle to addressing specific health concerns. This deep understanding informs every aspect of our service offerings.

Afrik Digest: Do you see your company contributing to the broader conversation around wellness and body positivity?

June Wekesa: Absolutely. Our company is dedicated to promoting body positivity by encouraging acceptance and appreciation of all body types, regardless of shape, size, skin color, gender, or physical abilities. We challenge societal beauty standards and promote self-love, self-acceptance, mental and emotional well-being, and self-compassion.

We address weight stigma and its impact on patients, aiming to create a more compassionate and diverse understanding of beauty and health. We encourage our patients to care for and respect their bodies without pressure to conform to societal standards. At R&R, we promote lasting lifestyle changes, helping clients develop a healthy relationship with food and their overall health. We’re always here to support them, even after life events.

We actively promote education and inclusivity by offering services for all body types and sizes, providing continued education and resources for the public’s wellness journey. We’re also keen to collaborate with charitable organizations and the government to shape the conversation around wellness and body positivity in Colorado and beyond. Additionally, we plan to start a supportive community where members can share their experiences and encourage each other on their journey.

Afrik Digest: How is your company leveraging technology, and what roles do you think technology plays in the future of wellness and weight loss?

June Wekesa: Technology is vital to nearly everything we engage in these days. We are already using technology to advertise our services and engage our clients. We use data integration to link all our services, and between health, lab work, and sleep trackers, to see the overall performance and monitor progress. We also utilize artificial intelligence to collect data for individual plans, recommendations, and lifestyle changes based on current trends and individual patterns. We encourage our clients to incorporate technology into their lifestyles to access expert advice and guidance for their health journey.

We use data analytics to gain insight into user behavior, and wellness programs and identify strategies for all the different demographics we encounter as healthcare providers. We also integrate and encourage participation by gamification of challenges and rewards to enhance participation.

In the wellness world, a lot of virtual reality exercise programs are being created to capture people’s interests and engagement. More advanced health apps are being created to track not just nutrition and exercise, but the overall well-being of the clients. There are also consultations and some prognoses that are being done now remotely to allow people who don’t have the time to travel to also have access to their health reviews and receive advice on how to incorporate exercise into their daily routine.

Afrik Digest: What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own business?***

June Wekesa: Just start. There is no perfect time to do anything, just take the first step. (Pls tell us your own brief start-up story)***

Afrik Digest: What strategies do you use to maintain a work-life balance while running your business?

June Wekesa: I exercise a lot, keep a gratitude journal, enjoy regular massages, do a lot of yoga, and have lots of guided meditation.

Afrik Digest: How can the community stay connected with your company?

June Wekesa: Come to our wellness shop. You can call us on our number, 7206196591, or reach us on our website: https://www.rrivwellnessandweight.com/. We have various social media platforms that we can also be reached. We are currently on Facebook, @R&R IV Wellness and Weight, and Instagram rrivwellnessandweight