We are delighted to follow-up on the announcement of our investment in WellVine with an insightful interview with Hina Zaman the Managing Director of WellVine Ltd.
Q: What time do you wake up and how do you spend the first hour of your working day?
A. I wake up at 5:45 am, check emails and then head for a run or to the gym.
Q: When you left school, what did you think you would end up doing? What were your aspirations?
A. I always knew I wanted to be in a space that positively impacted people’s lives. There were definitely a few twists and turns along the way before I ended up in healthcare.
Q: How did it all start?
A. WellVine started from a deep understanding of the particular pain point that parents and expectant parents experience – difficulty in finding trusted health support quickly and easily, anytime anywhere. I also had wide experience in healthcare management in UK and beyond, so I was very familiar with the pressures that healthcare systems are facing – particularly around access. Given that the way we access healthcare has not changed in decades, I saw a real opportunity for change.
Q: What’s the best part of your job?
A. Building something that is far bigger than myself.
Q: What have you enjoyed most about your career to date?
A. Every bit has been a learning experience, though it may not have felt like it at the time! It feels like the meandering of my early career were leading up to this point – from the failed entrepreneurial venture as a new immigrant to Canada in my teen years, to the horrendous telemarketing job where I learnt how to manage disgruntled customers, to my more recent experience gaining insight into the gaps in the healthcare market.
Q: What is your top tip to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
A. Combining perseverance, ambition, and a thick skin.
Q: Are there any specific skills or qualities you believe are vital to make it in the current economic climate?
A. Not specific to the current economic climate, but ability for speedy execution is certainly vital to success.
Q: Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
A. Professionally, well on our way to achieving our mission of helping families live happier, healthier lives with WellVine as a destination of choice for those seeking on-demand health support. Personally, finding more time for my family to feel like I have a better balance.
Q: What motivates you and keeps you going throughout the week?
A. That there are customers depending on us.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge?
A. Progressing quickly with little resource on a previously shoestring budget.
Q: Are there any blogs/websites/influential people you recommend that people follow?
A. The WellVine blog of course!
Q: Who do you admire?
A. People with tenacity to flourish when the odds are stacked up against them.
Q: What are you currently reading?
A. The Year of the Runaways by Sunjeev Sahota.
Q: What technology could you not live without?
A. Definitely my iPhone.
