When I Grow Up: Amy Kuretsky, Acupuncturist
Hey guys! Today I'm featuring another amazing boss lady from the Being Boss Facebook group: Amy Kuretsky, an acupuncturist and herbalist, among other things. And for those of you interested in About pages (like I am) you need to read hers! It's amazing.
As a child, I wanted to be a ______ when I grew up. An artist! I grew up with two very artistic older siblings. I was always trying to recreate their awesome high school artwork with my 4 year old crayon drawings.
How close (or far) is your current career from that dream? Well, while I do feel that acupuncture and herbalism is a ‘healing art’, it’s by no means the type of artist my 3rd grade self envisioned my 30 year-old self to be.
I did follow my art dreams for decades though. I completed an undergraduate education in art history and worked at several well known institutions such as the Kinsey Institute and Walker Art Center, but ultimately didn’t find the art world as fulfilling for me personally as I’d envisioned it.
What is your official job title? Owner, acupuncturist, herbalist, boss-lady…
Ok, now what does that really mean? It means that I do every job at Amy K Acupuncture. I’ve hired out for professional photography and design, but for the most part I do all the day to day operations for my business as well as treat patients five days a week. Every educational handout, every herbal prescription, every website update, everything is completed by me.
What is a typical day like? I’m still in the process of creating my ideal day, but as of right now it looks like this:
My morning routine consists of waking up between 7-8am without an alarm (by far the best part of working for myself), then I’ll have some hot tea and breakfast while I plan out my day.
Depending on the day, I’ll put in an hour or two of admin work at home, followed by 4-7 hours of one-on-one patient care at my clinic.
I try to ride my bike to work most days in order to get at least some movement in for the day, but I’m on my feet during most of my patient care time so I get a surprisingly large number of steps in daily.
My evenings are spent with my fiance, Tony, cooking up healthy dinners, indulging in dark chocolate, and occasionally binge watching Netflix or looking for the best pinball machine in town.
I like to end my night “screen-free” in order to sleep more soundly, so I spend the last 30 minutes of my day reading in bed.
How did you end up in this career? I help people turn their health around because at one point I had to learn how to turn my own health around. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease (an autoimmune disease of the gut) at the age of 21, my health was in serious decline. Even though the disease was housed in the digestive tract, my doctors told me that the food I ate didn’t affect the course of the disease. Huh?! That made zero sense to me so I set about learning about the connection between food and health.
It was a long, slow, process that originally was only meant to help my own body heal, but after learning so much amazing information, I couldn’t just keep it all to myself. I loved learning about herbs in particular, and that led me from western herbalism, to Chinese herbalism, to ultimately, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. I’m now over three years pharmaceutical and symptom free, and am grateful everyday that I have the knowledge to stay that way.
What kind of education or training did you complete for this career? I completed a three-year, year-round, masters degree in acupuncture and Chinese herbalism that included over 3,000 hours of training. I’m a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified Chinese herbalist in Minnesota. On top of all that, I’ve completed continuing education courses and certificates in nutritional healing, cosmetic acupuncture, esoteric acupuncture, and Reiki. Before going back to graduate school, I worked in the health and wellness department in a popular natural foods co-op in town for several years so I am well versed in western supplements and herbs as well.
Holy crap, I’m exhausted just reading all that!
What advice would you give to someone who wants a similar career? Follow your gut. We house so much in our guts - our emotions, our immune systems, our digestive fire. Our guts have a lot to tell us if you’re willing to listen. There are so many ways to help people lead healthier lives. A traditional education is only one way to go about gaining expertise. Find a mentor, ask lots of questions, and go with your gut
Do you have any other career dreams? What do you want to be when you grow up? I still have lots of career dreams. I want to make an impact on as many people’s health as possible. That might mean educating people through a wider net, or it might just mean inspiring more people to pursue careers in the healing arts so they can help as many people as possible. I’m not sure yet. I’m still letting my dreams unfold.
Any last thoughts or encouragement for others trying to decide what they want to do “when they grow up”? Do what you can’t not do. (My English teacher mother hates me right now.) I mean, do something that you’re driven to do daily. I can’t not think about how my food and lifestyle affect my health on a daily basis - I do it instinctively now - so I’ve chosen to use that information to help others lead healthier lives too. If doing a certain something everyday makes you happy - then do it - just figure out how you can use that to benefit others as well.
Thank you for sharing your story Amy! I've got a feeling this was just a glimpse into Amy's full story though, so head to her website to find out more! You can also find her on Pinterest or Instagram.
Previously on MrsRobbinsSparkles
