Andrew Zides is the first of our Spring ’21 Equity in Entrepreneurship (Equinent) featured entrepreneurs. Like all good business owners, he has a story to tell and it informs the business – Ample Health, a mental and physical well being healthcare matching service – that he’s developing. Read on to learn more about Andrew and Ample Health.
About Andrew
I’m originally from the northeast but have lived most of my life in the Tampa area. After I graduated from UCF, I found myself in the investment world where I honed my skills building investment portfolios for clients while leading associates towards industry wide confidence. I enjoy all things adventure (hikes, kayaks, beach, outdoor activities), pups, comedic crass sitcoms and always working towards fitness and self-development goals. I love this new found passion of building a business from scratch. Like most I’ve always dreamed of being a business owner and both captain and driver of the ship!
I know firsthand what it’s like to live with mental illness, how life can slow down and no matter how hard one tries everything in life seems to lose color. It’s one of the most difficult situations I’ve ever been in. I’m passionate as I found a way to face the fear and adversity of overcoming an illness with help.
I believe there is a wide gap being mental health that so often is overlooked (intentionally and unintentionally) and we as people are in dire straits for a solution. We have little problem creating life enhancing technologies to simplify daily routines but are far behind the science of taking care of our mental and physical wellness. I’m building this business in hopes of making an impact and being a catalyst towards giving people of all ages options and hope to live with a sense of better well-being.
About Ample Health
Ample Health is the culmination of working through adversity that myself and so many face when trying to find the help needed to overcome mental illness and lack of physical well-being. Our current mental and physical wellness takes a backseat too often as we prioritize the needs of our daily professional and personal lives. Combine the challenges in finding the appropriate help with the high cost associated for wellness services it really is no wonder why over 52 million Americans suffer from adult mental illness at some point on a yearly basis.
After multiple tragedies struck my life within a short window I found myself in the dark sphere of depression. The difficulties in finding help while trying to balance the cost was almost too much for me to seek the help I needed. I began to dig deeper into the broader impact of mental health and found a consistent theme; we as individuals are lost when proactively identifying that we need help or actually being motivated to seek assistance. I decided to build a business based on the foundation of overcoming these common obstacles by simplifying the process of finding the right help while making mental and physical wellness more affordable for everyone.
Our goal is to push towards positive change associated with wellness as a way to minimize the huge impact mental illness has on the United States while offering the opportunities for people of all ages to benefit from bringing wellness to their mind, body and soul.
How it Works
Ample Health is a membership network of mental and physical wellness professionals that provide discounted services to members. Our business model is built to reduce the barriers for entry for individuals seeking help by offering cost efficient ways for wellness services that are not covered under traditional health insurance.
We are working towards making a positive impact by reducing the overall percentage of individuals of any age that suffer from mental illness as well as individuals who decide not to proactively seek wellness help in response to the multitude of challenges faced when doing so.
How Equinent Has Helped
Equinent has been instrumental in helping me build and develop the scope of my business. Throughout the program I’ve learned the necessary building blocks needed to prepare, create and establish a business with no prior knowledge. We’ve learned from industry experts who outline focus points to help each entrepreneur reach their specific business goals. I also really enjoy the level of collaboration that both the group and the facilitators share throughout the workshop.
There’s a hands on approach to the content that is immensely valuable to help grow our skills as future business owners. I understand the challenges that new business owners face and through the Equinent program I’ve developed the proper knowledge and skills to help overcome those challenges while feeling confident towards building and branding a successful business
How You Can Help Andrew
If you have a mental or physical health and wellness company that is interested in learning how to become part of the Ample Health Network, you can reach out to Andrew via our Contact page and mention Andrew and Ample Health in the message.
If you have thoughts and ideas regarding Andrew’s business concept, or think you may benefit as a client, let him know, too!
If you’re interested in being part of our Fall ’21 Equinent Cohort, check out the FAQ to learn more.