Bringing Wide-Ranging Skills Into Consulting

Examples Of Public Health Entrepreneurs

Have you been curious about what a public health consultant actually does? Wouldn't it would be great if there was a simple cut and dry example of consulting and entrepreneurship in public health? I think it would be great, but that super clear simple example just does not exist. This is largely due to the fact that the field of entrepreneurship and the field of public health are both very broad. This makes it difficult for folks who are curious about public health entrepreneurship to figure out what it means and how it might look for them, because the possibilities are endless.

As the host of the Public Health Epidemiology Conversations (PHEC) podcast, created in 2017, I’ve interviewed dozens of entrepreneurs over the years. In this weekly newsletter, I’ll share some of those examples with you. Along the way, I will also share some of my own personal experiences, insights, and lessons learned. I invite you to subscribe to this newsletter, and share it with your network.

Meet Dr. Rebecca Drewette-Card, President of Public Health Partners

In episode 101 of the PHEC podcast, you will meet Dr. Rebecca Drewette-Card. She is the President of Public Health Partners, which is a woman-owned consulting firm based in Maine and serving clients throughout the United States. Fun fact about Rebecca is that she was one of the presenters in the very first Public Health Consulting and Entrepreneurship Expo that I held, back in March of 2019. Considering we just launched the 5th EXPO, that's a pretty big deal!

Previously, Dr. Drewette-Card worked for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Public Health Prevention Service.  She has also worked in state health departments in New Mexico, Oregon, North Carolina and Maine. Additionally, she has worked at a small college and a large university. 

Her career has given her both breadth and depth of experience, which has provided her with opportunities to develop a wide-range of public health skills including social marketing, report-writing, intervention development, coalition-building, program planning, evaluation, conference and training development, and public speaking.

Rebecca's Advice To Business Builders

• Clearly articulate who you are and what you do.
• Don’t undervalue yourself. Your hourly or project-based rate needs to account not only for your education and experience, but also your business costs. You need to be able to cover your business expenses, in addition to paying yourself a living wage.
• Find others who are also business owners and seek out opportunities to learn from each other.

Special Note: Keep in mind that this episode was recorded several years ago, and her course may no longer be available. However, Rebecca's example of public health entrepreneurship is timeless and her insights are still relevant today. You can find the links to connect with Leah on the show notes for PHEC 101 that features her.

Listen To PHEC Episode 101

NOTE: Prior to episode 209, the podcast was called Public Health Epidemiology Careers Podcast. Listen to episodes 207, 208, and 209 to learn why I changed the name of the show.

Resources

Here are a few additional resources for you to further explore public health entrepreneurship.

Public Health Epidemiology Conversations Podcast - weekly podcast with new episodes published every Tuesday

Public Health Consulting & Entrepreneurship EXPO - online on-demand program where you can explore entrepreneurship and take initial steps to get started for yourself

DrCHHuntley.com/coaching - coaching support for entrepreneurs who have already started a business that they would like to expand and grow

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