Wellness for The Mind, Body & Soul with Dr. Nikki Dority of Nurture
WRITTEN BY ESTHER LEE LEACH // EDITOR IN CHIEF
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
Esther Lee Leach: Dr. Nikki, you are one of the co-founders of Nurture, a wellness marketplace. Before opening Nurture, you worked extensively in the fields of Physical Therapy, Women’s Health and Biomechanics, and served in the US Army. Tell us about your experience in the Army and medical career before opening Nurture.
Dr. Nikki Dority: In the military, I had a wonderful start to my career. I was commissioned as a First Lieutenant immediately after college graduation. Insofar as my military career, I worked on a leadership track, within the medical field. This experience allowed me to lead all operations in different facets of the field. I was the platoon leader for a 25-bed hospital at Fort Huachuca. I then became a Company Commander, overseeing a unit of roughly 200 soldiers, with the support and education of the Non-Commissioned Officers.
Finally, I was Chief of Medical Operations for a post of thousands of people, working with the Post Operations team to execute multiple projects. All of this experience before the age of 24 years old, taught me some really cool stuff (repelling out of a helicopter); but what my experience taught me the most was humility and trust. I was a brand new soldier, and I did not know anything, but the team helped me feel much less intimidated. Trust helped so much; we were a team. This part of my career helped prepare me for working collaboratively, for balanced leadership, and instituting teamwork. These are three foundational aspects of Nurture and the leadership style we work to embody.
After I left the Army, I came to Colorado, did my master’s degree in Physical Therapy and my doctorate. I fell in love with my work, the sleuthing required to understand the root of a patient's pain, and the ability to pivot care plans. I fell in love with the relationship and eventual teamwork that would happen between patient and provider. It was fun to be creative and evolve the plan of care as the patient made progress. I also had the chance to integrate some of my military background in leadership into my clinical practice directing clinics, owning practices,co-founding a Biomechanical Evaluation system, and co-founding a wonderful women's retreat organization. All of this experience fed the opportunity to learn compassion, increase confidence, and how to lean into love and trust.
“The first aspect of my self-care program is to learn how to love myself. Providing myself grace and actually honoring my own needs is huge. ”
I would say that my experience working in the military, in medicine, and in start-up, built a foundation for my interest in joining the amazing Nurture Team. My partners, Peter Strauss and Kelly Campbell; together, we bring strength, confidence, and love to our business and our work family. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such love and thoughtfulness. Nurture is a place that is safe for everyone, that focuses on the community of the provider businesses, and the people who come through our door. Our leadership team works hard to collaborate together. Nurture is a place that is safe for everyone, that focuses on the community of the provider businesses, and our clientele.
ELL: You created Nurture, “a community-based wellcare marketplace focused on self-care offerings for everyone,” with Kelly Campbell and Peter Strauss. Wellness is an industry that has continued to grow during the pandemic. How has Nurture weathered the Covid-19 storm?
ND: Nurture was intended to open on March 23rd 2020, right as the quarantine, secondary to COVID, was implemented. Kelly, Peter, myself, and our staff decided that if we cannot open when we had previously intended, we would work together as a team, to develop different ways to adjust operational plans. Our team built vast pivot plans that created space to be creative and adjust our particular mission We communicated closely with our provider businesses, and kept our head and our hearts focused through such a difficult time.
Once we opened, on May 18, we took the ideas we had created, implemented them, and assessed how things went. If things did not work, we adjusted again, implementing another strategy. Our amazing team has worked together, strongly, to create pivot strategies. From Nest Cafe to fitness, to childcare, and so much more, adjustments to the programs had to be made. The reason why Nurture weathered the COVID 19 storm is that our team and the provider businesses at Nurture are nimble, highly capable, and heart-centered. We are all so lucky to work together. We continue to be diligent in monitoring operations, pivoting as needed, and taking nothing for granted.
ELL: How do you practice self-care and what do you do to create balance in your life at times like these?
ND: Interestingly, this is the first time I have integrated the greatest amount of investment in self-care. I recognize now, in my late forties, I can no longer press through and forget about my own needs. For me, the first aspect of my self-care program is to learn how to love myself. Providing myself grace and actually honoring my own needs is huge. I am moving far away from pleasing because it serves no one. Boundaries are probably the key element in improving my life and living peacefully. For me, living self-love is the most important technique to live in the world; boundaries and not pleasing, set a safe bubble around me to ensure minimal garbage permeates it. And, finally, creating opportunities for humor and silliness is huge. As a family, we work to laugh every day! These are not things that one might expect insofar as self-care, but for me, they settle me the most.
ELL: Tell us more about Nurture and the various self-care services available.
ND: Nurture is "Home for the Whole Human, a Wellcare Marketplace for the whole community. We aspire for Nurture to be a one stop shop for self-care. No matter what type of care or service, Nurture has it. We have over 60 independent provider businesses at Nurture. The provider businesses practice a vast array of offerings, including: acupuncture, PT, massage, concierge family practice, integrative medicine, behavioral health, reiki and shamanic work, an organic hair salon, medical aesthetics, chiropractic care and so much more. Nurture also houses a pilates and barre studio, multiple retail (providers related to wellness) businesses, a himalayan salt cave and an infrared sauna. We are lucky to say the providers at Nurture are some of the absolute finest in Denver; we are honored to have their businesses at Nurture.
In addition, at Nurture, we have a beautiful cafe, Nest, offering nourishing, delishing food to our mind and body. Finally, we have partnered with the medical group from Denver COVID Rapid Test, in providing COVID Testing at the Nurture location; this program is in association with Dr Erik Natkin of R2 Medical Clinic and Culinary Collective. We are thrilled to support such an important service to our community.
ELL: What are 3 tips that you can share with our readers about how to make wellness a life priority?
ND: Tip 1: Reshape how you see Wellness. It is simply a part of our lives. Wellness is no different than other things we do ritually, like brushing our teeth. If we think from that perspective, it reduces the feeling of "the shoulds." Wellness is just an integral facet of being human. No shoulds needed. Find what you love and do that.
Tip 2: Release your need to be perfect in both wellness and in every aspect of your life. Perfect is an illusion. You do not have to strive for perfection. When we put such pressure on ourselves to be well, we end up hating and resenting our "wellness."
Tip 3: Infuse joy into every day. A smile on your face and in your soul is the single most major step towards overall wellness.
Dr. Nikki Dority: @nikki_dority
Nurture: @visitnurture
Photographer: Esther Lee Leach: @estherleeleach