Pharmpreneur of the week Dean Miller: "I feel fortunate that my team has always been composed of great pharmacists who are also pioneers!"
Snapshot
Education: BSc. Pharmacy University of Alberta
Role/Title: President and CEO of Wholehealth Pharmacy Partners Inc.
What excites you about being an entrepreneur?
The creation of a great team at Wholehealth remains exciting even today. I feel fortunate that my team has always been composed of great pharmacists who are also pioneers! Some could call it good hiring but I like to call it “pharmacists with the same vision as mine.”
How has your entrepreneurial career evolved since your graduation?
Truthfully, it never really evolved until I moved away from corporate pharmacy life. I never regret those experiences as they got me involved in advocacy and gave me great knowledge to be an entrepreneur
What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?
The key driving force for me to become an entrepreneur was the desire to support our great profession in a way I had never experienced before. In corporate pharmacy you only see things built by the teams at head office, while the greatest degree of creativity and innovation in our practice comes from the eyes of the independent!
How do you define success?
Positive comments from our banner members on how they are supported each and every day. Pharmacy is tough and if we can make their life a little easier day to day, that makes me smile.
As a successful entrepreneur, what continues to drive you?
Wholehealth is only in seven Canadian provinces and no territories. I would love to see us as truly pan-Canadian so we can see our brand across the country.
What are the biggest challenges to being an entrepreneur?
Probably too numerous to mention in a short article but the biggest one is keeping up with my great team at Wholehealth. I have made a career of being open to new ideas and my team keeps me on my toes daily.
How do you manage work/life balance?
Easy one! Making fitness part of my life always keeps stress down and enthusiasm up.
What books/resources do you recommend for every entrepreneur to check out?
Shoe Dog is a surprising choice by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, and recently I read Mark Messier’s book as I am a huge Oiler fan! Not really entrepreneurial but motivating.
What advice would you give to colleagues who want to become entrepreneurs?
As we are talking pharmacy, pharmacy is a great place to exercise entrepreneurial spirit. I get asked all too often: “Is it still a good thing to open my own independent pharmacy?" YES,YES,YES!