Chanay Walton, LPN, founder and owner of A Better Weigh, a Chicago-based weight loss center bringing faster, safer, and long-lasting weight loss results using FDA-approved medications, lipotropic formulas, and proprietary supplements.
Can you tell us more about who is Chanay Walton?
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago in a neighborhood called North Kenwood – Oakland with my parents and older brother. As a lower-middle-class family, we dealt with the same trials and tribulations that so many do, but overall my childhood was great and memorable. I knew I would own my own business from a very young age. No one in my family was an entrepreneur or owner of their own business, so I strived to become the first one. I always had dreams of being my own boss, and today I am the Founder & CEO of A Better Weigh, Inc, a Chicago-based weight loss center, Founder & CEO of MyPay Circle, and founder of Boss Ego Entertainment.
Have you always wanted to help others when you were younger? That led you to become an LPN?
To be fully honest, my family was shocked when I decided to become a nurse. From the minute I began my training and started working in a nursing home, it became one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. I love advocating for people who have a hard time advocating for themselves. It was a great feeling to give the input to provide the correct care and knowledge that patients need. Being in the healthcare system and dealing with patients in a strange place with strange people can be very intimidating. I like to lend my empathy and help them feel like they aren’t so out of place.
Can you tell us more about your company, A Better Weigh and what motivated you to start it?
I created A Better Weigh in 2009 after my own challenges and struggles with postpartum weight loss. After consulting with pharmacists and physicians to develop a specialized plan leveraging supplements and medication, I achieved more than 42 pounds of weight loss and inspired a new way to approach weight loss. As a nurse, I also learned the importance of diet, nutrition, and weight management among my patients.
Today, my center’s unique approach offers customized medically-assisted weight loss and weight management programs geared to stimulate metabolism and increase fat burning processes supervised by a physician, simple and affordable with four locations and growing across Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
We recently launched the franchise opportunity for A Better Weigh and are actively seeking franchisees across the midwest and beyond.
You’ve also created an app called MyPay Circle. Can you tell us more about it?
My Pay Circle is an app to help manage personalized payment arrangements to help organize and split costs of trips and large functions. The app is planning to launch in early 2022.
What pushed you to create the app while still in your nursing position and your weight loss company?
I get bored easily and am always open to a new challenge. It helps me remain productive. When I had the idea for the app, I felt like it was a good idea, fit with my lifestyle, and was clearly something that people needed. I am fortunate to have a great team behind me that allows me to seek out other things to do and expand my roster.
How long was the process to create and complete the app?
I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea in January of 2019. That next morning I was looking up ideas and companies to help build the app. Within a week, I started the process. In total, it took about six months.
What would you like those that subscribe and use the app to gain from using the app?
The biggest thing the app will help people gain is transparency and organization. When traveling with groups, there are many different lifestyles and personalities that come together, and unfortunately, friends groups can have fallen out over trips with fights over costs. This app gives people the opportunity to have everything laid out in one place to opt-in on certain things and opt-out of other things.
You’re a woman with no limits for yourself. Can you tell us about your entertainment company, Boss Ego Entertainment, and what motivated you to start it?
I have always had a passion for music, and from an early age, I wanted to be a singer and a rapper. So when my nephew let the family know he wanted to rap, it allowed me to pursue and be involved in another area I love.
How do you maintain a balance between family and personal life?
I’m fortunate that my family is part of my team, so it is a family affair. My mom, cousin, and brother are all involved and interconnected, making it more fun. It also helps me and makes me hopeful to leave my business as a legacy for years to come.
With the different career responsibilities, how do you take time for yourself, and what are some of your daily routines to help you?
I am a firm believer in working hard, playing hard. So I set up my businesses where I can run it on autopilot, so I can take breaks and work from anywhere. I love to travel, and getting out of town is an excellent way for me to recharge.
What advice could you give to someone interested in starting a weight loss company or desiring to go into the medical field, specifically nursing?
Go for it. Many people do not pursue their dreams and never enter the execution phase. They count themselves out before they get started, and it’s important to take the first step. I don’t dip my toe in the water. I dive right in. Don’t let the fear of failure stop you if you feel sure.
What would you like our readers to gain from this interview?
That I am not special; if I can do it, anyone can do it. It’s the mindset. I can be an example of what you can accomplish, don’t count yourself out because of the situation you are in, whether it be money, schooling, etc.
How can people connect with you and everything you have going on?
Readers can follow me on LinkedIn, Instagram @chanaywalton, our website BetterWeighMedical.com, our Facebook page @ A Better Weigh – Chicago Weight Loss Center, Instagram @BetterWeighMedical.
Photo Credits: A Better Weigh
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