“If Nasopure can help folks wash comfortable and conveniently, I have met my goal.”
April 19, 2011 -
Interview by
Kelsey Meyer of The
League of Innovators
Let’s talk about snot. It may not be the sexiest of interview topics, but here at MO.com we interview entrepreneurs about what they know, and what Hana R. Solomon, M.D. knows is snot! Hana is the creator of
Nasopure, nasal wash system. The
Nasopure® Nasal Wash Bottle is designed to wash the nose efficiently and comfortably, the nicer neti.™ The patented & unique, angled neck allows a neutral head and neck position to achieve the perfect wash.
Hana R. Solomon, M.D. created Nasopure because she saw a need. She is a doctor who thinks like a mom, and knows that many problems can be solved if people simply wash their noses! Hana graduated from University Of Missouri School Of Medicine Columbia, MO in 1986 and continues to be board certified in pediatrics. She and her husband George, a family physician, practiced medicine together in a “mom and pop” style clinic for 20 years. Now as the CEO of Nasopure she is educating us on how a cleaner nose is a healthy nose.
MO:
Can you explain why Nasopure is beneficial, and what exactly the process does?
Dr. Hana:
Dr Hana’s Nasopure is a comfortable and convenient way that anyone can clean his or her personal filter, even 2 yr olds. We breathe 2,500 gallons of air per day so cleansing the filter just makes sense.
A soothing buffered saline mix has been shown to remove 80% of the allergens, shrink swollen membranes, think the thickened secretions, improve the filtering mechanism of the nose and kills germs. Dozens of scientific studies support that daily cleansing will reduce medication need, reduce number of colds and sinus infections and ear infections and reduce episodes of asthma, snoring, ear infections. This list goes on.
MO:
I always love reading the background stories of our entrepreneurs. Can you explain to our readers what in your background led you to medical school, and then to creating Nasopure?
Dr. Hana:
I always planned to make a difference in the world. I began this growing soy beans on a spiritual commune in the early 70’s. After a few years of this, I realized my real dream was to attend medical school. I completed 4 yrs of college in 3 yrs, and completed medical school as a single mom of 2.
I always had a natural and preventative approach to medicine, and nasal washing became an obvious answer to my ‘snotty nose’ patients. I did not think writing prescriptions was in line with my medical school oath ‘FIRST DO NO HARM. Nasopure was born.
MO:
What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about a product like Nasopure?
Dr. Hana:
Children are open to the idea but adults assume it will be painful, it will feel as though you are drowning. They also think that because of the simplicity of it, it cant do that much good. Most doctors think one nose ‘spray’ is the same as the next. WRONG. Those who never experiment with the various delivery systems cant really know. Nasopure is the most comfortable. Period. Took me five years to convince one of my professors to try Nasopure. He hesitated because he felt it may be uncomfortable. Once he tried it, he admitted he helped his snoring and now uses it daily as well as recommending it to his patients (prior to resorting to antibiotics)
MO:
What has been the most challenging part of starting a company without experience in business?
Dr. Hana:
For me the most challenging lesson I had to learn was that business is very different from the practice of healing. In my medical practice, most relationships are based on trust and honesty. The doctor and the patient have to have an open and trusting relationship in order to help get to the root of the medical problem. In business, this is not the case. In medicine, you have to ‘show all the cards in your hand’; in business ‘ you hold your cards close to your chest’. This has been a very expensive lesson for me. I now tell folks I have earned 2-3 PhD’s in Errors in Business. One area I am extremely proud of is that I have not sold my soul. My bottle is manufactured in Kansas City, Nasopure is assembled by disabled adults here in Columbia. Even my book is published at the University Printing Services. These are extremely important to the foundation and mission of the company.
MO:
You recently wrote the book Clearing the Air One Nose at a Time, Caring for Your Personal Filter. What pushed you to share your knowledge of this topic through a book?
Dr. Hana:
First, I have always wanted to share information with my patients so they could make the best choices. Over the 20 years, I had gathered so much data and experience about the art and science of nasal washing, and I had written about this in various articles, it was time to put all that information into a book. Now it’s time for me to write an update. Finally nasal washing is becoming mainstream. When i began this journey, i was ‘that weird doctor who recommended nose washing’, now it is hip.
MO:
Right now I see that we can buy Nasopure online, and at some local independent pharmacies and health food stores. Does most of your business come from online sales or in store?
Dr. Hana:
90% of my yearly revenue comes from retail, on line. The remainder is from health food chains, independent stores, and naturopathic and complimentary medical providers. This customer type seems to get the benefit. We are currently in 3 of the 9 regions of Whole Foods Markets, and we were recently approved for a 4th region.
MO:
How has this helped shape your future plans for Nasopure?
Dr. Hana:
There are billions of noses in the world. I know noses. My mission is to keep educating and sharing the knowledge about the benefit of nasal irrigation. I really don’t care if someone uses a garden hose, a turkey baster, or a syringe for nasal cleansing but what i do care about is that we use fewer drugs, that we focus on prevention. If Nasopure can help folks wash comfortable and conveniently, I have met my goal.
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