Improving healthcare is a journey that requires more than just doctors and hospitals. In this episode, Dr. TJ Malvar, founder and CEO of Pilgrim Health, shares how his path from medicine and public health to community work, family business, and startups shaped his approach to building a better healthcare experience for families and communities.Get to know how TJ's experiences as a doctor, running a family business, building a free clinic, navigating his first startup, and learning from failure eventually led him to Pilgrim Health.

EPISODE TIMELINE:

00:00:37 – Why healthcare can feel like a journey without a guide

00:02:32 – Dr. TJ's hustle: improving healthcare for families and communities

00:07:09 – How TJ found his way into medicine

00:13:16 – Surviving hospital rotations and 24-hour duties

00:18:56 – Becoming a doctor, working as a GP, and discovering the business world

00:19:58 – Why TJ needed to work after medical school

00:25:26 – Taking on the family business and learning to do everything

00:31:15 – Practicing medicine while helping run the family business

00:34:51 – The grant that helped TJ expand his community health work

00:35:47 – Running a free clinic while getting involved in local politics

00:39:22 – The pandemic, sustainability, and the limits of grant-funded work

00:43:14 – Learning about customer lifetime value and sustainable business

00:48:46 – The idea of aligning commercial incentives with healthcare goals

00:52:20 – Joining a startup and learning the startup ecosystem from the inside

00:57:36 – Why failure became part of Dr. TJ's founder journey

01:00:29 – Building healthcare around relationships instead of transactions

01:03:25 – Learning from other healthcare practitioners and validating the idea

01:07:21 – Validating demand through a subscription model

01:10:12 – Learning through accelerators, founders, and the startup community

01:14:31 – Why founders can't control everything but can stay committed to the problem

01:16:51 – Building a team and community around Pilgrim Health

Quote/s from TJ:

"As long as I remain very grounded on why I'm doing what I'm doing, I think that will sustain me."

"You can't really control a lot of things. But as long as you remain very dedicated, committed to the problem, then you do the hard work."

Resources:

Website: https://pilgrimhealth.io/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pilgrimhealth.ph/

Facebook: Pilgrim Health

Links/Sponsors:

OneCFO: https://www.onecfoph.co/

PayMongo: https://www.paymongo.com/

This episode is brought to you by Villgro Philippines: , Paymongo, GoTyme Bank & SeekCap

Ep 395 - The Hustle Behind Pilgirm Health with Dr. TJ Malvar

EPISODE TIMELINE: