A Visit With Michelle Schlotter, Any Lab Test Now® Franchise Owner of Corpus Christi, TX
How it Started – Launching My Any Lab Test Now Location
We’re always curious as to how our franchisees were first introduced to Any Lab Test Now. Michelle says…
“Before my entrepreneurial journey began, I managed my husband’s surgical practice for 28 years. I’ve been in and around medicine for a long time and was familiar with certain tasks like drawing blood and things of that nature. But eventually, I decided I wanted to own a business myself. And so, I signed up for these franchise notifications that would show up in my inbox. Most didn’t appeal to me, but months later I got a notification from Any Lab Test Now.”
“As I looked into the concept, I was thinking, ‘Oh, I can draw blood. I can do this. It would be perfect for me.’ So, I began the process of looking at the business model and then went to my Discovery Day with the brand. When I first launched my Any Lab Test Now location in San Marcos, I managed the business in the background. On occasion, I would go in and draw blood for drug tests, things like that, especially when somebody had to go on vacation. It was difficult to find the time because I was still managing my husband’s practice, which was a full-time operation.”
Michelle Explains a Sudden Plot Twist!
Any Lab Test Now Vice President of Business Development, Terri McCulloch and Franchise Owner, Michelle Schlotter
How did your Any Lab Test Now location end up moving to a new city?
“My husband and I were approached by the local university in San Marcos – Texas State, as their campus bordered the backyard of our business. They’d been asking us to sell our building to them and, finally, one day they offered enough money to make it worthwhile. My husband really likes to fish, so we moved down to Corpus Christi on the Texas Gulf Coast. But when we moved, I still wanted to have my own job and began the process of opening up a new Any Lab Test Now franchise. It took some time trying to find the right location. At one point, I was looking at 22 locations and a 37-page lease, and it almost became overwhelming. But I ended up finding a great space in a very good location and the business is doing very well. My role now is much more active. I work here, do the blood draws and the drug tests. I get to talk to patients and I’m very hands on – especially running the business side of things.”
“Everybody here is pretty happy and likes to share their story with us. And so, it’s been a great way for me to network with people, because I get professionals, physicians, I get lawyers, I get business owners, I even just had a jewelry maker come in. So, it’s been a really great networking opportunity for me to find friends and meet the community.”
Why Any Lab Test Now Was the Right Choice for Michelle
What Aspects of Your Any Lab Test Now Business Do You Enjoy?
“Number one, I no longer have to deal with insurance. I don’t have to file claims anymore and I love it. To me, it’s like freedom that I’ve never had before. If you’ve ever worked in the insurance field, which I did, it’s time-consuming work. With Any Lab Test Now, patients are free to walk right in. We can explain our straightforward pricing, what they’ll have to pay, and process the lab tests. We then provide the results directly to the patient with a fast turnaround, which is unusual. Some patients that go through their doctor’s office may not get their test results for weeks. I really like this business because our customers are friendly. They aren’t coming to Any Lab Test Now because they have to. They’re coming here because they want to.”
How Any Lab Test Now is Advancing Healthcare Consumerism
Tell us about your thoughts on the rise of healthcare consumerism
“We’re moving towards a health and wellness lifestyle where we’re no longer interested in waiting for the doctor to tell us what they think we should be tested on. I think it was back in 2012 that I attended a Medical Society meeting. We sponsored a dinner for 50 or so physicians and presented the Any Lab Test Now business model as an option for them to handle referrals for us. And they were very upset at the concept of a direct-to-patient lab request, which they saw as stealing their patients. They didn’t like it. We clarified that we’re not taking away their patients, we’re just running the lab. We work in tandem together. But here’s something I do hear from the patients, physicians, and nurses themselves that come into our Any Lab Test Now location. Most of them don’t have insurance – you’d be surprised how many medical people don’t – and they like the idea that they can come in here and get things done discreetly. They appreciate the freedom of choice. They also recognize that when you go through insurance that it’s going to be a higher cost for them. Patients appreciate that they can just walk in here, ask me about certain panels, and order the retail lab tests they need.”
On What the Future Holds…
Are you proud to be an Any Lab Test Now owner?
“Yes, I am. Looking back, I have made my own business. I made my own job. I like that. I just have too many skills to be stuck in a cubicle in an office somewhere. I’m just not going to do that. So, this is my future. Owning an Any Lab Test Now franchise is where I chose to be. I’m blessed. In my eyes, I think everybody dreams of having that job that makes them feel good and fulfilled. And I feel like I have that.”
What does your future look like?
“Eventually, I see me and my husband traveling and doing quite a bit of it. That’s my goal – to see the world. We’ve already done a good deal of it, but right now it’s kind of been halted because of Covid. We want to continue traveling once it becomes safer to be everywhere. That’s it mostly, besides keeping this place going for many, many more years to come – until I decide it’s time to retire.”
