Business Thrives with Personalized Healing, One Patient at

My Direct Physician of Hillsborough County

When Dr. Seetha Lakshmi opened My Direct Physician, a medical clinic in Tampa, she set out to offer something that felt lost in today’s fast-paced healthcare system—time, attention, and true connection with patients. Alongside her brother, Ananth Krishna Amin, who manages clinical operations, the duo built a practice rooted in individualized care where patients speak directly with their physician when something arises.

“As we’ve grown in the practice, some of the things that we’ve really come to appreciate and understand and do a great job at is functional medicine. Functional medicine believes that when your body’s in balance, it can repair and restore itself without needing additional medications. So, a lot of time we spend with our patients is to restore that balance so your body can take care of the high glucose, take care of the high cholesterol, naturally, when possible,” Dr. Lakshmi said.

“We do a lot of lab work. A lot of blood work. It’s very comprehensive and meticulous. We see that every individual is assessed for all the foods they can tolerate. The foods that should not be taking,” Krishna Amin added as he spoke about the services offered.

With a deep background in academic medicine but little experience in launching a business, Dr. Lakshmi turned to the Florida SBDC at USF for support. Business consultant Jennifer Biles helped guide the clinic’s journey from concept to reality—assisting with networking opportunities, location scouting, market research, and marketing strategies.

“Coming into the world of starting your own clinic was very intimidating. And I can honestly say if I’d not met Jennifer, I’m not sure this would actually exist ’cause it’s very scary, it’s like so much. Starting from the nitty gritty of the foundational pieces to printing the sign or finding the people to talk to, Jennifer has been amazing through the whole process,” Dr. Lakshmi said. “Learning admin work and interacting with clients and suppliers,” Krishna Amin added.  

The business owner even went on to mention how her business consultant’s guidance led her to even more support from the Tampa Bay business community. “Thanks to the SBDC, we were able to get the information where to connect and how to connect. And one of the amazing, uh, things that came out of it is our relationship with the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, which has been spectacular in supporting us as well,” Dr. Lakshmi said.

The clinic has steadily grown, thanks to its unique approach that blends traditional and functional medicine. Patients are empowered to restore balance in their bodies naturally, reducing reliance on medications when possible. This has created great success for the business and brought upon many referrals.

“Before I started, we didn’t even have a physical space. It was just an idea. It was just a, you know, a glimmer of hope and then it actually became a reality. Thanks to all the guidance, we now have a clinic space. We have staff. We have grown in number, um, and just. truly feel the satisfaction of knowing our patients and, you know, being there for them. Um, that really is for me, you know, at least is the biggest success. And we are really grateful,” Dr. Lakshmi said. “And we are growing through referrals through our current existing patients. A lot of them have recommended their family members and friends. That has been a factor in our growth as well,” Krishna Amin added.

Since opening, the practice has seen an increase in patient volume, trust, and word-of-mouth referrals. Dr. Lakshmi and her team plan to continue working with the Florida SBDC at USF to refine their growth strategy and expand services in the future.

“The clinic was supposed to open in October when the hurricane hit, and we’ve been in constant communication through the recovery, the repair, the reconstruction of everything, right from the community to the business piece of it. So, it’s kind of hard for me to imagine, not, you know, continuing to partner ’cause you guys are my go-to people when I have questions,” Dr. Lakshmi said when asked about using the Florida SBDC at USF moving forward.

To other aspiring entrepreneurs, Dr. Lakshmi offers this advice: “Do not shy away from your dreams, right? Go after it. Reach out for support. And the support we received from SBDC actually made this whole thing happen. So, definitely reach out and find your people. Find your community. And that’s what SBDC does the best, is to provide that community and support.”