Female Founders: Annie Hopper of The Dynamic Neural Retraining System On The Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Woman Founder
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
That passion provides focus and energy. A lot of founders probably complain about the long hours and hard work. It is hard work, but that pales in comparison to the joy, focus and energy that comes from “working” on something that you are passionate about. My work is an extension of who I am, so it doesn’t feel like “work”. It just feels like I’m engaging in something that I like that provides me with great joy.
As a part of our series about “Why We Need More Women Founders”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Annie Hopper.
Annie Hopper is the founder of Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS) and author of Wired for Healing: Remapping the Brain to Recover from Chronic and Mysterious Illnesses. Annie’s mission is to “take the mystery out of mysterious illness” and provide knowledge and neuroplasticity based tools for shifting the brain out of a stuck “fight, flight or freeze” response and cycle of chronic illness. The DNRS program has helped thousands of people recover from limbic system impairment related illnesses such as multiple chemical sensitivity, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, long Covid, and many other chronic illnesses.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
Before developing chronic and debilitating mysterious illnesses like multiple chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, brain fog and more, I was a successful counselor, newspaper columnist, teacher and talk show guest. I was known as an expert in emotional wellness and led an extremely rewarding life. But that all changed after working in an office where I was exposed to toxic cleaning chemicals and mold. Despite seeing countless doctors and specialists, no one had any answers or treatments that worked for me. As I grew more ill and increasingly more sensitive, I had to withdraw from life. I could no longer work, go shopping, go to church, or be with my friends because my nervous system was so heightened that I was reacting to almost everything in my environment. For example, if I walked by someone who was wearing perfume, I might go into central nervous system convulsions. It was like living a science fiction nightmare. The scent of perfume or anything with chemicals (even laundry detergent) morphed into something that I can only describe as toxic bug spray. I literally felt poisoned by everyday things in my environment and understandably it became harder and harder to navigate my world. Intuitively I knew that my brain was not functioning properly and that it was not filtering information accurately anymore. I did a lot of research on brain function and deduced that I was suffering from a brain injury that was affecting the limbic portion of my brain. It was as if my brain got stuck in a trauma induced protective state that was initiated by the toxic exposure to the dangerous blend of cleaning chemicals and mold, and my sensory perception (especially sense of smell) had morphed in a misguided attempt to protect me. I achieved full recovery from these “unexplained” illnesses by implementing my own daily program of brain-based rehabilitation, which focused on “rewiring” faulty neural pathways in the brain — the program is now known as the Dynamic Neural Retraining System (DNRS). Fortunately, my nervous system regulated, my sensory perception returned to normal, the chronic pain and other symptoms eventually disappeared and my immune system went back to regular function. I now find myself in the most fortunate position of providing tools for healing and educating patients and the medical establishment alike about applied neuroplasticity and how rewiring limbic system function can be the missing key in healing for many people with chronic and hard to treat illnesses that don’t seem to respond to regular treatment.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
A highlight of my career is when I met Dr. Norman Doidge, author of the best selling books The Brain That Changes Itself and The Brain’s Way of Healing. All I can say is that he is one of my biggest idols and he had a huge influence on my own recovery process. When I read The Brain That Changes Itself, it dawned on me that the illusive and debilitating symptoms that I was experiencing could indeed be the result of my limbic brain being stuck in a fight, flight or freeze response that was keeping my body in a cycle of chronic illness. I felt very honored when Dr. Doidge interviewed me about my story and the DNRS program. He attended the DNRS program back in 2012 for research purposes when he attended a program that I was teaching in Toronto.
Understanding how neuroplasticity was involved with my illness turned out to be the missing link in my recovery. It was this understanding and personal experience that allowed me to develop a self directed, applied neuroplasticity based program that has helped thousands of people around the world recover from a host of chronic illnesses related to limbic system impairment. People with illnesses like multiple chemical sensitivities, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic Lyme disease, food sensitivities, chronic pain, brain fog, anxiety, depression and long covid have been able to reclaim their lives through implementing the program. To be able to serve humanity in this way is such an honor. To empower people with tools to transform their health and be a part of this transformation is nothing short of miraculous on a number of levels.
When I really understood that my brain was stuck in a protective response, even though the threat was no longer present, something just clicked for me. It finally made sense to me that despite my exhaustive search for answers and treatments I had tried with seeing a ton of health care providers and specialists, the treatments were largely ineffective because my nervous system was stuck on high alert and it was impossible to make lasting gains until my brain function was addressed. It was this new understanding of the brain and retraining my brain that led me to developing the DNRS program.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
While our current website is www.RetrainingTheBrain.com, our first website was MCS Cure. Using the word “cure” in any of our materials was one of my biggest mistakes. MCS stands for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity and the term “cure” did not go over well with an audience of chronically ill people who were told that there is no cure for their condition by the medical establishment. Some also thought that the term “brain retraining” was a way of saying that the illness was in their head, which was the farthest thing from the truth.
What I learned is that I would need to educate people about an entirely new paradigm of treating chronic illness through neuroplasticity and relate the science in an easy to understand format.
I also grew to realize that the medical system would not quickly embrace this new paradigm but that the “proof” would come in the form of the number of people recovering. I would need to provide evidence by providing more stories of real people who had recovered. They would be the evidence that reversing symptoms of illness and returning to full health was indeed possible. Doctors around the world began to take notice and many refer their patients to the program before they begin any other forms of treatment as they realize that regulating the nervous system is the first course of order. They realize that sometimes retraining the brain and regulating autonomic nervous system function can be enough to reverse symptoms, or at the very least will calm the nervous system enough to allow other treatments to take better hold.
I also understood that promoting a message of environmental awareness is pivotal in getting people to understand and recognize that toxins in our everyday life can cause debilitating illness and affect brain function. I had my work cut out for me.
We had another learning experience when we initially offered the program in an instructional video format. At that time it was only available in a DVD format (it is offered digitally through streaming video now).There was a lot of excitement in the community leading up to the launch and we were all excited about bringing the DNRS program to the world. I remember how thrilled and happy I was on the day that we finally launched when I saw the orders coming in from near and far. I was so thrilled for the opportunity to help people. Okay…that was the fun part…here comes the mistake part. We had hired an environmentally aware printing company to create our printed materials. They produced a beautiful product and told us that they could also ship our orders. That all sounded great to me. Although my excitement quickly turned into anxiety when our customers started complaining that they were not receiving their orders. I couldn’t believe it! Without having tracking numbers on the orders, I did not know why our customers had not received their orders and our shipping company could not provide any answers for us. We ended up double shipping all of our initial orders and spent over $10,000 to re-ship the orders to our customers asap. What I learned is that you should always have a tracking number if you are shipping products! Lesson learned!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I would never have been able to do what I do without the loving support of my husband James. James was my rock when I was ill and provided the grounding, love, support and stability that I so desperately needed at that time. Despite a very rocky and uncertain time, he chose to stay in the relationship during this chapter of my life and was willing to sacrifice his job and home to be with me. I know that many people who suffer from limbic system impairment and chronic illness do not have that kind of support and I am deeply grateful for it. James also had his own experience with neuroplasticity in a different way. James was profoundly deaf when we first met and two years into dating, he was the lucky recipient of a cochlear implant. His brain had to learn how to hear all over again, so he understood the principles of neuroplasticity first hand. James also had a background in video editing (even when he was profoundly deaf) and is extremely skilled in internet technology. His skillset was invaluable with the production of the instructional video program and designing our first website. It truly feels like there was a greater purpose to our union and our lives have intersected in a special way to help millions of people recover. He likes to say that I had the message and he is my messenger. I’m immeasurably grateful to have him by my side!
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this EY report, only about 20 percent of funded companies have women founders. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women to create companies. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from founding companies?
I think one thing that holds many people back is the need to have it all figured out before you start and the need for perfection. It takes a great deal of courage and persistence to chase your dreams. You need to believe in what you do and stay the course, no matter what other people say. For instance, I don’t have a PhD and I’m not a doctor, but that does not stop me from having the dream of changing a medical paradigm. Being successful means showing up every day for what you believe in. This also means that you need to believe in yourself. Sure, everyone has doubts but day after day, you continue to show up and think of your big dream as your North Star, even during the times when it feels like you are not moving forward. Don’t take temporary setbacks as signs from the universe that you are on the wrong path. Success takes work and not all things will come easy. That does not mean that you change direction, lose faith or give up your dream. It just means dig in more…lean in more and take steps on a daily basis to keep your dream alive.
Can you help articulate a few things that can be done as individuals, as a society, or by the government, to help overcome those obstacles?
As individuals we need to understand that the brain is the control center for optimal health. If your brain is not working functionally, your body will not be operating efficiently. With self directing neuroplastic changes in the limbic system, we have the power within us to transform our health. Your story of transformation can and will positively affect people in ways that you cannot even imagine.
As a society, we need to understand that our medical system has largely placed people in a passive role, where we rely on other people or outside interventions for answers to our health concerns. We must be willing to take an active role in our recovery process and move from feeling like victims to a medical system that cannot provide assistance or may not fully support us to feeling empowered with our ability to be in the driver’s seat of personal change.
Great medical ideas do not make it into mainstream medicine for many years, sometimes even decades, if ever. For a treatment method to be supported, it would need to have a lot of research behind it. The medical system has this archaic bar for treatment recommendations that requires years of testing and money to fund the research. There is nothing to gain for academics or pharmaceutical companies in researching self-directed neuroplasticity as there is no pay off for them. It would be ideal if the government could provide funding for research for alternative treatment interventions that illustrate great promise in assisting people to overcome complex and chronic health conditions. This could save billions upon billions of dollars in the long run and also empower people to play an active role in their health and well being. Ultimately, it would be a dream come true to have brain/body centers for optimal health that have the functional equipment to measure brain changes and various body system changes as the brain is rewiring itself. A new paradigm requires new ways of measuring health.
This might be intuitive to you as a woman founder but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become founders?
I think that a feminine and nurturing touch and determined grit is needed now more than ever.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a founder? Can you explain what you mean?
A myth that I am currently busting is that a special business degree or a PhD is needed to be successful in business or a leader in the healthcare field. You don’t have to have all the answers, you just need the courage to take the next right step and continue to show up for your dream of helping others. The other steps will present themselves in time.
Is everyone cut out to be a founder? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful founder and what type of person should perhaps seek a “regular job” as an employee? Can you explain what you mean?
Success in anything takes courage, dedication and belief in what you do and who you are. Not everyone needs to be a founder to make a difference. In fact, founders themselves do not create success in a vacuum. It takes a team of people to support their vision. You can make a huge difference by supporting the vision of a company that aligns with your beliefs and values. Choose something that you believe in and join their team. Founders are only as successful as the team who supports them.
Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- That passion provides focus and energy. A lot of founders probably complain about the long hours and hard work. It is hard work, but that pales in comparison to the joy, focus and energy that comes from “working” on something that you are passionate about. My work is an extension of who I am, so it doesn’t feel like “work”. It just feels like I’m engaging in something that I like that provides me with great joy.
- Be bold and be brave. You need to step outside of your comfort zone to reach people who need to hear your message. At my first presentation at a medical conference, there were people that felt so threatened by my message that they tried to have me banned from speaking at the event. It didn’t work…I was scared but I spoke anyway. I have been invited to many medical conferences since then and some of those same people who initially resisted my ideas have since given me a standing ovation.
- You don’t need to have all of the answers. Work with others who will help support your vision and message.
- Money does not provide happiness, but purpose does. Money can make your life more comfortable, but purpose is the only thing that I’ve found so far that provides lasting happiness.
- Follow your North Star. Always think about the reason why you started your business and hold that vision as your barometer for making business decisions.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
In ways greater than I ever imagined possible. Thousands of people from around the world have regained their health and reclaimed their lives through implementing the program. I think the most touching stories come from Moms who say that they are so grateful because they now get to be fully present for their children and that they can engage in life in joyful and fulfilling ways.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
That people who are suffering from symptoms of a brain stuck in a “fight, flight or freeze” response seek help sooner rather than later. I want to inspire people to not give up hope and have the courage to give the program a try. They have nothing to lose because our team feels so confident in this program that we offer a money back guarantee. Sure, it takes dedication and effort, but that is nothing compared to the energy and time that it takes to try to survive. It’s frustrating when you keep sling-shooting back into a cycle of chronic illness, despite your best efforts with endless health practitioners and specialists.I remember what it was like when people would say “have you tried this, or have you tried that?” and honestly, having hope sometimes felt like a luxury that I could not afford because time after time it left me feeling disappointed when treatment efforts would fail…not to mention my dwindling pocket book with trying so many treatments. If you are suffering from a chronic illness related to a brain that is stuck in a fight, flight or freeze response, and have not felt true relief from your suffering, I understand that it takes courage to try “another” treatment. I want to eliminate the hard work for people trying to decide if this program is worth it for them and get them to jump in. The results will speak for themselves. The key to effective recovery is early diagnosis and the right treatment that addresses limbic system function. Early research findings from Sweden suggest that the DNRS program is very effective for people suffering from Long Covid and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). An upcoming clinical trial in Canada holds equal promise, but research needs to happen in a more timely fashion to help the millions that are suffering now. The medical system is stumped by this, but we have been working with limbic system impairment since 2008. The brain and nervous system is a central player in Long Covid and when this is addressed, it can ease suffering for millions of people.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
People like Dr. Norman Doidge who are trailblazers in the field of neuroplasticity.
I’d also love to have breakfast with Maria Shriver and Oprah — Maria has actually heard of my work before. Based on six-degrees of separation–I believe we are more connected than we realize. We actually had a past client who used to be a speechwriter for the White House and is also a good friend of Maria Shriver’s.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Female Founders: Annie Hopper of The Dynamic Neural Retraining System On The Five Things You Need… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.