From Doctor to Founder with Jay Motley
Thu Feb 05 2026
EPISODE 42
Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton sit down with Dr. Jay Motley, founder of MindWell Health, to explore what it takes to leave a long career in anesthesiology and build a modern mental health clinic. Jay shares how losing autonomy after his private practice was absorbed by a hospital system paired with the life-altering loss of his first wife pushed him to rethink time, care, and what getting better really means. The conversation dives into ketamine therapy as a fast-acting tool that can open a window for patients who have failed traditional treatments, and why lasting improvement depends on pairing that window with therapy and lifestyle medicine fundamentals like sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress management. They also cover the myths around expensive wellness biohacks, how AI could reduce administrative burden and expand patient access, and what Jay learned scaling from a one-person launch to multiple MindWell locations.
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Ketamine as a fast-acting “open window” for change
00:50 – Health fundamentals that matter most: sleep, food, movement
04:20 – Why Jay left anesthesiology: autonomy, loss, and control of time
07:10 – Building MindWell: ketamine + therapy + lifestyle medicine
19:10 – Scaling the clinic: cash-pay vs insurance, systems, and hiring
LINKS
Connect with Dr. Jay Motley
mindwell.com • LinkedIn • Instagram • X/Twitter • Substack • Facebook
Stay Connected with Founder Mode
Subscribe to our newsletter: gofoundermode.com
Connect with Kevin
LinkedIn • X/Twitter
Connect with Jason
LinkedIn • X/Twitter
More
EPISODE 42 Kevin Henrikson and Jason Shafton sit down with Dr. Jay Motley, founder of MindWell Health, to explore what it takes to leave a long career in anesthesiology and build a modern mental health clinic. Jay shares how losing autonomy after his private practice was absorbed by a hospital system paired with the life-altering loss of his first wife pushed him to rethink time, care, and what getting better really means. The conversation dives into ketamine therapy as a fast-acting tool that can open a window for patients who have failed traditional treatments, and why lasting improvement depends on pairing that window with therapy and lifestyle medicine fundamentals like sleep, nutrition, movement, and stress management. They also cover the myths around expensive wellness biohacks, how AI could reduce administrative burden and expand patient access, and what Jay learned scaling from a one-person launch to multiple MindWell locations. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Ketamine as a fast-acting “open window” for change 00:50 – Health fundamentals that matter most: sleep, food, movement 04:20 – Why Jay left anesthesiology: autonomy, loss, and control of time 07:10 – Building MindWell: ketamine + therapy + lifestyle medicine 19:10 – Scaling the clinic: cash-pay vs insurance, systems, and hiring LINKS Connect with Dr. Jay Motley mindwell.com • LinkedIn • Instagram • X/Twitter • Substack • Facebook Stay Connected with Founder Mode Subscribe to our newsletter: gofoundermode.com Connect with Kevin LinkedIn • X/Twitter Connect with Jason LinkedIn • X/Twitter