Business
Retired physician has flowering enterprise
■ A California doctor's lifelong hobby leads to a comfortable living and happiness amid blooming orchids.
By Tyler Chin — Posted May 9, 2005
Making sidelines pay
Doctors who branched out beyond running their practice tell why they did it, how they did it, and what you should know before you do it.
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Name: J. Roy Wittwer, MD.
Specialty: Family medicine.
Location: Fortuna, Calif.
Business: Sequoia Orchids LLC. The company grows and sells orchids.
Annual revenue: Six figures.
Why he started the business: Dr. Wittwer's love affair with orchids started when he was 14. "We lived next to a large nursery in Southern California, and I'd go over. I fell in love with orchids there. There was an old Scottish grower who taught me and showed me how to take care of them."
For most of his life, Dr. Wittwer has grown orchids as a hobby. "My wife and I love flowers, and we actually spent a week just about every year going to the Santa Barbara [International] Orchid show. We'd take our plants down and we won lots of awards. We had really very nice exhibits that we were complimented on. It gave us a big head and we decided we could grow them better!" he laughed. "When it came time to retire, we thought we'd just go commercial."
He also wanted to keep busy. "I can't just sit around in the rocking chair. I noticed people who retired, sat down and watched television with a six-pack of beer wishing they were dead. I was not interested in that at all. I love life and love to do things."
Why he stopped practicing: "Family practice changed over the years. It was more based on economy and getting patients through rather than spending more time with them,"
Though he hasn't practiced since the early 1990s, Dr. Wittwer believes that he's still helping people stay healthy. "People buy beautiful flowers and plants, and they feel good. If you feel good, you don't get sick."
Words of wisdom: "Go into what you love outside of medicine, or whatever turns your crank, as a friend of mine would say."
