From GP to brain health champion: how one doctor turned burnout into a business

Most doctors stick to familiar territory. Not Dr Clara Doran. After more than 20 years working as a GP — and facing a serious health scare — she left the consulting room behind to pursue a new mission: helping people tackle brain fog and burnout, starting with herself.

“I was diagnosed with MS when my son was a baby,” she says. “It was a huge turning point. I experienced fatigue, anxiety and terrible brain fog—things I never really understood until I went through them myself.”

Determined not to be defined by her diagnosis, Clara threw herself into the science. What she uncovered was eye-opening. “Nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle play a massive role in brain health, but most people have no idea. And when I looked at what was on the market to support that, I wasn’t impressed.”

From patient to entrepreneur

That discovery ultimately inspired her to found Noggin The Brain People, and develop OOMPH — a caffeine-free supplement gaining popularity with people who want sharper focus and better energy, without the crash.

Unlike many other nootropics, OOMPH was developed from scratch by medical professionals. It contains 18 active ingredients — including B vitamins, lion’s mane mushroom, ginseng, and choline — carefully selected to support mood, energy and mental clarity. “I wanted something I could feel proud giving to my patients, and to take myself,” Clara says.

Curious about what all the fuss is about? Take a look at OOMPH to see what it might do for your brain.

A whole new learning curve

Of course, the leap from medicine to running a start-up wasn’t a smooth one. “Starting something from scratch has been a rollercoaster. I had to learn everything—e-commerce, marketing, supply chains. It’s been a challenge but also massively rewarding.”

Perhaps the biggest obstacle? Finding her voice in the business world. “For me, the biggest challenge is speaking up,” she says. “I’m naturally quiet, and I know that’s something many women experience. But I’ve learned that if you want to create change, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Today, Clara is also championing more inclusive and flexible workplaces — especially for people managing long-term conditions. “You don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time to be productive,” she says. “We need to stop treating tiredness as a weakness.”

What’s next?

As well as steering Noggin’s growth, Clara is now putting the finishing touches to a book due out in 2025. Heads Up – How to Look After Your Brain So It Will Look After You will offer an easy-to-digest guide to better brain health.

And momentum behind OOMPH continues to build. With thousands of loyal customers and growing buzz about the results, it’s fast becoming a go-to for people who are tired of feeling tired.