He Built the Pediatric Practice He Wished Existed.
Dr. Trey Williams didn’t plan to become a founder. He was a pediatrician. A former Air Force officer. A new dad with an MBA and a full plate.
Then one day, the startup he worked for let him go. He had just finished helping them to build out some features within their telehealth platform. That project was done and just like that, so was he.
That night, he and his wife sat down to decide what came next. Go back to the grind of corporate healthcare? Or go all in on the side hustle he had started almost by accident?
They chose the second option. That night, The Peds MD was born.
The Idea Started With a Text
Trey had already left traditional practice once before. He missed primary care, but the burnout was real. Twenty to thirty patients a day. Ten-minute visits. No room for nuance or real connection.
“It started to feel like the DMV. You take a number, get in and out. That’s not how pediatrics should work,” he says.
After switching to a telehealth company, he stayed connected with some of his former patients. Moms started texting him on Instagram. Sending videos on LinkedIn. Asking for help. He gave it, for free, for a while.
Then it got overwhelming. So he started charging. A few said yes. That was enough to get him thinking.
He’s Not Just a Pediatrician. He’s a House Call Pediatrician.
The Peds MD is a holistic, concierge-style pediatric practice based in Charlotte. Trey handles everything from newborn checkups to sick visits to long-term care. And he makes house calls.
“I wanted to bring back the personal connection. The kind of care where your doctor actually knows your kid,” he says.
For families, it means more time and less waiting. For Trey, it means fewer patients, deeper relationships, and a sustainable practice model.
He limits his panel size to just a few hundred kids. No waiting rooms. No rushed appointments. Just real care.
Getting It Off the Ground Was a Fight
Launching any business is tough. But launching a medical practice is its own level of complicated.
“There are regulations around everything. You have to get approval from the state medical board, structure your business in a very specific way, even figure out how to handle things like profit sharing without violating healthcare laws,” Trey says.
His part-time nurse couldn’t legally be a co-owner. Nurses aren’t allowed to receive patient care revenue. It took weeks of back and forth just to file the paperwork correctly.
“It was like a giant chicken-and-egg problem. I couldn’t get malpractice insurance without a business, and I couldn’t finish setting up the business without insurance.”
Eventually, it all clicked into place. He started seeing patients in January.
His Growth Plan Isn’t a Guess. It’s a Spreadsheet.
Trey thinks in terms of members, not families. If a parent has three kids, that’s three members. And when his roster hits a certain number, he plans to hire a second pediatrician.
“I want to keep this premium. That means hiring other doctors, not just anyone with a medical license,” he says.
His first big milestone will be bringing his nurse on full-time. After that, the next hire. Then the next city.
Charleston is already calling. He has plans for how to expand: either through franchising or a management structure that lets local physicians run their own version of The Peds MD with his support.
But the priority is building something strong in Charlotte first.
“I don’t want to grow just to grow. I want this to feel right. For families, and for the people working here.”
Instagram Is His Front Door
Most of his leads come from Instagram. His target audience is moms, and his wife, who he jokingly calls his social media coach, convinced him to start posting educational content.
“I just passed 5,000 followers. It’s wild. But it works,” he says.
He tried print ads and flyers. Nothing moved the needle. But showing up consistently online, answering questions, making people laugh, and being a real person? That worked.
And it mirrors how he wants his care to feel. Relatable. Personal. Accessible.
This Is Personal, and It’s Just the Beginning
Trey’s goal isn’t to scale endlessly. It’s to build a different kind of practice. One where doctors aren’t burned out, parents feel heard, and kids get the attention they deserve.
“I’ve had parents tell me I spent more time with them in one visit than their last doctor did in a year,” he says. “That’s the bar. That’s what I want every family to feel.”
He’s still figuring it out. Still learning. But he’s clear on the mission.
“This is the kind of care I’d want for my own kid. So that’s what I’m building.”
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