As some people know, I have not always been working for my own office and essentially calling the shots on what happens on a day-to-day basis. That year that I spent working under the command of another office was tough mentally but I feel that it made me a better person, chiropractor and business owner.

I played in a golf tournament this past weekend with my brother-in-law. Going into the event, we looked at our flight and saw who was in it. We made a determination that we were not going to get involved in the Calcutta, it really didn’t matter the amount, and we’re not going to put any more money into the weekend. He and I are known to be a little competitive, while we did not win the event or even our flight, we would have been just fine on betting on ourselves.

Kristina and I talk about the topic, what if I never had gone out and started my own practice. It is well known in our household, that if I didn’t do it I would probably be out of the profession all together. The fun and desire for the profession faded fast in that first year.

I’m not going to tell you that since we start the business that it has been all peaches and rainbows but for the most part, it has been one of the best bets that we have taken. The grind of running my own business and practice can be taxing and sleep can be at a premium at times, but I’m a firm believer that if you want to make it in the profession, you need to be able to do it your own way.

There are young chiropractors that want to work as associates, there are some chiropractors that don’t want the responsibility of being a business owner and there are some people that want to call the shots. I’m one of those people; I want to be in control of how my day-to-day operations go. Sure, I will admit, there have been mistakes but my happiness level has been higher than ever since that first year out of school.

For those young chiropractors out there, just know that just because you are stuck in a rut working as an associate hardly making ends meet trying to pay off student loans and attempting to live at the same, it will get better. Take your associateship and try to learn as much as possible, become a VERY good adjuster and try to figure out how to run a business. The process is not fun, it’s not glamorous at times but the learning curve is much better when you decide to go out on your own.

Have a little faith in yourself and make it happen. The day will come that you get fed up working for someone else, maybe it won’t but it does for most. Just know that reach out and find mentors, people will gladly walk you through the process, ask questions and your will find a deeper appreciation for the work and life than you can imagine.

I will never forget, Kristina, my in-laws and I were all sitting in our living room trying to determine an action plan roughly 6 years ago. My mother-in-law looks at me and tells me, “so what if you fail, you have to be happy and try things your own way.”

In other words, bet on yourself and see what happens. Odds are if you are willing to put in the work and take a few risks, the process will pay off many times over. Believe in yourself.

P.S. If you ever see me in a golf tournament, I’m not going to bet on myself, but feel free, we were awfully cheap.