Blog

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19/Mar/2024

A little story, roughly 12 years ago I took a class about possibility performing DOT physicals.  At the time, I was more or less in need of continuing education and I was always fascinated with physical exams.  When I went to school I was always in love with evaluation and management of cases, this hasn’t really changed but in the chiropractic realm your vision can get pretty narrow at times. I took the class and decided to take the Medical Examiners test, passed it and was officially certified to perform DOT/CDL Physicals.

The first few years were slow and steady but every year we would do a few more physicals and that continues to be the case. But over the course of doing the exams, I would get questions about the drug and alcohol testing aspects of the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA). I was very reluctant about adding this service for a long time because who wants to collect pee for a living.

A year ago, I had a change in heart, if we are going to continue to grow the DOT/CDL physical business we might as well be a one stop shop for all things FMCSA. I took a few more classes and actually had to renew my medical examiner certificate as it had been 10 years since I took the first one. Having the ability to collect DOT drug collections and having a DOT certified breath alcohol machine has proven to be invaluable to myself and to persons that come into the office.

The breaking point is that there are not a lot of reliable offices that give companies the ability to send drivers in, essentially at their own convenience. Pre-employment and random drug testing are the major parts of the testing but there are other aspects, including return to work, reasonable suspicion or just about any other reason that your employer may want the test.

You will notice that over the course of the next two months, I’m going to get crazy aggressive in building the drug testing business. We are building our consortium, which is the third party aspect that helps run/manage a company’s drug testing program. There are certain benchmarks that need to be met in order to meet the needs of the DOT, we help guide people through that process in a relatively quick and easy way.

I’ve already said the majority of the things that I’m currently saying but what I’m going to reiterate: we love to work with local companies and will help those companies through just about any aspect of the drug testing program or consortiums. I really have no desire to manage large trucking companies, I’d love to be a collection site but to manage a company that would be described as large, this would be a little out of my realm.

So, is collecting pee a glamorous profession. I’d like to think that most people would think not, but someone has to do it and it might as well be our offices. We pride ourselves on a local, convenient option for people and companies that are looking for a one stop shop when it comes to FMCSA regulations.

Are we still learning, sure, everyone is but if you would like to be along with the ride and journey of the drug & alcohol testing, please contact us.  We’d love to talk to you and provide you the service with a smile that you deserve. The process does not need to be complicated or time consuming and this is our vow to you or your company.

We look forward to hearing from you in the future.


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21/Feb/2024

If someone ever wants to start a small consulting firm, I feel like this is a brain trust and is realistic but not sure how to make it profitable.

Keep offices and clinics up to date with current insurance requirements and guidelines.

Every year, we see a flood of new insurance onto the market and they seem to keep coming from every angle. Whether it is a new plan on the marketplace, a new Medicaid company or the ever expanding model of Medicare Advantage plans. Each and every one of these plans has their own caveats and intricacies.

My solution, just tell providers what they need to do. Don’t send me to a site with a library of videos that I have to sift through in order to get the information I need. Third parties are largely unhelpful and everyone needs to come into the equation understanding that insurance companies are for profit entities and if they pay money out, it is less to their bottom line.

Big to small, the last thing small clinics need is for one more thing to do but if a person was in the background that kept track of all of the updates and what needs to be placed with claims, offices, patients and insurance companies would all be happier.

We are currently experiencing a new preauthorization requirement for certain plans and another plan requires certain modifiers that others don’t require. The frustration with this is that, we don’t find out until after the fact. Rejection letters come in and the recourse is very limited because if you are in-network with the plan, they expect you to know the rules.

A 1-2 page document to show EXACTLY what needs to be done, the issue on the business side is that the document would take a few hours to put together and would be relevant for about 2 months until everyone figures out the rules. But the first quarter of every year would be the exact same because everyone is in the same boat and doesn’t know until they don’t

I know this is more of a rant but as a small office, you can start to see the direction that healthcare is going.  More and more offices are going to be offering cash discounts or just not take insurance in general because it becomes very burdensome and time consuming to not get paid (essentially not even be able to bill the patient because the claim gets denied and once a claim is denied, the patient is not responsible in many cases).

At the end of the day, accepting insurance is for the most part a game but you have to know the rules before the game starts. It’s very frustrating and confusing; honestly it can be very costly because you end up having to eat a lot of the charges. So when we ask for insurance cards at the first of the year, we are not doing it to entertain ourselves, we are trying to save everyone a little bit of headache but unless we know the rules, you can spend a lot of your day beating your head against a wall.

So in ending, a message to patients: having the correct information is key and messages to insurance companies- just tell us what we need to know. It will make everyone happier.


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19/Jan/2024

Over the course of the past year, I have tried to make a conscious effort to read books for enjoyment and try to find topics and subjects that interest me personally, not just professionally. As you go through the process of schooling, reading becomes a chore and I feel that although I never was an avid reader, there are lots of things that interest me. So why not read about it more in depth?

One of the people that I have started to read is Mark Manson, while his book titles are not necessarily safe for everyone, they have brought me quite a bit of perspective in regards to life and how to think about life as a whole.  I got sucked into one of his podcasts and while not necessarily the topic of the conversation, the premise of faith and patience kept coming up.

Everyone goes through hard times, whether it’s in your personal life, running a business, playing sports or any aspect of life really. Part of life is the inner battles that you suffer through periodically.  Life is not simple and life is not easy, but the journey is worth it, you just have to find a way to happiness and contentment along the way.

The premise of the conversation was about building an audience and a business. You don’t see a lot of 20-30 year old businesses fail because the tough part has normally been done. I’m speaking in general terms with this but once you cross the 10 year mark a lot of the kinks have been worked out in regards to building a business.

Faith and patience kept coming up in some of these conversations, nothing worth having is typically built quickly. Building a business is hard, it’s not for everyone, but at the end of the day you have to have enough faith in yourself and the process that enough people will see the value in the business to continue to come in and pay for your service or product.

Patience is probably actually the harder aspect in today’s world because everything seems to be instantaneous. Solid businesses have a good foundation, ups and downs are normal.  Good and bad months hopefully level each other out. You still need to have a life and try not to be married to whatever business or endeavor you choose to go down. The hardest part, I think, with owning a business in 2024 is waiting. Snow days and slow day happen, there is really nothing you can do about it. The past couple of weeks have been typical January, up and down, but with the amount of time I have spent at home is not the best for me mentally.

I have WAY too much time to think. Mark’s books have brought things back into a realistic reality for me as they indicate that not everything is perfect, nor should it be but finding a happiness, contentment and having faith and patience with the process are some of the toughest things to do while navigating a life, not just in a business or personal sense.

I have said since day one, that writing this blog is more of personal therapy for me. I have no intention of this just being a blog about chiropractic, conditions and therapies that are offered at our office. If some young chiropractor or business owner is sitting out there reading this silly little post, just know that putting in the hard work initially and riding the waves is half the battle.  There are going to be days that you question, what the hell am I doing? But keep you head down, keep going, know that it’s a grind, faith in the process and a little bit of patience can go a long way.


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01/Jan/2024

Have you ever noticed that it’s always chiropractors that have the next best thing in regards to healthcare?  While this statement may not necessarily be true but it’s mostly true from the daily view of a practicing chiropractor.

It is always the next greatest laser for any condition, weight loss solutions, neuropathy care or any other things that comes on to the market that a sales person can sell to a clinic or office are the ones that pop up. I’m sure every profession is the same but I’m just exposed to chiropractors. While I don’t want to come across as the stuck in the mud, fuddy duddy I sometimes feel that chiropractor’s lost their way.

When you are in school, everyone wants to be a sports chiropractor and work with young people and athletes. While it is a wonderful idea, I actually come from the opposite side of the argument, because old people and middle aged patients need more care than a young athlete. Treatment plans be damned, older individuals are the ones with the time and money. I’m horrible at treatment plans; I treat patients until they reach maximum medical improvement or until we plateau in regards to symptoms and release them from care.

Is this a glamorous way to practice, not really but it is rewarding. It’s really hard to continue to post things on social media to show that you are a cutting edge chiropractor with all the new toys. We just treat people with a moral and ethical compass and send them on their way.

Good conversations can be had and a good time is normally had during the day. In the most recent months, I’ve had to have some difficult conversations with people in regards to their current health complaint. I normally ask if they want the conversation to go one way or the other: did you want me to talk to you in medical jargon that you may not understand or did you want me to talk to you as if I’m a family member. We can normally have a combination of either but when a tough case walks through the door and our office cannot help, sending the patient to the place that can help them the most is ALWAYS the best option.

Dragging out care just to collect more insurance money or to keep collecting from the patient is not only wrong but is downright unethical. There are offices that are much better at certain treatment types, but I would like to think we can hold our own when it comes to a correct diagnosis and projecting how the course of treatment will go. With that I am able to sleep soundly at night.

We provide a comfortable atmosphere to which patients can seek a genuine opinion as to what may be going on with your pain. The care provided is evidence based and guided by the conversations that continuously take place as to what the comfort level of the patient is. If more care is needed, we will be upfront. We make no guarantees as to the number or length of care but we would not start you down a road if we didn’t think it would help. We stay in our lane, chiropractors do chiropractic work.

As the year turns over, if you EVER find yourself in a situation in a chiropractic office that is requesting thousands of dollars for care and payment plans are going to be necessary or that so many therapies and exams are going to be needed, just know that a second opinion is always an option.

I would much rather be able to sleep at night then have one ounce of guilt that I am taking advantage of a patient and their situation. The business has been around for over a decade and there is no ounce of guilt or shame in the treatment that we provide and for this I sleep well at night.


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23/Dec/2023

Every year, I try to sit down and reflect on the year as a whole.  This is going to drift between personal and professional life, mostly story telling but I am going to try and limit the rants, plenty of opinions will be given but just know that I’m doing it more for self reflection and entertainment than for useful information for the possible readers…..so here we go.

As many people in my circle know, the first half of the year started off a little rough, mainly on a personal level.  My dad, Craig, underwent a liver transplant in December of 2022, literally everything that could go wrong, did. I essentially made a trip to Omaha and UNMC every other weekend for the first 4-6 months of 2023 to try and be there for my family and hopefully take some stress off my mom. He spent nearly 9 months at Nebraska Medicine. The condition was all caused by a heart medication that he had been on for years. While he appears to be improving day-by-day it has been a long road for him and the family but the upward trajectory looks good at the moment.

  • I feel that the amount of time I spent around Nebraska Medicine gave us a new found respect for the amount of specialists available and their vast knowledge and sometime lack of knowledge in regards to the healthcare system (Unknown answers were a regular occurrence and we found that we had to just accept the unknown). I would like to think that we, as a family, never crossed any boundaries, but the one main factor, having an advocate on behalf of a loved one. My mom never left his side, we asked hard questions, my mom took notes as to what was going on but there are a vast number of people in hospitals that don’t have someone to ask questions and advocate on their behalf, for this we noticed a flaw in the system, as some of the doctors said, we kind of exposed a “chink in the armor.”
  • Add a detached retina to the equation as well and then you can truly round out Craig Spracklin’s year.

We are at a stage in our lives with little kids that spending quality time with them is of the upmost importance.  A California trip was taken to see friends, a couple small trips to see other friends and a couple of different nights in hotels that coincided with professional development trips. As everyone with children knows, traveling with kids can be a challenge but we feel that small trips when they are young will help build to larger trips when they are older.

In February, Kristina and I took a trip to Las Vegas for a national seminar that I had been eyeing for years and we decided to just pull the trigger and go for it. While Las Vegas as a whole is not really our scene the seminar made us start to think. “How exactly do we grow the business and office to serve the community that we would like to serve and spread that word?” This seminar is where the wheels started spinning for the drug & alcohol testing. We had pages of ideas that we would like to explore but this one was the most obvious for us as to where we are in the business.

  • The main theory: we are on a path that performing DOT/CDL Physicals was not going to slow down, in fact it is growing. It’s a service that is mandated by the DOT and we saw a need in this market. We reached out to a few people in the area to see about partnering up in regards to drug & alcohol testing, as we knew we would like to be a one stop shop for all things DOT related. The more we started exploring these options; we made the conscious effort to just start doing the service ourselves. We took some classes, bought the equipment and started getting the word out. It has been going very well so far, but we look forward to keep expanding this part of the office. Our consortium services are beginning January 2024 and we are always looking to just becoming a collection site for other local companies.

The chiropractic side of the offices has continued to grow. We have been in business for 12 years and in Minden for over 7 now.  From a patient volume perspective things are trending well, we have busy and slow days as any other office but overall things from a number of patients is good.  Now, I’m going to go off on a little tangent, just because patient volume is up does not necessarily mean that we are seeing more money come in. The insurance regulations and oversight that are starting to come in is noticeable, while not impossible to deal with on an individual level; reimbursements are not necessarily trending upwards in the same direction as patient volume.  I used to think people that went to a cash based office were crazy, but the longer I go it looks very appealing, while I have no intention of going this direction as I do find that the vast majority of people what to use their insurance, it just makes things interesting from a cash flow and reimbursement prospective.

  • The argument that I have been making recently and it’s a healthcare problem as a whole, not just our office. With office expenses going through the roof, literally, in order to generate more revenue from the office either you need to collect more or see more people. Insurance dictates how much you can collect per patient as we don’t do a lot of “cash based services” in the office. So the solution is to see more patients, but seeing more patients you tend to be stretched thinner and subsequently, provide a lesser standard of care. While this is not necessarily true all the way around, in general it’s the direction that most healthcare offices are trending.

A brief statement on the business side: as everyone can see, expenses are going crazy. We moved to a cloud based server to limit technology hassles, but it cost money. Insuring the building and business costs went up nearly 50% this past year, no surprise to anyone reading this. Equipment costs, labor costs, supplies and utilities have all been going up. Does it surprise anyone, not really but it’s one more challenge facing small business owners. Are we going anywhere? I sure hope not but costs are weird right now. Small business owners may need to get creative, so never say never on solutions to help spread out the costs. I was recently “elected” to the State Association Board of Directors, so I am starting to get exposed to the profession around the state and region, it can be quite eye opening.  I will be out of the office a few more days to take on responsibilities as well, but it shouldn’t be noticeable to the majority of patients.

As the calendar is getting ready to hit 2024, we are going to keep plugging away both personally and professionally. Patients will probably not see any major changes in the offices as far I can tell. Will things change in the coming year, only time will tell but my main goal is to continue to grow services, see more patients and provide quality care & service to the people that come through the doors. Enjoying the ride is tough with younger kids but as this past year has taught the Spracklin family, every day is a blessing and try to embrace the present because tomorrow is not promised. We wish everyone a blessed Holiday season and look forward to serving you for this coming year and the years to come.


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04/Dec/2023

Every November rolls around and most people in healthcare just buckle up and try to enjoy the ride. People meet deductibles and need to use FSA and HSA funds before the calendar turns over. Patients that you have not seen in months all of a sudden need care because they had a surgery or a procedure earlier in the year and want to utilize their insurance benefits.

Every year we tell ourselves that this year is going to be different and I would be lying to you and myself if I said it doesn’t seem to get better or easier.

Obviously, when you own a business being busy is better than sitting around and twiddling your thumbs. People in the door are what pay the bills. While healthcare is kind of complicated to explain to lay people that don’t quite understand the reimbursement process or how insurance works, the bottom line is that you need people to come in the door to pay the bills.

I have said for years that the first half of the year, you just try to keep you head above water as patients are trying to figure out new insurance and the timing of when I started the business, all of the yearly bills are due during the first half of the year.

The buffer that a business like myself has is that being diversified is what carries you through.  While I have always said that I believe in staying in my lane having numerous different services is ideal in my world. Acupuncture always needs to be done and people are always in pain and need of chiropractic care. The DOT side is an interesting thing in our business as it is a service that is needed year round.

As stated earlier, I have certain times of the year that the DOT/CDL services are busier than other but as this service continues to grow; the ups and downs seem to be leveling out. Adding the drug & alcohol testing is an added benefit for most of the drivers that come in for DOT physicals but this is not a seasonal service, it will be year round as well.

The reason that I write this is to remind myself and patients that come through the doors is to have patience. Every year, we tell ourselves that we are going to schedule better or that we need to be more lenient with people and every year we end up in the situation. Everyone’s lives are hectic and chaotic this time of year but a little bit of patience and reflection as to why we are doing what we are doing along with ultimately everything will be okay with the schedule and the office.

As the years go, services are stabilizing with things that I like, prefer and make most sense for the offices but there are things that do take more time than others so if you come in and we are running 5 minutes behind, just know that we will take our time with you as well and I will get back on schedule but this time of year it can be difficult due to the pure volume of things going on.

We continue to strive to offer the best service possible for chiropractic care, DOT/CDL physicals, acupuncture and drug/alcohol testing. Services are not going to change in my opinion for the foreseeable future but we continue to get busier and busier with all of the services, so we ask for your patience and continue to appreciate your patronage.


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21/Oct/2023

October 2012 is when I first passed my FMCSA medical examiners test.  This test allowed me to perform DOT/CDL physicals. The first couple months, I did maybe 1-2 physicals per month.  The first couple of years I did maybe, 4-5 a month.  The time period that it took allowed me to become comfortable with the process, the exam itself and the reporting process.  In 2013, the Department of Transportation required that you pass its testing requirements.  Come to find out at the time, I was one of the few people in the state that was ahead of the requirement.  This was honestly not my intention but it turned out to be a reality I was living. We have recently just passed another 10 year recertification.

Fast forward nearly a decade, I’m not going to divulge the number of physicals that I perform on a daily, weekly or monthly basis but it can be said that I found a market that I am very comfortable in, know the regulations and have a solid understanding of the process for the drivers that come in. We field questions daily on the process and from all walks of the profession of how to abide by the rules, keep compliant with regulations and keep driving going with minimal interruption.

There are people that return to our office every year or two for this exam, not because they want to because they have too.  The FMCSA requires drivers to get periodic physicals and to maintain an active medical card.  We have people that I have seen 7-8 times at this stage and look forward to continuing that relationship and trend for the years to come.

I’m reiterating this fact because recently we have found that most companies are looking for a one stop shop for all of their DOT needs. Part of that need is for drug and alcohol testing. These are fairly straightforward parts of the process but there are certain criteria’s that needs to be met in order to accomplish this task. We have met those requirements.

A couple of months ago we made the conscious decision to go all in on the profession as a whole. Chiropractic and acupuncture will continue to be the main focus of the practice but you will continue to see a push to engage companies and professionals that need a drug testing program for the work place or just need to be a part of a consortium for the FMCSA in order comply with DOT regulations.

We have purchased the equipment and have the expertise in order to perform these services. Over the course of the next few months to years, we hope to expand and be the go to office for all of the needs for DOT and drug testing needs.  Mobile services will soon be available as well as we work through the needs of individual companies. Convenience is going to be the motto as finding reliable testing in the area can be tough.

The goal and mission of this service is to start small, with local companies to gather a vast understanding as to the needs of the community as a whole and growing from there. Envisioning the growth will be much like the DOT physicals that we have performed, doing a few on a weekly or monthly basis until we are very comfortable with the process until it becomes almost second nature for myself and the office staff that will be helping with the systems that are set in place.

Finding the processes that work for the offices is the easy part, it’s the execution that can become difficult. We look forward to running a very efficient FMCSA compliant office in regards to DOT physicals, drug testing and breath alcohol testing that people feel comfortable with the process and that their paperwork will be ready, willing and compliant. If this is a process that you would like to join on the ride with us please reach out to us, as many renewals are coming at the end of year and would love for us to take care of your DOT needs.


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15/Oct/2023

When I say” come one, come all” I genuinely mean that. We get patients periodically that will say that they are no longer allowed to go back to their original chiropractor because they missed an appointment. They don’t have the correct insurance to see a specific chiropractor. The excuses are endless and 12 years into practice we have essentially heard them all, but I write this more as a promise and reminder to myself.

When I went into a healthcare field, I told myself that we were going to be a welcoming office for all walks of life, regardless of insurance types or how needy the patient can be. I took an oath when I went to school for this and I will continue to strive to make this my moral compass.

“Take care of your patients and your patients will take care of you.”

I’ve said this before, a lot of people don’t necessarily have a say as to what kind of insurance they have or certain life circumstances that happen. Life can come at you fast, appointments are forgotten but I don’t feel that should be a reason to never be welcomed back into an office again.  We accept nearly every insurance that is offered in the state of Nebraska, including Medicare and Medicaid.

We have treated people in half-way houses, just getting out of prison, down on their luck, looking/searching for a job or career choice. Broken down vehicles and family situations arise and we totally understand this in the office. We accept walk-ins with the understanding that scheduled appointments will take president, but you are always welcome.

If I told you there was a limit as to what I would treat, I would once again be lying to you. We treat young and old alike, but we stick to a game plan with musculoskeletal conditions. If an internal discussion needs to be had, we can have it but the odds of me actively treating such conditions would be slim. I can guide people through options and certain providers but chiropractic treatment for diabetes is a little out of my realm, as it should be for the entire profession. I know my lane.

I have done this long enough to know my limits and what I am comfortable with. We may treat a little different than some providers and we are known to keep things simple from the start and build from a solid base. We won’t jump to options that we don’t think will fit a patient.

Acupuncture is a prime example, we have performed more acupuncture in the last year than I did in the first decade of practice combined. Some really cool results have followed but this is not a therapy for everyone, you need to fit a specific demographic or complaint. We don’t delve into smoking cessation or weight loss with this as some offices do, but I can promise you that if you give it an open minded try, you might be surprised.

Truck drivers and CDL drivers come in all shapes and sizes, we follow the FMCSA rules and won’t be sweet talked into a decision. Smelly and good looking truck drivers come under the same scrutiny but just know both are always welcome in our offices.

As I said earlier, this is more a reminder to myself to be a genuine human being, treat people how you would like to be treated and know that no matter what you are going through you will always be welcome in our offices.


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25/Sep/2023

Find something you love to do and you will never work a day in your life. This old adage has been around forever but does it ring true to you? If you are one of those few people that “love” what you do, I would like to have a talk with you.

I have reached a stage in my life where balancing ailing parents, raising young kids, having a stable home life all while running a successful office starts to become a grind on a daily basis. If I told you I was alone with this sentiment, I would lying to you. Everyone has passions and interests, but passions and interests don’t pay the bills. Anytime I can get a day or a few hours off, I take them because taking time out of the office is few and far between.

It may not seem like I am in the offices much, but when you balance two offices, family and staff, things get stretched pretty thin at times. So, if you call the office and we are not in that particular office, it does not mean that I’m out playing golf or enjoying myself, I’m just at another office, so while it seems like a day off to the person calling, we are actually working.

I’ve been in business for over 11 years now and we have learned to brush off a lot of the snarky comments that people lay on us throughout the day. I’m not saying anything that the people that read this blog, but our practice is the ultimate example of the 80/20 rule. The rule basically says that: 80 percent of the problems in the practice (or life for that matter) are caused by 20 percent of the people that walk through the door.

If I could handpick the people that walk through the door and not treat the people that cause the majority of issues it would be a lot less stressful and eventful, but what fun would that be. I have this discussion all the time with the people in my life, we will treat nearly everyone that walks in the door because it is the right thing to do and as a health care provider, you make an oath to help people to the best of your ability.

Part of being an adult is getting up in the morning and showing up, I was taught when I was young that half the battle in life is just showing up. If you show up, the odds of you putting forward some sort of effort is pretty good, so just keep showing up.

By showing up, you are signing up for the grind, life is a grind, I don’t care what anyone else says, there are certain things in you life that you don’t want to do but as a responsible human being you do what needs to be done. Finding enjoyment in this process, is ever elusive but always being sought. I look at the schedule every day and determine, where else would I rather be right now (lots of places, but an adult keeps showing up to work), I get to be my own boss, help people with lots of issues and problems, there are not a lot of people that can say that.

While showing up to work on a daily basis is a grind, I am finding enjoyment is seeing numerous people with different life stories and adventures. Getting to know people on a personal is fun for me and the broad topics that are talked about and discussed in the office is interesting. Not everyone can say that they enjoy their job, I do.

Find enjoyment in what you do, keep doing it and just know that you are not alone in the grind but the small things do make coming to work and helping people well worth it….Just Keep Going.


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30/Jul/2023

The world is a wild place anymore.  Every day we walk into our jobs and try to find some sort of enjoyment out of it. I really do like and enjoy my job and the business but this topic has come up a few times in the past couple of weeks in our house. Your job does not identify who you are as a person.

Outside of the office, I would like to think that I have a family life with my wife and boys and attempt to have a social life by playing a little golf and potentially getting involved in other organizations within my interest level.  The office is a lot of who I am as a person and I get to run it the way I want to run it but as my boys get older, I’m going to make a conscious effort to make sure that it does not deter me from being a part of things that are larger than the office.

One of the main reasons that I went into the profession, is that I knew I would be able to call my own shots.  If I need to be out of the office for one reason or another, I don’t really have to explain myself to anyone.  Most of the time, things are not so urgent around the office that life has to stop and the office needs to own my time.

We don’t wait around for walk-ins at the end of the day or around lunch for that matter.  If we have nothing scheduled I have told myself that my life goes on outside of the office and if nothing is scheduled at the end of the day, I’m going to get out of the office if I can.

I went to school with plenty of people that are no longer in the profession for whatever reason and for that matter it doesn’t matter.  Lots of people go into student loan debt and get degrees and use them for a few years and then figure out that this career is not for them (I would argue that chiropractic is a terrible return on your investment in regards to student loans) but this does not necessarily ring true for everyone.  If you are not happy or at least content with your situation, odds are there is probably a better situation out there.

Just because you went to nursing school does not mean you have to be a nurse, law school does not mean you have to be a lawyer and becoming an engineer is not a lifetime sentence if you don’t want it to be. There are always alternative options in nearly every profession so if you are unhappy with your situation; make something happen and start asking around because odds are you can change your scenario.

I’m adding a few more services to the office in the coming weeks not because I don’t like what I do but because I feel that we can add more value for people that walk through our doors.  Is it an exit plan, I don’t think so but if things go how I hope it does the prospect of more people and more services with the ability to give me more flexibility and freedom is a possibility.

In ending, the fact of the matter is, is that if you are not content with where you are in life or your profession, look around and start asking.  If you went into chiropractic and don’t like adjusting people, there are very profitable avenues to use your degree that don’t involve the traditional chiropractic practice. Just because you spent the money to go to school does not lock you into the profession in the traditional sense.  Lawyers run non-profits, chiropractors can work for insurance companies and medical school graduates can work in finance. It’s possible and realistic that the world changes quickly and you are more than welcome to change with it or stay stuck in the past, the future is up to you.


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