I think I Might Be Doing This Right
Hello and welcome to my blog!
It has been a year since I saw my first patient as “Dr. Super’s House of Health”. What a wild ride it has been. When I first started my business with $120 I told myself that I would be patient. I would grow at my own pace. I would focus on being there for my patients and think about operating expenses last. Money would come when needed and I would make it to my first year. Now here I am. We started focusing on our expenses week to week, then month to month. Now we are planning out the next year's expenses and goals while daring to dream bigger. Maybe I really am on the right path. Maybe I am doing this business thing right.
I find it conveniently ironic that my first day seeing patients was the anniversary of the first chiropractic adjustment on September 18th in 1895. The “Chiropractic Gods” must have been smiling down on me. I have had a lot of support from my family and friends; without them I would be burnt out and hate my job. I have been blessed to work alongside wonderful employees who took a chance on a small business that started during a pandemic. I am so grateful to all my patients and the trust they put in my care while they have watched me struggle and grow through this last year (can I just say I am so proud and happy to finally have a “big kid” chiropractic table!). I had a blast making my little office space into something that feels like home and I love being my own boss!
As much fun as figuring out how to start a business was, it was also very challenging. It is hard for me not to question every move I make through the lens of “right or wrong”. Especially when making business decisions. That’s what this first year in business has taught me. I am hard on myself. I have high expectations. I over-analyze too much and forget to enjoy small victories. But just like my business, I can grow. Experiencing hardships in life has always accelerated my personal growth and I love who I am learning to be. I hold my boundaries where I didn’t before. My employees make me take time to eat and sit and rest and I am learning to take care of myself better so they stop worrying. I am learning that “mistakes” are just ways of learning how to not do things and each one makes my office better. I have also learned that I cannot serve everyone and not everyone can serve me.
My goal with my business was to make a manifestation of myself. I want everything in my business to be a reflection of my values and I want to “walk the walk” if I’m going to “talk the talk”. I hope that message has been heard and people who value my authenticity and healing art will make their way into my “home away from home”.
Although I admit that I have struggled through this last year, I have succeeded in my goal. Our once raggedy “mall closet” has started to look like a real office. Our patient base has grown, and the future looks bright! Sometimes I wish that everything would fix itself all at once. Our books would be filled out for months, money would no longer be an issue, and I could have all the fancy tools that I wanted for my patients. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work like that. This is a journey that I started with my employees and all of my patients have joined me for. It can be hard and slow moving at times, but we have come so far! I can’t wait to see where we will be in another year!
Feel Well and Do Good,
ADIO
Dr. Super
P.S. For those of you who have asked “ADIO” stands for healing that comes from “Above, Down, Inside and Out”.