Life By Design | The Podcast For Chiropractors

"Money is the root of all evil." "Corporate greed." "Be a servant and you will be served." There are too many mantra's and slogans in and outside of chiropractic that vilify money and the earning of it. We have been repeatedly told we must do what is necessary to serve others and save the world. It's our mission, no...our responsibility to ensure every human being gets chiropractic care. This thinking leads you down the path to becoming an underappreciated, under paid servant who never gets the opportunity to fully pursue their own happiness. Not to worry, you've likely been told you'll find it in the happiness of others.  At the core, you'll quickly see your relationship with money is a primary factor driving you down this rocky road.  What we covered: What is money? How does cash "flow" and why is it so important to your practice growth. The number one way to increase your revenues. How to start solving your bad relationship.

Whether you are a student, a new graduate, starting your own practice or you've been in practice for 20 plus years...everything from today's episode applies to you! We asked 10 successful chiropractors what was "the one thing they wish they had known before starting practice?" The replies we received were nothing short of "gold Jerry, gold!" Listen intently to this episode and do not miss one word from: Dr. Laurence Tham Dr. Dan Sullivan Dr. Kreso Jug Dr. John Minardi Dr. David Fletcher Dr. Paul Groulx Dr. Craig Hazel Dr. Mike Gibson Dr. Stephen Franson Dr. Jamie Richards What we covered: The one character trait that will help you persist when the challenge of your business gets overwhelming. The two numbers that matter when it comes to keeping your doors open over the long haul. Why you need to avoid looking like every other chiropractor in your community. How this single action will transform your practice from day one.  

The best doctors have the ability to listen to their patients and communicate in a way that they'll be heard. The same principle applies to the best marketers. Imagine if you could merge the two? One strategy is to properly apply surveys and gain information from your active members and leads that will give you the inside track when it comes to your marketing. Enjoy today's episode! What we covered: The reason you NEED to be asking your market what they want instead of just telling them what they need. How survey's can tell you more about your avatar in a shorter period of time than any other tactic. When to use online vs. paper surveys and why. How to use the engagement created by your to enter a conversation and turn your lead into a client.

One of the most overlooked (or avoided) components of your practice is the feedback cycle. It's a system most successful practices have mastered and one struggling practices are terrified of. On today's show we start with why feedback should be a standard protocol and more importantly how not having this system is a huge missed opportunity. What we covered: What is a feedback cycle? What are the different types? The one major incongruency your missing feedback is causing. How feedback can help overcome this common patient complaint.

How many of your college classmates are still in Chiropractic? Probably a lot less than you think. What happened to them? Why did they leave the profession you love? I am joined by my special guest and long time friend Dr. Laurence Tham to find out the answer to this important question. What we covered: How many chiropractors actually quit chiropractic? The core problem behind this professional exodus. What the colleges, boards, doctors and coaches are all doing to make it worse. 3 solutions to help you if you're considering leaving chiropractic or if you want to avoid ever getting to that point.

Have you ever been in the flow, experiencing the perfect day...until a patient asks you that one question you hate hearing? These questions that haunt you can be the difference between a great day and the worst day. When you nail them, your credibility grows, but when you miss...you take a hit that can be tough to come back from. On today's episode we tackle some of those questions. What we covered: Why is this taking so long? Am I going to have to keep coming here forever? Why does x,y,z still hurt? Man, that didn't take long... My x,y,z hurts today... Do you think you can help my friend with x,y,z? Do I have to come to the workshops? I can only come 2x/week... I don't think you got it... My MD told me not to come see you anymore... I think I might need physio...

When attempting to build your clinical certainty you've likely heard slogans like "Are you getting your greens?", "Listen to your innate" or "Just tell the story." Don't get me wrong, B.J. was a brilliant developer of chiropracTIC but he was also wrong...a lot. That's just a normal part of pursuing knowledge. Simply put, there's better ways to build your clinical muscles and they all begin with an understanding of what your trying accomplish. What we covered: The 7 ways NOT to build your certainty. The 3 Pillars to Certainty. The step by step process to begin understanding what you are trying to accomplish and if it's actually happening.

Everyone knows Life By Design is a "lifestyle" program right? Why in the world would we be telling you this style of practice is a bad thing to consider? In short, LBD isn't a wellness program at all! It's a model of practice that leverages things people care about like exercise, nutrition and personal development to support and highlight the importance of chiropractic.  Done properly, not only is it a fantastic way to practice...but it also builds chiropractic. Done incorrectly, it can absolutely devastate your chances of being successful. What We Covered: What is a Wellness Practice? The 3 biggest mistakes most chiropractors make when integrating lifestyle advice into their practice and how it's keeping you from impact, happiness and profits. How to positioning yourself in a way that will help you to avoid the huge traps lurking within this model. 

Technology can be a practice game changer or it can add to your patients confusion about chiropractic. It can be properly utilized to create objectivity or it can be relegated to another gimmick used by "sleazy" chiropractors. Dr. David Fletcher, Chairman of the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance and chiropractic tech expert, answers the difficult questions you've been thinking about when it comes to using technology in your practice and gives the best practices for applying it to solidify your certainty and enhance patient care. What We Covered What scanning technology actually tells you. How to best interpret what the data says. Why HRV is cutting edge and how chiropractors should be using it. How to modify your next "screening" and attract the right clients.

This marketing mistake is the biggest one of all… and it’s not because it’s something challenging to do.   The mistake chiropractors make most often is not creating a good enough avatar to use for their advertising and marketing.   On this episode we tell you why your avatar is so important and how to leverage them into creating advertising that matters.   What we covered: The one mistake you really can’t afford to make that almost every chiropractor is making. What is an avatar and why you you should care. 3 reasons why you really need to get your avatar right. The 3 biggest mistakes you make when trying to create your avatar and the black hole principle.

Episode #2 in this 3 part series uncovers one of the foundational components to your marketing success...a plan. What we covered: Why a plan is required for successful marketing. The 3 benefits of a customized and integrated marketing blueprint. What considerations you need to make when crafting your plan. A simple template you can put into play in your own practice right now!

There’s little doubt chiropractors are poor marketers. “Poor” is actually far too kind… In the first episode of a 3 part series we unveil the 3rd most common marketing mistake made by chiropractors. What we covered: The principle that is keeping new patients from finding you when they are ready. 3 types of follow up you must have in place to squeeze the most out of your marketing efforts. Why automation is the key to building relationships and trust and ultimately bridging the gap between “I’ve been thinking of seeing a chiropractor…” to “Can I book an appointment on Monday?”

There is enough "vision" to go around the entire chiropractic profession and more! What do you need to have in place in order to ensure that vision becomes a reality?  You will need goals, objectives and the secret sauce...habits. What We Covered: What is a habit? The 2 step process to get rid of the old and in with the new. The 10 Essential Habits every chiropractor must have to maximize their success.

  How many of your meetings turn into a catch up session or worse...an hour of complaining and gossiping? Setting your team's focus and building a well oiled machine happens with purposeful team training.  What We Covered:   The difference between a team meeting and team training. The organizational framework to guide your team development. When to set your agenda aside and put out fires. How to ensure new staff members get up to speed as fast as possible with minimal disruption to your success.

Given the amount of time and energy that goes into the Day 1 and Day 2 procedures, systems and training, you would think they were the most important of all the interactions a doctor would have with a patient. However, when you crunch the numbers and measure the potential opportunity to develop a lifetime practice member...it's actually your day to day visit where the greatest opportunity exists. How much attention do you give this visit in your training? Are you prepared for every single visit you'll have every day? How much return are you leaving on the table when your focus is on getting more "new ones" instead of taking great care of the ones you have already? What We Covered: The one word people love to hear most. How to prep for your day and make it matter for each patient. The "game" great staff plays every single visit to make people feel at home. How you can derail everything with this one mistake.

Imagine having a practice full of patients that just "got it."   You already have some of those people, every chiropractor does.   You know… the patients that seem like they were made for your office.    You have easy meaningful conversations with them, they come in regularly until they move or die and all the while, they say really great things about you and are a terrific referral source.   You think to yourself “If I could only have a practice full of those people!”   Although that might never be possible (we cover why in this episode) you CAN do a much better job at CREATING those types of patients.  The people who truly understand and want what you do are not dropped from a space ship...they are created.  So… the question now becomes… How do you create a lifetime practice member?   What we cover: Why it’s unrealistic to think that every patient will be a lifetime patient.  How to properly ‘separate your’ practice, like every business does... and have the appropriate conversations with the appropriate pe

Do you have a Standard Chiropractic Practice?  Is your approach limiting your enjoyment, community impact and your bottom line? Find out which type of practice you currently have and decide if you'd like it to change or stay the same. What We Covered: The 3 reasons a Retention Based Practice is better. Why the hard sell will come back to bite you. How to replace the stress of confrontation with the joy of agreement.

Wouldn't we all love to have a network of businesses that loved to tell their clients about us? Contrary to what seems to be the norm, you can't simply ask them to choose you, it must be earned.  One of the best ways to develop the kind of relationship that reciprocates is through a Partners Program. On today's show we review the required steps to start building your own program and begin the task of becoming the "go to" office in your community (without asking). What We Covered: Why alliances will work and when they won't. How to begin choosing your partners. What infrastructure will you need to have in place to begin? The best practices for integrating and maintaining your program.  

New clients are the lifeblood of a practice and referrals are the best type of infusion.  They are more pre-qualified, engaged and pre-sold on your services.  In today's episode Dr. Mike Gibson is back to talk about why referrals rule and how you and your can earn them. What we covered: Why referrals are such a valuable source of new clients 4 pillars of referability Our referability rules How much does the referee really matter?

We're joined by another special guest and friend of Life By Design, Dr. John Minardi. John and I discuss the "bone on nerve" model that is prevalent in the Chiropractic profession. What we Cover: Does this model encompass what chiropractors experience in practice? Is it doing the profession harm? Why do we default to this explanation? What model does the science support? How do we successfully communicate it to the public?