A Global Chiropractic Journey Begins

Matt S 0:02

Hi all and welcome to the Alumni Legacy Series Podcast, Adjusting the Mic. I'm your host, Matt Sherson, and today I'm pleased to welcome back one of NZCC's own alumni, Dr Matt Wheatcroft. Dr Matt is an NZCC graduate who traveled the globe in his chiropractic journey. Initially a competitive cyclist in Europe, in 2014, Matt shifted his focus to studying chiropractic in NZCC, during which time he built an amazing intern practice, earning himself both the College's Business Excellence Award and Gold Award for Overall Centre Excellence. After graduation, he began practice in the Netherlands and for nearly three years moved back to New Zealand to serve his dream practice in Rolleston. You have had quite the journey, Matt, in the last six years. Welcome to the podcast.

Matt W 0:45

Thanks, Matt. Pleasure to be here mate.

Matt S 0:47

Glad to have you. Matt, like many of our graduates, after receiving your certificate, you decided it was time to leave New Zealand and go somewhere else. Can you talk us through those early days when you're an associate in the Netherlands and how you learned a lot that sort of set you up for today?

Early Practice Lessons in the Netherlands

Matt W 1:05

100%. I think we always had a, well, I probably have to start it a little earlier, is that my now wife, Julia, we had a plan when we graduated that, hey, we want to spend some time overseas and have a have a overseas experience together, which was amazing from that end, and we played around with ideas where to go, and then the was right place, right job, and yeah, I was so grateful for that. The guys I worked for, George Ellis, Joseph Coletta, were in the infancy of setting up sort of what is becoming a growing chain practices. We were very fortunate to turn up early days. They were they were just working things out and pulled us over, not with them, they would speak to. We had plenty of the challenges, the bumps of them working out legalities in different countries, visas, I could go there for days, but at the end of the day it was exactly I was, we're up for the challenge, we were up for the working things out and just jumping through a few hoops. There was definitely a period of about nine to twelve months where I wasn't moving out of the Netherlands for fear of things, not getting back in, need I say anymore. But otherwise it was really cool from a practice as perspective. They're in an area where at the end of the day in the Netherlands chiropractic's really relatively new, certainly the vitalistic side of chiropractic, which it was calling out for, like anything. It just shows how powerful the message in chiropractic really is because when we went there, there was an unsung sort of territory and people just coming through the door, and that was exactly what I wanted and needed was just the opportunity to expand my skills and serve and I was just really, really passionate about that and I got the chance to do that, and obviously they were an amazing supporting environment for me to land and do that, like our family over there. We had a lot of fun in Europe. We always had our eyes on coming home. But that's kind of what got us into there. But otherwise, just having that ability to play. The thing was is obviously we're practicing in a different, I mean in the Netherlands you go over there and at least you know most people speak great English, but it's to some extent you're practicing in another language. Looking back, what has you we built a thriving, awesome practice and you know, seeing a lot of people looking back it was a lot of brute force, a lot of hard work. I remember the first time I was a year and I saw about 300 people and I remember feeling absolutely wrecked, and I have to say my the last five people I saw that week, I don't know if I was adjusting anything or just manipulating them. Looking back, it was like, oh wow, okay, that's there's easy ways to do things and a lot harder ways to do things and definitely learnt a lot in those early days, and I remember thinking I think it was just so focused initially on growth and service. And I know that my heart was in the right place, but I very I quite quickly I think started to

Early Practice Lessons in the Netherlands

Speaker 1 4:10

feel quite jaded. And I remember the reason for that was that I would be, you know, when someone would come in and say how amazing something had happened in their life, and again, you know, outwardly of course I celebrate their win and not take that away from them, but on inward, you know, I was thinking, okay, next, you know, I've got work to do. And I don't think I celebrated any of the wins. And fortunately is not really sure how it happened, but I started to realise that that wasn't sustainable and had the opportunity to sort of crawl course correct soon enough, and it's something that's taught me a lot, and I'd advise anyone to do is celebrate the wins, um, you know, not take away or I take ownership for those wins, you know, chiropractic and and someone's ability to heal. That's what's winning, but you get to be the conduit to that. It's a privilege to go alongside and it can fill your cup. And I definitely grind a lot less than I used to. So sorry, long answer.

Speaker 2 5:01

No, no, it's great, great answer. I think for a lot of people, celebrating the wins is something we do forget. Obviously, there's bills to pay every month, and there's staff that you have to manage, and then you've got this other job which is actually chiropractic. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's your calling. Um, so yeah, totally. I think getting lost in what you're doing and not celebrating those things, which is a milestone or an amazing thing for that practice member, it it is so major, you have changed their life literally. Um, and having that moment to just connect with them and celebrate and then get back into work again and get back into mode of doing what you need to do, it isn't about taking ownership of what was there, it's celebrating what their body could do, and that which is amazing. So fantastic. Um, were there any moments in that practice space where you thought to yourself, or maybe I've bitten off a bit more than I can chew here when you were going into more of a volume space, or did you feel like it just naturally grew well?

Speaker 1 5:57

I know you got that last sort of five patience, but Yeah, no, I mean the first time doing anything is always going to stretch you. It's like the last mile on a marathon. Um I think where I'm fortunate is my background with my cycling background is that you know you always push harder, there was always another gear, you could always go deeper. Um I know a lot of people say sports people of any kind in our profession will probably find it a bit easier. I just believe that anyone's capable of that if they're exposed if they believe they can. And I think it's about that. Um, but I don't think I ever felt like it was more than I could chew. It was um it was more probably a realization at some point that if I continued that way, then I wouldn't be able to continue to serve people in a nearer future than I would like. I wouldn't have the body, I wouldn't have the mind. Um yeah, so I'm glad I I don't and I can't exactly remember how it happened. Um and I've had many epiphanies along the way since, but I'm still learning.

Speaker 2 6:57

Lost. Totally true. I mean, uh definitely that the headspace is one of the main parts of practice. How do you cultivate like a really positive uh solution-based growth headspace? What is that? What do you do? Do you meditate?

From Grind to Flow

Speaker 1 7:10

Do you do other things? Um, it's been interesting. I feel like this last period for me in practice has been a very, you could say, enlightening period. I have one of my big goals this year was more meditation, was more mindfulness. Um and I think yes, I've used too much brute force in the past and it's gotten us to where we are now, and I'm grateful for that and I know I can do it, but um and I know so many people are like that, they can tap into just muscle, just into I can go deeper, I can go harder. Um but if there's an easy way to move the the boulder, why not do it that way? And so headspace, yeah. I I would say that and I love the idea that you get one percent better every day, it's 38 times better by the end of the year. And I've been on that journey, and I feel like it's been more in recent times that I've started to understand the journey I've been on. Um I have been uh my oh I've got a young daughter, she's nearly two, so for the last period of time she wasn't the best sleeper. So sleep rhythms were a challenge, so we just muscled through and slowly as she started to get on sorted. I've realized that I don't need as much sleep as I used to, so I now I've actively transitioned to waking up a lot earlier, exercising early in the morning, whereas I didn't like doing that. Um I also now have been incorporating a lot more mindfulness, breathful work, I'm using when half breathing. Um I I use a lot more gratitude. Um I I try to start every shift with um and you know, sound esoteric, but trying to bring absolute joy, gratitude into the heart space, um let that expand, share that with the team. Uh always be tapped into a why that's far bigger than myself, and then it's just joyful, and then then and I think in a it's a constant evolution, but I'm feeling like I'm getting closer to is, you know, just being as authentic as you possibly can because I think there's uh it's like if you I don't know, it's like if you were trying to tint your abs up or something like that to look really good, but also to, you know, jump as high as you could or to push to weight as high as you can. You're never gonna be as good as if you were luteen-free, you know, like and I think just trying to get into that relaxed space. You think of any top athlete like a boxer, power doesn't come from brute force, it comes from flow and ease. And oh yeah, I guess we're trying to work into that. So yeah, long answer to your question. Yes, I meditate. Yes, I I do freaking everything. Cold cold plunges, exercises always been my thing. But I used to use exercise as a crush, now it's more to build me up and um but yeah, just just spending enough time in that space of gratitude is massive. It's huge.

Speaker 2 9:52

Discovering that flow, that flow state or that relaxed state. I know I I like to take it always back to technique. Yeah, it's like when you're trying to do a cervical adjustment, if you're tense, if you're tight, if you're in that state, not only is it you that's impacting that thrust, that adjustment, you're also impacting the person that's there with you. It's chiropractic is not a brute force thing, as we know, it's about going with the flow, feeling the changes, and I think the same applies in practice, definitely. Um so, like many of our um our graduates, um, you talked about the sports sign, and we and and it we do attract a lot of sports people into into chiropractic. Was there was there one thing from your sporting life that helped you to to be the chiropractor you are today? Is there something that you took from that?

Chiropractic Changed My Life

Speaker 1 10:37

Yeah, well sporting gave me uh probably I was gonna say sporting gave me chiropractic, chiropractic gave me my sporting career. Uh I and I think that's given me my first why, and then I've upgraded that from there, but I can share that story is essentially when I was I think I was 18, I'd spend about a year continuously injured, just one thing after another, always a leg thing. Um but often what would happen is I'd I'd race, I'd push really hard, I'd get numbness very quickly down the backs of my legs, um, not knowing exactly what was going on. Um I essentially the only thing that would end up firing would be like the vastus medialis in my left leg. Knee would blow out, spend three months rehabbing a knee injury, it's not really a knee problem. Anyway, I was fortunate I was developing teams and I got you know, saw some great people, what I thought were the best, all black sports doctors and things like that. And anyway, everyone did great work rehabbing me, not knocking that at all, but it was always just focused on what the the pain, the symptom, the knee issue was. And anyway, I went away, I was um I just gone through another three months rehab. Um I was back on the bike a few weeks training, not that fit, went away to race nationals and it was like just the goal was to just finish, you know. I wasn't gonna do well, I was wasn't fit. And anyway, I got ten kilometres into the Tantra, and this is Club Champs and uh Fungarae. Anyway, I the numbness came, everything and I just pulled the pin. I went, if I push on, I'll blow my knees out for another three months. So I stopped and I was staying with my dad's uncle, and I remember saying, I I th I think I'm done, I'm 18, I can't ride a bike, like clearly. And he's like, mate, just try my chiropractor. And I was like, I don't even know what that is. But I said at that point in the manner I'll try anything. So I went down. Um it's Greg Miles. Oh, yeah. Um anyway, he checked me, didn't talk to me about my legs, uh, didn't didn't look at my legs. Uh but I'm always open, you know, at the end of the day, he looked at my back. And um anyway, I remember going out after that adjustment. I thought something's something's a bit different in my body. Uh anyway, uh two days later it was the national road race, and I remember I rang him up because uh he'd give me his phone phone number. I said, mate, I rode the bike and I feel different. I'm just checking all this full of state like this. He says, mate, relax, it's all good. It's all good. Anyway, two days later it was the national road race and ended up winning the national road race and I was really unthin and I was like, What what the hell just happened? I'm able to pedal the bike so hard and like I haven't been able to do this. So it gave me the opportunity to chase my career overseas until I ran out of talent. But in between I got to see the benefit for myself. I I immediately started to incorporate chiropractors that was my performance in hunting, growing natural without use for synthetics. Um anyway, it gave me that opportunity. Um, and so that's why I was so grateful for it. But at the same time, because if there's something I'm passionate about, I'm gonna get everyone involved in it. Um my family, my grandparents and things like that, through mum, dad, etc., started seeing Dr. Son Kelly, who I was seeing, um, experienced great benefits. My dad, who'd have been a you know builder for years, had experienced a broken back, you know, um, you know, able to function, you know, far, far better than they were able to prior. And I went, there's so much more in this than just sports. And I'd always thought, hey, I'm gonna be a doctor of some kind. Um I just also resonated with doing it by hand. And I'd I also since child, weirdly enough, never wanted to take a drug and didn't think the human body needed any extra help. That was just something innately in me. And then so this resonated, and then you know, after that it was so yeah, that's uh it gave me my my why, definitely. But then just from a practical sense, you know, I was used to training 20 hours a week in the rain, snow, hail, whatever it was, um, and you know, living in racing harder conditions, and you know, you you it was grindy, it was hard. Um, you know, you you won once or twice a year, and that was a huge win. The rest of the time just sucked. Um, it's a grindy sport, like I love it, but I hated it. And so, like, I mean, I've never had a day in practice that was that hard. So every day, every day's the joy, yeah.

Speaker 2 14:42

Yeah, yeah. That's great. Um, so on returning to NZ, you decided to set up in Ralston in Canterbury Region, just outside of Christchurch. Proactive chiropractic. How did you brainstorm your ideal practice and what was it like to see your dreams become a reality?

Speaker 1 14:56

I I'd always had a vision from leaving college that I'd open my own practice. There's never been something that I wasn't gonna do. Um I of course took things that I learned overseas and didn't didn't like, and then I, you know, took learnings from say Dr. Tom Kelly and um and of course then I I I was always, you know, digging into some of the great mentors in our professions, um, you know, listening to podcasts, I think I probably I always joke I'm I'm always the last to do my C P D, but I've done property C P D every week, every every that we need to for the year. But yeah so like I think the brainstorming was always this process is evolving and but it's evolved since. So I, you know, we didn't open the doors, we're about three years old, and I wouldn't say we are what we were back then, we've been fluid, and not in a way where we tear up the the the book, but where we've evolved to has happened rapidly. I mean, I think I credit Mum for the name. Uh Proactive was uh she came, she's like, Oh cool, whatever conversation we were having, because I was stuck in it's actually a funny story. So I came back from the Netherlands, um, we were stuck in uh isolation, um, MIQ, whatever.

Speaker 16:05

Yeah.

Building Proactive Chiropractic

Speaker 1 16:06

Um, we got out and we had this opportunity. We knew we were going to Christchurch. Julia, my wife, was from Christchurch. She could go down to Christchurch and I could stay in Auckland and see my family and catch up. And so I spent quite a bit of time with Mum and Dan. We had a lot of those conversations as I was, you know, getting the wheels rolling and planning. Um, Julia, you know, had so much to do with more the aesthetic, the the you know, the from the colours through to how it all flows and works and obviously um sort of filled in the gaps that I have. I'm I'm a get shit done sort of person. Um Julia can see the details and um you know we work really well through that period and sort of so sort of maybe well, I mean I'm I'm always in a rush, so she sort of has a different uh take, which has been really balanced to that and and can see it from more of a she's not a chiropractor, she sees life from another end. So I think that's been a a strength for us. But anyway, I would say that where we started three years ago to where we've evolved to now, we've never been so anchored down to the way we do things. Um I just try and check the ego out of it and say, hey, I don't yet know the best way.

unknown 17:13

Right.

Speaker 1 17:13

But we're getting better every day, and that one percent better has led to some phenomenal growth. And I think that you know I've heard this before is that you know what takes you to zero to a hundred, and it doesn't matter if we're talking about numbers or otherwise, but zero to hundred is different than what will take you hundred to three hundred, different three hundred to five hundred and so on, from five hundred to a thousand, you know. And we have had to do that. Is that what worked once? I mean, we'd a funny start if you want me to go there. Yeah, um I um uh when we came when I finally managed to get myself to Christchurch, you know, I was working out where we'd be, trying to find a lease, etc. Um, found the place. It takes longer than you expect. That's a you know a good tip for anyone who's starting a practice is that every process takes every process takes time. Hey, we tell our patients that and it's true, and yet it does, and um just logistics. So it took what I thought would be would get, you know, open the doors in February was more like May. Um, but in December I've been building links around town, um, you know, people to refer to and refer from. Um and these lovely massage therapists I, you know, made friends with, um, said, Hey, look, we've just got some people, can you please see them? They're really struggling, they need your help now. And I and they said, There's this room, it was in their house. So imagine this. You go into their house, turn left, and you've got they've got a couple of their rooms where they they did their work and bedrooms down there, and then if you turn right, you'd have the kitchen in between, you have a living room and across from the living room and other living room. And anyway, they set me up in this room across from the living room in the centre of their house. And they were like, Look, can you just see a few people? And I was like, Yeah, no problem. I'll just pop in a few hours a week and just look after a few people. Um, I'm working on the business on the other side. Anyway, a few people turned into uh full time within two weeks. And by the time we moved in in May, um we were seeing I was seeing nearly 200 people a week in the room in their house. And I was I remember I felt so bad because what I'd do is I'd see them one by one every ten minutes because I'd I was worried, I was like, you know, this is the house, like the neighbors are gonna start. Like and like literally the um the people would come in and they'd sit in the living room and wait and then come into the second living room, and you they'd be watching TV with them at night and yeah, it was crazy. So um and I I just yeah, just I I was trying to restrict it, but it just exploded. And um obviously there was a huge need and it was all word of mouth and it was so basic, and I was in a in a room with my astrolyte and the laptop and just doing what I had to, and it gave me a huge appreciation for CAs. Um I learned every process that I did, and um obviously then we f we moved into our practice and um we we had the ground running and um one of our patients ended up becoming our first CA and her story is really, really cool because she um she'd been in pharmacy, um 20 years in pharmacy, and anyway I was just chatting to her about the fact that I was uh hiring and that I was having an interview that day. Um and anyway I um had a uh she messaged me later and said, Hey, um, would it be weird if I threw my hand in the ring? Anyway, um me with her and just so aligned. She was 20 years of pharmacy and she's like, I'm sick of people getting sicker, I'm peddling them more drugs, this is not what I believe in, and the people were prescribing them are looking sicker and sicker themselves. Um without saying too much more. Anyway, she um has become now an amazing practice manager, phenomenal family, amazing values, and you know, so Shana, she's um been a huge part of the process from the beginning, from day one. And literally I hired her, she would sit on the couch, you know, between patients or with Julia or thinkers, Holly Kay would do some training with her, she's an amazing CA. We'd train with her like for two months before we got in. So by the time we were open, we were a fully fledged packed. Yes, it was hilarious, and then life got easier from there. But I was nearly burnt out by the time I moved in.

Speaker 2 21:03

Didn't bring the TV in in the kitchen. Brought the couch though. No.

Speaker 1 21:08

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:09

Anyway, sorry, long answers. No, no, that's great. That's great. It's not well, it's it's a great way to start. Hitting the ground running, getting in there with that number of patients. It just goes to show you don't need a lot. No, and something I convey to the the students at this place is you don't need all this uh high-level equipment. You've got yourself a table, you've got your hands, you've got a computer, maybe, you had to do it out of a uh a calendar, whatever. Um you just need to tell the story, yeah, deliver a good adjustment, and really care for those people. And it wouldn't matter where you are, in a garage, at someone's house, in their second lounge.

Systems, Investment, and Professionalism

Speaker 1 21:44

Oh, exactly. And people do all sorts of one thing I would love to see though, and I think looking at the our profession as a whole is just that unfortunately, of course, that is possible, but unfortunately as a whole, looking at the the way the public perceives our profession. I would love to see the average of maybe some of the dinky practices elevate a bit, like the 30-year-old post to the you know, the garage or whatever. And yeah, I respect that because I've I've done it and it's like it's just so possible you can you know, people will come because they get great care and it shows that corporate works because you know there was no advertisement. It was absolutely just word of mouth and just providing great care and loving on people, but but like and you know accurately giving them care planes and things like that. But it at the end of the day, like I think what our profession does need is that professionalism because people expect it everywhere now. So things have moved and as I we, you know, sure you might be able to and I think that's the thing is that it's it investing doesn't hurt, build it to and like when we set up, I was like, Oh, I've put five rooms in, that's manual, they'll serve us forever. The other day I just had to spend the wh same amount as we did fitting out the whole practice, just to add one more room in, because I had people working at night. So it's like build for the future. Um, you know, there's a quite a few things that I wish I'd invested in initially. Right. Um, and I agree with you, you don't need all the toys, etc. And um, but you know, s there's things like the next ray machine is like, oh, I won't borrow any money to do that. Those things pay themselves off in a year. There's there's no higher investment. I mean, yeah. Um, you know, so I guess for people who are in this, no, it's like actually do back yourself and actually do do it right. Um there are ways to, you know, bridge that gap and of course uh but it doesn't you don't have to spend squid ends. Yeah, you don't have to, you just have to care. You know, and primary colours that's gone out of the, you know, like just think about nice earthy colours, put a nice plant in, like make it feel great that someone comes into your environment that they feel like they want to come back and they're not afraid to tell their friends about. Totally. But like I I I fully hear you too, is that the true chiropractic part that doesn't quite anything, you know, and that's we're so lucky with that, because what other profession could provide that much value just with their hands in the amount of time we can.

Speaker 2 24:03

Yeah. So from a uh a practice perspective, I suppose you've just taken on your third associate last year, is that right?

Supporting and Developing Associates

Speaker 1 24:12

Uh yeah, so third associate started December last year and they've just had a six-week holiday. Um, started their year, that was their plan, and then they're starting this week really. Um but yeah, and then we'll look at it quite quickly after that add another time just to sort of keep up a little bit behind.

Speaker 2 24:29

Yeah. So what what advice would you give on supporting those associates in your practice to get them to get the most out of their own abilities? Not about just for you, but for themselves. How do they reach their goals too?

Speaker 1 24:42

Yeah, I think this is probably one of my biggest passions is I love seeing patients. But I actually love it more when I see our associates and our team provide just as great, if not better, uh care. They grow. And I'd just love to see it like profession-wide. And I love to see that it's normalized, that practices and associates coming in both have their needs and expectations completely met. And that requires it's actually pretty simple, I think. It just requires systematized training and love and care and support to get there like you would with your patients. So, hey, you know, you don't just make it all shiny in the beginning, happens all the time. Yeah, I'm not trying to point any blame, but it happens. We're both talking shiny here. You know, associate says there this yeah, principal says we're providing this, neither quite mate, and both end up the average in the profession is six months, right? Turnover. It's horrible. I hate that. And I hate the number that five years in people drop out. So I think one thing for me is I knew going into an associate that it would add a lot more work before it became any easier. Yeah. And I committed that, and you know, probably in the future I could make it a little easier on myself. Um, it's not sustainable the way I did it, but you know, you gotta learn. And but, you know, I would spend hours every week with our first associate, Serena, and she was the Gold Award top grade. Yeah. You know, she was totally cream of the cream, and she is a cream of the cream and an amazing chiropractor, and you know, she's two and a bit years into her associateship and seeing 300 people a week. She's doing an amazing job. And but you know, we're always there to support that. And just and also I think you've got to protect their confidence. You've also got to protect your confidence as a as the practice owner or the chiropractor. Um, but you know, it doesn't serve to have anyone's self-worth is tied up in their numbers, their conversion, their attention. Those things matter. We've got to train on that, and of course, like how you provide the care for people, but it's just being systematic and going, okay, so let's be realistic, not emotional about what this number and if you're not recording numbers as well, that that's also a problem. I know some people say I'm not about the numbers, I just love people. That's cool, but you just those numbers are people, yeah. That tells you how to how to do better. You know, if I you know see with an associate that it's like, okay, they're they're like, you know, they just can't get someone to start care, or how the hell are they going to help someone? So it's like, but there's no point beating them up. It's like, and I hear this all the time, they the associate gets blamed for doing XYZ. I'm like, well, they've just started their they're brand new. Like give them and like we run typically we tell an associate they've got a month before we put them hands on with someone to take them through the curriculum. Yeah, typically they get it done. The people we've hired have been rock stars and they've got it done two weeks. I'm like, and I I have this checklist, it's got a checkbox, it's in big in the back room, it's laminated, and we tick in and I sign every time we we sign something off.

unknown 27:33

Right.

Speaker 1 27:34

And now we have other cooperators that can sign off with other co-operators, and at the end, the last thing is put me in, coach. And yeah, I like that, I love that moment, but that's the moment they're ready to see people and we know that they can do a great job and we'll love and be there for them. I think a lot of times people go into associateships and they're not necessarily got a principal or in a senior car next to them on all their shifts. I think like, you know, when you've just graduated, you've got you might have come from the best school in the world, but you know, you're used to having someone that you could call up. Yeah. I haven't seen this before, can you help? Like, I'm worried, I'm whatever, or this someone said this, what do I do? Um, you know, we've trained on every scenario, but haven't trained on that one, you know. It's like so I think um just having that structure, just having the willingness to go, this is hard of uh do the hard easy. And I think that's the same with any scenario in practice, any scenario in life. Do the hard easy, set upfront agreements, expectations, be honest, transparent, you know, and and say, this is what we expect, this is what we need from you, and vice versa, you can expect this from us. Is there more that you need and you know we're always here for you? Um and I won't beat you up when something goes wrong. It's like I'll protect you, I'll support you, the buck stops with me. Yeah, you know, that sort of thing. They know that that they'll get that from us, so then they're free to grow rather than they're already a little nervous, you know. You're stepping into this and it's like let's not add to it, let's make it easier, and then well we'll then from there it's like, oh of course they can flourish just and I think as well as like just I mean, we're stepping into different zones where you know I do need to probably have slightly more time away from my own practice to give more to them as we get a bit bigger. I realize that there's only so much you can serve yourself. So whereas you know, if you train your associates and like you're an example of that, is you've probably realized that it doesn't matter how many associates you train, like yourself, you might be able to say a thousand people that well you do shit, that's not enough. Yep. You might be able to say and train a bunch of associates and still and it's still not enough. So then you go high level, train a whole bunch of chiropractors, and you're still like, oh shit, it's still not enough, but it's still it's levels, right? And yeah, but I think that's what I see. So it's like now, but I've always been alongside and I always will be, but it's now realizing that it's I need to shore up more time because I'm putting my time into them, you know, I might be able to see fifty, sixty more people, but in that time I could put that love into those associates and those associates they can do more. You know, they can you know, so I guess that's been our philosophy.

The Core Skills for Long‑Term Success

Speaker 2 29:58

It's exponential. Your grow your growth uh is now in developing the brand, the business, and then the people that work there. Exactly. It makes perfect sense. The thing that you touched on is that onboarding process. And I know a lot of Kairos have practice manuals that they work through. Um, they have systems, but it's then applying that to those new grads or those new associates that they have. Um how did you start that process of building that? Did you use something that was pre-made or did you have some ideas that you liked from other practices?

Speaker 1 30:32

So the first time we did it was Albert Force, a lot of just we'd written our own manuals um and just a lot of time and effort and just making sure that we covered everything. Um now um I I work and coach with Dr. Malcolm Rub Rudd TRP, The Remarkable Practice. Um I've utilized we still have our own flavour on everything, that's who we are, but um uh but we've utilized more some of their structure, a lot of their structure in that onboarding process. So it's refined, it's been more optimized, more systematised, more professionalised. But you're right, as I know most people probably have their manuals and things, but it's like here it is. Um we'll lap through it once and we're all busy, and I get it, because you know, if you're busy in practice and you bring someone on, you're like, I don't actually have that much more time. I've got a family as well, and all that sort of thing. So I think it's systematizing that sort of thing, but also being like, hey, new grads coming on, or I mean it's the same with even an experienced card. Experienced card didn't come with more baggage, so you know, sometimes that's harder. Um but anyway, I think it's that um yes, it is having a structure for us. We took a bit of a um welded together one, a lot of work, and then just trying to, and it's always a process to try and make it more efficient. Yeah. It's like with your patients, you want to provide the exact same or even better quality of care as efficiently as you possibly can, you win-win-win. Um, same with your associates. You know, there's no point spending more time for both of your sakes than you need to if you can achieve it faster, you know. Totally.

Speaker 2 32:01

So if you were trying to think about success in practice, if you were had to just still it down to maybe two or three skills that you think every chiropractor should exhibit, can you do that? I know it's a tough question. Um is there three things that you think all chiropractors should do and that will help them to reach their their goals?

Speaker 1 32:19

Yeah, you've got to start with yourself. Um you've got to derive yourself worth who you are, not from some mythical thing that someone tells you is success. Um, whether that's a number or a certain number of people you see. I mean, you gotta you can take pride in that and obviously strive, and of course, but I think um you've got to find your worth in yourself and not have that pre you know a neediness. But it's a constant evolution, you're always working on self, getting stronger in yourself, who do you sharp is. We've all walked into the presence of someone who just was so certain in themselves, they had that you know, they have no need for you. The the but they will give you their love if you want it, you know, like and I think that comes from continuous self-worth work, sorry, to get that self, build that self-worth. Um, you know, and it is an evolving thing. And I think that would be number one, and it then anything else can follow. Um like if you got that, then but I mean of course uh you've got to have phenomenal technique. Like, I mean you've got to be able to provide the goods. I don't care how good your scripts are, your manners are, if you can't provide great carburetor care, then you well you don't have any business putting hands on someone, let alone the fact that you're just not gonna have people wanting to come back. Um they're not gonna get the results. Um and then of course communication. And so if you can break it down into how well you can, you know, obviously, because that's the thing, best technique in the world. If no one wants to get on your table, then that's no good as well. So those three things, you know, work on yourself with your own, you know, there's so many ways to do that, and we could probably spend the next three hours just talking about that, but we won't. But um work on that, find your ways. Yeah, there's there's they're so powerful.

When Chiropractors Lose Their Way

Speaker 2 33:58

Awesome. Um I mean, one of the sad parts that I hear, and I we were talking about this just prior to the podcast, is when you see hear former graduates decide that they're gonna leave the profession. Um what would you say to a chiropractor that's perhaps out there who's going, I'm not doing the best I could, I have expectations and I'm not meeting those expectations. How would you convince them that maybe there's another alternative to stay in practice?

Speaker 1 34:24

I think the first thing I would say would be come hang out. Yeah. Just come see what it's like when you're having fun. Um there's another way I I've had people observe recently, um, you know, someone who had had literally that scenario and um, you know, their impression was, oh, this is joyful. This is fun, I can do this. You know, I've you've seen this morning what I might have seen in a week, and that was so hard, and this seemed joyful, and the patient is so happy they're doing so well. Um so I'd say first of all is like the door's always open, and I'm sure so many people like yourself, I know you don't practice so much, yeah, but would just say the same. Um but first of all is I'm glad that I would hope that someone would reach out and ask that. And I think the first barrier is a lot of people struggle and they have to put up a wall because they see other people or they see the perception of other people doing well and go, oh, that's not me, or um, I need to just tell people that I'm doing okay, and then oh geez, I'm gonna find they burn out and they're in another profession. Yeah. Because I mean it happens for multiple reasons, I think, is someone ends up in what scenario talking about, you know, they're not getting their, you know, they're not getting the support they need or whatever it is, or they're um they find themselves doing okay, but they're only really meeting their own needs. And I think that's the thing, and I know that's a layer on, and for someone who's sitting there being like, geez, I'm thinking about becoming a real estate agent, yeah. Um, this might be a step further, but that self-worth I think really comes from realizing that you've got to have a bigger why than just yourself. Like, and I was talking to Kate Rudd about this today, about you know, chiropractic will give you this amazing, phenomenal life and lifestyle, but that can't be your why.

Speaker 2 36:01

Yeah.

Speaker 1 36:02

Then I think Pat um Syntropy, I forget his last name, I should, but he he put it this way is that essentially the uh the material stuff is the sawdust. Yeah. You know, the the the beautiful work that you do, that's your service. And I think that's all that stuff would come, and unfortunately a lot of people are s uh possibly in that position of feeling like they're grinding or whatever, and it's like and not their fault, but they haven't found that why that's bigger than themselves and they haven't been dipped into that. And I mean the way you do that is obviously if you've got a great chiropractic story, if you've leaned into um going you know, there's amazing podcasts out there that are free. There's um, you know, coming and hanging out with someone like me that would give you their time, hanging out with um, you know, it just constantly dipping back in. If you're isolated, it's it can be lonely. I've I've had plenty of times where I've seen hundreds of people that, you know, and felt lonely. And it's like because you're not they're not at your level, you're serving them, you know. So there of course there's so many reasons why someone might be struggling, but you know, there is another side where you actually get to that true enjoyment and joy and practice, and it is an absolute privilege. Um so I think yeah, that would be what I'd say, hey, come hang out, be get deeper in, you haven't gone past the surface. Um, and then you know, there's so many scopes. And I think unfortunately, is that I wish people would reach out a bit sooner. It's like, hey, um the problem you're having is probably really solvable early. Um I know that's true in so many areas, and you know, actually just their honesty, their openness, people often as well will see someone who's maybe succeeding or perceived to be succeeding, and then feel like maybe I can I would feel uh I feel less than or something like that. Or they're so they're telling themselves a story that maybe it's oh I just can't, or maybe whatever. Or then they tell themselves the officers like, oh, anyone who's doing well is just a crook and yeah, blah blah blah, and it's all these stories that we tell ourselves, but in reality is just because someone else is doing it, it's not uh it's not restricted. That's the one. But like, you know, at the at the end of the day, being able to reach out for that, um, I think and realise that if someone is achieving something and having a lot of joy, it's like that's quite possible for you too. And I think that um so many people just need the right environment to be given that start to light them back up again and I just you know.

Speaker 2 38:26

It's all about I so I suppose from my perspective, it's all about them being able to see what is possible and if you can see success. I mean, uh Bruce Lipton has a great quote uh a cell can't be in defense and growth at the same time. Um and so if you're a pr a practicing chiropractor who is worried about the bills, worried about things, you're in defense the whole time. It's really hard for you to then build a practice from that to grow from that. So stop what you're doing, yeah, get outside of yourself, go to a practice perhaps like yours, go to another practice, go to a mate's practice, go and see what is what is out there and see what they're doing. Maybe they're doing something different and try something different. Um because I know this profession has been very good to both of us. I think the key thing for most of us is to think, okay, we've got some people that need that stepping stone, they need that help. And giving back as a chiropractor can be as simple as you got another practice in your community, yeah, invite them in. 100%. Yeah, because there's more than enough people for everybody in 100% in chiropractic.

Speaker 1 39:27

I'd I I I get that so tenfold whenever I hear of anyone trying, you know, feeling competitive within our profession. I'm like, there's there's an ocean full of people who are drowning. Yeah and we can literally I can't do it all, you can't do it all. Um the only way we can do it is together and you know the tide raises all ships. So just hang out, you know, like there's I'd hope that there's many open doors out there that would just say, Hey, please come and let me come to our trainings, come to fly down and have a spend, hang out for a shift, hang out with my team, they'll like, yeah, you know, is that sort of thing. It's definitely that's awesome.

Coaching, Mentorship, and Finding Alignment

Speaker 2 40:01

Um I know you understand personal development is super important, and we've talked about that. Um if a new grad is looking to get into a coach, say getting a coach to approach, what would you suggest is a really good way that they could investigate those opportunities? I know you mentioned TRP, but it could be any coach.

Speaker 1 40:20

Of course. It's got to be and 100% it's got to be the person that sits well for you because and I think we we should really highlight is successful is success is defined different for everyone. And so someone's gotta be aligned with that because the last thing you want is to try and follow someone's out someone else's success plan. Um I think you know that finding the right coach is someone who, you know, is the person who can listen to you and and find out exactly what you need and can show you the the pathway first. Uh, you know, show you the the the right next step. Um there's also so much free res resource out there. Like I mean, we were talking about some podcasts and and I'd miss a whole bunch, but it may as well name drop a few because at the end of the day it's like, well, you know, the these are people I've listened to and got great value out of, like Martin Harvey. Um obviously TRP has they've got a couple of podcasts. There's a C O CEO one, which I got massive value out of before I became a coaching client. Um I learned a lot from that. There's you know, Brad Gularkey's got a several. Um I know like Chiropractor is a big one now. I would have challenged any chiropractor who's struggling with their certainty and clarity to what listen to two of their episodes and not want to you know just have the whole town lie down and get adjusted. Um you know, Angus Pike or Australia, there's there's some great ones out there on missing heaps, but it's just that's free. Um, you know, obviously when you graduate you may not have a lot of funds and that sort of thing. But you know, at the end of the day is you know, finding a mentor um that doesn't have to mean that you've got a paid coach.

Speaker 2 41:49

Yeah.

Speaker 1 41:50

Um I do believe that have over time initially when I graduated and loved to use brute force to do everything and wanted to work it all out myself and wish I could shoulder tap my old self. But um, you know, like sometimes you've got to work things out yourself, but actually there's there's no point reinventing a wheel. So there's so many great systems. I just say whatever you do, make sure that when you go through that system, you're like that's an integrity with me, and I sit well with that. Um it's well researched, etc. Um, and then that it is a you know uh you've got alignment. I think that's the thing. If you feel like you've got alignment and you want to invest, but just do one thing to a right. All systems, you know, there's variations of the same thing, right? And there's we're talking before the podcast, keep it simple. At the end of the day, you know, the horses not zebras, there's a right way to do things. We've all got a variation, we've got all got to be personal and like having all be authentic. Um but at the end of the day, um one thing I do hear is it's a little aside, is often where a new grade will say, Oh, I don't I don't do that, I don't believe in that. And you go, Well, what's your experience for that? Like, how do you have you arrived at that conclusion? Like care plans, for example. I don't believe in it. Have you ever put someone on a care plan? Have you ever seen the outcomes of someone on a care plan? For example, like that. So I'd just say just to be very open and and just realize you don't know what you don't know. And um, you know, if you've come from a school lady again, ZCC, then obviously you're at least staying with all that congruence of philosophy, philosophical scientific backing. Um but if you've come from another school where you don't have those things, then you might need to fill those barrels up before you even get started on any of the other stuff. Like good luck being, you know, enjoying practice if you're missing links between science and philosophy, you know, you or having any certainty, you know. That's so yeah, stretch strategic. But find finding a mentor, um, I I like to look at it like and this is true of someone who's a new graduate or um further on in practice is a series of levers. And if you had ten levers in front of yourself and one of them could create a hundred percent change, one of them had the other ends of one percent change, start with a hundred percent. Yeah, start with The big rocks. It's like, oh man, my technique sucks. All right, you gotta sort your technique out. Yeah. You know, like, all right, no, my technique's really good, but I can't talk to anyone. So I sort your communication out, or you know, and it's those top three. It's like, what is your self-worth? Where are you at mentally? Um, you know, that that needs to be worked on. Maybe you need help with that, or maybe you're actually rock solid over there, and or you just need to do a bit more, and or it's like on the adjusting side of things, or it's communication. Those are the three things. So just break down that way. Perfect.

One Thing to Change Your Monday

Speaker 2 44:26

Perfect. All right, or we're gonna bring the podcast to the close. Mate, this has been an excellent chat. I've been loving it. Um I would say for our listeners out there, if you were gonna give them one thing to do on Monday morning in practice that could change their day or change how they approached the way that they practice, what would it be? Um tough one to finish.

Speaker 1 44:50

We're gonna give you the hard one right before you finish up. I'm gonna be slightly esoteric and blended with science. Yeah, okay. I believe, and this is something that I've been slowly coming to, is that we've been discovering, and you're probably more up with the science than I am, that chiropractic is predominantly afferent, not efferent, right? So as an information coming to the brain, not so much away from it, less the pressure on the nerve. I believe that the chiropractor, the state we should be in, is 90% afferent. So if we're with a patient on tableside for a regular adjustment and intake, the only time I'd say that's slightly not accurate is maybe for a report findings. But I'd say if you could go in on Monday, 90% afferent. By that I mean purely open, um purely listening, listening with your hands. I think a lot of the time when we palpate someone we're trying to find, we're searching. That's an efference skill. Affair and skill is what is the body telling me. So what's coming back to me? An afferent skill is walking in the room and realizing what's what's happening with this person? They're they're not themselves today. And and being open with that. I think you know, I I will walk into a room and I'm not a person who's gonna say, Hey Jimmy, how are you? I'm gonna Hey Jimmy, great to see you. But at the same time, you're you're very open and you're still looking at them and you can tell when Jimmy there's something wrong with Jimmy today. And you know, when you can be 90% affair and people will go, wow, how did how did how'd Doc no? Like how did they and and it's a joyful place to be because you're not trying and your communication will then come from a place of what do they need? It's like what what do they need right now? It's like no, I don't have an agenda, I don't have something I'm forcing on you. I just want to help you. And I think if you just play practice from that position, you could forget anything else you'd be successful in practice. So there we go. Hopefully that helps. Perfect. Not esoteric at all.

Speaker 2 46:37

Not esoteric at all. Thanks so much for joining us today, Matt. This was excellent. Um, if um anyone wanted to reach out and see you, obviously we'll have some details about this at the end of the pod. Thank you very much, Matt. Thanks.

Speaker 46:52

You've been listening to Adjusting the Mic, the homegrown podcast from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, where we chat with the greats in chiropractic, swap stories, share tools, and spark ideas to help you grow your impact. We're keen to hear your ideas and feedback, and there are plenty of ways to get involved. From mentoring to sharing resources and connecting with others who love the things that you love. To find out more, head to access.chiropractic.ac.nz. That's Access A X I S to join the Access by NZCC community, connection that grows us all. Tune in next time for more great conversations on adjusting the mic.