I found chiropractic by accident
As a child gymnast, I developed strength, commitment, hard work ethic and some ‘dodgy’ knees. It was because of these ‘dodgy’ knees and a bad fall ( the accident), that I ended up seeing a chiropractor.
As a primary school student I was academically average and my parents were concerned about what they were going to do with me. Deep inside I knew that I was smart, it just wasn’t coming out in school.
Then something magical happened. Around the time that I started getting regular chiropractic, my marks improved at school also. I was Dux of Human Biology in year 11 and 12 and had excellent grades in all other subjects. I had always been interested in how the human body worked and although I was initially keen to be a pilot, some gentle suggestion from my Mother had me enrolled in Melbourne to start Chiropractic, one of only 2 accepted straight out of high school from Western Australia. To do this I had to move from the west coast to the east coach of the country.
On graduating from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in 1993, I moved back to Perth, Western Australia and worked as an Associate for three years with the Chiropractor that had helped me in high school. I learned a great deal from this Chiropractor but I was still unsuccessful in practice.
I then worked as an associate for another chiropractor, on the agreement that he would sell me the satellite practice at the end of the two years. I purchased this clinic in 1999 and have continued to practice there to this day.
In those initial years, I always thought that high volume practices were unethical and that it was impossible to see that many people and still give quality chiropractic care. I had never considered the need for a practice coach. I thought I was doing as well as I ever could and didn’t need help. My practice was growing slowly, and I thought I was as busy as I could ever be, so I got an associate. When I noticed my numbers dropping my accountant suggested I consider practice coaching through Powerful Practices, something I thought I didn’t want or need but decided to start.
This was a turning point in my personal and professional life.
Over the next 6 years I went from working 6 days a week to working 3 and a half days a week. My practice volume increased one third more than I had before coaching ; and I did a better job of it with regular progress and comparative examinations and better more efficient systems. The main thing I liked about the coaching was it was personalised. I kept doing what was working for me and only changed things as I wanted to. It was not a cookie cutter practice system and it was more about building me and my Chiropractic certainty.
Through coaching, my faith, confidence and belief in Chiropractic and myself, and my passion for chiropractic has grown exponentially.
My personal growth and confidence has grown so much that I believe I am a more balanced and well rounded individual, with so much more to offer my family, friends and society.
Freedom and love are my two top values, something I would not have known if I had not been coached, as I had never even thought of putting my values down on paper before. And it is through continuing to be coached that I remain focused on my values to make sure that I live my own life to my maximum potential.
My family are my inspiration. In 1999 I married my wife Kate and we have been blessed with three boys Christian, Mitchell and James. We have been able to travel several times every year and the experiences and adventures that my boys have already achieved in their lives is amazing to me considering their ages and to think that many of the things we do are a first time for me as well.
In the words of Larry Markson ‘ My life is now in perfect balance and I am a master’
This year 2008, after serving 6 years on the State Chiropractors’ Association of Australia, Western Australia Executive I decided to stand down as State President to move into the next stage in the evolution of my life. Coaching and mentoring others expresses my passion of passing on the knowledge and lessons I have learned through being coached myself.
I have been there.
I am sure that many of you are thinking exactly as I used to think. To think that “I don’t want or need a coach”, or that “higher volume practitioners are unethical and give poorer service”. I was wrong.
Just like Jonathon Livingstone Seagull found a new truth high up in the clouds where none of his friends and colleagues had ever been, so can you. If I can do it, you can do it. Come and join us. Its fun up here.
I see life as a “choose your own adventure" book, the choices you make along the way bringing you perfectly to the place you are now. Where you go next is up to you. Make a choice and go with it.
Recently I made the easy decision to join The Centre for Powerful Practices as an Associate Coach and Mentor.
