We were lucky to catch up with Julie Sharrar recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Julie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
I always knew I wanted to have my own practice from the get go. When I first tried to open my own practice right after I graduated, I was unable to get the funding to get started. I had the location and all the plans set up, but since I could not get the funding and did not have my own funds to get started, I had to work for someone else first. In hindsight, this was definitely a blessing. I was able to gain experience under someone else before I went on my own. This also allowed me to travel for a few years and work under several different practitioners before I opened up shop.
Fast forward 12 years later, I finally bit the bullet and decided it was now or never. I still couldn’t get a business loan so I had to do it on my own using savings and credit cards. Luckily, I was in a good place financially to go ahead and get started. I was also able to work a part-time work-from-home job at the office as I built up my new practice.
The only thing I would have done differently, is started with a much lower overhead than I did. I kind of went all in right at the start and spent more money than I should have in the beginning. Otherwise, I am really happy I got to learn under many different practitioners before going on my own.
My advice to anyone that wants to start their own practice would be to gain some experience working for someone else for at least a couple of years. You will learn a lot about how you want to practice and how you don’t want to practice when working for someone else. Also save as much as you can during that time because it’s very hard to get a business loan if you don’t have any capital. When you do start your own, start small and build from there.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Dr. Julie and I am a chiropractor and acupuncturist. My business, Conscious Wellness, also offers many other holistic services such as massage, reiki, dry needling and an infrared sauna. Later in the year, I will also be certified as a functional medicine practitioner.
What I think sets our office apart from other local chiropractic offices is that we offer many different services at one location. Our practitioners work together to provide the best care possible. We provide one-on-one patient care and look at the possible root causes of the patient’s issue. If the patient is not responding to one modality, then we work together to figure out what will work best for that patient.
Our goal at our office is for the patient to feel empowered to make the best choice for THEIR health and wellness care, and choose which services help them the best.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Really and truly listening to your patients is key. Providing good, quality well-rounded care. Knowing when to change what you’re doing and try something else.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
If I knew back then what I know now, I would definitely choose to become an Acupuncturist and a Functional Medicine Practitioner. As much as I love chiropractic care and believe in its benefits, I would not choose chiropractic again (unless I had the cash to pay for chiropractic school), the amount of debt that chiropractic school puts you in is insane and the return on investment is not worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wellnessohio.net/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/consciouswellnessohio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consciouswellnessohio