We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Blake Estape a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Blake, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) program in China is very different from the United States. The program is two years longer on average, and students spend the last year interning at local hospitals. These are very active, integrated medicine hospitals. It was an incredible experience for me in a number of ways. First, it felt great to put on the white coat and shadow doctors. It was an opportunity to see my medicine in action with serious, real-world cases like cancer and stroke. But what proved to be most formative was the integrated nature of the program.

In the US, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are often characterized as pseudo-scientific at best and hippy-dippy at worst. Despite the wealth of studies and evidence to the contrary, this system of medicine struggles to break free of these negative perceptions. Conversely, in China the efficacy of TCM is an accepted reality. Their for-profit and government institutions rely on TCM to improve patient outcomes because it’s been proven to do so over generations. Interning in that environment, I got to see the extent of what TCM could achieve when used in conjunction with conventional medicine. I worked alongside practical, science-minded, results-oriented people who operated with a spirit of cooperation.

I endeavor to bring the same approach to my treatments. Complimentary and alternative medicine doesn’t have to be contentious. TCM has its strengths and weaknesses just the same as conventional medicine,. Patients do better when their care team can manage these deficiencies.

Blake, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Miami born and raised, but lived for ten years in China to learn their medicine system. My interest in TCM began when I was a teenager. Chronic headaches, neck and shoulder pain were a daily reality for me. I tried many things but results were limited, until a friend of the family convinced me to give acupuncture a try. Like most people, I was skeptical but desperate. It was life changing.

The combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine and lifestyle adjustments helped me tremendously. I was able to identify anxiety as the root cause of my issues. The acupuncture and training in Tai Chi loosened my muscles and increased my confidence. It was so effective that at the age of 20 I moved to China to learn more.

I returned to the US in 2015 with a view of healthcare that was integrated, holistic, and soft-touch. The disconnect between patient and caregiver is one of the biggest complaints I hear. I was drawn to TCM because it creates the opportunity for people to naturally help themselves, with the guidance of a healthcare professional. Healing is a team effort.

I’m thrilled every day to help patients regain confidence in themselves, overcome challenges in their lives, and prioritize wellness.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Resets have been a theme in my life. When I moved to China at 20, it was a reset. I wasn’t happy with the person I was and chose something drastic, a new environment to redefine myself. Then, ten years later at 30 years old, I returned home to restart life with a new career and a wife.

I had to rediscover what living in Miami meant. It wasn’t at all what I remembered, a lot had changed since I was away. It was no longer affordable, so my new wife and I had to move in with my parents. I got a job as a receptionist and worked part time as a translator while I earned my acupuncture license in the states. Once I did, I found a community acupuncture clinic – only for it to close once Covid came through.

When the clinic closed I had to make a decision, either I would find somewhere else to work, or I’d take the plunge and risk starting my own business. So in late 2020, I opened Miami Acupuncture and Herbal Solutions. I started with ten patients a week or less, in a single room office. I’m proud to say that now I’m seeing 40 patients a week and my office space has tripled in size to accommodate.

I know I’ll have to pivot again, change is the nature of the world. But I’m confident that I’ll find my way through, because I’ve had to do it many times before in pretty dramatic fashion.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I grew up in an serendipitous household. My father is a psychotherapist, and my mother is a seeker. By seeker I mean that she is an avid pursuer of truth. She’s read more books than I can count on all manner of topics, especially the esoteric. By contrast my father is very well educated in science and logic. The two together really informed how I look at the world, which is why the practical but complex theories of TCM called to me.

What set me on my path to trying acupuncture was finding a copy of the Dao De Jing in the family library. I’m sure my mother had bought it at some point but she didn’t remember, the book just appeared in my orbit so I picked it up and started to read. I immediately resonated with a lot of its messages. It’s message of simplicity, humility, compassion and following the natural path was what I needed to hear.

The Dao De Jing was written as a handbook for rulers, but I think it’s lessons are just as applicable to leading an organization. Tenants like “a sudden thunderstorm doesn’t last all day” teach patience and warn against reactivity. “A good ruler acts, and the people say we have done it ourselves” teaches humility and acting with a soft touch. I find these lessons helpful as I navigate treating my patients and running a growing clinic.

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