We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dennitra Weeden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dennitra below.
Alright, Dennitra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest risk I have ever taken is starting my own practice. When I was a student studying to be a chiropractor, I knew I wanted to own my own practice one day. When I graduated, I realized I knew nothing about running a practice. I’d learned all of the clinical aspects of practice but nothing about the business side of things. Before branching out on my own, I knew I needed to learn more and get “real world” experience. So, I began working as an independent contractor. This did not work out for me, because I was alone in that practice location, and I did not have any real mentorship or seasoned doctor to learn from in that office. I then began working at another well-established practice also as an independent contractor with a small salary. I spent 3 1/2 years in this practice learning as much as I could. I gained a wealth of knowledge from the 2 doctors that I worked for. I was able to learn how to become a better doctor and about the business of the chiropractic profession. I’m very grateful to have had that experience.
At about the 2-year mark of working in that practice, I got the itch to spread my wings and start my own practice. I’ll be honest, I got a little discouraged when I discussed it with one of the doctors at the office. He told me how much overhead was and all that he had to pay to keep the business running. I had never made that much money in one month ever! So, I put the idea to the side for a while and did not discuss it again. I worked there a while longer. After 3 ½ years I built up enough nerve, and I decided to make my exit.
Starting a practice for anyone is risky, but my situation was different. I was a 32-year-old single mom of 3 small children. I had no money saved, and I was in no position to obtain a business loan. All I had was my tax refund check and a dream, but I made the decision to step out on faith anyway. I knew that money wasn’t going to go very far. So, I went on a massive search to find any and everything I could (second-hand) for my office. This included the x-ray machine all the way down to the clipboards. This was so risky because I knew I would not have any set paycheck to rely on, and I had 3 kids that were depending on me for everything. I understood I would be embarking on a long, hard road. I had to put all of my trust in God for this move. I had nothing else. Nevertheless, in July 2010, Absolute Spine and Health was born.
After opening the doors, it became apparent very quickly that there were still so many things I had yet to learn. From building and establishing business relationships, learning and always refreshing marketing strategies, learning how to communicate with insurance companies, collecting payments, and learning how to be an effective employer were some of the many hurdles I had to overcome, just to name a few. After my long days at the practice, I always said, I then had to go back to my 1st job, which was being a mom. The football games, cheerleading, gymnastics, track meets, school events, and homework did not stop just because I may have had a hard day at work, and I was not willing to let my kids miss out or not experience what they loved to do. I just had to, (again) trust God and figure it out.
As the years progressed, life in practice became smoother but never easy. Running a practice or any business involves commitment, consistency, drive, perseverance, and a ton of faith. In this year, 2024, I am grateful to say that Absolute Spine and Health will celebrate our 14th anniversary.
Dennitra, 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 began my chiropractic journey when a minority recruiter from Life University in Marietta, GA came to my undergraduate school, Alabama A&M University. At the time, I was unsure about what career path I wanted to pursue after graduation. So, I decided along with a few friends to visit the school. Not fully understanding what chiropractic was, I made the decision to relocate and begin my studies at Life University anyway.
While I was a student, I gave birth to 2 of my 3 children. My second child became sick when she was a baby. I took her to her pediatrician, and she was diagnosed with an ear infection. She was prescribed an antibiotic, Amoxicillin. By this time, I had been in chiropractic school for over 3 years, and I was becoming more knowledgeable. I’d learned that ear infections could occur as a result of nerve interference stemming from the neck. I decided that I did not want to give her the medication but instead I wanted to give her a spinal adjustment for babies. She immediately got better. I took her back in 3 weeks for her follow up appointment with her pediatrician. The doctor bragged to an intern on how great her ear looked. Little did she know, I never gave her a drop of the medicine. This solidified my belief in the chiropractic profession. She is 19 years old and has never had an ear infection again.
My practice, Absolute Spine and Health, is a wellness hub for people of all ages .We treat newborn patients, seniors, and any age in between. While chiropractic is often associated with treatment for injuries related to car accidents, back pain, neck pain, and headaches, our scope is so much broader. I’m often asked who should get chiropractic care. My answer is always: “If you have a spine, you should be getting chiropractic care.” I truly mean that. Most people are unaware that your spine is the house for every function in your body. It is also the one part of the body that is used for everything and takes the most day-to-day abuse. We commonly see patients that are suffering from the unconventional “chiropractic issues” such as constipation, acid reflux, menstrual cycle issues, pregnancy, and so much more.
Athletes flock to our practice. The chiropractic treatment we provide not only helps with injuries and reduces recovery times, but it also helps with flexibility and agility. In addition to adjustments, many of our athletes respond well to our Class IV laser therapy treatments for their soft tissue injuries. The laser reduces inflammation, improves blood flow, increases circulation, and helps to heal damaged tissue.
We offer non-surgical spinal decompression. This is a highly effective treatment that relieves pressure off of a compressed disc and/ or nerve root. Patients with sciatica, disc herniations, cervical radiculopathy, degenerative discs, and all of the symptoms related to these types of conditions recover extremely well with this treatment.
Our focus is not on treating specific conditions or symptoms, rather, we focus on correcting the spine or the underlying issue. This gives the body back its ability to heal itself. We pride ourselves in giving our patients their lives back. We understand that many of our patients have had long journeys of life altering health conditions. We first educate them on their condition, and then we derive a specific care plan specific to their needs. We also make them accountable for their own health. We provide them with necessary instructions for home. No patient is the same and we never treat them as such. From the time our patients walk through the doors or Absolute Spine and Health, they know that they matter, and that we care.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I believe I have built my reputation by simply being genuine and showing true concern for my patients. I often hear that I am the first doctor that has ever listened to them. Many patients get tossed around from doctor to doctor and have gotten no results. They are often told there is nothing that can be done or the issue they are concerned about is never truly addressed. I take the time to get to know them and what their lives consist of. I build a rapport with my patients where they know that I not only care about their spinal health, but I truly care about their entire wellbeing.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for building my clientele is establishing trust with my patients. People want to know the service they are receiving and spending their hard-earned money on is effective, but they also want to know the doctor cares. When they are getting results and feel that they are not just a number, they are willing to refer the people they care about. Second to building trust, I believe educating my patients has been highly effective. We take the time to educate our patients on their condition, how the body works, and why it is not functioning like it should. When they understand the premise of chiropractic, again they refer others.
Contact Info:
- Website: absolutespineandhealth.com
- Instagram: @absolutespine
- Facebook: Absolute Spine and Health