We recently connected with Lindsay Matthews and have shared our conversation below.

Lindsay, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

From a young age I knew I wanted to run my own business, I just wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. Fast forward many years, I am a proud business owner of an amazing acupuncture clinic for 13 years now. One of the top benefits for me is the simplicity of creating my own schedule. This allows me to take days off when needed and to be totally available for my family, which is my top priority in life. I also enjoy being in charge. Since I am the only employee of the business, there’s not a whole lot to manage which makes my job certainly easier. I know what needs to be done or purchased and there’s no one to blame but myself if something goes wrong. I get total creativity on how to run my business and I have been extremely successful thus far. There are moments where things can feel overwhelming and I feel I’m getting pulled in many directions. At these times I feel it would be nice to punch a clock and work for someone else but these are few and far between. I love what I do and I’m generally grateful for my career and business choices.

Lindsay, 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 was your average just out of college young adult who didn’t know what they wanted to do. An acute injury landed me in an acupuncture appointment where my life changed dramatically in one session. While the injury was minor, I had an amazing experience on the table and at the end of the treatment, I told the practitioner that this was what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I knew I had found my calling and started grad school 3 years later. I am now a 16 year senior practitioner in Chinese Medicine. I offer treatments with acupuncture, cupping, infrared heat therapy, lifestyle recommendations and carry a small herbal and supplement dispensary. Top conditions that I see in the clinic are musculoskeletal pain, headaches, digestive complaints, fatigue and insomnia. I am also certified in the SAAT protocol which is an effective treatment for allergies. There are two moments when I feel honored the most. One, when a patient tells me they are all better and no longer need to come in. This means I have done my job and have been of value to the patient. The second is when a patient passes my name along to a friend or family member. This always warms my heart and confirms I am making a difference in this world.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Most of my new patients come from one of three places. The first pertains to having a great online presence. I have an amazing website that gets optimized regularly and updated every couple years. I have graciously received many Google reviews which help boost the creditability of my business and earns a higher appearance on blind searches. The second best source of new clients come from relationships of a curated group of other health and wellness professionals. Having an awareness of other therapies out there and understanding the temperament and abilities of the practitioner helps me better serve my clients. It also helps patients of other practitioners find me. Lastly, many of my new clients are personal referrals from existing patients. When people feel, look and act better, people in their lives take notice and are more willing to try acupuncture after seeing a positive endorsement.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Do not underestimate the importance of quality patient reviews. It can be hard to get them and often I only get 1 out of every 10 whom I ask but just keep asking. I can’t tell you how many times new patients come in and say they chose me based on the reviews they read. Also establishing relationships with other practitioners in town have helped with my creditability, exposure and clientele reach. I have offered to treatment many practitioners for free, at least once, so they have an idea of my personality, how I treat and the effects of acupuncture.
My reputation is also built on how effective my treatments can be! If I don’t create any benefits for a client, they won’t come back. So being kind, being effective and creating a value for a patient is what I strive to do at every treatment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rcwacupuncture.com
• Instagram: rivercitywellness