We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Faulkner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Dr. Faulkner thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Sometimes I dream of a regular job. I would love to come in, work a 40 hour week, know what’s expected of me, know what I am going to get paid and have paid vacations. Sometimes I even fantasize about this. The time I almost gave in to this fantasy was during the pandemic. So much was unknown about what to do to keep my employees and patients safe. I felt like all decisions made in that time were hard because I was never sure if they were the right ones. There was a sharp decrease in business because, understandably, most people were scared to leave their houses. Much less come spend time within 6 feet of their chiropractor. My business almost failed multiple times during the pandemic. It was hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. And it was emotionally exhausting trying to constantly predict a very unpredictable situation. I started asking myself what if I closed down? What if I went to work for another chiropractor? I almost caved. But then I took a look around my beautiful office, surrounded by all the amazing patients that stuck with me through this tough time, supported by an amazing office staff who also stuck with me through the pandemic, and I realized something. Even though being a business owner is the hardest thing I have ever done, the happiness and joy I feel watching it succeed will ALWAYS outweigh the hard times. I love seeing the product of my hard work. I love being able to customize the exact experience I want my patients to receive in my clinic. I love the freedom I get when choosing what modalities to use for treatments. I love hand-picking my team. It is exciting to see an idea in your brain come to life and become a successful business
Dr. Faulkner, 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 am a super competitive, dog-lover, fitness enthusiast, foodie that also has passion for movement and the human body. I knew I would work with the human body in some way from the day I started ballet at the age of 8. I loved the way human movement could become an art form. I took all of the anatomy classes I could all the way through high school and undergrad. It was in high school that I decided that I wanted to be a physical therapist or a sports doctor of some kind. When I started shadowing doctors offices to build my resume for college, I had the opportunity to follow a chiropractor for the day. I sat in on a new patient visit and watched a really incredible transformation happen with the patient during his treatment. I knew that chiropractic was the route for me. I was able to find a program that allowed me to get a Doctor of Chiropractic and a Masters of Sports Medicine at the same time. Since graduating, I have become a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Practitioners which is a specialization in sports chiropractic. When I came out of school, I knew I wanted to run my own practice one day. A lot of people assume that chiropractic is only “popping joints” and they do not realize the very wide range of injuries we can treat with a multitude of different modalities. Apex Sports Medicine specializes in working on chronic, long term injuries and pain through the use of soft tissue work, rehabilitative and corrective exercises and chiropractic treatment. We pull from all of these modalities to create very specific, customized treatment plans for each of our patients. And we believe that your entire treatment experience also begins with your very first phone call to the office. So we put a big emphasis on customer service and the environment in our office. We want you to feel seen, cared for and instantly relaxed when you walk into our doors. I am most proud of our individual treatment approach to each of our patients and I also think that is what sets us apart from others in our field.
Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?
I wanted to answer this question because I think most people think it’s very expensive to start a business. And it can be as expensive as you make it. But I also think you can do it for a lot less than you anticipate. I began my practice in one room in a crossfit gym. My rental agreement with the gym was 20% of net sales per month. Relationships are everything in business and the reason I was able to get them to agree to a deal like this was because I had already joined the gym and was a member of their community. I also provided education and treatment to the owners and coaches in exchange for this rate. The room was 64 square feet and all I had was a desk ($50), a portable chiropractic table ($400) and an old laptop that my mother loaned me (free). I used Square Services for online booking and for processing payments which was also free and used my cell phone for office calls. Start with a lot less than you think! Provide incredible service. And build from there.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The two most effective strategies for growing my clientele are: in-person events and word of mouth/referrals. While in-person events are time consuming, I have found that people respond much more favorably when they get to meet you. I think they respond to your passion, your care and knowledge of their issue. I will typically cold call or go in person to a local gym to offer free injury assessments to their clientele. I create relationships with these gyms by attending events, tagging and promoting them, sending in raffle items and I try to set up events with them a few times per year. Once I am at an event, the clients have usually just finished a workout and whatever is ailing them is fresh on their mind. This is an amazing opportunity for you to demonstrate not only what you know, but how you care. Hopefully, this person becomes a patient of your clinic and then you are presented with another opportunity for client growth. Focusing solely on the patients in your office and providing them with the best customer experience possible is one of the ways to encourage referrals. If you treat them well, they will want you to care for their friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: asportsmedicine.com
- Instagram: apex_sports_med