Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Muich. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachel, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I graduated from my Masters program in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2020. The stress of completing school during the pandemic was immense, but nothing could have prepared me for the stress of then trying to find a job and/or start a business during the heights of COVID-19.

There were so many unknowns! Were acupuncturists allowed to see people in person? What was the mask mandate? When would I be able to get the vaccine and how would that affect my ability to see patients in person? Should at-risk patients continue to quarantine despite the fact that they needed treatment? What were all of the safety and control practices I needed to have in place in order to even open a business or apply for a job? The list was endless it felt like. The crippling weight of student loan debt, paying basic bills like rent and utilities, and the uncertainty of being a good practitioner after graduation really took a toll on my mental health. As it did for so many, and then some.

Luckily, by the time I decided to look for a job and open a business, acupuncturists were able to see patients in person. This was a huge relief. I began searching for a job first. I decided joining a thriving practice would give me insight into how to run a business and allow me to get my hands on as many patients as I needed to hone my craft and get results. I felt incredibly lucky to get hired at the first place I applied. My threshold for learning skyrocketed as I was thrown into not only treating patients, but learning an EHR (electronic health records) system, dealing with scheduling, taking inventory, cleaning and stocking a clinic, and getting mentoring on difficult cases. It was truly remarkable how much I learned even within the first few months.

While I was working as a contract acupuncturist, I made the decision to open my own business, Firewood Acupuncture. I had a large front room in my home that I quickly converted into a clinic space and opened my books. Starting a business is a test in patience and fortitude. There are so many “i”s that need to be dotted and “t”s that need to be crossed. Did you file with the Secretary of State? What about malpractice insurance? Do you have enough funds to stock the clinic with all the necessary supplies? Is my license current? Does online booking work? How are potential patients going to find you? Did you set up your Google My Business profile? Should I pay for SEO? Again, the list is endless!

In my first few months of business-ownership I think I was seeing 2-3 patients a week. My very first client was my 82 year old next door neighbor who had been anxiously awaiting me to pass my Boards and get licensed! I felt so accomplished! What I quickly learned though was that it was HARD to find new clients and it was even harder post-pandemic. This is where the patience had to kick in. While I was happy to have contract work in another clinic, I wanted to build my practice quicker.

When you start your own business, you hear people say things like, “You likely won’t turn a profit for at least 3-5 years,” or, “it took me a couple years to be able to sustain my life by the money I was making just from my business.” These types of statements make complete sense. When you’re new to business and in those 3-5 years, however, you don’t realize the emotional toll it will take. All of the thoughts and questions surrounding imposter syndrome start swirling. Will I ever get busy? Am I doing everything right? Are my clients seeing a difference in the quality of their life? Am I using the right point prescriptions, the right herbs? Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Maybe I’m not good enough.

These thoughts and questions were tough to handle. They came in waves and could feel suffocating. Luckily, I was surrounded by other acupuncturists – those who graduated with me, those I worked with, those I had met in the community, and those who had been my acupuncturists in the past. Stay the course, was the advice I was given most often. Things like this don’t happen overnight.

I’m so happy I did. Despite the frustration and fear I am so proud to say that my business is 2 1/2 years old, growing, and thriving. I am in the process of moving into my very own storefront in Central Denver and I absolutely cannot wait to see how my practice will continue to grow. That threshold for learning continues to grow and I hope it never stops. It’s comforting knowing that I will never master this medicine. There is always something new to learn, a complicated case that will take some time to crack, a business decision that will go awry. This medicine is never boring and I’m so grateful that it found me when it did.

Rachel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I grew up in the midwest. St. Louis to be exact. I had the quintessential childhood complete with pool parties, ice cream all summer long, soccer games in polyester jerseys in 90 degree heat, and family road trips. I was lucky enough to be a loved kid with a very supportive family. After a decade of living my first life as a contract wedding photographer in Chicago, I opened my own photography business and moved to Denver. It was there I found acupuncture and Chinese Medicine completely accidentally.

I honestly couldn’t believe how quickly I fell in love with this medicine.

So, after a hard left turn out of owning my first small business, I decided to go back to graduate school. What a scary transition. Starting completely over in my mid-30s was a tough decision – but, in all honesty – I was ready to dive head-first into something completely different.

I have always found purpose in serving my community, I just never realized serving my community would lead me into a life of wearing many hats. While I have struggled with the non-linear path I have taken, I think I’ve finally come to realize that I’ve been creating a lattice of careers, not a ladder. Can you relate? I sure hope so.

I practice everything Chinese Medicine has to offer: acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, gua sha, tui na, facial rejuvenation, and even microneedling.

Practicing Eastern healing means I can treat anything and everything. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) is preventative medicine, which means, it’s holistic. Thousands of years ago, Chinese Medicine practitioners were paid to keep you well. You went to see them often to keep your body’s self-healing capacity in tact. If you fell ill, your practitioner DID NOT get paid. Fast forward to Western medicine thousands of years later. We wait until we get sick, go see our doctor, pay large amounts of money, expect immediate results, and then don’t see them until we fall ill again.

This flip of the paradigm in the way we practice medicine completely ignores and undermines our body’s ability to self-repair. We put less and less faith in our own abilities to heal and more and more emphasis on pharmaceutical intervention, invasive surgeries, and “breaking apart the machine,” meaning, we point to where it hurts and that’s the only part our doctors’ focus on.

Holistic medicine does not break you apart from the whole. If your shoulder starts hurting out of nowhere, we will still look at your shoulder, but we will also check in with digestion, quality of sleep, and energy levels. Not separate. Part of the whole. All of your body’s systems have to work together in order to keep you in balance.

This includes your physical body, your emotional body, and your spiritual body. If you’re coming to me for a very specific reason, regular acupuncture is going to help you with that primary concern, but it’s also going to improve your sleep, boost your immune system, relieve digestive upset, and calm your mind. That primary concern is what brought you here, but, we do not merely treat your symptoms. We treat YOU. All of you. Getting to the root of your imbalance is what Eastern healing is all about.

My focus is on being an advocate to you with your own health goals, making gentle suggestions, administering needles and herbal remedies, and most importantly, listening to your needs and wants. Having goals for your health is what I want to discuss with you, not just your symptoms. After all, your health is a journey, not a finish line.

Lastly, I came up with the name “Firewood” there are five elements in Chinese medicine that correspond to specific organs: Wood (Liver), Fire (Heart), Earth (Spleen), Metal (Lungs), & Water (Kidneys).

Fire and Wood are the two elements that I identify with most and the two organs I end up treating in almost every patient.
Our Liver regulates the flow of our energy in our bodies and our Heart keeps our “Shen,” our mind, grounded and calm. This is an important process in our bodies and as Americans, we are prone to stress and anxiety. Regulating the energetics of our Fire and Wood elements provides immense relief so you can get back to living your best life.

Additionally, I really love the idea of building health together. You need both fire and wood to make a successful, roaring fire.

Let’s reignite that spark.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

ABSOLUTELY. I am the youngest of three children. My older sister and brother were both very sure about their career paths from young ages. It was honestly amazing watching them chase after it. I knew I wanted the same things. That feeling of really knowing. But that feeling never really came.

I stayed in St. Louis, my hometown and attended Webster University with an undecided major. After two years of knocking out pre-reqs, I finally decided I would pursue photography. I loved the darkroom and the mystery of black and white photography. After researching schools, I landed on Columbia College in Chicago and moved there the week I turned 21.

I found art school to be….snobby. I never really found a community there but I pushed through and obtained by BA in Photography. Quickly thereafter, I started photographing weddings. And honestly, I started photographing EVERYTHING. Restaurant openings, engagements, families, high school portraits, sports events, the list goes on. While I really “liked” photography, I knew deep down this wasn’t it. I couldn’t imagine shooting weddings my entire life. But….i was stuck.

I moved to Denver in the hopes of starting a different type of photography business, but what I found instead, was burnout. I was done. Depleted. And scared about my future, which was still unclear at 32 years old.

I decided to do what I knew – and that was bartending and serving. I had served in Chicago while putting myself through school and getting started in the photography business. I honestly really liked it, but as with photography, I knew it wasn’t a forever career.

But if I hadn’t of gotten back into restaurants, I never would have met the friend who would tell me to give acupuncture a try to help me with some health issues.

After my first treatment, I knew something profound was put into motion. The more I received acupuncture, the more I began to feel more connected to the path I was about to take.

While I struggled with how unconventional my life had been up to that point, when I look back now, I realize it had to happen that way in order for me to find this medicine when I did.

I absolutely love being a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I feel so lucky to be able to preserve the wisdom of this medicine that spans close to 5,000 years. I can’t wait to see where this profession takes me!

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

This is such an important question! When I was in school, I thought being armed with knowledge was really all I needed but honestly, it’s almost the lowest man on the totem pole.

One of the lessons I learned early on is that you’re not selling results of the medicine you practice, you’re selling yourself.

How many doctor’s or health practitioner’s offices have you been in that you just felt…uncomfortable? What I love about holistic healing is that you can choose who you put your trust into when it comes to bringing you back into balance. Oftentimes, we are bound by our insurance plans or, we just suffer through the disconnect with a doctor that just doesn’t hear you. But what if you could feel truly connected to your healthcare practitioners? How much more healing would take place! How much more you’d be willing to share!

I believe that showing up as my true, authentic self allows me to connect more deeply with my patients, which then helps to facilitate deeper healing. If I don’t think I can help you, I will refer to you someone whom I think can. My ultimate goal is just to help you get better, even if that means referring you out.

I know that everyone deserves healing which means there is plenty to go around. I don’t believe in competitiveness within the acupuncture community. As healers, our goal should be facilitating a safe, comfortable, and results-driven environment.

Show up as yourself. Be honest about what you offer. Be truthful with yourself about how much you can help someone. And practice with integrity and professionalism. You might have been the smartest student in grad school, but if you can’t connect with your patients, you’ll never get your business off the ground. Connect with your patients by connecting with your values and what you truly believe in. The right people will find you.

Contact Info:

• Website: firewoodacupuncture.com
• Instagram: @firewoodacupuncture

Image Credits
Caroline Brackney Photography