We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Murphy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
The defining moment in my career, so far, was the day it hit me that I was supposed to open my own office. This was in March of 2018, I had been working as an associate doctor in a chiropractic office in St. Peter’s, MO. The day it hit me, was driving to a chiropractic workshop in Wichita, and something just said it was time to open my own office. I laughed to myself because I didn’t think I was ready for this big step, to be on my own and running my own business. I didn’t think in a million years that I would come back to Pacific, my hometown, to open my office but that was what was in store for me. I trusted the feelings I was having about being pushed to open my own office and left the associate position in August 2018 and opened Healthy Balance in Pacific on October 1, 2018.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a doctor of chiropractic. I was first introduced to chiropractic for a hopeful treatment to my severe ankle pain in the 6th grade. My volleyball coach at the time scheduled my first appointment for me because she was witnessing the pain I was suffering from during practices. My childhood chiropractor explained that my pelvis was uneven, putting additional stress on my right leg, likely causing the severe ankle pain. I’m very grateful to say, chiropractic was a miracle for me and I walked out of his office that day without pain. That’s when I told my mom I wanted to do that, help people the way he helped me. Throughout highschool, I worked as a front desk chiropractic assistant at my childhood chiropractors office and in college, made sure all my classes lined up with what I needed to be able to transfer to Logan College of Chiropractic.
In my office, Healthy Balance, we offer chiropractic and acupuncture care. I am the most proud of keeping our office running smoothly and efficiently.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
100%. NO! questions asked. Chiropractic school was extremely difficult but created a resilience in me to help me navigate chiropractic practice. My journey getting to chiropractic school was different that I’d planned but ultimately worked out with my attending Logan and starting earlier than I thought I could. And chiropractic has given me everything. It allows me to give back and serve my hometown every day, it brought me back to Pacific where I reconnected with a high school friend who is now my husband and it’s brought me closer to my family.
Have you ever had to pivot?
The story I think of regarding pivoting is 2020 when the pandemic happened. In the first few unknown weeks, I sat down and made two lists. One was a “trim the fat” list, as a business owner, what could I do to save money so I could continue to run my business and serve my community with chiropractic. The second was a “keep the lights on” list, again what could I do to continue to serve but with just the essentials to keep the business running. Thankfully, I didn’t have to pivot in those times. We were able to remain open in our county and serve our patients with chiropractic care to keep their bodies functioning at their best.
Contact Info:
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