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

Alright, Thomas thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

The defining moment that allowed me to choose my career was actually in the in between time between college and professional school. To give a little perspective, I will tell a little back story about how it is that I got to where I am at. I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and due to the availability of work (because there’s NOT a whole lot going on in NH), construction was a common industry for people making money. I started working construction at the age of 16 during summer and winter breaks, but as I approached the end of high school, I knew college was on my horizon, and I knew that I didn’t want to do construction for the rest of my life (although I have no regrets and still do “handyman” work on occasion to this day). So when I entered college, I was actually working 3 days a week doing construction, and going to school 2 days a week as I soul searched for my life’s passion. It was only after a nutrition course and an introduction to anatomy and physiology course in my first year that I decided I wanted to pursue a career in human health. I started going to school full time and worked construction during breaks to keep cash flow coming. As college was coming towards the end, I was uncertain about the path of becoming a chiropractor (there was a professor there that was) OR if I wanted to become a medical doctor (either orthopedics w/ sports or an ER doc). Regrettably, my mpother actually passed away the senior year of college, so needless to say I needed a little time to heal before pursuing higher education, but it was actually in that time period that I decided which direction to go, and the thing that defined how I was going to continue my passion in human health.
SO… My defining moment sound a little ridiculous, but it actually sets up the whole fabric of what I am here to do on this earth, and why it was that I became a chiropractor instead of a medical doctor,
It was a couple year after I had graduated college, and life had kicked me down some, that I truly decided which way I wanted too go. I was watching a d rug commercial on TV one night (I honestly forget which drug it was for) BUT, I was sitting their watching this commercial, and while I’m watching it, I recall some guy skipping through a field while holding the hand of a stuff rabbit or bear (something like that), and AS I’m watching this scene of these two skipping and dancing through the field, there is this voice in the background speaking fairly silently “This drug may cause death, or serious adverse reactions including blood pressure issue, heart attacks, or stroke…… yada yada yada yada yada”….
The commercial sat there and was speaking about all the risks of this medication for AT LEAST one minute, and as I sat there and watched, it occurred to me how messed up the commercial was in the first place (having this super “happy” video on the screen, while simultaneously talking for a minute about how terrible and destructive this product was). My immediate thought was “Who in their right mind would take this product?” And it was in that moment that I knew I wanted to pursue chiropractic instead of medicine, because I believe drugs and surgery should be a last resort, and I knew I wanted to be helping people truly live their fullest lives. Ultimately The healthiest people I know aren’t on drugs, and as I chiropractor I get to help people get their LIFE back, through ACTUAL healthy living, and lifestyle based choices.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Vitalistic (Life Enhancing) Tonal Chiropractor. What does that mean exactly? It means I use a lower force technique of chiropractic, to help enhance your brain and neurology, for overall better living. In my practice, I focus really on the brain and neurology of a person, and my focus is ultimately to allow your brain to process life and stress better. If our brain can process things more efficiently, then we are healthier, we heal faster, and we have a more optimal life which allows us to do any all of the things we love doing. What truly Sets me apart from others is my approach to chiropractic and the body. I use low force techniques, to help unlock stress within the body. Many other chiropractors focus more on pain management, and getting the bones in the body moving better, which can help overall function, but my approach is different. The brain and neurology is the system that keeps things running and communicating through the entire body. The brain is essentially the CPU of the body and must process physical, chemical, mental and emotional experiences every second of every day. The brain and neurology are also VERY sensitive to the things they process, thus it doesn’t take a lot to actually affect the brain and neurology (which is why I don’t need a big force to make a change like other chiropractors). So by using specific points on the body, I can access the neurology using a gentle touch, and I allow the brain to start processing events or experiences of the past that are still unprocessed and stuck physically in the physiology. The unprocessed events are what disturb communication throughout the body and can lead to illness or pain of all types. I help with anything from depression and anxiety, to back or joint pain, to even things like digestive issues or cancer. When we start freeing unprocessed or stuck energy up, the body can redistribute that towards higher functions like healing, or eventually even thriving and creativity!
ALL of us out there have unprocessed experiences that can bog down our full potential, So I essentially help the body and brain reconnect, and I help train them to become more resilient and adaptable towards future challenges or stressors. While other chiropractors help you feel better, I am much more focused on function and getting the energy in your body flowing properly, so you can navigate the challenges of life more gracefully, mentally, physically and spiritually.
The one other thing I will mention in my services is the health coaching aspect. I can adjust someone every single day of their life, but if we don’t address things like nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, or detoxing, our potential can go only so far, thus I do some health coaching and guidance to help every individual maximize their life and health.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

This is a complicated question because IF I could go back in time, would choose a different path earlier in life BUT I don’t know if I would be doing what I am doing today if I hadn’t had the path I was on, so it’s a little bit of a catch 22. I LOVE what I do now, in working with people to live healthier and more fulfilling lives. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs possible in my personal opinion. So if I could go back and plan thing according to my current perception, I actually LOVE what I do now, so I wouldn’t change that part of my life. However… it was after I had graduated from chiropractic school that I actually learned more about several VERY important topics that can help redesign the entire capabilities for most peoples’ lives, and if I had learned those fundamentals earlier in my life, I would definitely be in a different place financially (which in turn effects other aspects of life like family planning, houses, etc…). The key fundamentals I learned were about money management, business ownership, and entrepreneurship. If I had a chance to go back in time, I would create a business during/after high school instead of slaving away many hours working for a construction company. Unfortunately the advice that was always given to me growing up was “go to school, go to college, get a good job, save up and retire”. It is now that I realize that was terrible advice and is a terrible strategy. Learning about money as a tool after graduation opened my eyes up to much better possibilities, and if I had started earlier in life with investing, and being a business owner where my time becomes much more valuable, I would be in a much different place monetarily at this point. I have no regrets ultimately, but if I could go back in time, that would be the major change I would have in my life.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are quite a few answers to this question. Bottomline though is that MENTORSHIP in my opinion is an essential part of growth. Whether it’s direct mentorship or mentorship through self learning and books, the bottom line is that coming out of highschool, public school did not teach me a lot of life skills. “Knowledge” in general was good yes, I took AP classes, knew some history, some math and science, but ultimately getting out of highschool, my time spent in construction made me more “valuable” then basically anything I learned in school. So if you can start getting mentorship in highschool even, that would REALLY be a great place to start learning valuable life skills outside in real life. I have many mentors though, and in different areas of my life, because depending on what I want to be better at, I start learning from those people that have proof of the pudding if you will.
CHIROPRACTIC & HEALTH- My mentors include Dr Sukhi Muker, Dr Donny Epstein, Dr Sue Brown, Dr Patrick Gentempo, Dr Marvin Talski, Joe Dispenza, Bruce lipton are both great. DD Palmer & B.J Palmer. There are other as well. But all of these people have guided me in my chiropractic skills, my presence, my understanding of the body and energy around it. Pretty much anything from actual adjusting to healthier living and understanding of others and how best to help them.
MONEY/ENTREPRENEURSHIP – Robert Kiyosaki was my initial exposure to the philosophy of money, and was a rude awakening with my errors in thinking leading up to that point. Rich Dad Poor Dad, or the Business of the 21st century go over some basics concepts that can reframe your thinking of business, work and retirement in general. I realized that I didn’t want to work forever making money, and that investing and creating a sustainable buiness are great ways to set yourself up for future passive income. Make money while you work essentially, The richest man in Babylon was another parable style book that was great for money lessons. T.Harv Eker is another great money management person, look into Million Dollar Mind. Ray Dalio was a hedge fund manager is great. Tony Robbins also has a lot on money AND other personal development type of things (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED).
SPIRITUALITY – Esther & Jerry Hicks, Tom Campbell, Eckhart Tolle, Marshall Rosenberg (Non-violent communication),

OTHER MENTIONS of good books or people. Kevin Trudeau has a lot of good ones, The End of Power by Moises Naim. Robert F Kennedy Jr has a couple non-fiction books on health and corruption in govt agencies. The Creature from Jekyll Island is a great one for understanding the corruption of our money system. The Blue Zones by Dan Buttner is great for understanding healthier living. Simon SInek is great. Think and Grow Rich is a classic book on personal development. To Win Friends and Influence People is another great choice.

I think those are major ones I can think of currently.

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