No. 68 // Sept. 2021
Dr. Vince Taylor From Burnout to Booming: A DC’s Transformation
p.14
Shift Your Focus, Shift Your Life p.5
Quarterly Info p.16
Start Now: Mapping Out a Strong 2022 p.8
A Team’s Culture of Openess and Honesty
p.23
How to Start Small and End Big
p.11
Exemplary Entrepreneurs
p.17
TABLE OF CONTENTS I
p.5 Focus, focus, focus… on the good things, not the bad! COO, Seth Conger explains how being laser focused on not messing up, increases your chances of actually messing up.
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p.8 According to CEO, John Linton, NOW is the time to start planning for the end of the year – learn how! p.11
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Start small. You can’t fast forward progress and even if you could… taking smaller steps is what leads us into a true commitment.
Dr. Vince Taylor discusses his achievements and challenges as a new client with FPC.
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p.18 Have you nailed down the 9 steps, studied up on how to “connect” and still stumbling during the PME? Perhaps “tunnel vision” is to blame. p.21
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p.25
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Am I a STAR? I sure feel like one! Mindi breaks down the acronym and tells us why she loves FPC STARS so much!
Accountability is the driving factor of this magnificent team. They are living out their values daily which pour out into their community!
The pen is mightier than the sword. Well, how about the tongue? There is some great insight in this story on how you can refrain from using yours as a dagger.
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Where Your Focus Goes, Your Body Follows My entry point into the world of personal growth and development was through Tony Robbins. His books Unlimited Power and Awaken the Giant Within that I read at age 22 opened a new world for me and I started devouring anything I could get my hands on including his CD’s and workbooks. I’ve been to an event, and I’ve been engaged with his one-on-one coaching program for four straight years. Interestingly enough, it was my Tony Robbins program coach, Audra, who convinced me to join FPC back in 2019. As she said, it’s one thing to have a life coach, it’s another to have an entire team dedicated to your success and focused on the specific business niche you are involved in. One of my favorite stories from Tony’s teaching is on focus. Tony tells the story about learning to drive a race car for the first time, being inches away from the wall at well over 150 miles per hour and being terrified. The instructor gave Tony one piece of advice, “the car will follow your focus.” If you are focusing on your path through the turn, your hands will move in the right direction at the right moment, and the car will react accordingly. If you are focusing on the terrifying wall, you’ll crash into the terrifying wall. Tony shares this lesson to prove the point that where your focus goes, your body follows. It’s easy to understand this lesson in the case of something physical. A sport, movement, or an everyday activity of driving a car. The real key to the lesson, however, applies to your focus in important categories of your life.
“Start focusing on the life you want to cultivate. The business you dream of. The balance you crave.” Whatever you keenly focus on, will likely happen; good or bad. The problem is that it’s more natural to focus heavily on the negative, or potentially harmful. We want to avoid pain or hardship so we focus on it, thinking that will help us steer away. Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what will usually happen.
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To come back to the car story Tony shared, there are hundreds of car accidents every year in the desert where a car crashes into a telephone pole, or a large boulder on the side of the road. When there’s no other object for hundreds of yards in either direction, what are the chances of crashing into a two-foot-wide pole? Pretty high if your focus is locked in on NOT CRASHING INTO THAT POLE! What are you focusing on in your business? Are you focusing on not screwing up your story during your talk? Are you focusing on your credit card statement? Are you focusing on the negative energy from a staff member? How about the practice member that can’t make payments? Let’s shift this focus around. Focus instead on the lives you will change of the people in the room in front of you. Focus on their program completion visit and the tears of joy in their eyes from the success they achieved. Focus on the next five PME’s you have, getting to know who these people are and how you will help change their lives. Focus on connecting with these individuals from a place of true caring and empowerment. Focus on developing your staff into the team members you know they can be. And focus on sharing the lessons and learnings that helped you rise to the entrepreneur you are today. Start focusing on the life you want to cultivate. The business you dream of. The balance you crave. If you focus as hard on this as you do on the “bad” things that happen, your body and brain will naturally move in the direction you desire. In 2018 I had the chance to meet Tony Robbins. FPC’s Dr. Deb Matthew, and I attended one of his events, sat next to each other, jumped up and down, screamed, laughed and cried together. We both paid for front row seats and a meet-and-greet with Tony after the event. I had been thinking for weeks about what I would say to him in my 15 seconds. It was dialed in. “Tony, because of your education and coaching organization, I’ve gone from being a truck driver to running an organization where we are saving lives and reversing early-stage Alzheimer’s Disease. Thank you.” Tony engulfed me with a hug and responded, “thank you, but I just planted the seed, it’s your focus that is making all of these things happen. Keep focusing on doing the right thing, being a great person and giving it all you’ve got. The rest will follow.” The power to achieve your vision and mission is inside of you. What you focus on is the mechanism by which you’ll continue down the path that will get you there. By: Seth Conger
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Hit Your End of Year Targets with Proper Planning School is back in session and the holidays will be here before we know it. During this time of year, it is exceptionally important to know your numbers and plan your schedule thoroughly. Planning your year-end now will ensure that you finish 2021 strong and enter 2022 in a position of strength. Here are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, know your numbers. Know what your monthly goals are for the rest of the year and be sure to account for any time that you may be on vacation. In determining your goals, be sure to work on your deconstruction sheets, understanding cash flow is essential when navigating the holiday season. Secondly, plan your events and make sure that you plan enough to keep your business thriving. It is often a good idea to host one or two extra events in the weeks surrounding the holidays. The weeks before Thanksgiving and early December offer a great opportunity to double down on events to ensure that you have sufficient lead flow. Third, plan your time off! Make sure to schedule your own vacation and holiday time and make certain that you incorporate how you will handle patient care and schedule change notifications into your plans. If you are adding extra time off for yourself in addition to the traditional holiday breaks, accelerate your advertising and events accordingly to ensure that your goals are achieved.
“If you can accelerate your revenue for the months leading up to the holidays, it will take a lot of pressure off for December.” I have spoken with several individuals who have a preconceived notion that December is a tough month. It’s what I like to call “The December Myth.” While it is true that the holidays can create periods of down time, people are also very focused on starting off the new year on the right foot. I am always amazed by how many practitioners close the year with their “best month ever” and if planned properly, you could be one of them.
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So, specifically, what should you do? Here are some steps you should take to set yourself up for success: 1) Map out all of your advertising and events in detail. Create a specific marketing plan all the way through December. Pick which weeks you need to double up on events and solidify the dates now. If you are doing in-person talks, book the venue early since they tend to fill up over the holidays. 2) Once you have decided on your event dates, connect with your marketing partners to get adequate advertising scheduled. Add your marketing due dates into your plan and get your marketing proofs done ahead of time. 3) Consider increasing your goals for September, October, and November. If you can accelerate your revenue for the months leading up to the holidays, it will take a lot of pressure off for December. If you go into December ahead of your annual plan, you can start the holiday season with confidence. When the pressure is off, results tend to be better. In addition to having the rest of the year planned, don’t forget to map out your January events. If you are prepared you can take advantage of the New Year’s resolutions that will be on everyone’s mind. This will help make January a strong month. The end of the year does not have to be stressful. In fact, if you plan well, your holiday season can be a great time to refresh and start 2022 off with a bang. If you have any questions about how to properly prepare for the holiday season, reach out to your coach for guidance. By: John Linton
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Dr. Minni’s
Spicy Chicken Recipe 4 Servings, 30 minutes
SHOPPING LIST
Chicken breasts Nutmeg Star Anise Mace Turmeric powder Cayenne powder Cumin Powder Onion Ginger Garlic
INGREDIENTS
2 Chicken breasts, finely sliced 2 tbsp Olive oil Salt to taste 2-inch Ginger & 4 cloves of garlic made into a paste ½ Onion finely sliced 1 tsp Cumin powder ½ tsp Turmeric powder ¼ tsp Nutmeg, star anise and mace powder
(Use 2 nutmeg, 10 star anise, ½ cup mace. Make a fine powder, jar, and store leftovers in a cool place)
½ tsp Garam Masala Cayenne Pepper to taste Black Pepper powder to taste Chopped cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Heat oil and sauté chicken till cooked. Add salt, ginger & garlic paste, and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add all the spices and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.
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The Impact of the Small Step “Slow and steady wins the race,” is a well-known proverb that offers an important piece of advice that if acted on, should improve one’s life. Persistent, consistent, and diligent progress, even if it is somewhat slow, will produce better results than speeding your way through things, as this can lead to mistakes and, ultimately, be an unreliable approach. In the summer of 2017, I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime. I was hired as the Leadership and Mindset Coach at Freedom Practice Coaching. As you know, we are not just a wellness and lifestyle company; we actually walk the talk. But me at that time, not so much.
2017 / 2021 I was weighing 225 pounds, eating fast food daily, and drinking a Dr. Pepper with every meal and then found myself working for a company where the break room was stocked with nothing but water, fruit, and gluten free snacks. What was I to do? I was already working on myself; spiritually, emotionally, and financially, but I hadn’t put any real effort into my physical wellness. I had made several attempts, but it wasn’t consistent. And this was the perfect opportunity to fully commit.
“I knew what I wanted my results to look like; but there is no way I could have started by changing everything all at once in an attempt to fast-track my progress.” Like with any worthwhile journey, I knew patience was required. Change doesn't happen overnight, so I took my time and made small changes one by one. I started by replacing my Dr. Peppers with water for every meal. I allowed myself to get used to this small change before I moved on to the next. I didn’t completely stop my fast-food habit at first, but I did successfully ditch the fries. After that, I moved on to portion control and worked on that for a while. Eventually, I started eating much healthier and later in my journey, I heard about intermittent fasting. I decided to give it a try and that’s when I really started seeing progress. I knew where I wanted to end up. I knew what I wanted my results to look like; but there is no way I could have started by changing everything all at once in an attempt to fast-track my progress. If I hadn’t taken all those smaller steps first, I would have definitely failed. When it comes to lasting success and growth, you have to play the long game. If you are in a hurry to see the results and find yourself speeding through the process, you are not going develop the discipline that is needed to stick with it in the long haul.
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Also - and this is important - what is the reason you are wanting to make a change? What is your WHY? If your reason is superficial or if you are doing it for someone other than yourself, it’s not going to stick. It must be grounded and rooted in something significant and meaningful; something with purpose. You will also need the right motivation and accountability, which could come in the form of a friend, a coach, a trainer, or a mentor. Heck, maybe even a bully. It took me four years to get in the best shape of my life and it took all the above. Yes, even the bully. It takes patience, dedication, and commitment to create the life you desire. You must remember that becoming a better version of yourself is a process; one that requires a lot of patience to see it through. Your challenges and failures are your comrades, they are there to support and aid your growth. “Fast” puts the reward at risk. You must honor and respect your timeline, for it is precisely what will create the foundation for success. All you have to do is believe and invest in yourself. By: Angel Santiago
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PRACTITIONER SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Vince Taylor
DC Adapts, Revamps, and Redefines Success As a highly competitive collegiate athlete, Vince Taylor, DC at Tennessee Center of Integrated Medicine had a natural interest in the human body and its development into optimal performance. During college he explored various realms in health and medicine before ultimately pursuing a career in chiropractic where he was able to nurture his passion of helping people reach their full potential in health. After finishing school in 2013, Vince and his wife Erin opened their own practice and saw significant growth early on. They had a large insurance base in chiropractic and acupuncture with a steady flow of clients but began feeling overworked and overwhelmed. “We were very successful getting started but there was that level of burnout in dealing with insurance companies. It's just never ending how to deal with that, and the staffing required to run a clinic of that nature was really taking its toll on us.” Knowing it was time for a change, Vince recalled a previous conversation he had with Dr. Gregory Fryer about FPC and decided it was time to learn more. He attended one of Dr. Webb’s webinars, made the investment, and proceeded to revamp his business in three months. “The insurance base fell out through regulatory changes, and we had a huge drop in revenue. I knew we had to switch gears fast. That’s when I hopped on a webinar with Dr. Webb. We signed up and turned our practice around in three months.”
“Early on, I thought success was hitting a financial benchmark within a business but now I don't think that's really it.” With FPC’s help, Vince went from constantly worrying about his business to having a clear grasp on where he was going and how he was going to get there. Though he admits that he is not completely worry free, he has found comfort in having a process mapped out and knows that if he sticks to it, his business will continue to grow. “Before, it was just a lot of worrying. We were totally dependent on insurance, and we didn't really have control over the business. Now there's a lot more comfort in knowing the process and being able to pinpoint any issues. There are times when I still worry but I know if I do the talks and stick to the process things are going to be fine.” Although Vince had some mindset challenges from the start when it came to the PME and the program investment, he adapted rather quickly and broke the 100K mark in programs sold in his first nine weeks with FPC. He explained that when broken down, the packaging of the programs is invaluable.
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“Presenting the plans to people in the PME was pretty nerve-racking for me in the beginning, but the more I do it, the more comfortable I am. And we've had multiple people say, oh my gosh, thank you so much, because they've worked with other functional medicine practitioners and there is an up and down cost of testing and supplements that it makes it hard for them. So, they appreciated the fact that we can plan, budget, and break it down easily.” “Everyone loves it,” Vince said when I asked if the team was enjoying being a part of FPC. “Helping people walk through the process and use a structured educational curriculum has been a big game changer for us; and having the systems in place has really helped. Professionally, it’s boosted my confidence in helping people with chronic health conditions.” As someone who ran a seven-figure earning business for several years, Vince has had the opportunity to analyze and truly reflect on the meaning of success. He learned that there is much more to it than income and net worth and believes that being successful is more about a sense of fulfillment and purpose. “Early on, I thought success was hitting a financial benchmark within a business but now I don't think that's really it. It’s more the professional fulfillment that you're making a difference within your community and actually changing the course of health within America. The financial side will just be the side effect of accomplishing that. There are days when people tell me how much better they feel and, in those moments, I feel like this is my purpose, this is success.” In joining the FPC community, Vince understands the integral role he plays in changing lives and is honored to be a prat of our mission. “There is power in unity. Having a united group of elite practitioners focused on reversing chronic health conditions is awesome. I feel humbled to be a part of that overall mission.” By: Mariza Elizondo
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2021 FALL QUARTERLY
It has been nearly two years since we’ve connected in person… We miss you!
Join us Live & In-Person: November 4th – 8th, The Westin Riverwalk Registration: Log-on to your portal and get registered. Registration closes on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 Travel: Book a flight for everyone on your team who is attending. You will want to bring your whole team to this one-of-a-kind experience! Lodging: Our room block is open at our FPC group rate. Book your rooms early before our block gets filled. Having issues with booking? Watch the video linked in our QR below for some explanations on the booking process! Owners Dinner: Thursday evening we will gather for an Owners-only Dinner and spouses are welcome! Location and more details on this will be released at a later date. Packets: We will have an in-person check-in on site where you will be able to pick up your materials! Service Partners: Everyone is eager to meet you in person and we can’t wait for you to be able to connect with them face-to face! Sessions: Our in-person sessions are amazing! We’ll have some small group work and plenty of team member sessions available!
Book your flights for San Antonio now! 16 Hope for Health I No. 68
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Exemplary Entrepreneurs
Practitioner of the Year Award
Truth Seeker Award
Recipient: Jennifer Sosnowski
Recipient: Greg Fryer
“I want to thank FPC for the award of Practitioner of the Year! I’m also humbled when I consider the competition among all my fabulous colleague docs within the FPC family. In a year that challenged all of us in ways we couldn’t have imagined, we managed our best year ever and saw a 26% gain in revenue. This is because FPC was there for us and had the foresight to see how the COVID pandemic would impact us long term. They mentored us through pivoting our practice to purely virtual marketing. The FPC fundamentals work - IF you work the fundamentals. I have a lot of people to thank for this. First, I want to give a big shout out to my awesome team! We have the right people on the bus that believe in our vision and mission, and without them I wouldn’t have a practice. I also want to thank all of our FPC coaches, but particularly Luke Wempe, for his unwavering faith and positive reinforcement every step of the way. Of course, my biggest thanks goes to FPC’s founder, Dr. Charlie Webb, for having the vision, drive, and commitment to develop FPC in order to help Functional Medicine practitioners to not only survive, but thrive in a market dominated by insurance carriers. We literally wouldn’t be where we are today without FPC’s training, coaching, mentorship and guidance. FPC is the best business decision we’ve ever made. As much as you all have helped me, I can’t wait to give back to the FPC and Functional Medicine communities as we reach new heights in 2021!”
“Wow! Thank you! I am simply honored and humbled to have been selected for the Truth Seeker Award. I am a man of integrity and strive to be so daily by doing what I say I will do and taking full responsibility for my actions and business. I realize that I did not get here by myself and most of the credit goes to my wife and best friend, Erien. Thank you, sweetheart, for all of your love, support and believing in me to be better. Thank you, Medical Direct Care Team. Thank you to Charlie, Luke and the entire FPC team and family. FPC has helped me grow as a business leader and person and continues to expand my horizons and influence to help more people gain better health. I am thankful for this award but mostly being a part of the FPC family and part of the mission of improving 10 million lives.”
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Clarity and Connection Live Outside of the “PME Tunnel” When we study our business and our numbers, we often place our entire focus on selling more programs, helping more people, and scaling our business. In turn, we ardently study the PME, rehearse the nine steps, and aim our attention on the individual procedures we’ve learned on how to emotionally connect with our prospects. Although these practices are all 100% necessary to become successful, we must also broaden our view in every converstation. While focusing in on the details of the steps can aid in our confidence and in other areas, it can also cause us to develop tunnel vision and lose sight of the bigger picture. This can result in an unwanted freeze during our well-rehearsed script when we are presented with objections or challenges. It is important to both your personal and professional success, as well as the success of the prospect, to maintain perspective and keep the conversation grounded. Practice the steps, but don’t lose sight of the overarching view. When a prospect enters a conversation with you, they often jump into a “Ok, what is being sold here?” mindset. There is automatic suspicion on their end and anxiety on
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yours. This can further amplify the tunnel vision for both parties. It is your responsibility as leaders to keep the bigger picture in mind and ultimately bring perspective to the conversation. First, it is crucial that you check-in with your mindset. Before going into a PME or any crucial conversation with a prospect you should always reflect on your larger purpose. Why am I doing this in the first place? Why am I a practitioner? And more importantly, why did I decide to become part of the “different breed” who is taking on this new approach? It might be useful to remind yourself that you are part of something bigger than the daily happenings within your clinic walls. You are part of a healthcare revolution. The value of what you offer to your prospects goes far beyond the actual fee investment of your programs. Second, you need to help the prospect gain a clear perspective and help yourself understand them better. Asking certain questions to help them clearly see their situation will help. For example, “what are you hoping I can help you with that you haven’t been able to find or achieve elsewhere?” is a very thought-provoking question.
Answers to this question will cause reflection on their end and will help you better understand where they are coming from and what they need to hear in order to move forward. Another opportunity to help clarify perspective is allowing the individual to reflect on their previous approaches. Oftentimes, a box was left unchecked in a previous attempt at resolving their health concerns. Whether it was a certain diet, a program, or even a plan of care with another practitioner; chances are something was missed somewhere. Explaining your well-rounded approach from all lifestyle aspects, enhanced individualized testing, and treatment protocols, provides reassurance that nothing will get overlooked. Being able to see this blueprint will allow the individual to feel like this direction makes the most intuitive sense and trust that they are in good hands.
“The value of what you offer to your prospects goes far beyond the actual fee investment of your programs.” Studying the PME, rehearsing the steps, and developing your connection skills is good practice; but it is important that you don’t develop a “tunnel vision” around the processes and procedures that will decrease your ability to respond openly when faced with objections or challenges in the PME. Be transparent about what is being said, or not being said, in the conversation. Bring perspective and awareness to the situation at hand, and compare previous approaches, to gain clarity. Finally, and most importantly, don’t forget the value of what you are offering and remember, it’s about their destination. By: Dr. Devan Oschmann
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Congratulations S.T.A.R.S.! Here at FPC, we know how valuable it is to have team members who take extreme ownership, have the highest integrity, and bring positive energy into their practices every day. And we know it’s not always easy! While practice owners are responsible for the vision, mission, and leadership of the entire practice and team, you directly impact the overall goals and play an integral role in how the mission is being carried out day by day. You are the difference makers within your organization! So, when we see all of you out there who are committed to growing and excelling in your role in order to move the mission forward, we want to celebrate you! That is why we developed the S.T.A.R.S Team Member recognition program a few years ago.
“When we see all of you out there who are committed to growing and excelling in your role in order to move the mission forward, we want to celebrate you!”
If you didn’t know, STARS is an acronym which represents FPC’s basic criteria for recognizing team members… Stats – Statistics are a vital tool in any business to be able to measure forward progress and course correct whenever needed. Therefore, clinic stats should be inputted in the FPC Portal consistently. Training – Personal and professional growth and excellence depend on consistent training. Team members should be engaged in training within their practices and with FPC on workshops, quarterly events, and any other learning opportunities.
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Acknowledgement – When a team member stands out as a rock star, acknowledgement comes from practitioners, practice members, other team members, or the FPC team. This is typically how we first identify our STARS. Reviews – Employee reviews from practice owners should have positive ratings regarding performance. Systems – Having effective systems in place is another vital tool in any business. Team members should use and help create effective systems in the practice. Before each quarterly, I reach out to each practice owner and ask them to nominate their team members for STARS recognition. And as a bonus, each STARS member receives a small gift from the FPC team as a token of appreciation. I’d like to take this opportunity to give one more “shout out” to our 2021 Summer Quarterly STARS Team Members and to encourage all other team members to let your practitioners know that you are working your way towards being recognized. I know there are many more STARS in our community and I want you on this list for our Fall event! To ALL team members, thank you for all you do and the difference that you make!
2021 Summer Quarterly STARS Team Members Chris & Amanda - Nature Medicine Clinic Karla, Joann & Aniza - Truecare Wellness Valerie – Vital Life Wellness Mika, Amy, Heather, Ciarra – Nutrition Resources Tulsa Becca – Vitality Family Health Dawn, Krista, Christy, Cheyenne – Carolinas Natural Health Nora & Lauryn – Waterleaf Naturopathic Jami – San Diego Naturopathic Maureen – Cary Holistic Health Cheyenne – Health Connection Integrated Health and Corrective Rehab Troy, Natalie & Rebecca – Rothman Health Solutions Caitlin, Johnny, Kimberly & Sarah – Upstream Functional Medicine Elizabeth – Vitalogy Wellness Natalie – Roots of Health Naturopathic Medicine for Women
By: Mindi Webb
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Kimberly Gaiser, Caitlin Malone, Anna Hunter, Jeff Hunter, Johnny Davis, & Sarah Haller. Not pictured: Kathryn Hunter
A Hunger for Growth: Upstream Functional Medicine is on a Mission For several years prior to joining FPC, Jeff Hunter, NP at Upstream Functional Medicine, was practicing in a traditional model, growing increasingly tired of feeling constrained by the system, and searching for a better way. Everything changed the moment he discovered functional medicine. He had finally found the path towards providing people with adequate care and self-empowerment; but still lacked the vehicle to make it happen.
After hearing Dr. Webb speak at a seminar, Jeff realized that FPC had the blueprint that would enable him to successfully make the switch. So, he and his wife Anna made the trip to San Antonio for a discovery day and took a courageous leap into entrepreneurship. “It was pretty terrifying,” Anna said. “We both quit our full-time jobs to start a medical practice. But it worked.” “It worked,” Jeff echoed. “Dr. Webb and the FPC model really opened the door for me. I went ahead and just jumped in with both feet and left one practice and started a whole new one.” Together, Jeff and Anna run a strong and successful business. They have an entire team who is dedicated to educating others to take ownership of their health and they are grateful for each person’s commitment to their mission. They repeatedly hit their goals and say that they built their amazing team by following the FPC hiring process and staying positive through any transitions that occur. “We just followed the instructions,” Jeff said.
“As health ambassadors we want to help create an avenue for them to get healthier and we want to build a community.” “From the get-go, I just did what Mindi (Team Coach Specialist) said to do,” Anna added. “I don’t think anyone is ever like, yes! I get to hire again; because it’s a process and it takes time away from the other tasks that are on your plate,” she continued. So, I think just being willing to be in that process with the right kind of attitude is important. If I'm trying to hire and I'm upset about it the whole time, then I'm not going to attract the same candidates as I would if I'm just really excited to hire.” Jeff and Anna’s excitement about each team member was evident as we spoke about each person’s role within the practice. “She is passionate and does what it takes to make Upstream run like a well-oiled machine,” Anna said about Kimberly, Business Manager and Clinic Director. “Johnny’s (Functional Practitioner) ability to speak truth and move people into action is profound. Caitlin (Health Coach) cares deeply and is phenomenal at connecting with others. Sarah (Wellness Assistant) always chooses joy and has a smile on her face even when things are hard; and she is always ready to help. Kathryn (Wellness Assistant Support and Jeff and Anna's oldest daughter) has the true heart of a servant and has been with us since day one.”
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The team of seven is continuously looking for ways to evolve and develop their skills and at the forefront of their unity is communication. They begin each team training with “clears and wins” where they allow each person to share both a “clear,” by bringing up any oversights or distractions they learned from; and then a “win” by mentioning something they excelled in and are proud of. “We work hard to have a culture that's just open and honest,” Anna said. “It helps us have the hard conversations we don't want to have sometimes, Jeff added. “It’s part of our core values and how we operate. And then it's a relief for everybody in the end.” Upstream’s core values are not confined to the practice’s hours of operation. Jeff and Anna explained that they live by their values daily and they encourage their team members and practice members to do the same. They exhibit this by incorporating their community into some of their off-site team building and Jeff says that it is just one of the ways they can help facilitate and encourage exercise. “We started going on hikes with our practice members and then on one of those hikes somebody started talking about pickleball and everyone got excited. So, we’re having an educational clinic on pickleball this next month. As health ambassadors we want to help create an avenue for them to get healthier and we want to build a community, so we have them invite their friends.” Jeff and Anna not only consistently strive for growth in all areas of their own lives, but they also believe this to be a highly admirable quality in others. They spoke at length about how each of their team members continuously looks for ways to evolve and Anna described it as a “hunger for growth.” “The culture that they're stepping into is how do we grow? What do we need to do different? We're going to hold each other accountable and we're going to step into really being our best so we can serve one another; and it's fun.” By: Mariza Elizondo
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Me and my daughter, Holland
The Power of Speech: Using Your Voice to Lift Others Have you ever found yourself in a spiral pattern? What I have learned about the spiral pattern is that you can spiral down into depression, negativity, despair, and overwhelm; or you can choose to spiral up. You can choose to spiral up into enjoying life, having peace, having purpose, and embodying love. The interesting thing about these patterns is that both start in our mind and in our heart and are ultimately executed by our tongue. If you read books on spiritual wisdom such as “The Four Agreements,” believe in the power of manifestation, or study the Bible, there are consistencies in what we are told. We are told that “as you are in the heart, so you are in life,” and the influence our speech has over this is powerful. There have been times in my life where circumstances have seemed overwhelming. My heart became discouraged, my mind quickly followed, and then my tongue solidified it all. In those times I’d find myself in a downward spiral of negativity, self-doubt, self-discrimination and worse. I’d place that negative energy and those negative words onto other people. Onto team members, family, friends, and sometimes strangers. They ended up carrying the weight of my words, and as someone who’s ultimate goal is to constantly show love to others, this is difficult to admit. On the days that I'm not solid in my heart, my tongue can become a weapon. It is easy to call someone a name when they cut you off and it is easy to speak discouragement to team members when things seem impossible. It is easy to point out the shortcomings of our family and our children; or highlight the mistakes of spouses and our friends. Let's be honest, it can feel good to unload on people. And the release is often followed by, “I just had to get that off my chest.” How many times have you, “gotten things off your chest”? In that process, you have just unleashed so many wounds to the person you're speaking to; wounds that they themselves will have to choose to deflect or accept. And unless the person that you're speaking to fully understands the power of words and how they can infiltrate their thoughts and their heart, you can cause damage. No. 68
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You can cause damage to team members just by unconsciously saying what a “hard day” you're having. Suddenly that energy that you've put out there is taken in, interpreted, and reflected upon by those on the receiving end. “Now that I think about it, you’re right, it certainly is a hard day.” Have you ever had someone unload on you? Perhaps you allowed someone to vent, then suddenly, your joy and your peace vanished. Have you ever been the one who was given permission to vent? You feel better, but the person on the receiving end is left feeling deflated or hurt. As leaders, it is our responsibility to keep our hearts in good spirits and ensure that our minds and our tongues follow suit. Though it may be easier to talk about the bad and crappy things that happen, it doesn't bring about clarity and it doesn't bring about resolution. It brings discord, discomfort, disbelief, and uncertainty. Uncertainty in the goal that we share and uncertainty in how we are perceived. It is our duty to uplift the people in our lives. Of course, our conversations should not solely consist of butterflies and rainbows, highlighting only the positive and sweeping the negative under the rug; but our words should be chosen wisely. They have the power to either wound or bring about life.
“My heart became discouraged, my mind quickly followed, and then my tongue solidified it all.”
What are some of the things that you can do to think before you speak? My daughter is 14 and believes she knows everything, and I know nothing. I try to approach every conversation with her both delicately and authoritatively. It's a challenge and I've learned that I need to pause to think, so that I can respond appropriately. I often say, “that's an interesting question, let me think about it for a minute,” to avoid speaking out of my instinctive hostility, anger, or frustration. There's a story that I love about a mother who took her gravely ill son on a journey to meet a holy man. When they arrived, the holy man asked her if everything was okay and though her son was nearly dead, she responded by saying, “it is well, all is well. If you just come with me, I will show you that all is well.” This is something that I've been incorporating into my speech when I see a crisis or something big unfolding before me. Instead of the old tendency to speak what I see, I remember that story and I begin repeating “all is well.” The amazing thing is that everything does end up being well. I stay calm, I hold onto my faith, and everything turns out fine. We may face bumps on the road and problems that need solving but focusing on speaking life into situations as opposed to negativity is powerful. So now when someone asks me how I’m feeling my response is, “I feel great, I slept great, all is well.” I know a lot of you have morning routines. Perhaps you practice the Miracle Morning and have affirmations. By doing this you are verbalizing how you want your day to go and the amazing things you want for your life. We have a powerful voice, and it is our duty to use it to uplift our spouses, our team members, our families, and our friends. I'd love for you to go on to the Freedom Entrepreneurs Facebook page and talk about some of the ways that you speak life into your practice, into your team members, your practice members, your family, and your friends. How do you think before you speak? What is your method to speaking life into situations? By: Danielle Chandler
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HOPE FOR HEALTH No. 68
Publisher: Freedom Practice Coaching Editor-in-Chief: Mariza Elizondo Designer: Angel Santiago