No. 72 // August 2022
Dr. Julianne Arena: A Courageous Leap From Comfort to Clarity p. 16
In Data We Trust: How to Create Exponential Value in Your Business p. 25
If You Can’t Run Then Walk: A Lesson in Discipline and Perseverance p. 21
Editors Outlook: Fear vs Hope in Tug of War p.04
Heather Alexander: Challenge and Opportunity are Synonymous p.08
There Is No Ambiguity in Perseverance p.06
HOPE FOR HEALTH No. 72
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The clear-cut definition of perseverance revolves around keeping our head in the game. But remember, how we play the game directly relates to our chance at victory! After 10 years with her practice, Heather Alexander has learned that challenges are more than just occasional rough patches, they’re opportunities to learn and evolve. Add this delicious item to this weekend’s meal prep list! Then follow the QR and share a recipe with our community. Reviewing your PMEs is about so much more than making sure we hit all the steps and transition questions. Devan gets deep and detailed about what else to look out for. After having got a glimpse of what “could be” in the world of wellness, Dr. Julianne Arena chose to uproot her life to start “living.” A lookback at 2022 Spring Quarterly and information about our upcoming event! Dr. Trevor Botts walked away from our recent Spring Quarterly with a short-term goal – running a 10k. Despite his enthusiasm, things did not turn out the way he envisioned. Read on to find out what happened. COO, Seth Conger, is excited about data - you should be too! There is much to gain from collecting precise information, including vast business growth.
Fear vs. Hope in Tug of War About six years ago I suffered a stress fracture in my foot that left me completely sidelined from running. I was in an orthopedic boot and unable to do the only thing that had kept me going through the intense grief I was in at the time. Two months before the injury, I had been laid off from work and prioritizing a job hunt was put on the back burner to accommodate a more pressing concern. I was needing to find a new place to live after discovering a divorce was in my near future. I had been injured before, but this time it was different. This fracture stripped me from my only refuge. I lost my ability to run when running was all I had and in a brief 60-day period, the only thing that was left for me to hold onto was hope. So, I gripped it tightly. The following year was rough. My new place was furnished with mismatched pieces that kept it from feeling like a home. My recovery regimen, though swift, was followed by a personal worst in a subsequent marathon. And I accepted a less than favorable job out of necessity. I had bills to pay, and I needed a way to buy groceries. Still, I held on to hope because there was nothing else for me to grasp. Hope drove me to come up with the framework to improve my situation. I worked out financial plans to build a savings and be able to afford nicer things. I planned out the steps I’d take to transition out of my position at work and into a better role; and I designed training plans that revolved around new running goals. I went all in with hope, and creating these plans came easy to me. Of course, there was no risk involved when I had nothing to lose. Eventually, I bought a couch and new curtains to match; and my savings slowly began accumulating. My running improved and I hit a personal best in the marathon. Then I landed a new job at a great company – Freedom Practice Coaching. I thanked God. I was grateful. I was witnessing all the plans I had created come to fruition and it felt like I was on a winning streak. Then, somewhere between my new couch and the increasing fondness for my job I realized everything had changed. There was risk now and I had a lot to lose. And without warning, hope had been evicted and a new tenant moved in – fear. Things were suddenly going great, and it was scary. I was missing the ease of planning for victory when the fear of failure was nonexistent. I spent nearly a year feeling complete gratitude for everything while also feeling utterly ungrateful for my inability to enjoy it. It was disturbing, and it had to change.
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“I want to live.” Those were my first four words in the journal entry that would send me down a path of self-reflection and discovery. “I want to live. And as I grow further away from my past, I fear I will forget what it feels like to be broken and I worry. I worry I will take this new life for granted so part of me wants to stay a little broken; but I can’t. I can’t stay who I was and also become who God has planned for me to be. I want to be fearless. I want to be brave.” We have to surrender. We have to let go of the fear that interferes with hope and suppresses our joy. And in doing so, we are able to accept the possibility of loss and failure in an uncertain future. We are able to destroy the belief that if we guard ourselves from fully loving something, we’d be guarding ourselves from fully hurting when it’s gone. We have to give ourselves permission to fail. And we must decide to learn from, and welcome mistakes with humility and accountability. I’m still on that journey, and I imagine that it will be a long one. I hope that it will. And as I make more discoveries and mistakes, and as I celebrate new victories and experience more loss, I do so with courage. Courage to fully feel both joy and pain. Fear hinders joy; and I want to be fearless. I want to live. By: Mariza Elizondo
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Thoughts from the Founder
Perseverance or Mindless Persistence? We all develop patterns in our behavior that can be easily identified by someone close to us. It is clear to those we love whether a specific behavior is good or productive versus bad or destructive. What we believe about ourselves regarding our specific behavior directly correlates with how we personally define it, and therefore may be completely out of line with how those that are close to us view such behavior. For example, someone who just developed a new habit of exercising two to three times per week would define having a “high level of discipline” differently than an outsider who has been training six days a week consistently for years. Perseverance, on the other hand, is a very unique and personal behavior which by universal definition carries with it unknown challenges that show up and attempt to defeat us; to make us quit. To persevere is to persist despite the difficulty and this is not easily redefined by an outsider looking in. It’s pretty apparent if one is persevering or not. Either you move through it, or you don’t. You and only you must make the choice to stay in the game. Always consider your destination. Persisting despite difficulty without considering the destination will become mindless work, repeated day after day in hopes of changing our current state to a better state. This approach will lead to burn-out, loss of hope, diminished effort, and a poorly played “game.” In reality, there can be no real perseverance without knowing the destination and committing fully to getting there.
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“There can be no real perseverance without knowing the destination and committing fully to getting there.” With a worthy goal or destination, your approach in how you play the game is crucial. To remain in a state of perseverance, you must surround yourself with others who believe in you and respect your ongoing persistence. You must use discernment regarding who is offering you advice or criticism. If the individual offering advice isn’t living up to the standards you’re committed to, kindly separate yourself from the conversation. This can be a challenge when the advice is coming from those closest to you. Their intention is pure, but not necessarily in line with your goal. When faced with this challenge, ask yourself – is my destination worth it? Then base your actions on the answer. Perseverance recognizes daily sacrifice and honors the decision, knowing that sacrifice opens doors to opportunities that were once held back by a faulty prioritization of time. It is because our time is so precious that we must sacrifice many of these “not so beneficial activities” to gain back this commodity in order to restructure and repurpose it. Now we can fill our time in a manner that keeps us on our path, allowing perseverance to produce fruit more readily. To persevere is to hold yourself accountable to a future outcome that has significant meaning in your life. It’s to keep your head in the game when the odds are against you. It’s to believe in yourself despite the discouraging voices of those around you who haven’t the courage to go after their dreams. Remind yourself of why you started this difficult journey and dwell on all that is good by holding to your perseverance. Surround yourself with those who encourage rather than discourage you. By following your heart, you will find an inner peace within; and that alone is enough to justify this path less traveled. By: Dr. Charles Webb
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Having spent the last decade on the Functional Nutrition Resources team, Heather Alexander, Lead Practitioner, has developed a deep love for her practice, and their entire community. Her investment in the business goes far beyond hours worked, and stems from her passion in health and more importantly, her devotion towards supporting others through their wellness journeys. “My dad had some health challenges when I was younger, and I helped him make some lifestyle changes. We tried new recipes, he got more active, and he lost weight; and I really loved seeing him feel his best. I ended up going to school for nutrition and dietetics and the further I got, the more I realized I wanted to explore integrative medicine. I also encountered some health challenges of my own and realized that I really did need to know the root cause.” When Heather met Jennette and Amos, owners of the practice, she discovered how similar their visions were and joined their team. After working alongside each other for nearly six years, Jennette and Heather signed up for a dinner seminar hoping they would walk away with a few pearls that might help them broaden their client reach. “We heard Dr. Webb speak at the dinner, and Jennette said we should probably do a call with them. That’s when everything got laid out; and the whole FPC model just made sense. I was willing to try anything just to give more people the help they need.” After joining forces with FPC, the practice began experiencing several wins; the most predominant being their official “break-up” with the insurance model. Then they were awarded FPC’s “Team of the Year” in 2020; and this past May, Heather was the recipient of FPC’s “Team Member of the Year” award for having played an integral role in the mission of her practice. They have also become routine goal hitters and have seen a tremendous spike in their revenue. “We had our best day ever in the middle of February with $26,379.63. I've been with our practice for a long time and when we were doing insurance, sometimes that's all we would get for a whole month. And this was just one day! I was like holy cow, that’s huge! And we already have the most clients signed this month, so we are definitely seeing some great changes.”
“There can be no real perseverance without knowing the destination and committing fully to getting there.”
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Among these changes was a shift in responsibilities for Heather, which she pursued to add value to the practice and increase their “lives changed” total. “I wanted to grow and help in more areas, so I went to Jennette and said if you would have me, I would love to help you do PME’s. I thought, if we're both doing them, that's more people we can help; that's more changed lives. Plus, it would free up Jennette to be able to work more on the business. So, we created a plan and eventually got the ball rolling.”
Functional Nutrition Resources Team
That plan, however, got delayed. Heather originally proposed the idea in early 2020, right before covid hit; and when the practice was faced with the challenge of shifting their entire platform to fit a virtual venue, they all had to work hard to adapt. “We were all hands-on deck for the transition, and we didn’t know how it was going to work. We went from live dinner talks only, to webinars very quickly. We added a private Facebook group for client support and connection; and shifted to online classes which we had never done before. There was uncertainty, but we just took things one day at a time. So, stepping into the PME role was put on hold and I had to look at it as an opportunity and ask myself what I could do to grow into the role. So, I got a lot more practice than I normally would have, and was just really able to learn it.” Heather believes that having that type of “growth mindset” is fundamental in achieving success as a team member. She says that acknowledging potential challenges, proposing solutions, and always asking questions is key. “You always want to make sure you understand what is being taught. So, if you’re feeling stuck, ask questions and get help; and stay as plugged in as you can with the workshops. If there are challenges, go to your leader with viable solutions that may help, and do so in a way that isn’t bossy. And be willing to grow. Even if it’s a little scary, even if it’s uncomfortable, always operate from that growth mindset.”
By: Mariza Elizondo
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Visit our website at www.aptogenix.com
Become part of a thriving ecosystem Programs and bank management to help your practice members reach their goals 10 Hope for Health I No. 71
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BE THE PERSON YOU WANT OTHERS TO BE “Where you place your attention is where you place your energy.” - Dr. Joe Dispenza In Hal Elrod’s “The Miracle Equation,” we learned that focusing your attention on the positive can alter your reality and lead to miraculous results. When doctors told Hal that he would never walk again after his traumatic car accident, Hal accepted what he had experienced and began placing his focus on what he could still control, instead of what he couldn’t. His doctors were surprised by his response. They were used to patients instinctively focusing on what they had lost, leaving them powerless over what they had left. They thought Hal was in denial but in reality, his choice to focus on the positive is what led to his miraculous recovery. Positive thinking is crucial but without action, it’s futile. About 10 weeks ago, I dislocated my shoulder and instinctively began focusing on what was still within my control. I created a rehab plan and began working towards becoming stronger than ever. Without having had this plan in place to act on, my positive thoughts alone would not have garnered my quick turnaround. Positive thinking is what led me to design the plan and my attention and energy on those thoughts is what allowed me to become the person I needed to be to achieve the results I wanted to achieve. Positive thoughts are more likely to render positive results because, as you know, what you put into the world tends to be reflected back. If you are financially struggling and keenly focused on “needing the win” to alleviate your situation as you are doing a PME, you will start to run into challenges with your prospects regarding finances. Your attention and energy will be reflected and will ultimately influence your result. It is important to stay focused on the positive, create a plan that will help you overcome your challenges and become the person who acts on, and executes that plan. Become the person you are asking your prospect to be.
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“Positive thinking is crucial but without action, it’s futile.”
A few months ago, Charlie and Mindi flew in from San Antonio to attend my wedding. They booked a room at a nice resort and raved about their amazing experience during their stay. They mentioned how the venue should be charging at least two times more than they were based on the level of quality they provided. They had just given them a testimonial and a referral. As a business owner, Charlie understands the value of referrals and testimonials and knows that leading by example and with integrity is the best way to have those characteristics reflected back. Wanting testimonials and referrals is easy but if you are not proactively giving them to businesses who have earned them, you are setting a poor standard and expecting others to be someone you are not willing to become. If you are struggling in a particular area or faced with challenging circumstances, start by focusing on the positive. Place your attention and energy on what you can control and construct a plan. Then put your plan into action and repeat this cycle when you get stuck or lost. Become the person who does this instinctively by holding yourself to these standards. And have confidence when holding others to the same standards by ultimately becoming the person you want them to be. By: Luke Wempe
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MASTERING YOUR INTUITION IN THE PME
During the “Players Review the Tapes- PME” class at our recent Spring Quarterly, we listened to PME recordings and explored the dynamics of conversations on an advanced level. The importance of “reviewing the tapes” is not just about the steps, the scripting, and making an emotional connection. Its more about presence, intuition, and guiding the conversation in a way that feels authentic and meets the prospect where they are at. Outside of PMEs and during our more personal conversations, we tend to find it much easier and natural to be fully present, tuned in, and aware of the individual in front of us. I encourage you to explore that feeling. Think of a conversation that you have had with a friend or family member that reflects this type of connection and then take that feeling into your PMEs. If your insecurities are present during your conversations - you are not. Letting go of your insecurities inevitably makes the conversation about the other person. Doing this allows you to be fully present and engaged in your intuition and helps you meet the other person where they are at (know your audience). It allows you to see the direction of the conversation (knowing the steps and checkpoints of the PME here is vital) and understand when to make shifts. Ask yourself these key questions: Where is this conversation going right now? Do I need to redirect it to make it purposeful? What do they need to realize their potential and see their situation clearly? What do they need to move forward? Think of yourself as both a fully present guide and an observer. Discernment around the emotional connection is a big area of opportunity. A PME will unnecessarily drag out if you are desperately trying to connect when you aren’t even fully present. This is unproductive.
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I’m sure you have heard coaches say that some of their best PMEs have been their shortest. So, how is this possible? How do we know when to dive deeper? How do we know when to reflect and look at the big picture? Its intuition. Stay curious, be fully present, listen, and reflect on a deep level on what the big picture is. And remember what it is that ultimately resonated with them and brought them in to have this conversation with you. A common area of struggle is with prospects whose main concern is to lose weight. They may have pre-diabetes and other issues, but the conversation revolves around eating better and exercising; and they acknowledge they need accountability to get there. These conversations can be tough because your instinct might tell you to keep digging and keep exploring their pain point – losing weight; but if you step back, observe, and think about what that person really needs to move forward, you will be able to shift the conversation and align it with their desired destination.
“If your insecurities are present during your conversations - you are not.” Picture them in their life. Observe them sitting in front of you and get curious. Instead of diving deeper pull back, look at the big picture and ask them perspective-based questions to help connect them to themselves. When is enough, enough? What will it take to get out of this stuck place? If not now, when? Do this until they no longer see their destination as an “I should do this” and begin seeing it as an “I must do this now. There is no other option.” Digging deeper is necessary when you need to gain clarity around shared information, or when your intuition tells you there is something more; perhaps something they are afraid of addressing. Think of it as “exploring the unspoken” or being willing to go to a place with them where nobody has gone before. Don’t be afraid to speak up about something if you sense it. Looking at the big picture is useful when you need to help them see their lives and reflect it back on an impactful level to establish urgency and gauge acceptance of the current and future situation. Where do you want to go? Do you want and need help to get there? The big picture helps to check in and move the conversation forward in a purposeful way. Review your PMEs! Review them consistently and repeatedly. Make sure you touch each step and ask each transition question and pay special attention to the details that involve feeling and connection. Your feelings while you listen will reflect how they were feeling during the PME. Assess whether they were connected to themselves. Were they on the bus? Where did they fall off? Pause your recording in these moments and use your tools to practice your conversation. By: Dr. Devan Sachs
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DR. JULIANNE ARENA
A Catalyst for Consciousness “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” – Oscar Wilde Prior to 2015 Dr. Julianne Arena had it all. She was a partner at a lucrative doctor’s office and was earning a substantial income; she was married and raising two children, and she was living out her dream of helping women in the health sphere. As an OB-GYN, she was delivering thousands of babies and helping new mothers bring life into existence. But underneath, she felt an incessant desire to do more. She wanted to help people live. She wanted to see her patients living a life beyond mere existence - a life with purpose. Julianne’s desire led her into experiencing her first big “awakening.” In 2015 she attended an integrative medicine conference that opened her eyes to a new world within health and wellness; and she realized she had found the path towards the life she was meant to lead. “I couldn’t believe how much I hadn’t learned in conventional medicine that would help my patients; and my sisters, and my mother, and myself! I went back to work with all this enthusiasm. I enrolled in a functional medicine fellowship and spent the next two years trying to bring it into my practice, but I just couldn’t convince my partners. So, at one of our meetings, I finally said you know what, I’m done. And turned in my resignation.” For Julianne this decision was more than a disagreement about the trajectory of the practice. Walking away would be the hardest thing she would ever do, but she couldn’t ignore the road she saw in her newly awakened state. The road that led to joy, fulfillment, and a broader understanding of how to empower others into having their own “awakening.”
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“I knew that there was more out there for me- more happiness and joy. And I really wanted my children to see that. We all just live through life. We try to do the right things but can easily get caught on a treadmill. And we lose when we are on it. We lose our vision, our mission, and our passion. We need to have continued awakenings, and I’m trying to do my part to help people have theirs in the health sphere.” After resigning, Julianne worked at an integrative health clinic for two years before learning that they would be closing for business. It was then that she decided to turn the practice that she had mentally built into a reality. “Waves of Awakening Center” officially opened its doors in February of 2020; just two weeks before the pandemic. She spent the next eight months in survival mode, then finally made the decision to get help.
“We all just live through life. We try to do the right things but can easily get caught on a treadmill. And we lose when we are on it.” “I had heard Charlie speak a few years earlier and then I just started getting emails from him again and felt like it was a sign. So, I went through the whole discovery process with him and Danielle and took another leap. And three days later, I was attending my first virtual quarterly.” Julianne dove headfirst into the FPC training and in June of 2021, she and her team were recognized in FPC’s Hope for Health magazine shortly after breaking the 100K mark in their record month. Since then, they have completely transitioned out of insurance and have continued their record-breaking momentum to the point of needing to establish a new monthly target. More recently, Julianne was awarded FPC’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” for her ability to innovate, lead, and run a thriving practice that adds value to people’s lives. “After I received the award someone at my table asked me, what is your secret? I told her, as I have said in the past, if you follow the FPC steps and dig in with your all, the process will work for you. She said, yes, but it must be more than that. And in thinking more about it, emotionally connecting with your prospects is really important. And being open, and honest, and relatable is key.” “Resentment is high when self-care is low,” Julianne said about her moments of complete overwhelm. “When you’re stressed, it’s oxygen mask to yourself first.” “The whole FPC system – I know that it’s successful, but it’s challenging. There are definitely times when there are 50 thousand balls in the air and I’m just like, I’m done, I don’t want to do this. But it’s a fleeting thought that doesn’t stick. You have to look past that and keep your eyes on the future and on what you’re trying to build. You push through. And you pick yourself up, you dust yourself off, and you keep going. I have a calling – I have a mission.” By: Mariza Elizondo
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THE WORST RACE I EVER RAN: Turning Discipline into Perseverance At the May Quarterly Conference, I shared with you all the story of the greatest cross-country race I ever ran, where as a freshman in high school I finished in the top 10 at a large invitational event and beat a mysterious opponent known as “El Toro.” It was one of my proudest moments. Now, I want to tell you about the worst race I ever ran. I quit running midway through high school to focus on music. I told myself that I didn’t enjoy running, and I carried that feeling with me into adulthood. During recent years, as I have learned to love going to the gym, I’ve mostly focused on weights and interval training, spending very little time on endurance training; and especially avoiding running.
June 2022
As I prepared to speak to all of you in May, reminiscing about my past as a runner, and learning about the incredible transformation that Mariza’s dad, Antonio, experienced, I was inspired to “choose challenges” and get back into running. I decided to make running a part of my regular workout routine until I learned to love it again. I also decided to sign up for a 10k race to give me something to aim for. I found one that was less than two weeks out and, in my excitement, I went ahead and signed up.
The next day I bought new running shoes and decided to break them in by running the full 6.2 miles. I knew I didn’t have much time to train so I wanted to see if I could at least finish the 10k distance. It was the first time I had run that far without stopping in 25 years. The run left me sore but feeling great overall and the best part – I fell back in love with the sport. I quickly remembered why I loved the peace, solitude, and discipline, of long-distance running. “Discipline is what you do when no one is watching.” I was fired up and excited! I had a new challenge in a new area where I could push myself. So, a few days later, I decided to repeat the same distance and see if I could finish it with a faster time. I was focused and determined. And then about a mile into the run I felt a twinge in my knee. Immediately, I thought about David Goggins, the former marine, long distance runner, and all-around beast when it comes to endurance (and self-punishment). I remembered how he pushed through a “hell week” with other marine recruits by duct taping his fractured shins and thought to myself, “I’m gonna David Goggins this sh*!” So, I pushed through my pain and managed to finish my run two minutes faster than my previous attempt. I was stoked!
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I was stoked – that is, until later that day when I found myself limping around because the pain in my right knee had become worse. It was so sharp I couldn’t even climb the stairs in my house. The race was in a week, and I had injured myself. I rested over the weekend and went easy during my workouts the following week. Ice. Rest. Massage. Chiropractic. I even bought several knee braces to try out during my runs, but I couldn’t run more than a mile before my knee started to flare up. During this time, I was checking in with Mariza and keeping her updated on my preparation for the race. When she found out about my injury, she gave me some advice. Quoting my talk at quarterly, she used my words against mediscipline means being able to “look beyond the finish line.” I wanted so much more than just one race. I wanted to train for a marathon. More importantly, I wanted to be the strongest and healthiest I can be. Destroying my body over pride was not the way to go. Shoot. Mariza was right.
“There were times when I considered throwing in the towel. Moments of crisis when I reached out to the coaches for a lifeline.” Yes, I was excited for my first race in 25 years. But I had pushed too hard, too fast. My mind and heart said yes, but I had not exercised the patience to make sure my body could keep up with the shift in my training routine. I had a decision to make. I could “duct tape my shins” and beat the hell out of my body to finish the race, I could drop out since it was obvious that I wouldn’t be in any shape to hit my goal, or I could reset my goal and expectations and train carefully so that I could at least stay in the race and finish. “Discipline is what you do in response to disruption.” I decided to show up for the race. I also decided to exercise the discipline to walk - to finish the race without further injury. That morning I was still feeling disappointed. This was not going to go the way I had originally envisioned. But I showed up, checked in, pinned on my number, and did a short warm up. When I took off from the starting line, I maintained a light jog. I had decided that my goal was to jog one mile, walk the rest and listen to my knee. It was humbling to walk along the narrow, wooded trail and then stop and step to the side every time a runner approached to pass me. Their reactions were interesting. Some gave me words of encouragement while others must’ve thought I would appreciate hearing them complain about how hard that section is, or how steep this hill is. Some runners even used me as an excuse to walk themselves. I guess they thought if the race was hard enough for this guy to “give up” then they could too. Little did they know how my mind and heart so badly wanted the opportunity to smoke them all. But I forced myself to walk. At times I would skip, I’d stretch, I did “high knees,” and I created my own six-mile rehab course. It was a beautiful day. The countryside was stunning. And I was grateful to be there. In athletics, as in life and business, turning discipline into perseverance has just as much to do with who we are, as what we do. In fact, sometimes – like when we are injured or get hit with an unforeseen challenge – it becomes 100% about who we are. Sometimes we have to simply “be” because we can’t “do”. Perseverance is having the discipline to keep walking when you can’t run. It’s showing up for the race you committed to, even if current challenges will prevent the outcome you hoped for. Perseverance is walking with a smile, your head held high, and being grateful to be in the race. Perseverance is having the heart of a runner, even when an injury forces you to slow down and walk. Sometimes we tend to lose our discipline because outside circumstances prevent us from being able to do things the way we want to. Perseverance means we never lose sight of who we are, regardless of any challenge thrown our way.
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As I look back on my time as a client with FPC – as I worked to build my wellness practice – there were plenty of challenges. There were times when I considered throwing in the towel. Moments of crisis when I reached out to the coaches for a lifeline. Through everything, the most important thing I learned was who I really am. Recognizing my inner strength and learning to believe in myself, has allowed me to develop the perseverance to do everything within my power in any given situation, while also accepting with patience and grace, that some things will not go according to my plan or timeline. Regardless of the outcome, I persevere. That is who I am. It’s who you are too. During my recent 10k race I proudly walked with the heart of a long-distance runner. After almost two long hours, I finally crossed the finish line. I texted Mariza to let her know she could tell her dad he could brag about having finished his first race with a faster mile-split than me. It was by far the worst race I ever ran. But I expect that someday I will look back and realize it was the greatest.
By: Dr. Trevor Botts
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IN DATA WE TRUST I was attending a health entrepreneur conference in August 2018 when I received a phone call from Dale Bredesen, MD, author of The End of Alzheimer’s, and at the time, the leading brain health and cognitive decline researcher in the world. Dr. Bredesen had published his seminal paper on cognitive decline reversal a few years before, which included nine case studies; and was looking to publish a second paper that would include other groups working toward the same goal. I was familiar with his work but unaware of how he found our clinic. Then he explained his new pursuit. He was looking to gather 100 case studies of clients with well-defined cognitive decline and a reversal of symptoms and/or an improvement in brain health metrics; and then publish a peer-reviewed paper. “So, Seth, do you have one or two clients with complete pre and post data tracking that you could contribute to this effort?” “I have 58.” The phone went silent for a minute. “Did you say 58! Wow. Well then, if you have 58 with complete pre and post data, how many clients have you treated?” “58.” As it turns out, he had already spoken to 50 other clinics; and none had more than three to five cases, out of the dozens they had seen, with full data sets that could be used for the effort. They were all just wasting the opportunity to collect outcome data and I was appalled. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing about these other clinics and Dr. Bredesen couldn’t believe what he was hearing from me. “I’ve never seen anything like this in Functional or Integrative Medicine. How do you do this?” “It’s simple,” I answered. “We use programs. We agree up front with our clients on the length and contents of the program, we set specific goals to work toward together, and we measure along the way to ensure we’re on the right track. We include all their MD, mid-level, and coach visits; their brain health and lifestyle education, their supplements, and two sets of diagnostics (pre and post). We have a model that drives and measures outcomes.” No. 72 I
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“In a system where physician burnout is at an all-time high while patient satisfaction is at an all-time low, we need a better solution.”
It turns out that 90% of the practitioners Dr. Bredesen spoke to were fee-for-service or insurance-based. There was no built-in mechanism to collect outcome data, so it never happened. “Why would a patient pull out their wallet for more labs after they feel good?” I asked. Dr. Bredesen found our website doing a google search for pre-Alzheimer’s outcomes. We had our data displayed right on the website with testimonials to match. In November of 2018, “Reversal of Cognitive Decline: 100 Patients” was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinsonism*. They used seven of our cases, and to this day that paper is still benefiting my career. Gathering pre, during, and post objective and subjective data on every client ensured that everyone was on the same page with the path we were taking toward our client’s goals. It allowed us to look back and see where we could have done better in that case. It kept us honest. Publishing that data on our website and reviewing it in our in-person talks alongside testimonials drove in more organic leads, made the PME’s easier, and encouraged more referrals. Our names on that article landed us on the local news, in a national special, on several podcasts, and aided in the cash multiple we received in the sale of our practice later that year. A single decision - any clinical scale or lab we ran once, we’d run twice - had a ripple effect that created enormous value in countless areas of so many lives, and it’s still paying dividends. During our recent Spring quarterly event, CEO, John Linton, took the stage and discussed the evolution of FPC’s vision. Ky Carlson, on behalf of Vibility, had just presented self-reported outcomes from 15,000 Revitalize program participants over the last few years. Using a randomized 12% sample across all ages, genders, and practitioner types we found the astonishing outcomes shown.
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The aggregation of this data launched an effort with our Mastermind group to pull objective data (clinical scales and labs) from their EMR’s to overlay with this self-reported data; and by the time this article is published we should have statistically significant outcomes to display. This outcome data encouraged us to evolve from FPC as a standalone, into the ecosystem including Vibility and Aptogenix to further drive health outcomes. In John’s words, “this data produced by our clients allows us to look beyond our vision of changing 10 million lives and envision changing healthcare completely.” The new Vibility practitioner and patient engagement platform launched at Spring Quarterly, now has Functional Medicine industry and population relevant clinical scales and manual lab entry built into each program for those who opt in. Lab, wearable, and other objective measure integrations are on our roadmap for later this year. All this data will be captured in a HIPAA compliant database and available to you. We understand the power of this data for the individual patient, the clinic, and the greater mission; and are doing what we can to make accurate collection, aggregation, and interpretation as easy as possible for our clients. In a country where our healthcare spending is two-and-a-half times that of any other industrial nation, yet comes in dead last in the quality of care, we need a better system. In an environment where 51.8% of Americans have at least one chronic disease, we need a new approach. In a system where physician burnout is at an all-time high while patient satisfaction is at an all-time low, we need a better solution. Mastering your programs, how to promote them, and how to gain commitment for them is your first step and will drive the highest value for your business. Collecting outcome data will perpetuate your success. Aggregating that anonymized data with others in this community will give us a seat at the table of healthcare change. If you are not already collecting pre-post data on all your practice members, start doing it now. The program model you are practicing (or learning to build) is designed to drive and measure outcomes, don’t let the opportunity to create exponential value for your business slip away. And if you’d like to participate in the greater mission with this community, we’d be honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with you; while together we lead the change in healthcare that we all know is not just possible, but necessary. Seth Conger, COO Freedom Practice Coaching & Vibility
*VIEW THE STUDY HERE
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HOPE FOR HEALTH No. 72
Publisher: Freedom Practice Coaching Editor-in-Chief: Mariza Elizondo Designer: Justin Dickenson