"Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, grows you, or makes you happy." -- Unknown
As North Shore Pro-Active Health approaches its ten-year anniversary, it's a great time to reflect on why I love my company. I'm fortunate enough to have taken an incredible vision and made it a reality.
Here are 3 tips you can draw from my experience, which I hope can help you to build a company you love, too:
Follow your dream and do what you love.
From a very early age I wanted to help people by becoming a physician. The more I learned about options in the medical field, the more I was drawn toward a holistic model of treatment. I'm a nationally board certified Doctor of Chiropractic with a focus on functional medicine. I provide clients an alternative to the straight allopathic model of healthcare, where oftentimes drugs and surgery are an early option. We have tools in our clinic such as vitamin and hormone testing. We recommend supplements and dietary changes before prescription drugs. We even have an amazing acupuncturist in house. It's great to see clients make a few lifestyle changes and stick with them once they see how great their bodies can feel.
Surround yourself with incredible people.
Whether it's clients, networking associates or staff themselves, every day I interact with individuals I love. Over the past decade, it's been an undertaking to staff our clinic. It had been a challenge to find individuals at the top of their field that also possessed fantastic customer service and a great work ethic. It hasn't been until the last twelve months that we've really put together an unstoppable team. From our office staff to our service providers everyone not only works very well together, they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses and they provide amazing service to all of our clients. We've built a solid reputation in the community and our excellent clients refer other clients just like them! It's a pleasure to "work" with such fantastic individuals.
Outside the office, I'm part of the Chicago Leadership Alliance, a group of young professionals and entrepreneurs that are really changing the business landscape not only in Chicago but nationally as well. I'm inspired daily by their accomplishments and humble approach to helping others.
Prepare to be flexible.
If I didn't love my company, I would do what was necessary to change it. Not many people can say that. We've been able to provide flexibility to staff so that they can stay home with sick children, travel and change shifts with other workers. I moved to downtown Chicago with my fiancé and changed times I see clients with another physician in our Libertyville office. (It's easy to switch shifts when the other doctor is your younger sister!) We cover for each other so that we can take continuing education when necessary and I even have time to sit on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Chiropractic Society.
Overall, my goal is to make North Shore Pro-Active Health an incredible place to work as well as receive treatment. I love what I do, I love who I do it with, and most of all, I love what we've all created.
This blogger graduated from Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.