Happy New Year to everyone who is interested in my new clinic. I have a smile from ear to ear these days. I get to set up phone accounts with lovely companies like AT&T, shop for olefin carpeting, scan Craigslist periodically throughout the day, and tell myself that this will be my last month without an income. Happy 2009!
I'm reflecting on the very quick and direct journey which led me to community acupuncture.
After all, I had been successful doing things with the more common business model which is referred to by the Community Acupuncture coven as "boutique acupuncture." Back in Atlanta, I was treating each patient in their own treatment room and giving them way more time and attention than they received from their MD's and, for most of them, even their own spouses. Looking back, it certainly blurred a lot of lines: the line between friend and doctor, the line between salesperson and healer. I enjoyed my work, but I also complained a lot. Maintaining my large client base was no easy task. Imagine trying to juggle the four balls: friend, doctor, salesperson, healer. Oh, and bill-collector, too. Make that 5 balls.
The "Community Acupuncture community" is a pretty wild bunch. I had the pleasure to meet a bus-load of them in Portland back in October of last year. I don't say bus-load like people use the word "boat-load." I was actually on a bus with them touring the Community Acupuncture clinics in Portland. The clinics that we toured were very different from the clinics that I had run or worked in. First of all, the clinics were very reflective of the owners' personalities, all of which were welcoming and unpretentious. One clinic owner had a theme of spiky objects throughout her brightly colored clinic. She displayed several potted cactus, porcupine and hedgehog figurines. Another CA owner had a modest clinic with old linoleum floors and florescent lights where you pay by slipping your money into a cardboard box. No money for a receptionist yet. Bartering for the much needed repairs. She had wisely decided to not get bogged down in making the place beautiful and just started treating patients as soon as possible. The common thread throughout these clinics was the hodgepodge of used recliners, the mellow vibe, and the
feeling that the space really belonged to the patients (many of whom supplied the clinics with their magazines, plants, donated chairs, and artwork).So, as I go over color swatches and carpet samples and try to figure out if it all jives with my logo (will post soon), I try to imagine whose butts will sit and fall blissfully asleep in these recliners.
Will they care if the walls are high-gloss? Or will they hate looking up at a drop ceiling? Will they mind that I won't have the time to shmooze? That's my baggage, actually.
Anyway, lots of transitions this month. So, please stay tuned.
