Wow, what a week it’s been road tripping through the USA!
I’ve caught a Red Sox game in Boston…
Hung out with a bunch of the most successful, innovative chiropractors in the world…
(I was so busy enjoying the event I didn’t take a single picture of the event itself!)
Spent 3 nights in jail…
Driven through the cornfields of Indiana to give a clinical workshop with one of our top docs, Dr. Greg Adams…
Met Touchdown Jesus outside the football stadium at Notre Dame University…
And most surreal of all, travelled on a subway train packed with very merry teenagers pounding on the roof and chanting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi!!!”
It’s been a great week of learning, connection, teaching and experiencing.
Let’s unpack some of the lessons learned and insights gained.
First up was the UAC event in Boston. It was outstanding as always. I never fail to be impressed and humbled by the level of talent, generosity and genuine friendship that exists within this group.
If you want to think bigger and expand your impact through chiropractic, this is the room to be in.
Without them I honestly believe Better Balance Orthotics would never have been born.
A few highlights…
One of the most powerful sessions of the weekend was listening to Dr. Stephen Franson, founder of The Remarkable Practice, sit down on stage for a candid conversation with his COO, Paul Marston.
The two have been close friends for years, but Paul has come onboard with The Remarkable Practice only within the last year. He brings to the table decades of business experience, with a background in owning golf courses, restaurants and a trucking company that he built to a $25 million dollar business.
Hearing how they navigate the complexities of a large and rapidly growing company was fascinating. The key components they highlighted were communication, trust, and staying in your own lane.
In particular I love something Stephen said (I believe he was quoting someone else, but I didn’t catch who…)
“You’re only one awkward conversation away from fixing every jacked-up relationship in your life.”
I think that’s both liberating and scary in equal measure. We’re so afraid of the awkwardness… but everything you want lives directly on the other side of it.
There were also some key distinctions between the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and COO (Chief Operating Officer) that I found insightful.
As chiropractors, many of us wear both these hats in our own businesses. Yet it’s still valuable to understand the different functions, and understand which hat you’re actually wearing at any given time as you make decisions in your business.
For me this was particularly timely as my Practice Manager has just stepped down and we’re looking to bring someone on in more of a COO role to help manage our expanding businesses.
So here’s what I learned:
The CEO is in charge of tomorrow. Their focus is vision, growth and revenue. They LEAD the business.
The COO is in charge of today. Their focus is profitability and operations. They RUN the business.
The CEO is the GAS, the COO is the GUARDRAILS.
Stephen and Paul run their twice-weekly business meetings while rucking on the beach. As they put it…
“We play nice in front of the kids (the leadership team) then cage fight on the beach. Neither of us is attached to being right, we’re attached to doing the right thing.“
Being able to maintain this kind of healthy conflict for the sake of creating the best possible outcomes is where the communication and trust pieces become so critical. You must totally respect each other, yet still be able to firmly stand for your own point of view.
Think about these opposing but complimentary roles in your business… even if you are personally in both of them. Where would some more of this kind of positive disagreement serve your practice and your patients?
If you’re wearing both hats… which of these roles do you spend too much time in, and which do you neglect- to the detriment of your business, your team and your patients?
One more that I loved…
The CEO’s job is to break shit.
The COO’s job is to build capacity.
I think this one perfectly sums up the yin and yang of Jodie and my working relationship these days!
Two other cool things from the UAC event…
The first was that the Top 20 Most Influential in Chiropractic magazine has just been published for 2026. This list is voted on by our profession and curated by the UAC. Once again Better Balance Orthotics was featured (not in the Top 20 but as a Success Partner… give me a few years to hit that Top 20!)
It’s well worth a read if you want to get an insight how the top leaders in our profession are thinking and moving. You can grab your digital copy here: https://uacchiro.com/#top20
The other thing I really enjoyed… UAC have just introduced a John Wick style “marker” called a Talent. It’s a genuine 1-ounce silver coin minted by the UAC.
If you haven’t seen the movie, this marker represents something to give to someone when you request a favour. It’s a powerful token that basically can’t be honourably denied.
The idea is that when there’s someone you know you need to have a conversation with or learn something from, you can present them with a Talent as acknowledgement of the value they bring to the conversation.
In my experience this isn’t actually necessary. Everyone in UAC is already incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. In fact, one of the core values of the group is Access. However, this kind of gamifies the process and makes it more fun.
Dr. Alan Minor, co-chairman of the UAC, told me he can’t wait to see how they begin circulating throughout the UAC economy.
They are given out in acknowledgement of certain behaviours, such as introducing a new member or a great speaker to the group. So far, the first handful were given out at this event.
I was fortunate enough to receive two of them… one for 10 years of membership and one for consistently travelling the furthest to attend meetings. I’m genuinely honoured on both counts. I still sometimes can’t believe I’m part of such an aligned and inspiring group of people.
One last thing… a huge shout-out to Dr. Scott Gamm for the awesome adjustment I received. Thank you! It’s always such a pleasure to watch (or experience) a master at work.
After the UAC event I flew to Chicago and then drove out to present in-clinic workshops in Dr. Greg Adams’ clinic in Wakarusa and Drs. Steve and Caleb Carlson’s clinic in Dixon. Thank you, guys for hosting me.
Both of these were such valuable and enjoyable evenings. Zoom is one thing, but as chiropractors there’s nothing better than actually getting our hands on people and being able to share what we do.
One thing I realised out of these events is that virtually every challenge in implementing, utilising or achieving the best results with Better Balance Orthotics can be solved with a simple conversation. We all experience stumbling blocks or misunderstandings in our clinical practices, and it’s easy to feel alone, or just to give up on something and leave it in the too-hard basket.
Please don’t do that. Wherever you’re stuck, or even just experiencing a little friction… just reach out to me. There’s a very high chance that I or one of our other docs has already solved that exact challenge.
And if you’re not even sure what the challenge is… that’s ok too. I’ve become pretty good at diagnosing the issue as I’ve grown along this journey.
If you’re not currently utilising BBO to their fullest potential in your practice, then you, your patients, your practice and your bottom line are all missing out on something that could be genuinely transformative.
If you’re in the US, the next few weeks would be a great time for us to talk while I’m in your time zone.
This afternoon I’m heading off to Green Bay for an event tomorrow, then out to Alabama for another event on Saturday.
By the time you read this I’ll be off to Florida and then Washington before heading home. If you’re in either area and you want to catch up, I’d love to connect. I know I already have a few docs lined up… I’m looking forward to seeing you.
I’ve gotta say, it’s been a pleasure driving through the countryside the last few days, cranking 311 and enjoying the scenery. Most of my experience of America has been airports, hotels and big cities. It’s been so great to experience small-town America and meet real people. It’s a beautiful country and I’ve met a bunch of beautiful people.
I’m proud to say I haven’t driven on the wrong side of the road once!
I’m definitely missing family, but I’m also grateful to be here. I’ve fallen into a rhythm of 6am calls back home to say goodnight to my boys as they go to bed, then 5pm calls to catch them as they wake up before school. It’s quite a weird thing being on the other side of the world!
My friend Ryan Levesque always ends his emails with the advice “Remember to hug the ones you love.” That feels especially poignant right now. If you’re in the same space as them, don’t take that for granted.
Cheers,
PS. Speaking of Ryan, I mentioned last week how he’s agreed to present an online workshop specifically for Better Balance docs. If you missed it you can catch up here [FBC#36]
Ryan is acknowledged as one of the best marketers in the world, and his new book Return to Real is an incredibly relevant manifesto for the times we live in. The workshop he’s presenting will be a genuine $5000 value, tailored specifically to BBO chiropractors. If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a while but are yet to actually jump in and get started with BBO, I’d suggest now’s the time. If you want to be part of the workshop, you can grab your starter pack – just send me an email with “Get Started”