In this episode of The Successful Chiro Podcast, Dr. Noel Lloyd sits down with chiropractor, mentor, and speaker Dr. Melissa Longo to discuss what it really means to build a successful chiropractic practice. Dr. Longo shares her unique journey into chiropractic and how she reimagined the traditional model of practice to better align with her values, lifestyle, and family priorities. After navigating major life changes as a single mother, she redesigned her practice to be efficient, profitable, and fulfilling—while practicing from a streamlined home-based clinic. Together, they explore why success in chiropractic doesn’t have to follow a single path. From simplifying operations and reducing overhead to building systems that support freedom and flexibility, this conversation challenges chiropractors to rethink the traditional definition of practice success. If you’ve ever felt pressure to build a practice that doesn’t align with your lifestyle or values, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on how to design a chiropractic career that truly works for you.
The most successful chiropractors aren’t necessarily those who build the biggest practices—they’re the ones who build practices that align with their values, lifestyle, and purpose.
Learn more about Dr. Melissa Longo:
https://drmelissalongo.com
Listen to Dr. Longo’s podcast:
Rockstar Doctor Life
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe to The Successful Chiro Podcast for more conversations designed to help chiropractors grow better practices and better lives.
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Hi, this is Dr. Noel Lloyd. This is the Successful Chiro Podcast, and I'm speaking to a very successful chiro, Dr.
Melissa Longo. Melissa, good afternoon. Good afternoon. Great to see you. Great to see you as well. So you are a chiropractor, you're a coach, you're a mentor, you're a professional speaker. And, uh, how did you find yourself doing any of all of that? Well, let me ask you this first. How old were you when you got your first chiropractic adjustment?
I was in my twen mid, early twenties. I was in university and so I was, I'm gonna guess I was maybe 23, 22, 23. Yeah. So how did you hear about chiropractic and what did you think about chiropractic before you became a chiropractic patient? Yeah, I didn't know anything about it. My mother had seen a chiropractor, she had seen a different chiropractor for different things.
Um, I was in school studying kinesiology and thinking I was, I mean, I loved athletics, I loved fitness. I was teaching fitness classes. I had personal training, all that kind of stuff. So I thought that was gonna be my direction. And then I had a shoulder injury. I mean, it wasn't really an injury, it was more like I was getting numbness and tingling in my hand.
And my mother was like, you need to go see a chiropractor. So I called three different ones. The third one, um, was Dr. Nata Lurik in Oakville, Ontario. And I ended up sitting across from her and within a few minutes. She was describing what just seemed like the simplest, most logical approach to health I had ever heard.
And she, right away it was really wild, Noel because, um, I had said to her, you know, I'm just here 'cause of my shoulder blood. And she's like, oh, you're studying kinesiology. You, you know, anatomy. Well, you should become a chiropractor. And I don't know where the idea or intuitively I got the nudge, but I, I responded and said.
Yes, I'm gonna apply. I don't know where that came from, but sure enough, you know, after that, sitting across from her in her office, I went home called, uh, CMCC in Toronto. You know, got the application practice, um, or package rather. And then. I didn't apply the application, I think was still a year away, but in that time, in preparing for my interview and everything at the school, I realized how much my health had changed.
Um, yeah, from getting recurrent, you know, uh, strep throat or just stress related cold sores, or just the things that I thought were, was normal. You know, this is what happens in life. Back pain, you know, that would come on as a young woman at times. Um, yeah, everything changed with, uh, with my adjustments and, um, that's what got me started and that's what keeps me inspired every day.
Well, you know, your start, how somebody just said you should become a chiropractor. And my start, I remember I was. Riding home with my dad and we were in, uh, 1955 DeSoto and we were coming home from a chiropractic visit. And he just said to me, he said, that you're not too young to think about what you would like to do for a career.
You could be a chiropractor, you could help people. You could, uh, be your own boss. You can make a good living. And my dad never gave advice. And so I said just about as quickly as you did to the chiropractor you were talking with. Oh, okay. And that was, I think, one of the simplest decisions I ever made.
Yeah, it's really, chiropractic has changed my life in so many ways, um, but mostly from the approach that it's given me to looking at health. But the world in general, like, to me it just makes so much sense to be trying to always get to the cause of a problem, rather just, you know, trying to get as you outside in kind of solution.
Uh, it has changed how I've, I gave birth to my sons at home, how I've mothered them, um, the kind of relationships that I choose. It's, it's a foundational piece of my life that. You know, it was never gonna change. It just keeps expanding the more that I know. So I think that any chiropractor listening to this is going to be able to identify with, um, a lot of the chiropractic stuff.
But you are also a chiropractor coach and a mentor and a professional speaker. Uh, now that step from taking care of patients. To speaking and coaching and mentoring and things like that. Yeah. Uh, I'm just curious, how did you get started doing that? Well, I have been in practice, uh, for, you know, in and out for about six years, and then I was, my husband was a chiropractor as well, so we had built a practice together.
We then, our marriage ended and my sons were three and seven, and I had to rebuild a business while I was juggling things as a single mom and an active dad, an amazing dad and all that. Over time, I realized that the way that I was trying to build a practice wasn't really working for me. And so I shifted my business model and I, I, you know, I built it a little differently.
I'm now practicing out of a 500 square feet outta my home. And in that process, I'm just trying to streamline it for you a little bit. Like I realized that I could do things differently and you know, what I really loved to do was talk about chiropractic and health principles. I really wanted to be an active, engaged mother, and I really wanted to adjust people and how do I do those things?
And so it just kind of evolved. Once I shifted my business model, I simplified things quite a bit and that just opened up doors. And then it was the next thing I know, I got an opportunity to be a guest on local television shows as an expert. And then that morphed into, well, you should really have your own show.
Okay, so then I did television. And then after doing that for a few years, I realized. People can only hear this information. And I was talking about how to stay healthy. I wasn't talking about disease management, but we were just talking about great things that you could do within my community to stay healthy and well.
And I realized there was a limitation there. So, and, and pod, this is back in 2015 when I launched my first podcast, and it just kind of kept evolving as, as life often does. Once I started podcasting. I realized that I, I, you know, it was a different audience and I wanted at that point in time to start talking to first it was other women in, in practice because what I found as a single mom was I was growing my practice in different ways, um, than some of the, my colleagues were, because I didn't have the time and I was trying to, I was doing a lot of content back then.
I was doing videos, I was trying to build my practice when my kids were in school, and it just looked and felt a little different than some of my, my counterparts. So then the podcasting just grew, you know, into people then hearing me talk and, and invitations to go and speak at their events. And then, you know, next thing I know, I was running programs and then, you know, doctors wanted to work with me because they saw what I had done.
And it just was very organic. I mean, I started, um, I started podcasting with just the why. It was just a heart led mission of like, if, uh, if some other woman hears this conversation and feels better about their direction and their life and what they're trying to build, um, then I'm gonna have succeeded.
And I never looked at, I still really don't look at the downloads and the metrics too much. I'm just, I'm not really motivated by that. I'm motivated by the emails. And the feedback that I get from people that tell me how they've changed things in their life because of something they heard a guest say, or something that I've said.
So, you know, to answer your question, um, it just kind of evolved. And I think when you keep staying clear on what matters to you and also you know what your, what your strengths are and lean into those more, then sometimes the opportunities just start to keep presenting themselves. So one of the things, and I pulled this from your website, is that Melissa shifted her focus from doing everything the right way.
Yeah. To designing a life and business that aligned with her values. Now, one of the things that you mentioned was that you were a single mom. You had two little kids you wanted to take care of. Uh, patience. I mean, you, you needed to make a living. And so, I mean, you, you had, you had all of this mix, so what was the right way that you didn't do in your mind. The right way,
like, where I was off track, do you mean? Well, no, um, you shifted your focus from what to what? Oh, I shifted it from thinking that I was only gonna be successful as a chiropractor if I built a high volume practice with multiple practitioners.
And I realized that just wasn't for me. And I know it's for lots of docs, but it's not for all docs. And I just really wanted to focus on delivering care. I didn't wanna manage other people. Um, like I didn't wanna manage, um, other practitioners. I didn't wanna be a landlord. I really didn't care to manage another property.
Like there was just all these different hats I was wearing that, you know, the world or at the time the coaches I had or what I was observing were, you'll be successful when. You'll be successful when you achieve all these things. And for me, that wasn't just how I measured success for myself, for me, um, I wanted to be really present as a mother and I wanted, and I know there's lots of docs that have massive multidisciplinary practices and, and really great relationships with their kids, and they do all the things.
I just know my own skills and, and what I wanted to do. So I think it's important for people to realize that, like, what's right for you. Might not be what's right for me. I just got off an interview with two docs, twin brothers who are, you know, they acquire and manage massive volume practices and that excites them, the business side of it.
And we laughed and said that's nothing to do with, and I would never wanna do what you're doing It. But yet, do I have success and joy and fun and profit in my life? Yes. So I think to answer your question, um, I was, you know, I was, I was led to believe when I was in chiropractic school that there was only one way to be successful, and I was on track to do that, but I realized it wasn't making me feel successful.
It was making me feel stressed and overwhelmed, and that I wasn't really succeeding at anything. And so by taking a step back and asking myself like, okay, wait a second, what does actually Melissa want in this life? And how am I gonna achieve that? And then what else needs to happen? It just really changed everything because I got clear on on what I wanted and not what someone else told me I wanted.
And I also got clear on who I was and not trying to be someone else that someone told me to be. And I think, um, for me, those were really, you know, important things to get clear on. And I, it's something that I encourage my clients to do as well. Well, I, I'm listening to this whole thing and I'm thinking about single mom.
Two kids wanting to, um, not wanting to run the big show and knowing what your skills are and focusing in on that and moving in and creating exactly what you wanted. So, so tell me your practice when it's looked the best. To you what's actually happening? Now, I believe you practice out of your home, am I correct?
Yeah. I've got a practice out of 500 square feet. Um, it is highly when, when my life is looking good, when I feel successful, it's. It's having a good time. And you, we talked about this when you were on my podcast, like it's, it should be joyous and fun and Right. Obviously, you know, profitable. My overhead is very low because it's in part of my home, so that gives me a lot of expansion, a lot of room.
Um, I feel. Yeah, my sons are now 19 and 23. My youngest son just started chiropractic school, so I've had all the ability to travel with my sons and provide their needs and all the things they wanted to do besides the basic life necessities. You know, they wanted to play competitive sports and travel, and I've had all that ability from a financial standpoint as well as having the ease and freedom to just really explore some other things that.
I was curious to do. So the media stuff, the television, the, the podcasting, the coaching, the entrepreneurial side, I've been able to exercise those things for myself as well, and that all those things light me up like differently. Then adjustments are amazing and I love being in clinical practice, but I also really love chatting with people and helping them build, build their own successful practices.
So I think, um, if you're asking me like, what do I feel? How do I feel successful? Yes. Well, that is a question that I wanna ask you. Yeah. Um, but I also am interested in what the practice looks like when I say what the practice looks like. You work alone. I do, well, I, I have a team, but they're not in the practice with me, so yes.
Um, I'm sitting right now in the reception area. It's, um, people come in, they pre-book their appointments online or I book them using an automated system. They oftentimes will prepay for a serial program of care with me. So we have a lot of features. I think the value of of working in a a higher volume environment at different times, even doing locums or having other coaches, is that I know some of the systems that really work and I've still applied those systems into my practice, but I built a culture that's a little bit different, so people are just interacting with me.
Um, it's really community focused. Um, I'm only adjusting. I'm not doing anything else when people are here. I'm not doing any rehab type stuff. I'm not doing any other, we have good conversations and, and chat, but people are in and out, you know, in about 10 minutes. Um, and it's really streamlined and efficient.
People really like that about the practice. It's family friendly. I see a lot of kids. And the logistics is, the growth has been very organic. I haven't really paid for any marketing in, in a very long time. So that just comes with time and experience, I think too. But the day to day, I'm not, I have a team of people who work for my business, but they're not sitting here.
There's not a front desk person sitting here. So just outta curiosity. Yeah. Like what type of people work for your business and what type of I'm I'm interested in the mechanics. I love practice mechanics, as you can imagine. Yeah. Being a coach where I work with systems. So an example of somebody who works for you that isn't on site.
Uh, I, well, someone that does all the website stuff that is mm-hmm. Consistently, I have two different website people. Um, someone who builds and designs the websites. And then I have a person who every month when I, I like to write practice, you know, blog posts and stuff for the office. So I just go in and I, I send 'em to her, or I go in and I put them on the website and then she goes in and optimizes them for, you know, all the, um, all the backend stuff to make them searchable and stuff that I don't wanna do.
I have podcasts, I do the recording. I don't, I hire people to do all the production. I have people who obviously clean the office. I have people who do the graphic design stuff for the office. I have, you know, bookkeepers. So I think, um, you know, I, I don't have someone sitting at a desk doing all the, hi, how are you today?
And, you know, here's, go here, go there. Sure. But I've got those things being met, those needs being met in other creative ways. And still, I still delegate the things that I don't wanna do. So I'm, I'm interested, you mentioned about traveling with your boys. Mm-hmm. When you go on vacation, you've trained the practice to, to do without you.
Am I correct? Correct. Yeah. If I'm away, I am typically away for a week at a time and, you know, I just shift the hours around a little bit. I'm gearing up to go to go to New Zealand where my son is at school for two weeks and, and that's, you know, making the weeks leading up to, and the weeks coming back a little busier.
Um, yeah, I've, I've adapted the practice around it and, and people don't seem to have a concern. A lot of my practice are people who are here to stay well, and so they're on a schedule of care that is not in a crisis situation. Um, I usually, when I'm away, I have. Of other colleagues, not in my practice, but who I just know are great chiropractors in my community, that if someone were to call my practice a week, a couple days before I'm about to leave, I'm gonna be away for two weeks.
I can't deliver really good care, so I'll refer 'em to someone else. So I don't really, I don't feel threatened by other practitioners. Um, I've not hired locums for my practice when I've gone away. Uh, we just, we just work around it. So I'm trying to, um. I know, in fact, I know a number of chiropractors that I've coached over time, uh, who are in individual practices.
They love the fact that they can, uh, that they have a. No labor issues. You know, the only person, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The only person that they're working with is themselves and they don't have that challenge. In fact, that's the biggest stress in a practice. Mm-hmm. Over 80 visits is team management and development.
Yeah. Um, and then also if you're practicing out of your home, I mean, with today's rent. In other expenses, you're saving someplace in the neighborhood of, uh, 15 to 20, maybe even $25,000 a month. So yeah, you've got excellent profit, you've got excellent freedom. I'm imagining that your patient, you mentioned your patient is a wellness patient.
Um, I would imagine your PVA patient visit average is quite high. The people Yeah. Who are in your practice have been with you for a number of years. They know, like, and trust you. Mm-hmm. They're used to the fact that you might be gone for X number of weeks. Well, here's a good question. How many weeks do you get off a year?
I usually take about four. Okay. Yeah. I, I mean, I feel like with. The, I'm in the clinical pro like 25 hours a week, so I don't feel overworked. I don't feel, I don't, I think it's a beautiful thing when you can create a life that you don't feel you need a vacation from. Yes. I actually feel like when I go to see my son in New Zealand, when I come back, I am opening on Easter Monday because I'm gonna have been closed for two and a half weeks.
I'm like, I'm gonna wanna get my hands on people. Like I wanna see everyone and I wanna be here. Oh yes. So I feel like that's, um. I know my body and I know my mind well enough when I need a break, but I'm able to build that into my life fairly consistently without needing a week holiday or two weeks holiday.
So the most I've ever taken off at one time has been two weeks, but generally, you know, I'll take a long weekend. Um. I, I find the time in other ways, and I think that's really worked for me to stay healthy and whole rather than, you know, work, work, work, take a week off work, work, work. Like that kind of cycle for me hasn't, yeah, hasn't worked, but everyone has to do what's right for them.
I also live in a really beautiful place that in the summertime. I look outside and if it's warm and you know you're in California. I know I'm in Ontario. We get a lot of snow and where I live in Ontario, Seattle. Seattle. Oh, I might, forgive me. I was thinking you were, that's Pacific time. That's alright.
That's okay. That's okay. Okay, so you know what, you know what winter and damp and rain is like then, right? Right. I do. But you know, I can easily in the warmer months, um, be at the beach for half the day if I want to any day. 'cause I'm in the practice, you know, afternoons, but not mornings, some days, and then mornings and not afternoons other days.
So I think if you can craft a schedule that really, you know, affords you a really lifestyle that works for you, you don't need as much time off consistently. So I, I tell my clients all the time, if it's not fun, you're doing it wrong. Yeah. Yeah. And that's a frequent question I have for clients. What are you having fun with?
What are you excited about? What are you looking forward to? And it really, uh, it makes sense to me that the way that you practice, that when you come back from New Zealand, from visiting your son, that you'll be eager to get back to it because the way that you've structured it, it's not like. Uh, it's not like walking on broken glass.
No. You get to do this. You're a TGIMer instead of a TGFier, right? Yeah. Um, so I'm curious, I know that you coach, um, and the, and you mentor and you have clients. Tell me about your happiest clients. What do they all have in common? Oh, I think they, they feel the ease and the validation that they can do it differently.
That they, you almost give them permission in some ways to think about their business differently. Mm-hmm. I mean, a perfect example might be a client that I had, um, and she was a physiotherapist. She wasn't a chiropractor, but she was craving collaboration. She was craving, she'd worked in university systems down in California.
And she, she ended up buying a practice and a small practice and, but she still wanted a little bit of everything. And so we were able to say, okay, this is your life. How are we gonna make this work for you? And piece together the things that would give her some team, team environment, the things that would give her some fulfillment, the things that would give her the being in the academic circles.
And I think that's, that's what makes me happy. I actually, um. A hundred percent. Truthfully, here I've been looking at testimonials because we're going through a little bit of a rebrand with my website and I was reading through some of the testimonials 'cause I was curious. I'm like, you know, I think I know what I do best with my clients, but let me see what they actually say.
Yeah, yeah. What do they think? Yeah, maybe you've done this as well and, and one of the consistent things that I noticed was. That people, my clients have said that I helped them be more like themselves. That I helped them get clear in what they wanted, and I helped them be happier and healthier and helped really distill what was right for them and, and gave them new ways to think about things through an objective lens.
And so I think what makes me happiest is, is yeah, just seeing my doctors just feel happy and fulfilled and know that they can do things their way and not have to do the cookie cutter experience or know that they can also define success on their terms and, and that. That might change. I mean, like, like the work you do.
Sometimes being an associate is the absolute perfect fit for a person, right? Rather than trying to run a whole business. Some people are destined to run massive businesses and be CEOs and not even adjust anymore if they want to. Like, you know, you I know are in a different situation, but you've thrived being, um, a coach, right?
And showing people how to build systems and automation that works. So I think that what makes me the happiest is reconnecting people to, to who they are and what, what they want, and then finding them a way to do it. It. Well, I think your model is, is wonderful and I do know that it works for you and I really respect the process that you went through.
Um, I sense, I don't know that this is true, but I. I'm 99% sure that you're just a dynamite mom and your kids ha love hanging out with you, uh, and you, and you actually put them first. Um, I've talked to a number of young women Hmm, who want to be great chiropractors, but also want to be wives and moms, and they wanna have that balance.
And, um, as, as far as that's concerned, one of the things that. I teach my clients to do is to provide an opportunity for that person. And then more and more there are young men that are saying, Hey, I want to be able to spend some more time with the family. Mm-hmm. Um, so let's say, let's say that somebody's listening to our podcast and they're thinking I need to, um, I wonder what the process.
Of not only getting in touch with Melissa is, but the process of, um, thinking through, reimagining, changing some things. If you can think of a client that came to you maybe frustrated with the old model and that you help them think through what's, what's that actual process look like? What, uh, what steps does someone take in order to make changes according to your systems?
Yeah, I think it's, for me, what's coming to mind is obviously your values and really getting clear on what they are and, and doing that, that kind of exercise can be really difficult for people. And it amazes me how people have sometimes never thought about that. So I think you need to know your values and really truly what matters to you.
But we have a, you know, a. It's one of the most common, um, downloads off our website is, you know, how to create your own adventure. And, um, it's basically a three step thing. It's a guidebook that asks you to go through, okay, who are you? Like, really? Like, are you introverted, extroverted? Are you, you know, what, what's kind of scenarios do you thrive in?
And it's a little bit of a self evaluation. And look, obviously it takes time to do that when I work with clients. So, to answer your question, like it's, it's a little bit more of a exploration and a discovery at the beginning where I have my clients fill out some, some different questionnaires and I wanna know as much as I can about what got them into their, you know, chiropractic story.
And I also wanna know who they are and I wanna know their. Their upbringing. And I wanna know all the things that matter to them because then objectively I can see the pieces and I can also start to see the words they're using. And I can see like, okay, you're saying this matters to you, but really this is what you've been building.
So though there's a dis, there's not a congruency in that, you know, that AP approach. So I think it's, first of all, knowing who you are first and foremost, whatever that's gonna look like. And then really getting clear on what you want. And I have said this to my kids, I said, my sons, if you wanna go to
toronto Raptors games and you wanna golf and you wanna have a gym membership and you wanna have your own home and a car, well, you're gonna need to have a certain level of income and get clear on those things. And if you don't care about all those things, if you just wanna live a really simple life, well you can.
You could get a van and travel around and live like, you know, everyone can do whatever they want, but I think you need to be clear on what lifestyle that you want and make sure it's a lifestyle that actually matters to you. So there's things that I'm driven by and other things that I'm not driven by.
So I know how much money I need to make to make my, myself feel happy and fulfilled and planning for the future and all these things. But my lifestyle tastes are maybe not as elaborate as other people, so I don't need as much stuff. So I think it's getting clear on one who you are, step one. Step two is really getting clear on what you want in this life and what and what drives you, and obviously why it all matters.
And getting clear on, you know, the why behind everything is an anchor. So my why for the longest time, yes, it was my son's, it was wanting to provide for them, um, myself and experiences financially and, and being connected with them. It's changing now that they're maturing and they don't need the same things from me at 19 and 23 that they did earlier.
But I think the process always starts with knowing yourself, knowing your values, and knowing what you want and making sure that it's really what you want and not what someone told you you should want. And, and then, you know, taking some actual steps to create that. And it doesn't have to be what someone else down the street from you is doing.
It can be something very unique. You know, like I said, the, you know, the physiotherapist that I worked with that. We pieced together a, a great, a great lifestyle for her where she was having all of her needs for stimulation and environment and team and time with her son. She was having all those things met in a less typical way because we were able to actually build something unique.
So there's a step that somebody needs to take at some point in time. That's a hard step. Yeah. 'cause if I'm, if I'm in a, if I'm in a lease or if I'm in a traditional business model, yeah. What are some of the hard steps that people have to take and uh, and, and what is that step number one? And then number two, maybe you can give me a couple of examples of people who took the hard steps and how they came through it.
Well, I think oftentimes, you know, a life of ease is not met with easy steps. Right? Right. There's always some kind of challenge or, or, you know, dysfunction. When I first moved my practice into this location, um, I was trying to sell my house. And I also owned a property, a business property with my ex-husband where my practice was at, and I was trying to buy a third ha another property.
So there was like, and I was just growing my practice. So there was a lot of financial strain at that point in time. But you have to, at some level, trust in yourself and be okay with risk and take a leap and have the right people around you. Coaches and mentors are key, obviously, and friends and, and what spiritual advisors or family or, you know, um.
I think that, yeah, there's always some, there's always a hard step to be taken, and for some people that hard step is letting go of a team member. Some people it's, it's really realizing that they need to relocate their practice into a different space. Like there's, there's a lot of things in practice that we face over or the marathon of, you know, I've been in practice almost 24 years, so there's lots of things that have happened that have not been easy, but, but getting through them and making those hard choices, knowing that they are grounded in the why and the what that I want have led to more ease in general.
So, yeah. Um, I hope that's, gives you enough of an example, but it's, that's a good example. But going from a, even having a home-based practice, I would've never thought I wanted a home-based practice. I always thought I needed much more of a separation between my business and my home life. And I mean, my home people don't walk through my home.
My practice is at the back of the building, there's a separate parking area. It's very separate and distinct. Um, my kids when they were younger, sometimes they popped in here, but you know, more often than not, they didn't. So we had a really, it's very professional and, and I realized that, you know, one of my values is really being connected and I love the ease of being able to say to someone, look, if your child has a
fall after hours or as sick, or you know that you want me to see them or you're scared, you can call me and I can at least get on the phone call with you, or if I need to see you and adjust your child after hours. I have that ability that I realized that that was part of who I was. It wasn't like people were taking advantage of me and knocking on my door weird hours.
They really respect the office, you know, dynamic and the office hours and that I realized that it actually worked much better for me than I ever thought it would. And you don't know sometimes the results of the risks that you take until you take them. So right. At some point you've gotta take a leap and, uh, and, and trust that you know you're gonna, the net's gonna be there.
I have, um, a very good friend, a former associate, I mean, so many decades ago. He bought a practice from me. He was very, very successful with me and very, very successful after me. Ended up selling that practice and now takes care of patients two days out of his home. It's, um, I've been up to see him get adjusted and my wife has as well.
And you, you go into this gorgeous, gorgeous home and he comes out and he, uh, loves to adjust. He just absolutely love it. And of course it's really, really, really nice that his overhead is so terribly low because he is in the house anyway and it's all paid off. So, um, so let me ask you, taking a look at your future, the next one year, two year, three year, what's exciting you, what do you look forward to?
What makes you, um, uh, interested in doing either more of what you do or slightly changing what you do? Where are you headed and why are you headed there? Oh, I feel like I'm, I'm entering a new stage of. Motherhood in that I'm not quite an empty nester because my, you know, my, they will, they're back and forth.
But I have, I feel like wrapped up a 15 year chapter of my life where my sons are on their way and they've launched themselves a little bit and mm-hmm. With my youngest son being in chiropractic college. It's really, um exciting. It's really, it, it keeps it fresh. We have interesting conversations. So where do I see things going?
I do feel like I have suddenly more time than, and I still feel very, you know, vital and energetic and excited about practice. I feel like this is still a conversation, um, that I need to be having with people and work to be done with, with docs and new grads about just giving them options and practice.
So I'm excited to continue the, the coaching and the mentoring that I do. Um, my podcast, we took a little bit of a break. Uh. From it, and I've had a number of podcasts, but the, the longest running one was for chiropractors and I'm really excited to be back. In the interview chair and, and creating some great content for chiropractors and these kind of conversations.
Always, I find them inspiring and engaging. Um, probably more travel with my son being across the world. Uh, I imagine, I imagine going there to see him and, and maybe springboarding to some other things as well. I think I'm just entering a different stage of my life, a different season, and I think that's important for.
For all the, your, you know, your listeners to stop and take a step back and say, well, like, what season are you in? If, when my kids were younger, I was not doing the things I did a few years ago. I, I, I wasn't coaching and podcasting and doing the things. I was really engaged in getting them to hockey practices and, and cooking dinners and practicing, but I didn't have the time and emotional energy or mental energy to, to give to other things and.
And even when that I could feel, you know, my youngest, you know, I knew I only had a few more years left with him. Yeah. I took a step back from the business stuff. I was like, I, something's gotta give. I love the coaching, but that's, you know, the podcast had to take a little bit of a break because it was, it was a lot of things going on and I wanted to be with my kids.
So a long answer to your question is that I am excited to be heading in this new chapter of my life with no young kids at home and not the same demand on my time as they did. Um, consistent practice growth is something I've been blessed with. I don't see changing that anytime soon with the kind of practice that I have.
I probably, um, I certainly see myself coaching and mentoring and, and podcasting and just, just doing more of the same and, and being open to new opportunities and see what comes. I think it's good to leave a bit of space for magic. I, I think so as well. You won't, right, you won't, won't take, unless you leave space for it.
So let's say that somebody's listening to us and they're thinking, Hey, I need to speak to Melissa Longo. I, I need to make some changes and some of the changes that she talked about. At least I need to know something about where and how should somebody get in touch with you. The best place to start is, is just to go to drmelissalongo.com or if you're on Instagram.
Um, I'm not always active on social media. I, I kind of have a, you know, love and a hate engagement with it, but I am more active on Instagram. Um, so you can find me there. But the website's probably the best resource because there's, you know, all the different ways to connect with me and all the different types of work that I do.
Um, but the podcast is also a great resource, I think, because you can just listen to. You know, the conversations and, and other docs too. And I think, um, you know, you'll find that on all the podcast players. It's called Rockstar Doctor Life. Um, the main one for chiropractors, which is I think your audience.
Um, I've had other podcasts as well, but that is the one that is the most, um, the most relevant. Um, although, you know, some of the other ones have some good entrepreneurial mindset stuff. I think there's is something to be said for really. You know, choosing, um, mentors and coaches wisely, and also getting a sense of what do you actually need?
Do you need a coach or do you need a mentor? Because there are some things that I can really specifically coach people on because I've done them and other things that I'm more likely to mentor people on and, and help them refine and, and realign what their business should look like. So I think it's important to get clear on that and, and do, do your homework and, but I would, you know, welcome conversations.
I always start with people with a, a connection call. And that's just, we can chat for 20, 30 minutes so I can get a sense of, you know, what are they looking for. Um, am I the right fit? Can I, can I actually help? Right. Help them address the concerns they have. Um, and, you know, what is that gonna look like?
And if that's the case, then it's a matter of, you know, where do we go from here? I work with some people just for, you know, six to 12 phone calls, three to six months. Some people I've worked with for years, some people I've worked with just for one, one specific question. And we, we get on the call for, you know, 90 minutes and, and work with a, a solution.
And I have group training programs. The next one won't be till the fall, but that, uh, that's also another way to work with me. But that's all comes back down to the website. So go to dr melissa longo.com and you'll find all the answers. Melissa, it's been a treat. I really appreciate your time. Um, I have a lot of respect for what you do.
Um, I, I think it's also very admirable that you put your kids first and that you were courageous enough to get outside the box on the traditional model, and that you had the courage and the strength of personality to find something that really, really works for you and that you still love it, that you're a TJIMer.
And, uh, um, and that you're able to enjoy the, the, um, the practice and all the different things that you do. Thanks for sharing your, uh, your wisdom with, uh, successful Cairo. And, uh, we'll talk later. Okay. Thanks so much for your time. It's been a true pleasure. Thank you.