The biggest compliment to myself and my team is about how different we are from the typical healthcare experience. Not a day goes by without someone remarking on or staff’s friendliness, or the general vibrant energy of our clinic. It’s wonderful, but also a bit disheartening that it’s the exception, not the norm. 

We are guided by a few basic principles and core values that I determined at the outset of the clinic. To us, these values seem second nature, and it seems obvious that we should treat people the way we do. Somehow in healthcare (a caring profession), our friendliness has become an exception to the norm. I’d love today to share with you some insights to our core values, and what you experience in our clinic.

Core Value #1: Be World Class

I remember watching a documentary 16 years ago about a real estate investor who built an empire by making everyone who entered one of his buildings feel “world class.” He did this by focusing on how each detail made the person feel, without having to say anything. 

When I built my clinic I wanted the space to feel very different from what you’ll typically experience. The waiting area is warm and inviting instead of the traditional stiff chairs you’ll find at your GP. Lesa is not behind a window that slides shut promptly after giving you your paperwork, and she’s so friendly, that once she was accused of putting on a show (nobody could possibly be this friendly). Needless to say, if it is a show, it’s the longest one I’ve seen. 

Core Value #2: Always Row Together

In the “olden days” healthcare was a one way street. There was very little collaboration between doctor and patient. Some of this still exists. We just had a new client in the office the other day who had been prescribed 6 different blood pressure medications by 6 different doctors before finding someone who listened to him, and reviewed his entire history, to figure out that his brain fog was coming from being over-medicated. 

When we think of rowing together at my clinic, it’s not just encouraging my team to work together with each other. It refers to the alliance between our doctors and our clients. We work together to make certain we’re setting goals that are meaningful to you, and then set about planning how to get you there. Along the way we encourage you to be completely honest with us about whether or not you’ve stuck with the program, because if you haven’t had progress, and you haven’t stuck with the plan, then we hold the course, rather than scrapping the plan. In this way, we avoid changing directions without good evidence to do so. This ties together nicely with our next core value…

Core Value #3: Always Be Solving

The best healthcare providers know that they’re not 100% right with every diagnosis or analysis. They know how to evaluate whether their ‘plan A’ is working, or whether they need to switch to ‘plan B’ or even ‘plan C.’ Without this, patients and providers get stuck trying the same thing over and over, while expecting different results (which is the definition of insanity). 


Believe it or not, some providers only have ‘plan A,’ and when it stops working they’re at a loss, often blaming the patient for not following the plan. What’s worse, is that sometimes they don’t even give the person another path to try, leading many people to think that they’re just ‘broken.’ We hear this time and time again. 

I myself had an encounter with mold toxicity while living in Redondo Beach. I went to a provider who just wanted to keep prescribing me anti-inflammatory medication, and I had to fight him to provide me with a referral. I personally know what it’s like to work with a provider who refuses to collaborate with the patient, or think outside of themselves or their plan. Our team meets regularly to discuss difficult cases, amongst ourselves, as well as with other providers throughout the valley. 

Core Value #4: Pump Someone Up!

Myself and my staff all truly believe we are privileged to be able to work with our clients to achieve their goals. It’s not everywhere in healthcare that you get to see people go from hurt, to accomplishing things they dared not hope for. We get to celebrate victories of all sizes with people. 

One point of pride for my clinic is our Google Reviews. We often read them out loud, and we share them with other people who are in similar situations, to help them see that there’s hope. To those who have written us google reviews, you’re AWESOME. Seriously, give yourself a high-five. You’ve helped more people than you know. Every week we have people who come to see us after reading some of your stories, and we get to help them accomplish the same :) 

One of my favorite parts about this clinic is that we also share wins with other providers. One of the sticking points in healthcare is that once a referral is made, the doctor who referred rarely hears about whether or not there was a successful outcome. We make certain that referring providers get to celebrate the wins with us, keeping them up to date on the goals their patients are accomplishing. 

Core Value #5: Think With Your Well Maintained Mullet

There’s not much that beats dressing in a pair of overalls, getting a mullet, and dancing around the living room singing “Achey Breaky Heart.” At least that’s what I’m told I liked to do at 3 years old… 

I’ve grown a lot since then, and never again had a mullet, but there’s something about the “business in the front and party in the back” motto that I’ve always loved. At our clinic we’re serious about being the absolute best, and we show up every day ready to work. At the same time, we believe that life isn’t supposed to be so serious.

Healthcare is a grudge purchase, and nobody really looks forward to having to go to the doctor. But at our clinic we’re trying to flip that. We love it when people tell us they look forward to coming to see us because they are actually enjoying the process. We want to make healthcare fun, so we teach you about your body, and we geek out on your wins. 

Whether your goal is to run a marathon or simply dance around your living room in overalls, we take your goal seriously, and we want you to have fun getting there.