Podcast Description:

Dr. Lisa Poole is an 18-year licensed acupuncturist, single parent, MBA graduate, and one of the most honest voices in the profession. After nearly two decades in practice, she's transitioning out of full-time clinical work — not because she wanted to, but because the financial reality of this profession simply doesn't add up for most practitioners.

In this episode, David and Lisa have the conversation the acupuncture profession keeps avoiding.

What we cover:

The 2005–2006 removal of bankruptcy protections for student loans — and how it caused tuitions to immediately double and triple across the country. Why student loan attorneys consistently identify naturopaths and acupuncturists as the hardest-hit professions in the United States. What borrower's defense is and why Lisa believes every acupuncturist with federal student loans has a legitimate case. The debt-to-income data showing most acupuncture schools are charging 400–700% of what the career can actually support. Why schools bear direct responsibility for never building career pathways into hospitals and medical clinics. What real advocacy looks like — from getting acupuncture added as an essential benefit in Oregon to nearly two decades of federal student loan reform work.

And where the real hope lives — because patient demand has never been higher, and the medicine isn't going anywhere.

This one is honest, grounded, and worth your time whether you're in practice, considering school, or just trying to understand why such a powerful medicine is struggling to survive.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Journey to Acupuncture
• 15:00 Challenges in the Acupuncture Profession
• 23:11 Advocacy and Legislative Efforts
• 30:53 Community Engagement and Advocacy
• 40:36 Hope and Resilience

The Esoteric Medicine of Acupuncture — What TCM Schools Don't Teach | Parallel Perception Podcast

Is acupuncture losing its soul trying to earn a seat at Western medicine's table?

In this episode, David Bernard sits down with spiritual teacher and author Lujan Matus and veteran acupuncturist Dr. Christopher Butler (35+ years in practice) to explore what gets stripped away when Traditional Chinese Medicine shrinks itself to fit the allopathic model — and what it actually means to be a true healer.

They go deep on why the best practitioners are often those who've suffered most, what yin and yang really mean (they're relational, not fixed), how the Dan Tian and fascia connect to consciousness and healing, the emotional roots of illness before it becomes physical, and why holding space for a patient matters more than the needles.

One of the most powerful moments: Lujan reframing the needle entirely — you don't send your Qi into someone. The obstruction pulls you in. You empty yourself. The body does the rest.

If you've ever felt like the medicine you were taught was only half the picture, this one is for you.

🌐 parallelperception.com 🌐 drchristopherbutler.com

The conversation covers the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with cannabis and CBD, emphasizing the need for education, regulation, and safety in the industry. The guests, Dr. Chloe Weber and Dr. Lauren Manuni, discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field, highlighting the importance of informed decision-making and responsible use of cannabis products.

Takeaways

• TCM and cannabis integration
• Importance of education and regulation in the cannabis industry

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introductions
• 19:23 Safety and Regulation in the Cannabis Industry
• 43:34 The Role of Budtenders and Education

visit https://radicalrootsherbs.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmjoy/ to connect with Chloe and Lauren

This episode is different.
It isn’t polished. It isn’t easy.
It’s honest.

After my recent Dragon Fire.Sides conversation with Dr. Gretchen Badami about school closures, federal pressure, and why so many acupuncturists are struggling, the comments section lit up.
One of the strongest and most thoughtful responses came from today’s guest, Dr. Mary (Molly) Cooke — and this episode is a direct response to that discussion.

Molly’s lived experience speaks directly to the silent crisis many practitioners face:

• Crushing student loan debt
• Few viable jobs
• Problematic work environments
• Lack of support after graduation
• Burnout, invisibility, and emotional exhaustion

Together, we explore:

• Why acupuncturists are being gaslit by the very systems meant to support them
• The brutal math of debt vs. actual practitioner income
• What’s really happening with school closures and institutional pressure
• Why so many acupuncturists feel abandoned, betrayed, or deceived

Is medicine a calling or a business?
What happens when a healer is forced to become an entrepreneur to survive?

• Why the public doesn’t understand acupuncture
• Why practitioners don’t agree on what acupuncture is
• How lack of standardization fuels confusion — and enables exploitation

This conversation builds on the themes from the episode with Dr. Gretchen Badami and pushes them further:
Acupuncture must become more visible, more unified, more empowered — or risk being sidelined and replaced by lesser-trained providers.

This episode is a call to action for practitioners who feel:

• Underpaid
• Undervalued
• Unseen
• Overwhelmed
• Burned out
• Or simply tired of pretending everything is fine

You are not alone.
You are not crazy.
And your voice matters.

Disclaimer:
This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, legal, business, or financial advice. Always consult relevant professionals regarding your unique circumstances.

🔥 The Crisis Behind the Curtain🔥 The Ethical Tension🔥 The Identity Crisis of the Profession🔥 The Path Forward

In this episode of Dragon Fire.Sides, David Bernard sits down with Ryan Encinas — former surgical first assist and hospital director turned cellular-health and nutrition strategist.

Ryan has been inside the belly of the beast:

• Cancer research & surgery

• Pediatric spine & brain cases

• Private hospital administration

• Front-row seats to how broken billing and “sick care” really are

Today, he works with a Fortune 100–level nutraceutical company using Raman spectroscopy to measure cellular nutrition and antioxidant status in real time — and then uses that data to help providers:

• Improve patient outcomes

• Add cash revenue streams to their practices

• And build businesses rooted in authenticity, not gimmicks

In this conversation, David and Ryan explore:

• Why 95% of people are nutritionally under-fueled at the cellular level

• How a simple hand-scan can act like a “credit score” for your cells

• The difference between quoting science… and actually running clinicals on your product

• How Ryan went from OR and hospital politics to nutrition, biochem & genetics

• Why “prevention is profitable” when you can measure what you’re talking about

• The role of discipline, self-honesty, and mindset in entrepreneurship

• Authentic content vs. formulaic “fake authenticity” on social media

• How he built a thriving business using organic content only (no paid ads)

• Why movement, fascia, and subtle energetics matter just as much as lab markers

This episode is for practitioners who:

• Feel trapped between broken insurance models and supplement guesswork

• Want objective tools to talk about lifestyle, nutrition, and risk with patients

• Are curious how to build cash-based, values-aligned revenue into their practice

• Know they need to show up online, but want to do it in a way that still feels human

Ryan and David also nerd out on how to become more like your own comic-book hero in real life.

Disclaimer:
This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose, treat, or cure any condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding your personal health and any changes to your treatment plan.

In this powerful and vulnerable episode of Dragon Fire.Sides, David Bernard sits down with Dr. Chloe Weber, DACM, L.Ac. — herbalist, and founder of Radical Roots and Noxi Herbs, two companies redefining what modern herbal medicine can be.

Chloe’s story is one of grit, heartbreak, innovation, and unwavering devotion. A single mother and practitioner, she entered the world of herbal entrepreneurship not because she wanted to, but because she had to — to support her son Remy, who lives with a rare genetic disorder.

Out of necessity, Chloe developed a unique hemp-based botanical formula paired with traditional Chinese herbs (nicknamed “Remy’s Revenge”), which profoundly supported her son’s quality of life. What started as an act of love became a mission — and eventually, a company.

In this episode, David and Chloe explore:

• Why practitioners must become advocates or the medicine won’t survive

• The urgent need for visibility, education, and public outreach

• How Chloe built Radical Roots and Noxi Herbs from scratch without outside funding

• Why hemp-based formulations are powerful — yet brutally difficult to market

• The hidden reality of supplement margins, manufacturing, and retail

• The challenge of maintaining integrity in an industry obsessed with profits

• Why more practitioners need to get uncomfortable, get loud, and get out there

• The identity crisis within TCM and why community matters

• What new practitioners aren’t told but desperately need to know

• How to keep going when your calling meets a society that doesn’t understand your work

Chloe’s honesty, rawness, humor, and relentless commitment to the medicine make this one of the most inspiring Fireside conversations yet.

This episode is for every practitioner who has ever doubted their path — and every parent, healer, or entrepreneur who knows they’re here to fight for something bigger than themselves.

Disclaimer:

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and does not promote, advertise, or endorse any specific herbal or hemp-derived products. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for any medical concerns.

In this Fireside episode, David Bernard sits down with John Jaarsveld, a Dutch acupuncturist, researcher, educator, Kiiko Matsumoto style practitioner, and former head of research for the European TCM Association.

John brings three decades of personal study, 18 years of clinical experience, and a rare blend of critical thinking, philosophical depth, and practical insight. What unfolds is a profound dialogue on the true purpose of medicine, the business and ethics of practice, the gaps in modern healthcare systems, and the sacred exchange that happens between practitioner and patient.

Together, David and John explore:

• The difference between nourishing life and fighting disease

• How Chinese medicine fills the enormous gaps left by modern allopathic care

• Why the infrastructure—not the science—is the real strength of Western medicine

• The sobering reality that acupuncturists must navigate in business, money, and ethics

• How to practice integrity in a world where the patient is also a customer

• Why pricing carries psychological and energetic significance

• The tension between service, integrity, and the need for financial survival

• The future of the profession across Europe, the U.S., and the world

• The role of community clinics and low-cost care

• Why commodifying human relationships is a danger to both patients and practitioners

• How to use money ethically, consciously, and as part of a healing relationship

This conversation weaves together philosophy, clinical insight, economics, ethics, and the lived reality of being a practitioner in the modern world.

If you're a clinician, student, or someone navigating the intersection of healing and business, this episode will challenge you, inspire you, and give you a deeper understanding of what it really means to practice medicine.

In this eye-opening episode, David Bernard sits down with Dr. Gretchen Badami, Doctor of Oriental Medicine, herbalist, professor, former associate dean, and host of the Elevated Practice Podcast.

Together, they explore the real reasons why acupuncture schools are closing, why 80% of practitioners fail in the first five years, and what absolutely must change for the profession to survive.

Gretchen brings nearly two decades of experience from every angle of the field — clinician, educator, administrator, philosopher — and offers a brutally honest but deeply compassionate look at the structural, financial, and cultural challenges facing new practitioners.

In this conversation, they unpack:

• The true cost of becoming an acupuncturist (and why students are buried before they start)

• Why most graduates unknowingly sign up to be entrepreneurs, not employees

• How student loans, cost of living, and long program requirements create structural barriers

• Where acupuncture schools are failing — and where their hands are tied

• Why business training is completely insufficient in most programs

• What new grads actually need to survive their first 1–3 years

• Why society needs integrative medicine more than ever

• How to create a sustainable practice without burning out

• The vital importance of marketing, mentorship, and outsourcing

• The opportunity created by school closures and rising demand

• Why the next generation of practitioners must rethink what “practice” looks like

This is one of the most important Fireside conversations yet — a candid and nuanced discussion about the evolution, challenges, and urgent opportunities facing the acupuncture profession today.

🔥 If you're a student, new practitioner, educator, or clinic owner, this episode is essential listening.

In this powerful and wide-ranging Fireside episode, David Bernard sits down with Dr. Andy Rosenfarb, one of the most influential voices in modern acupuncture and the global leader in Chinese Medical Ophthalmology.

Over 50 minutes, they explore the pivotal crossroads facing the acupuncture profession — from failing schools and collapsing infrastructure to the unprecedented opportunity awaiting practitioners who are ready to evolve.

Dr. Rosenfarb shares his origin story, how a single encounter with an acupuncturist changed the course of his life, and why he chose to pioneer an entirely new clinical specialty in ophthalmology when no formal training existed.

Together, David and Andy unpack:

• Why the acupuncture profession is collapsing — and why that’s actually an opportunity

• How to build a modern clinical practice using online programs, telemedicine, and digital marketing

• Why practitioners must specialize to survive the next decade

• Andy’s proven, high-success ophthalmology treatment model (in-office + home care)

• How he built one of the most successful integrative clinics in the U.S.

• The role of content, social media, and public visibility in saving the profession

• The importance of practitioners learning funnels, messaging, marketing, and entrepreneurship

• Why the opportunity for acupuncturists in the next 20 years is larger than ever in history

• The call for unity, community, and a new era of professional stewardship

Whether you’re a student, a practitioner, an educator, or someone who cares about the future of integrative medicine, this is the episode you need to hear.

This conversation is a rallying cry — a bell-ringer — for every practitioner who believes in this medicine and knows the world needs it now more than ever.

🔥 The question is no longer “Can acupuncture survive?”
🔥 The question is: “Are we willing to evolve?”

In this episode, David Bernard, co-founder of LeadBetterAI, sits down with Noa Lynne Sutherland, an acupuncturist and herbal medicine expert, who has defied the odds by thriving in a field where many have struggled.

With a focus on integrative medicine and patient-centered care, Noa reveals her journey from zero clients to running a flourishing clinic, Zoi Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine.

In this conversation, we uncover the secrets behind Noa's success, including the importance of authenticity, excellence in patient care, and the innovative integration of modern diagnostics with traditional Chinese medicine practices.

This podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in health, wellness, and the transformative power of integrating traditional and modern medicine.

Whether you're a clinical practitioner looking to enhance your practice, someone interested in exploring alternative medicine, or simply a listener in search of inspiration from a successful healthcare entrepreneur, this episode offers valuable insights into achieving success and sustainability in the competitive world of healthcare.

#IntegrativeMedicine #AcupunctureSuccess #HerbalMedicine #PatientCareExcellence #HealthcareInnovation #ClinicProfitability

Visit zoiwell.com to connect with Noa or schedule an in person or telemedicine conference.

Visit leadbetter.app to find out how we help bring clinics to profitability while protecting and prioritizing the practitioners without compromising quality of care.