Subluxation Squad Podcast

Dr. Ed Osburn shares why artificial intelligence should be viewed as a tool that strengthens chiropractic rather than replaces the thinking and certainty of the doctor. He reflects on how AI can accelerate communication, content creation, and practice efficiency, while cautioning against using it without a clear philosophical foundation. The discussion digs into prompt quality, critical thinking, and the responsibility of filtering AI-generated information through a subluxation-centered lens. The message is clear: technology becomes an asset when it supports clarity and communication, but it becomes a liability when it begins shaping the message instead of serving it.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Dr. Ed Osburn encourages chiropractors to approach AI as a tool that enhances, not replaces, professional judgment. Throughout the conversation, he emphasizes that technology is most valuable when it supports a clear chiropractic objective rather than generating messages without thoughtful direction.

2. The discussion highlights that better results with AI begin with better questions. Whether creating content, improving communication, or solving operational challenges, the quality of the output depends on the clarity, context, and critical thinking provided by the doctor.

3. Steve, Pacha, and Dr. Osburn repeatedly return to the importance of protecting chiropractic's message while adopting new technology. AI can improve efficiency and expand reach, but it should always reinforce a subluxation-centered philosophy instead of reshaping it.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• The Chiropractic Philanthropist Podcast - www.chiropracticphilanthropist.com

• Follow Dr. Ed on Instagram - @edosburn_dc

Dr. Grant Dennis shares how a commitment to service, stewardship, and leadership has shaped his journey in chiropractic and his work with students across the profession. He reflects on the challenges that continue to limit chiropractic's growth, from internal division and unclear communication to a lack of support between chiropractors who ultimately want the same outcome. The discussion digs into leadership development, student engagement, and the responsibility of creating opportunities for the next generation to contribute in meaningful ways. What emerges throughout the episode is a vision for expanding chiropractic's impact by building stronger relationships, fostering greater collaboration, and creating a profession that is united around service rather than separation.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Dr. Grant emphasizes that leadership begins with service. Throughout the episode, he repeatedly points to stewardship, mentorship, and helping others succeed as the foundation for creating a larger impact inside and outside the profession.

2. The conversation highlights how division often grows when chiropractors stop seeking understanding from one another. Grant encourages doctors and students to focus on building bridges, creating clarity, and supporting the shared objective of advancing chiropractic.

3. Students are not just the future of the profession, they are active participants in shaping it today. Grant explains that creating opportunities for leadership, involvement, and meaningful contribution helps strengthen both individual chiropractors and the profession as a whole.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Grant Dennis Website - drgrantdennis.com

• Follow Dr. Grant Dennis on Instagram - @drgrantdennis

• Email Dr. Grant Dennis - [email protected]

In this recap episode, Steve and Pacha step back to examine the recurring patterns that surfaced across the previous twelve conversations and ask a difficult question: why do the same challenges keep appearing throughout the profession? They identify three interconnected themes, lack of clarity, lack of communication, and lack of alignment, arguing that each one contributes to drifting identity at the doctor, practice, and profession level. The discussion also highlights leadership as a growing concern, especially as practices scale and students enter the profession searching for certainty in an environment filled with competing messages. What becomes clear is that leadership cannot exist without clarity of purpose, and until chiropractors define what they stand for and communicate it consistently, the same subluxations will continue to repeat themselves.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Steve and Pacha identify clarity as one of the profession's biggest challenges. Across discussions on students, practice growth, and communication, they repeatedly point to the same issue: leadership becomes difficult when chiropractors are not aligned around a clear purpose, objective, and message.

2. The episode highlights how strong belief in chiropractic is not enough on its own. Whether communicating with patients, teams, or the public, conviction only creates impact when it can be expressed clearly, consistently, and in a way others can understand.

3. Many of the profession's recurring struggles, from mixed messaging to leadership gaps, can be traced back to misalignment. Steve and Pacha emphasize that practices grow stronger when vision, communication, systems, and daily actions all point toward the same objective.

Dr. Josiah Fitzsimmons shares what he believes is one of the most overlooked subluxations in chiropractic practices today: the gap between a clinic’s capacity and its actual utilization. Drawing from financial data, operational benchmarks, and years of consulting experience, he explains how many offices leave significant impact and profitability on the table not because they need more resources, but because they are not maximizing what they already have. The discussion digs into capacity, team performance, compensation, and key metrics, reframing business data as a tool for identifying interference rather than simply measuring revenue. What becomes evident is that when doctors understand the numbers behind their practice, they can make better decisions, serve more people, and create greater alignment between mission and execution.

Dr. Jodi Dinnerman shares how building a sustainable chiropractic practice became less about chasing volume or external validation and more about creating alignment around joy, purpose, and authentic connection. She explains how burnout, pressure, and overcomplication can gradually disconnect doctors from the reason they entered the profession in the first place, even when the practice appears successful on the outside. The discussion digs into leadership, communication, and practice culture, emphasizing that joy is not separate from performance but deeply connected to clarity, energy, and consistency in care. What becomes evident is that practices built around alignment and genuine connection tend to create stronger relationships, greater sustainability, and a more grounded expression of chiropractic over time.

Dr. Sabrina Gya shares how building a lasting chiropractic practice requires more than passion or philosophy alone, it demands the ability to consistently translate beliefs into communication, leadership, and action. She explains how vision must become operational inside the practice through culture, systems, and daily interactions if doctors want long-term sustainability without losing alignment. The discussion also highlights the tension between growth and congruence, especially when external pressures begin pulling practices away from their original objective. The message is clear: legacy is not created through intensity alone, but through repeated alignment between vision, communication, and the way a practice is actually lived out over time.

Dr. Ronda Vaughn shares how intentionally building community outside the adjustment room became one of the biggest drivers of growth, trust, and connection in her practice. She explains how creating consistent gatherings and spaces for people to connect shifted the way patients viewed both chiropractic and the role of the chiropractor in their lives. The discussion digs into relationship-building, authenticity, and why community-centered practices create deeper engagement than transactional care alone. What becomes clear is that when people feel genuinely connected before they ever get adjusted, communication becomes easier, retention strengthens, and chiropractic stops feeling like a service and starts feeling like part of a shared culture.

James Chester lays out a clear framework for understanding subluxation beyond a single definition, introducing three distinct tiers that shape how chiropractors think, communicate, and apply care. He explains how staying at a surface-level interpretation limits both clarity and impact, while a deeper grasp connects philosophy, clinical application, and long-term vision. The discussion brings attention to how gaps in understanding at any tier can lead to inconsistent messaging and confusion for both doctors and the public. What becomes clear is that depth of understanding directly influences depth of communication, and without it, even strong intention can fall short.

Dr. Austin Cohen shares what he learned from growing from a single chiropractic office into a network of clinics, and why the hardest part of scaling was not opening more locations but becoming the leader those locations required. He reflects on the mistakes he made with his second practice, including expecting another doctor to recreate his success without providing the mentorship, systems, processes, and operational structure to support it. The conversation gets into core values, culture, hiring, personal discipline, purpose, and the difference between simply putting values on a wall and building behaviors that make them part of how a company actually operates.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Scaling a practice requires stronger leadership, systems, and documentation, not simply repeating what worked for the founder.

2. Core values become meaningful when they shape hiring decisions, behaviors, culture, and everyday operations.

3. Sustainable growth starts with a clear purpose and leaders willing to model the standards they expect from their teams.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Austin Cohen - www.instagram.com/draustincohen

Seven chiropractic students from schools in the U.S. and Europe share an unfiltered look at what they believe is working, and what is missing, in chiropractic education and the profession they are preparing to enter. They discuss schools where vertebral subluxation receives little attention, professional infighting, board requirements, gaps in philosophy and adjusting preparation, and the pressure students face to seek mentorship and education outside the classroom. The conversation also turns toward solutions, including stronger student communities, clearer professional identity, mentorship, Student IFCO chapters, and creating environments where students can encounter the Big Idea without having it forced on them. Across their different experiences, the students return to a common responsibility: become clear on chiropractic, develop the skills to serve well, and work together to carry that clarity into the next generation of the profession.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Students see gaps in chiropractic education, professional identity, and unity that extend beyond what happens in the classroom.

2. Mentorship, seminars, and student communities can provide development students may not receive through their formal curriculum alone.

3. The next generation wants greater clarity around chiropractic while building a more coordinated and supportive profession.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations (IFCO) - www.ifcochiro.com