The Staffless Practice Podcast

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. David and Dr. Lauren Kolowski, two chiropractors who have spent nearly 17 years building a practice, raising a family, navigating life's unexpected turns, and learning what it really means to follow the path that's right for them.

And let me tell you, their story is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is change direction.

David and Lauren started their chiropractic journey together at Palmer College, moved to Colorado, and built their practice from scratch. Along the way, Lauren experienced significant health challenges that led them to explore functional nutrition and detoxification, eventually opening the door to an entirely different chapter in their careers.

After more than a decade of hands-on chiropractic care, they made a BIG decision. They transitioned their practice to a fully virtual model focused on nutrition and detoxification, referring their chiropractic practice members to trusted colleagues in their community.

Can you imagine building something for 13 years and then deciding it was time to do things differently?

That's exactly what we talk about.

We explore how the challenges we experience can become some of our greatest teachers, why staying connected to your purpose matters, and how to recognize when the practice you've built may no longer be the practice you're meant to run.

One of my favorite moments in this conversation is when David shares a lesson from an early mentor: When things get complicated, go back to the basics.

I LOVE that.

Because sometimes we get so caught up in the next strategy, the next service, or the next shiny thing that we forget what brought us into practice in the first place.

We also talk about finding joy when practice feels overwhelming, embracing what makes your work unique, and having the courage to make a change even when you're not entirely sure what comes next.

And, of course, we get into The Brave Practice, an event bringing together chiropractors who are ready to lead with conviction, explore new possibilities, and step into their next chapter with courage.

If you've ever felt like you're standing with one foot in the practice you know and the other reaching toward something new, this conversation is for you.

You don't have to do everything. You don't have to practice like everybody else. And you certainly don't have to stay where you are simply because it's where you've always been.

Find your focus. Trust what you've learned. Be brave enough to take the next step.

Go make the world better with great care.

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Mel Krug, a chiropractor and embodied business coach who helps women entrepreneurs find the courage to grow, break through old patterns, and create businesses that actually feel good to be in.

I had never met Mel before this conversation, and within minutes, she had me thinking about something I absolutely love exploring:

What if the thing holding you back in practice isn't your strategy, your systems, or your marketing? What if it's a pattern you've been carrying around for years?

Mel shares her approach to embodied business coaching and how our past experiences, beliefs, and nervous system responses can influence the way we lead, make decisions, and show up in business.

We talk about what she calls "going meta," learning to step outside ourselves long enough to observe our thoughts, behaviors, and the stories we keep telling ourselves.

Because sometimes the voice telling you that you can't do something isn't actually telling you the truth.

And sometimes we don't even realize how much power we've given that voice.

We also explore the difference between building a successful business and building a fulfilling one. Because you can have the money, the recognition, the practice, and all the things you thought you wanted, and still feel like something is missing.

Then we get into one of my favorite parts of this conversation: BRAVERY.

Mel shares why being brave doesn't mean being fearless. It means recognizing the fear, understanding where it's coming from, and having the courage to move forward when something truly aligns with who you are.

We talk about trusting your intuition, learning from decisions that didn't go as planned, and why sometimes the only way to discover what you're capable of is to get off the sidelines and into the game.

We also talk about The Brave Practice event, where we'll be joining an incredible community of chiropractors and leaders who are ready to think differently, lead with courage, and create what's next.

If you've been feeling stuck, questioning your next move, or waiting until you feel completely ready to take that next big step, I think you'll get a lot out of this conversation.

You don't have to eliminate every fear to move forward. You just have to be willing to get curious, trust yourself, and take the next step.

Go make the world better with great care.

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jack M. Bourla, President of Sherman College of Chiropractic, my alma mater, and someone I have so much respect for in this profession.

Jack and I start with something that sounds simple but somehow gets really complicated in chiropractic:

What do we actually do, and how do we communicate it clearly?

We talk about chiropractic, the nervous system, and why our message can get so watered down when hundreds of chiropractors are sharing hundreds of different versions of what chiropractic is.

And that confusion does not just affect the public.

It affects the doctor.

It affects the practice.

It affects the way we market.

Jack brings it back to something beautifully simple: know what you do, understand why you do it, and communicate that message to the people you are actually meant to serve.

We also talk about one of my favorite parts of marketing: you are not supposed to serve everybody.

Jack shares how, when he was in practice, he got incredibly specific about the people he wanted to serve and then asked the obvious next question: where are those people already spending their time?

That is such an important reminder.

Sometimes the problem is not your fees.

Sometimes the problem is not your practice.

Sometimes you are simply talking to the wrong room.

We also get into lifelong learning and why Jack, even after decades in chiropractic and now leading Sherman College, still shows up to seminars, sits in the front row, takes notes, and looks for the one idea that might change the way he thinks.

I LOVE that.

Because the minute we decide we already know everything, we stop growing.

There is always something else to learn, something to tweak, another perspective to hear, or another tool that can help us serve better.

And, of course, we talk about the Chiropractic Summit and why we wanted to create a place where students, doctors, and teams could hear from people across the profession about marketing, leadership, AI, social media, patient acquisition, practice growth, and what it takes to build a practice that is ready for the future.

This conversation is really about possibility.

Know what you do.

Know who you are here to serve.

Stay curious enough to keep learning.

And when an opportunity comes along to become better at what you do, take it.

Go make the world better with great care. 

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Danielle Thomason, someone who has been part of my Staffless Practice world from almost the very beginning.

Danielle has taken a beautifully unconventional path through chiropractic. She has been a faculty member, a practice owner, an online business owner, an educator, a mom, and now someone who travels around the country teaching healthcare providers about burnout, business, and creating a practice that actually supports their life.

And that is exactly where this conversation goes.

We talk about burnout and what it really looks like.

Not just being tired.

Not just needing a vacation.

But emotional exhaustion, apathy, disconnection from the work you once loved, and that constant feeling of overwhelm that so many practitioners quietly carry around with them.

Danielle shares why learning to recognize burnout matters, especially for people in healthcare, and why we need to start building practices that do not require us to sacrifice ourselves in order to serve everyone else.

We also talk about social media and how she is helping chiropractors make it simpler.

No complicated dances.

No trying to become an influencer.

No spending your entire life creating content.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can show people is simply you doing the work you say you do.

Danielle shares why authentic video from inside the practice can build trust in a way that polished graphics often cannot, and how chiropractors can make content creation part of their systems instead of another exhausting thing on the to-do list.

Then we get into something I think we need to talk about more openly in chiropractic:

Your fees.

Danielle shares why you need to understand your operating expenses, your personal expenses, how much you actually need to pay yourself, and how much time you want to spend working before you ever decide what your care should cost.

Because being busy is not the same thing as being profitable.

And giving everything away does not make you a better doctor.

You are allowed to build a practice that serves your patients AND serves your family.

You are allowed to make a living.

You are allowed to take time off.

And my biggest hope is that you build something you love so much that you do not constantly feel like you need a vacation from your own life.

If you are feeling burned out, underpaid, overwhelmed by social media, or wondering how to make practice feel good again, this conversation is for you.

Go make the world better with great care. 

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with two women I absolutely adore: Dr. Courtney Busbee and Dr. Rosemary Batanjski.

These are two women who remind me over and over again that we are allowed to build practices, businesses, and lives that actually work for us.

Courtney is one of those people who seems to live in possibility. She has built, reinvented, traveled, pivoted, sold her practice, started new chapters, and somehow continues to carry this beautiful belief that there is always another way forward.

Rose is one of those women I look to for wisdom. She has spent years mentoring doctors through every season of practice, from getting started to growing, leading, finding freedom, and eventually figuring out what comes next.

And this conversation gets REAL.

We talk about what happens when the joy disappears from practice.

What do you do when you are burned out, overwhelmed, comparing yourself to everybody else, or wondering why everyone on Instagram looks like they are living their best life while you are just trying to survive Tuesday?

We talk about the difference between chasing happiness and creating fulfillment.

We talk about choosing joy even when things are hard.

We talk about pausing long enough to zoom out, listening to your body, practicing gratitude, learning from failure, and remembering that the goalpost is always going to move.

And then we get into leadership.

Rose shares why it is time to think bigger and lead bolder, to stop tolerating things that do not align with your values, and to understand that leadership is not just about owning the practice. It is about how you show up for your team, your practice members, and yourself.

Courtney also shares how she is using AI to create more freedom, simplify systems, reduce dependence on technology that constantly needs our attention, and give practitioners more space for their families, their lives, and the human work that technology simply cannot replace.

Because AI can make us more efficient.

But it cannot adjust someone.

It cannot replace human connection.

And it certainly cannot replace YOU.

If you are in a season where you feel stuck, overwhelmed, ready to reinvent something, or simply ready to create more joy and freedom in the way you practice, this conversation is for you.

Think bigger. Lead bolder. Ask the question. Make the pivot. And stop being afraid to build the life and practice you actually want.

Go make the world better with great care. 

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Molly Cahill, an Instagram marketing expert who has spent the last seven years helping chiropractors show up online, build community, and connect with the people who need them most.

Molly and I talk about something I think so many practitioners struggle with:

How do we use social media without losing the heart of what we do?

Molly shares her unique perspective as someone who discovered chiropractic after experiencing her own health transformation and then went on to build an Instagram management agency that now supports dozens of chiropractic practices.

One of the biggest mistakes she sees chiropractors make is treating Instagram like a billboard instead of a relationship-building tool.

Your practice page is not just a place to post educational content.

It is a place where people decide:

• Do I know this person?
• Do I trust this person?
• Do I feel connected to this person?

We talk about why showing your personality matters, why stock images and overly polished content often miss the mark, and why your unique story and lived experience are the things AI cannot replicate.

Molly also shares why thought leadership is becoming more important than ever and how your content can help people find you not only on Instagram, but through Google and AI-powered searches.

We also dive into:

• Building a real community instead of just collecting followers
• Why your practice page needs the human behind the brand
• How AI is changing content creation and why authenticity matters more than ever
• The five Instagram mistakes Molly sees chiropractors making again and again

This conversation is a reminder that people do not connect with logos.

They connect with humans.

The thing that makes you different is not something you need to create. It is already there, your experiences, your stories, your perspective, and the way you care for people.

Show up. Share your voice. Build your community.

Because your future practice members are looking for someone they can trust.

Go make the world better with great care.

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Russ Rosen, one of the most respected educators in the chiropractic profession and someone who has been a mentor, coach, and trusted voice in my life for decades.

Russ and I have known each other for over 20 years, and every time we talk, I walk away with a reminder of why communication matters so much in practice.

His focus has always been helping doctors move beyond simply getting people out of pain and toward helping people get healthy and stay healthy for a lifetime.

In this conversation, we talk about the foundation of a successful practice: knowing who you are, what you do, why you do it, and what you do not do.

Because when your message is unclear, your marketing becomes unclear. When your procedures do not match your beliefs, your practice becomes disconnected.

Russ shares his framework for building a practice around five key systems:

• Your philosophy and belief systems
• Building and leading a dream team
• Communicating the value of care
• Marketing to attract the right people
• Creating flow and growth in your practice

We also dive deep into one of the biggest opportunities in practice growth: internal referrals.

Most doctors ask for referrals in a way that feels awkward and transactional. Russ explains why you should never have to chase referrals and how the right communication can create a practice where people naturally want to bring their friends and family in.

We talk about:

• How to help practice members become emotionally connected to their care
• Why people need to be taught how to refer
• How a simple consultation process can help determine if someone is the right fit before they ever begin care

This episode is a reminder that growing a practice is not about doing more. It is about getting clearer.

Clear on your purpose.
Clear on your message.
Clear on the people you are here to serve.

If you want to build a practice where people understand your value, believe in your mission, and naturally want to share your work with others, this conversation is for you.

Go make the world better with great care.

 In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. David Fletcher, a chiropractor, researcher, educator, and the founder of Insight CLA, to talk about one of the biggest questions we can ask in practice:

Are we looking deep enough?

I have heard Dr. David’s name throughout chiropractic for years, but this conversation gave me the opportunity to truly understand the work he has dedicated his life to: helping practitioners better understand the nervous system and how we can use technology, curiosity, and deeper analysis to serve people at a higher level.

Dr. David shares how his journey through chiropractic, sports sciences, and research led him to explore the relationship between the spine, the nervous system, and human potential. His work has focused on developing practical tools that allow practitioners to assess nervous system function and better understand the patterns that impact how people adapt, heal, and express life.

We talk about what a regulated nervous system really means, why chiropractic is about so much more than pain, and how we can shift from simply chasing symptoms to becoming trusted advisors who help people understand their own health.

One of my favorite parts of this conversation is our discussion around curiosity.

What happens when we stop trying to prove we are right and instead become endlessly curious about the person sitting in front of us?

How does that change the way we practice?

How does that change the way we lead?

Dr. David also shares powerful insights for practitioners who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from the joy that brought them into this profession. We talk about returning to your “why,” building excellence through daily habits, embracing the CEO role in your practice, and remembering that the tone of your practice starts with you.

We also talk about Cairo Fest, mentorship, excellence, and why surrounding yourself with the right community can completely transform your experience in practice.

This episode is a reminder that growth starts when we are willing to look deeper.

Not just at our practice members.

Not just at our systems.

But at ourselves.

Stay curious. Keep learning. Keep asking better questions.

And go make the world better with great care. 

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Stephanie Libs, a chiropractor, lactation consultant, educator, and one of those people who immediately feels like a joy sparker.

Dr. Steph is based in sunny San Diego, where she leads Cafe of Life Chiropractic alongside a team of four associates. She has been serving families since 2013, with a deep focus on perinatal and pediatric chiropractic care. She is a graduate of Life Chiropractic College West, holds her CACCP through the ICPA, and now teaches the Webster Technique as part of the ICPA instructor team.

What I loved about this conversation is how beautifully Steph blends two things that can sometimes feel like opposites: flow and systems.

She describes herself as a feeler and someone who likes to move through practice intuitively. But behind that freedom is a very grounded, very intentional set of simple systems.

And THAT is where the magic is.

We talk about why systems should not make your practice feel rigid. The right systems actually give you more space to be present, connect with the people you serve, and do the work you love.

Steph and I also dive into chiropractic philosophy, nervous system focused care, pregnancy and pediatric chiropractic, and the importance of staying anchored in what you know and believe instead of constantly chasing symptoms or someone else's version of success.

We talk about how she built her identity around caring for pregnant women, babies, and families, how shadowing other chiropractors helped shape the way she practices, and why it is so important to take what resonates, leave what doesn't, and create a practice that actually feels like YOU.

We also get into mentorship, finding your people, speaking confidently about what you do, and surrounding yourself with people who remind you who you are when practice gets noisy.

If you are feeling stuck, overcomplicating your practice, or wondering how to create more freedom without losing the heart of why you started, this conversation is for you.

Simplify the systems. Stay anchored in your truth. Find your people. Then give yourself the freedom to serve in the way only you can.

Go make the world better with great care. 

In this episode of the Staffless Practice Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Monique Andrews, also known as Dr. Mo, to explore chiropractic neuroscience, mentorship, communication, curiosity, and what it really means to stay connected to the work we do.

Dr. Monique Andrews is a chiropractor, neuroscientist, educator, and international speaker known for her work in Embodied Neuroscience. We talk about how a deeper understanding of the nervous system can help chiropractors better understand what they do with their hands and communicate it in a way that people can actually connect with.

We explore why certainty comes from understanding, how curiosity can move us away from fear, and why what we choose to focus on can influence how we think, grow, and show up in practice.

Dr. Monique Andrews also shares her perspective on mentorship and the lasting influence of Dr. Sue Brown, including why finding people whose wisdom, communication, and way of moving through the world resonate with you can be so important for your own growth.

We also dive into neuroplasticity, nervous system regulation, awareness, creativity, and the power of staying interested in your work, especially during seasons when practice feels difficult or uncertain.

This conversation is about more than neuroscience. It is about connection, curiosity, understanding, mentorship, and continuing to grow into the chiropractor and person you want to become.

If you have ever felt stuck or unsure of what to focus on next, this episode is a reminder to stay curious, find people who inspire you, and keep coming back to the main thing.