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Designed to Move: Interview with Abbi Rickelman
43 Plays4 days ago
About the Guest(s):
In this engaging episode of the Uncommon Wealth Podcast, host Phillip Ramsey welcomes Abbi Rickelman of Designed to Move to the studio. They chat about the journey from being a chiropractic student to running a successful holistic practice. Abbi shares her experiences of transitioning into the business world, drawing inspiration from her father's entrepreneurial spirit. Listeners gain insight into the challenges and victories faced in building Designed to Move, a clinic known for its unique approach and extended appointments that cater to the individual needs of each patient.
Throughout the episode, Abbi elaborates on the dynamics of running a business with her husband and the importance of maintaining client relationships while scaling the business. She discusses the lessons learned from unexpected challenges like audits and finding the ideal location for their practice. The conversation also delves into how Abbi and her team plan to scale their operations sustainably without compromising the quality of care. This episode offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners on balancing professional growth with personal well-being and client satisfaction.
Key Takeaways:
- Designed to Move offers a unique chiropractic approach with a focus on personalized, holistic healthcare solutions, which include longer patient interactions and a variety of treatments.
- Abbi emphasizes the significance of listening to and understanding clients, which has led to the organic growth of their business largely through referrals.
- The transition to business ownership taught Abbi the importance of balancing business processes with quality client care and personal life.
- Although challenging, the decision to reconsider moving to a new building exemplified the importance of flexibility and trusting one’s instincts in business decisions.
- Honest reflections on personal ambition revealed that true fulfillment comes from serving others and glorifying one's values over mere success.
Notable Quotes:
- "In business ownership, you think that it's gonna be like rainbows and butterflies, and you just have, like, all this time off…"
- "I mean, literally, not two nights ago, Aaron was doing paperwork until 11:30 at night."
- "The older I've gotten, the more I've realized… success isn't really where it's at. Like chasing the wind."
- "I love our practice model. It's uncommon. Imagine that."
- "You can't grow unless you're working on your business."
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Everyone dreams of living an uncommon life. And the best asset you have to achieve your dreams is you. Welcome to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast. We're going to introduce you the people who are living uncommonly. We're also going to give you some tools and strategies for building wealth and for pursuing an uncommon path that is uniquely right for you.
Meet Abby Rickleman from Design to Move
00:00:26
Speaker
Hello and welcome everybody to another episode of the Uncomma Wealth Podcast where I'm your host Philip Ramsey and we get to tune in to another episode where we talk to amazing business owners. We have Abby Rickleman today with Design to Move. I can't wait to unpack her uncommon but let me give you her bio. And if you're a newer listener you guys realize that I love to throw a random bio out there.
00:00:49
Speaker
Cause I don't like to read out loud. That's really the reason, but here's the vial for you. I have three words for you. Ready, Abby? She's in studio too, which is my favorite. Um, you're purposeful and I'd say intentional. I think those are two and one. I'm not going to count those as two purposeful and intentional. Like whatever you do, you do it with purpose and intention. Okay. That's my first one and a half words.
00:01:11
Speaker
Second word is coachable. I feel like you're super coachable, not only in your life, but like just who you are. So that's my second word. The third word is faithful. You have a faith, you know where you're gonna go for eternity. I love that part, and it always falls back on that. Those are my three words. Abby Rickelman, welcome to the show. Hey, thanks a lot, and I appreciate that.
00:01:31
Speaker
Not bad, huh? Well, you know, I appreciate those words. that that ill take take I'll take those words for sure. Any one I would have missed on? I mean, ah three is enough. Otherwise, that's just a lot. That's right. That's enough. That's right. That's enough. Okay. so And I'm trying to use different words for people because I had another word for you and I was like, oh, I've already used that one. So I got to use it. What was it?
00:01:50
Speaker
Well, I think it was like, just like you're not purposeful, but driven, driven, yeah you're driven. But I've already used that one. So I was like, okay, got to use a different word from driven, purposeful and intentional. Kind of the same. Listen, okay. We're going to get off topic here a little bit. I was just talking or I was just reading a book and they said like people say it wouldn't be purpose driven life. Yeah. And what they were saying is that a lot of driven people are so driven, then they lose purpose.
00:02:13
Speaker
And I'm like, Oh man, like, is that like my life? Like sometimes I feel like I've been so driven that I'm like, what am I doing? Yes. So yeah, I was, that was that. There you go. So, all right. So we're talking about design to move.
Origin Story of Design to Move
00:02:25
Speaker
Yeah. Will you also own this company with a sexy beast named Aaron Rickleman? I mean, I will agree. Yeah. I mean, if you guys heard his voice, if you just want to heard his voice, you'd be like, yeah, totally agree. we' We'll save Aaron for another episode of when you can just have just Aaron's voice. that' well Don't tempt me, because it would be amazing. First off, how long have you been owning, designed to move? um Okay, it's funny, I was just thinking about that today. So 2015 is when we opened. Okay. So yeah yeah so about nine years. Yeah, coming up on nine years. That's crazy. Yeah, it's been a while, nine years, it's been good. Gosh, is it like your best asset and also like sometimes it's like what have we just created? Well, yeah, absolutely. I mean, my dad was a business owner growing up and so I was like, I want to do this business owner thing. And I think to not, I mean, let's, I'm not mistaken in this, like business ownership is beautiful, but I think you have, when you get into business ownership, you think that it's going to be like rainbows and butterflies and you just have like all this time off and like you get to do whatever you want to do whenever you want to do it. And no.
00:03:27
Speaker
That's not how it goes. Kind of true, but also kind of not. I mean, like if I could take it a million days off, that'd be great. I i could, but I would no not be able to pay my bills. It doesn't work that way. And so, I mean, in fact, like all I i pay my and my employees are paid before I get paid. So because, you know, you have people that you're responsible for. So um it's just a, it's different than what you, I think go into like, Oh, I'm going to, this is going to be amazing. And it is like, there's so much beauty in owning your business. um But I think there's things that like, you probably don't,
00:03:57
Speaker
a realizer think about before you jump into it. It's like parenting. It is like parenting. Like you think it's going to be all great. And like, I've seen the parents of target. They look great. They'll put together what they haven't seen is that poor parent was up at two in the morning. Yeah. Well, cleaning up and blowout truth. I mean, literally not two nights ago, Aaron was doing paperwork until 11 30 at night. He was not happy. I mean, it's just, you know, there's just lots of there's lots of fires to be put out and, uh, Yeah, nobody wants to be working until that hour, so. No, that's true. We're hoping, I mean, that's honestly the season we're in is trying to figure out how we continue to serve the patients that we serve and love them well. And our business model is really to be very attentive to them and give them more time and authenticity to them and things like that. But how do we continue to do that, but also not make ourselves crazy at the same time?
Challenges of Business Ownership
00:04:50
Speaker
That's right. Yeah. We're going to get into all of that because I love your business model. It's uncommon. Imagine that. I also love that you are running a business with your husband. That's not easy. It's just a whole other dynamic. But my first question for you, Abby, you ready for this? I'm ready. What are you made of? What? That's the question. That's the question. What are you made of? What are you made of? What would you say like you're made of?
00:05:13
Speaker
um Like basically, what's your three words for yourself? Oh, man. I think driven is probably one of them. it's I just have a go. like i um like If there's a job that I have to do and got to get it done, like it's go, go time. um so And I really i enjoy like tackling things and and new challenges and things like that, probably to a fault. Yeah. um What am I made of? Oh my goodness. I also love serving people. And so when I get that opportunity, like I'm like, let's just do that. And like, the problem is, is like, sometimes you can serve, serve, serve, serve, serve. And um so it, I, it's funny because I feel like sometimes your strengths become your weaknesses in that too. You're your best asset and your worst asset. Yeah. So I think that, um,
00:06:00
Speaker
that is probably the the biggest things like I really do like to go and like get after things um and accomplish and then um also serve people. So I'm a three on the Enneagram. If that means anything to anybody. yeah So I saw a really funny meme or something that like that one time about a three on the Enneagram. And there's a lot of people who have a snooze button on their phone or their ah that doesn't exist. yeah So like the alarm hits and this like person would like flung out of bed and like jumped in the shower essentially. And that's my life. so Yes. My husband snoozes it like 15 times, I think. He like has 15 alarms. Mine's one and out. And you're in. You're dialed in. Okay, so I think it's interesting that you saw your dad run its own business and that was attractive enough for you to then step into this like yeah business ownership or uncommon path. Yeah. So let's talk about that. So when you were growing up,
00:06:50
Speaker
That was obviously attractive enough to you that you said, like, I want to do that. I think there was a couple of times when that's the opposite. They see their parents running a business like, over my dead body while I do that. you know like and But you have not felt that way. What do you think your dad did that was the most appealing to you when you were a child that was like, I think that could be me?
00:07:13
Speaker
So it's funny because we are kind of different personalities. And so I tackle things like a hundred percent, a million percent, let's go. Where my dad and I'm like, well, we've already got patient schedule. I couldn't cancel that to go do said thing or whatever. Cause I don't want to, you know, right um, where my dad is like.
00:07:30
Speaker
type b personality where he's i mean he's so laid back sometimes he might fall in the chair and so which is great um it but so i saw him and the fact that he would just you know be like all my golf tournaments when he wanted to be he would um the flexibility yeah he just had a major flexibility and uh i ah His office atmosphere was always a lot of seemed like a lot of fun. and What did he do? um He was an optometrist. Oh, okay. So, yeah. So, I mean, I think being around that was ah enticing. um And I feel like there's like a generational thing where it's like, whatever your parents achieve, you must achieve the same or greater. I don't know. There is something about that. What is up with that? yeah I don't know know either.
00:08:09
Speaker
But I feel like that's where I was thinking. You can't do like 20% more. You can't do like 50% more. You have to just incremental more. Yeah. I mean, honestly, my sister wouldn't, I think, be mad about me saying this. But she, I think, at first, when I was going into a chiropractic school and I had the intentions of going to, hopefully, open a business, she called me in tears one day and was like, here you're going to be a doctor and all the things.
00:08:32
Speaker
but I think it's that generational thing where she thought like, that's where my dad was. So like, that's the next step. And she's amazingly successful at what she does. There's no, like, there's no need for, she's amazing, you know? And like, she, um, has a very successful career for, and and what she does. And like, it's just funny how you kind of get in those little, like, yeah you know, so but I don't don't regret it for a second, but it is kind of the weird generational thing. I think sometimes certain personalities kind of.
00:08:57
Speaker
like glean on yeah So what had made you want to go into chiropractic? So News Flash designed to move as a chiropractic, like,
Innovative Chiropractic Care Approach
00:09:03
Speaker
I would say physical therapist yeah type of a practice. How about you give us the 30 second interview? Of what designed to move is? Yeah. Okay. So designed to move, we're a chiropractic sports rehab clinic. What that means is we um use chiropractic, like what many people would say manipulation adjustments. That's just one of the many tools that we use. We have soft tissue release, whether that manual or we have like two certain tools that we use.
00:09:24
Speaker
We do dry needling. We do um like rehab type exercises that you would see commonly at like a PT clinic. We just added a shockwave therapy as well. That's a technique that helps tissue heal. It's been extremely successful for a lot of patients. And so we um we we we have a gamut of different therapies that we provide and we have longer appointment time. So our appointments are about 20 minutes. Whereas I know a lot of people are used to go into a chiropractic appointment as you know,
00:09:51
Speaker
just a few minutes. and And so we just try to take a little bit longer with the patient and see what it is, whether it's something in our office and, um, or it's like certain, um, specialists I need to see or whatever. We try to to try to hit, um, everything we can in the musculoskeletal realm. I had to tell basically. So, okay, good. So did you always want to do this or like, what made you kind of like, I love a medical world. Okay. And so I was considered like I was actually, I took the optometry entrance exam. Oh,
00:10:17
Speaker
Um, and I was going to get out of undergrad a year early and go, um, but I hadn't taken organic chemistry yet. This is a funny story. It tells you how science I am. So I taught myself organic chemistry because I hadn't taken it yet. However, I am not good at language arts topics, old things. And so, um, and so we went, I went through the test and I failed it because I passed organic at chemistry, but I failed literary reading. So there's that know the good Lord knew what he was doing. It's fine. I freaked out because there were more questions. And like so I started skimming stuff and had no clue what I was doing. And it was a really good thing because I don't think that was where I was supposed to be. I had i had thought that maybe I would go take my dad's practice over things like that. I went and shattered a lot of optometrists and it just wasn't my jam. So even though I think the eye is super fascinating, like that's what kind of intrigued me to it when I learned about it in school. But I was like, I don't think day to day this is my jam. I more liked the physical, holistic, physical, i'm like I'm active all day long working with patients. so
00:11:13
Speaker
okay yeah So then when you stepped into, what school did you go to, to Cairo? Logan University. So yeah, it's in St. Louis. Okay. We stepped into Logan. Is that where you met Aaron? That is where I met Aaron. That is where I met Aaron two weeks in. Yeah, you did. That's where it was at. I get it. Okay. We'll get to that in a second. But was it like you hit the ground running? Like you loved it. You loved to learn about it. You loved all this stuff. Or like, what was the hardest class that you took?
00:11:39
Speaker
Oh man. I don't know the hardest class. Um, I love academics. I'm a nerd. Like I really love that. I was, and I'm not even really proud to say this, but I was a valedictorian in my class yeah mostly because I do. I like, I'm really good at tests. Like I'm like, you give me information to learn. I can learn it now. I might not retain it always, but you can nail that to nail a test. If you give me the information. Wow.
00:12:02
Speaker
so anyways such a superpower by the way it is i feel like i'm the exact opposite but i can like brain dump real fast so it's yeah after you know you walk back there was another kid in my class that really should be the valedictorian like he was probably 20 times smarter than me. Like he really is. And he, I think he actually teaches and stuff now anyways. Um, but I, uh, so I don't know. So I don't know what the hardest class was. I overachieved to be the honest. Like I shouldn't, I mean, like, why was I overstudying? I could have gone to bed at 10 o'clock and not midnight, you know, like dumb things, but the government dates again, that's the three. Okay. That's the three in me. I can't stop until it's accomplished. So ah here here we are. Okay. So yeah.
00:12:42
Speaker
Okay, so let's go back to college. When when did you and day and and air harry start solidifying these like DPRs? Two weeks in, we went on our first date and I think right along then. yeah Wow. so So it was basically like... right pretty Pretty much right away. So interesting that you went to the same school because you probably have very similar philosophies. Yeah. Okay. And we went to like most of our like philosophy and how our practice was built was actually on a lot of like um different extracurricular things that we would do. We went to a lot of like conferences and things like that, that kind of built our model, if you will. Not that school didn't help us, obviously, school's good, but to get the model that we were trying to accomplish, we had to do some different things to get there. So, yeah. Okay. How many employees do you have now? Oh boy. I should know this off top of my head. Bri, right now, two.
00:13:35
Speaker
three, four, four, four, four. Okay. Plus Aaron plus Aaron. yeah And then we've got a couple that rent from us in our building too. Okay. Cause I'd say it's a very successful practice. Well, thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. Yeah. What do you think was have been the biggest, uh, component of the success? Um, I think Probably just, I mean, we do, we just take a little extra time with people. yeah And we really try to hear people. I think that in the medical world in general, patients come into an office and they're not really heard. And so we really try to hear people and um whether that's them getting whatever care it is they need in our office or like us being super honest with them and saying, Hey, this is the person you need to go see. um
00:14:18
Speaker
So I think that um a lot of our growth has been organic. So we just getting to know people in the community, getting referrals and things like that. So it just, it feels like a family, you know, it doesn't feel like, Hey, I got all these, you know, random ads from you. And I just randomly decided to come in. Yeah. Not that that's not a way that you can advertise a hundred percent. There's nothing wrong with it. it's um And it's just, I think most of our people that have come into our office have been kind of that organic, organic marketing type type way. so
Financial Strategies and Growth
00:14:47
Speaker
Yeah. All right, normally we don't go into this, but I do think it's interesting. So how do you start the business cashflow wise? Like you and Aaron probably step out of college and you have this big dream and you also have a huge amount of probably student loan debt. Yep. Like, how do you step into like, all right, let's do this design to move thing. I think this is going to be great. Banks don't like us. No, they think you have leprosy. And they really don't like chiropractors too is what I've heard. that we, um, I was, yeah, I was super grateful that, so my, um, I got a, uh, I played golf in college. So, um, my parents had told me that they were going to help me with, uh, college. They had saved for us to go to college. And when I got a full ride through golf and some academics, um, they basically kept that money aside. And then it was like, okay, well now we can help you with chiropractic school. And so then I was talking to them. I'm like, well, how about instead of you helping me with the chiropractic school, like I, it's easy to get student loans, but it's a lot harder to get a small business loan loan. How about we take that money and we put it into the practice that we started practice. And so that's what we did. We just, it was basically my education money that we started it with and we started really small. Yeah. That's amazing. I mean, it was, it was great. And so we started really small. Like our office was like a little cracker jack box and, um, but it was what we needed and it was, it, it really functioned just fine for what, what we really needed. Um, to some extent, that was really, it was nice back then. It was less complicated. Isn't it funny? You look back at that and you're like, Yeah. Yeah. I mean, well, our, our building now is beautiful. I would not take it back for a second just because it, uh, it provides so much opportunity, but the simplicity of, of just like this little office was, was pretty nice, but it was, it was getting real cramped there at the end. So real cramped. Yeah. so
00:16:25
Speaker
Because you ever you run a successful practice. like People just want to come in. You want to impact more people. Therefore, it takes a bigger place. Well, that's a hard thing, too. is like When people want to come in, I don't want to have to tell them no. yeah um and But to some extent, your schedule gets full, you have to say no. yes And so we had to make a space that then have made ah it available that we could bring in other physicians to then you know be able to say yes to people.
00:16:48
Speaker
so yeah That's right. Yep. Okay. So this is what I would say for those people who are like, I'm just tuning in for Abby, which I get, uh, or financial advisors. We love people to say that you're your best asset. What does that mean? It means like you're uniquely gifted. And so ever how you're uniquely gifted, we want to try to invest in that. So when you wake up in the morning, you get a pour into something that you're uniquely gifted at and you like to do it. So we don't like to be the people who are like, and you're Wells Fargo and you can stay at a desk job for the rest of your life. And we're going to take all your money. We don't really do that that way.
00:17:18
Speaker
But what we found is not only do we do that, people start stepping off and trying to create something like a business, like design to move. yeah And then once that starts being successful, what you find is like, well, actually I love this component of my my job or my career, but I don't love this component. And what we then urge you to do is then go hire somebody that actually likes to do that, which you've done. And then after that, you ready for what we kind of go the next is like, well, you're business usually needs a building, like you might want to buy a building. And that's what you and Aaron did. And then you complemented it with a different kind of side of the business and you've rented that out. yep So it kind of cash flows it. All of that is all in a separate business usually. You have designed to move and then you have another entity that owns the building. And you basically on the uncommon path, the exact way that I think would be how we would coach. And so let's just talk about stepping into that building. There's another thing you have to walk into the bank. And they look at you like you have leprosy. yeahp And you're like, but I got an idea. And they're like, yeah, fun idea, little boy. But yeah know you're not doing that. So how did you get that building like the loan for it? like yeah Give us the background of that.
00:18:24
Speaker
Um, we paid ourselves as little as possible. Yes. And we saved and saved and saved and saved and saved. And so our first, how many, what was that? Five years, I guess six years. so That's what we did. Good. And we, um, then we just searched for a spot that we thought an Ankeny would be really great.
00:18:43
Speaker
um We loved the north side of Ankeny, to be honest, and so we wanted to continue staying in that area. um We originally were actually going to move across the street into these buildings that were being built and that just that opportunity just really didn't work out. um And so then we're like, okay, so what are we going to do now? Because we kind of had our all of our cards in that basket for a little bit.
00:19:03
Speaker
And so we for a while we were like, well, we're gonna have to rearrange his office to figure out how we're going to continue to serve the people we're serving. So we did that. And then we um found the piece of land that's literally across the street from where we we were going to move into. um And we built there and so um found a bank that ah ah believed in our vision. And they they stepped right into it. The biggest blessing is that it was right before COVID.
00:19:29
Speaker
I mean, literally, right before COVID, I don't know, I mean, cost of construction simply would have killed us. yeah um And also the but interest rates, everything would have killed us. lot But we ah so we the our sticks and bricks went up in February of 2020.
00:19:48
Speaker
So literally the structure was up. The month before. Right. Yeah. And our our builder was like, if you did not do that when that happened, it would have been at least 400,000 more just for your steaks and bricks. Oh oh my goodness.
00:20:04
Speaker
My goodness, well, we would have just had an empty building sitting there because I don't know how we would have finished it. Wow. Isn't that mean crazy? It's an an insane amount of money more. And so again, the good Lord was looking after us and we got that finished up because it would have been a little bit difficult. so Now we're into this building and, um, we've got Iowa clinic that's right next door to us, which is a ah great, um, it's honestly awesome because we've had times where we have someone that had extremely high blood pressure. We were a little nervous about having a heart attack, things like that. We sent them right over. Um, and so yeah, they've been a great, uh, tended to have and and very complimentary. Um, and so yeah, it's just, it's the two of us in that building. So.
00:20:41
Speaker
Wow. Yep. That's fascinating. OK, because they're at the end of the day, you've kind of mentioned this. Like, there's yourre you're exchanging your time for money. And at some point, you only have so much time to give. Now, you and your husband have double, because they're both. But then you also have a family. You do have two kids. Yes, we do. Didn't mention those little rascals. That's right. But so how do you then scale this thing up? Like, what's the next level? Where are you going?
00:21:07
Speaker
Well, that's a good question because that's what we're trying to figure out right now. Um, I feel like it seems easy on paper and then it's like, you go to life and it's like, wow, this is a lot. And so, um, the hard part is we are currently at a position where it's like, we are at the end of our rope in the time that we can give. And so we are so much toiling in working in our business, seeing patients and things like that. It's very hard for us to work on our business. Right. So you can't grow unless you're working on your business. I mean, that can't is a strong word. It's very difficult to grow if you can't work on your business. And so right now we're trying to figure out how to give us that opportunity to do that. um I just started taking um a day off a week where I can both manage some of the business pieces and manage
00:21:54
Speaker
um our family just because um i I work so that I can like tend to my family. Also, I love serving my patients but tend to my family and on the weekends I just felt like I was kids were just running around me and trying to get ready for the next week. And so we that that day has helped with that. um The hope is that Aaron will also be able to kind of get there as well.
00:22:14
Speaker
The problem is if you take um a physician out of working, then you have ah less, it like, rough and enough coming yeah yeah. So again, like now we're, we're kind of t toiling with like, okay, when is the right time that you do bring another physician on um so that we can give ourselves some space with that. So I don't know, we're in the mix of trying to manage what it looks like to upscale. However, also like there are things when you are very small that you neglect, like,
00:22:42
Speaker
having good processes written down. Those are some things that I really want to um make sure we solidify before we expand because more the more you expand, the more the problems start to elevate because you don't have a good process for that.
00:22:58
Speaker
Um, point in case we don't, only we have processes for storms, but like kind of like kind of, and I would like literally rolled my storm, the storm out the tornado out. That just recently happened in my office because I didn't like I was dumb. Like, and I really should have had like, okay, we need to have a process here. The tornado sirens go off. We need to make sure we're safe. And that's like a dumb process. Clearly that should just be, but it's important, but like, it's important, right? So, but there's a lot of processes, um, that,
00:23:24
Speaker
are obviously more intricate to like how the business grows and and succeeds that we need to get after. so Let's talk about that scaling part because like I feel like you and I feel like us at Uncommon Wealth, we could scale it faster. But that would mean that we would roll all of our current clients. like We would just mow them over. yeah Like we wouldn't care about them and that's like not our, like that's the reason why we got in the business is because we care very deeply about our clients. And so to be able to scale it up, I do think there is a little component of that of like, I don't want to scale it where I have to like get rid of anybody that I have a really good relationship with or that I'm caring for. And so I think that that part is, although harder, it's caring too. Like it's like a Midwest nice kind of thing. Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:08
Speaker
and Because I mean, at the end of the day, like, what am I scaling it for? Right? right That's right. Like, I don't need to scale of something so crazy. Like, I'm not sitting here trying to make a bajillion dollars. No, that's not what I'm i'm after. um I want to have a comfortable life that I get to love my kids, love my family and enjoy what I do. yes And so the problem is, is we've gotten to the point i I really enjoy what I do every day. But at the end of the day, I'm smoked because we end up coming to having to come home and continue to do work. Yeah, yeah and different work that yeah that's what we got to figure out. um And so yeah, it's just a, it's a matter of trying to figure out how to scale well. um And at this point, I think we need a scale to then give us some breathing room is really the, is the key. And usually when that happens, you have more breathing room to think about how you can make your business run more efficiently. And then that gets you to the next level. yeah But it's always this like ah this point where you're like, I'm feeling a little pinch. Well, and that's what Aaron's always like. But if we take me part of that, then with the revenue, I'm like, yeah, but then you can work on how to get, you know, it's just.
00:25:05
Speaker
It's fascinating. Yeah. Yeah. So I think that's, that's cool. And I like the fact that you, this is weird. Ready for this? This is an uncommon view. I liked the fact that you guys are tapped out with time because to me, sometimes the hardest puzzles to solve are the ones that are the most complex, but that you have so many places to start. Like to me, the time is not an option. yeah which for you is kind of a blessing because you'd be like, well, just throw more time on it. yeah You know, like that's just your personality. It's a three, three mentality. I'll just do it. So do if i that you don't that you have to think differently anyway. yeah Um, and again, you're coachable. So I think you're going to be able to get to the next level. Yeah. Um, okay. What, what are the biggest places in your business where you've hit adversity and you'd had to like overcome, I feel like, well, you want to talk about yesterday or today? Which which day you want? Yeah. um I honestly think the biggest piece of adversity I can think of is when we um thought we were moving into this other building that we didn't end up moving into. Because it's like we had, I mean, the vision of what was going to be happening there, things were clicking in that right direction. And then we're ah talking to our banker and he's like,
00:26:14
Speaker
um ah said well essentially we had a clause in this building that we were going to be going in. Like if it went over a certain amount that we were able to kind of pull out of it. thanks for And then things started happening where we just didn't agree with what was happening with things.
00:26:29
Speaker
And our banker was just kind of like, are you sure you want to do this? Like this is a lot of money and like, is this really what you want? And like Aaron looked at me and I looked at him and I'm like, no no. Wow. I don't think so. And so, um, but it was the first time I think we both think Aaron probably admitted that for easier than I did. I was too stubborn, but we eventually both got there. And, uh, so then it was like, okay, so what do we do now? Like we can't be like, I want it. Like this is fine where we're at, but we got to do something different. And so.
00:26:58
Speaker
Um... Yeah, that was the biggest adversity, plus the biggest moment where we saw saw God just like step up and be like, ah yeah, I know you thought that was the coolest and greatest thing, but like look what I'm gonna do now. yeah And so. Trust in me. Oh yeah. again so But it's funny because I didn't trust, it and trust, it and trust, because i I think in the back of my head I was like, nah, nah, you're not supposed to do that. You shouldn't do this. I think this isn't going well. I don't, whatever. And then finally, like just the hammer had to hit that it really pushed us in the direction of like you know stop stopping. so that i mean I think that would be one of them.
00:27:29
Speaker
And then the provision of the one month after would have been $400,000 more. Like, that's kind of a god thing. Yes, that was huge. That was huge. Wow. Another one was when ah we had an audit. and Oh. And it was terrible. I mean, any business is going to have an audit, right? Yeah. And it was an audit from an insurance company. And the ah we got, I mean, ah a fine. It was just what we we didn't know what we didn't know. Right. And so and it was just a documentation error thing, really, what it was. But I mean, there was nothing we could hide behind. Yeah.
00:27:59
Speaker
Aaron was really hurt by it because he's like, I literally work so hard to do this right do this right. And I feel like I serve my patients well and I feel like I'm doing everything right. And then you come and tell me like, no, I'm not doing this right. And yes, by the way, pay me a jillion dollars for it. Yeah. I mean, jeepers, we were fine. We figured it out, but it was just like, wow. Like at the blink of an eye, like something can go awry when you don't even think, no, you're doing something wrong. Right. And so, um, that was a big, just, I think gut punch to us a little bit. Um, wasn't anything we couldn't handle like financially, but more of like, uh, um, yeah, it was a mental thing. It was like, man, I just, I really try to serve and do everything I can to do right and do well. And, um, man, it's funny how much insurance has changed. My dad, when he documented, he showed me his first note. It was a note card. It had the person's prescription and what they paid. That was it.
00:28:50
Speaker
Wow. Oh, yeah. Now, I mean, I have to basically take the par whole person's like everything. at All right. A document. Oh, my goodness. It's great. So um I think those are probably our two biggest pieces of adversity, if you will. So if you would flash back all the way back to before you went to chiropractic school, would you do it all over again?
00:29:08
Speaker
who I think I would because I love yeah my patients and I love doing, but what's it for I would do it differently, I think. um Yeah. What would you do different? This is fascinating. I don't think I've ever asked this question. I love it. Do like what we have. I love, but the problem is we, we, you do it when you start, you're like, okay, I need a patient to come in. I document their stuff. I take their money and then I put that in my bank account and then there's a bill and I pay it and we're done. Okay, cool. This is how this works.
00:29:37
Speaker
Like that's what you think business ownership is. right And I think that if I had known, like if I'm fast forward to now and like how do we put some things in our life to make sure we have boundaries so that we are not stretched too thin and don't over involve ourselves with some things um and set up processes from the beginning, even if it's a dumb process because it's just two of us, it would be
Lessons Learned in Business Management
00:30:03
Speaker
helpful. Um, and I think that it would probably create some of these headaches that we have would probably be less. So yeah, it's good. What do you think Aaron would have say? He'd be like, no, he's stressed out right now. He would never do it. I think he he's just stressed out. It would be interesting to hear what he said. I bet you he would say yes. I think after he processes through, I think he would eventually say yes, but I'm telling you, so he, like I'm telling you, he was as wits and just, he was just so stressed out like two nights ago. And so he's like, Let's just hold on and go to the Caribbean. Burn it to the ground. Let's go. And I'm like, you know, he doesn't mean it. Cause I mean, truly, we both love our patients. We love what we do. We love our, I mean, our employees are amazing. It's revealing. It is. I mean, what design to move is, is beautiful. And there's nothing I would take back about it except for setting up some things for the success rate better. And I think that in, if Aaron obviously thought about that, he would think the same thing, but don't ask him. me Don't ask him when he's doing paperwork at 11 o'clock at night. yeah yeah no Don't ask in a week moment. yeah that's It is neat that you both are there and you both run the company. The interesting thing about it is like you've tried to take as little out of the business as you can to therefore grow. yeah I feel like that's where you you're at now. yep and You're kind of at this point of like, okay, but how do we take it to the next level? right and That's the thing. We we we still take as little we take what we need to feed our family and that's all we take from the business.
00:31:23
Speaker
um And so, but there's things that we've gotten, you know, I mean, we've taken some distributions here and there, but like, mostly that's what our, our income is. And, uh, it would be nice to not have to just, just take just enough. yes And so, um, cause we are, we're successful, but it's like, we've got so many other things that we're kind of trying to.
00:31:44
Speaker
to do and save and all the stuff that it, you know, it would be fun. This would be never, we could never do this, but it'd be fun to like line business owners up and have people from like whoever like just how much do you think they make.
00:31:57
Speaker
yeah Wouldn't that be fascinating? I think what they think that we make and what we actually make are two different things. And I think that the general public would probably overemphasize what business owners make. I know. like Sometimes I'm like, you know, it'd be really nice if we could go make money and then it's just like we come home and I don't have to worry about running the thing. yep And then oh yeah I get a 401k that someone can contribute to. And they pay for my benefits. All the fields. Here's the deal though, Abby. That would work until they try to give you a review. I don't get out know i am a chief. I am not an Indian. so good
00:32:32
Speaker
yeah Anyway, okay so I think one, thank you for being just so transparent. I love just talking to business owners, what they're learning, the challenges they're having to overcome, the adversity that they're finding. So at the end of the day, like what do you think has been the most refining or what do you think the byproduct of all this has been? for you running designed to move with your husband, like what do you think it's produced? Because I think it's it's a perf it's beautiful. yeah It's almost like parenting. like It's revealed something in me that I needed to be revealed, so thank you. But what do you think it has been for you?
00:33:04
Speaker
um It has revealed that I am a three, and so I drive after success, but that's not the important thing. ah um i you know so good it's the The older I've gotten, the more I've realized i mean my purpose. my My purpose is to glorify God and to um serve God. and so But it's funny when you're a business owner, you suddenly think you're in charge. and so um i think through turmoil you then start to like refine and be like okay I know what my purpose is and I can find joy in some of the turmoil you that comes along with business business ownership um so I think yeah just like purpose of like being able to be with my kids more and what the the value that I can have in that and so um the
00:33:50
Speaker
I think it's revealed that, you know, my, my biggest joy in business ownership and is being able to serve patients in a way that I think is, um, uh, I guess like really authentic with them and, uh, gives them a place to feel like they get like really all encompassing care. And so I don't know, I think it's revealed a lot of those things, different things than I thought it would.
00:34:13
Speaker
for sure. Um, so I think the biggest that is like success isn't really where the, where it's at, like chasing the wind. Like I seriously have spent my life chasing the wind and my friend tried to tell me like eight years ago,
00:34:28
Speaker
She gave me a sign and I hung it up in my house and I thought that was cool. And then I really realized that I was chasing the wind and um still probably feels like chasing the wind a lot of times, but it's, uh, but I think the more, the older I get and the more I'm in it, the more I realized like what I'm really, what I'm really after yeah using it as a tool to then glorify. Yeah.
00:34:51
Speaker
clariify god serve peace And like, totally be able to hopefully have some time where I get to teach my kids the same thing. So yeah.
How to Connect with Design to Move
00:34:58
Speaker
right Okay. So how do our listeners hear more about you and designed to move? How do they reach out?
00:35:04
Speaker
Um, you can go to our website, designed to move Cairo.com. Um, that will just give you good information about what our office, um, is about and just gives you an all encompassing kind of view of what, of what we offer. Um, we do have social media and I'm going to be truly Frank with you. That is one area we're trying to grow in because it, um, takes time for a while. and ah Well, we are seeing seasons, but now we have someone that helps me with that. Okay. So Brie is now in our office and she is helping me be better about social media. Social media is great because it does educate people on what we actually do. And so you can get onto our social media as we have Facebook, Instagram. um um Those are good ways to to um hear about us. And then you can give us a call, 515-957-4042. And that's our phone number and you can give us a call and we'll be able to tell you things about that as well. But I think our website's probably the most, the best way to get a hold of us. um Okay, well, you've been listening to the Uncommon Wealth Podcast. I've been your host, Philip Ramsey, and if there's anything that you took from this, like going down this uncommon path is rewarding and also sanctifying. like it's There's really a lot that goes on, but at the end of the day, like you're producing something that is far deeper than you ever thought it was, and that's why I like try to encourage so many people to just like get off the sideline, get on the field, and let's play something, because you have a gift. So, until next time, go be uncommon, and thanks for listening.
00:36:38
Speaker
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