FEATURE PROFESSION RIP UP YOUR LIFE’S PROFESSIONAL “TO DO” LIST When the right mentor comes along, everything changes I BY DR. EMILY ROBACK, DC DR. MARTIN BARKER f I claim to have paved my own way professionally in two Canadian provinces and one territory, there is a strong likelihood someone else was initially there to offer selected sage advice and get me set up on the right path. These three people are the magic in-gredient for my practice to thrive: one who tells me to keep at it when I am at my lowest; one who gives the right ad-vice at the right time, and one who re-minds me to keep searching for a unique formula that works for me. When I first met Dr. Gage, the owner of Broadmead BetterBack Clinic, I thought we immediately clicked. To be honest, he reminded me of my older brother. I would describe Dr. Gage as “a no-non-sense, get-over-it, and prove me ‘wrong Westerner’ through and through” – someone who pulls no punches and does not just ask, but rather expects everyone on the team to be great. DR. BRAD GAGE This was a big wake-up call for some-one who was new to a different approach on corrective spinal care, and it’s one that I truly appreciate now. Over time, Dr. Gage demonstrated great compassion and encouragement. He was in my corner when I was fighting for workplace accessibility. With the help of the clinical team and Work B.C. Assistive Technology Services, I was able to improve my business communication system by modifying the physical and sensory job demands in my practice. I learned to use a stool for standing com-puter stations, a step for a chiropractic table, transcriber for webinars and video calls, laptop notetaker for in-person conferences and assistive listening de-vices for private and group meetings. Times when I believed that I had messed up with a patient’s request for new orthotics, Dr. Gage was not one to yell or get angry. Instead, he helped me come up with a plan to fix the problem. Further, he encouraged and supported me as I eventually left his clinic for a new opportunity. DR. EMILY ROBACK is a North Cowichan chiropractor with 10+ years of clinical experience. She works as an associate at Cowichan Chiropractic and producer at Dr. Emily TV. She has grown her accessible practice from zero to almost 6-figures revenue in twelve months of operation using a combination of proven structures, systems and strategies that she now shares with healthcare business owners across North America who are looking to build an accessible and growth-like business. Visit: www.cowichanwellness. ca or email [email protected]. 14 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor March/April 2022 Like many other mentors, my “go-to-advisor” is my boss. Dr. Martin Barker and I practice together at Cowichan Chiro-practic, with myself as the associate and Dr. Barker as the owner of the clinic. I did not always have a permanent position while trying to figure out how to start up and run an accessible prac-tice in Alberta, Northwest Territories and British Columbia. I worked as chiropractic service provider for 15 years with different mentors who guided me along the way. Dr. Barker offered me an opportunity to truly grow as a professional, at a time when it appeared as though I didn’t have much to offer. He invited me to com-pany events and strategy meetings, and he listened thoughtfully to my marketing ideas. Having a profound sensory hear-ing loss, I was able to effectively operate specialized assistive listening devices and learn a different business model – de-spite my hearing status taking nose-dives every time I was exposed to noise over 80 decibels for more than 3 hours. Because of the risk Dr. Barker as-sumed by taking me on, I was compelled, and highly motivated, to do an excep-tional job with each patient, as well as enhance my administrative skills. He continues to motivate me to be www.Cndoctor.ca
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