TCM: Make More Money — Kenton Sefcik, R.Ac

I want to make more money. There. I said it. And you can, too (say it and make more money).

I was taught to never point at someone. I was taught to never touch someone’s face. I was also taught not to invade someone’s personal space. In learning martial arts, I’ve had to become comfortable breaking all those rules because it is necessary to succeed in self-defence. Pointing at someone puts dominance into my hands. Touching (or, rather, hitting) someone’s face is necessary for control and to put them down. Closing the distance is also required for many practical reasons. I've had to become comfortable being uncomfortable, while only using my power for good…

Words have power. And many of us are taught at a young age to never speak on certain topics, especially while getting our hair cut. Money, religion and politics; all considered taboo topics of discussion.

When I had the opportunity to teach for two acupuncture colleges, many students told me their previous instructors wouldn’t answer any business-related questions. I did. What better way to extinguish the fear of the unknown than asking someone who’s been there, done that, and got the t-shirt all the questions one has on their mind (and receiving honest answers)?

I believe the reason that practitioners don’t like money and alternative medicine in the same sentence is not because they are afraid of making money or they don’t know their worth. Instead, I feel because of our compassionate and holistic outlook we all worry that making money will get in the way of doing what we feel is most important: healing our patients. I must honestly say that I’ve met the other side and it was ugly. One chiropractor I worked with viewed all their patients as dollar signs instead of human beings. Every product, adjunct service or supporting practitioner’s sole design was to make them more money. I left after 9 months.

So, how are we to do it then? How are we to make more money while not compromising our own values? I think it can be done by flipping the script in our minds. If helping our patients is always kept at the forefront of our practice, and we lead with that, then nothing can go wrong. If, for any reason, we have an impure thought about a product, service or sales pitch, then we should throw it away.

By bringing more treatment value, healing our patients faster, and looking at our business from the patient’s perspective, we can take the taboo of money out and bring more money in.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” - Wayne Dyer