Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Forrest.
Hi Brian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I am currently six months into owning my own practice, but it started with 7-8 years of working as an associate in a couple of different practices.
I started working for the first clinic in 2014 before I even graduated chiropractic school as a preceptorship rotation. Once I graduated in December of 2014, I came on early 2015 as an associate doctor- chiropractor.
It was my intention to work for an older experienced doctor, gain as much knowledge as I could, learn the business side of things from someone seasoned, then buy him out.
It started out just how I imagined. I did a lot of grunt work and filled a lot of positions for this small practice: x-ray technician, exercise therapist, and slowly started taking on more major roles with my own patients and coordinating their care.
However, I slowly learned that this once successful and lucrative practice was actually dealing with some financial and tax issues that I would later learn made it nearly impossible to sell or buy.
After spending almost two years here, the owner, main chiropractor, who was a mentor and essentially like a dad to me, told me that we would have to really reorganize the practice, move it or end up shutting down if things did not change.
The owner, having been in practice for nearly 50 years, with a heavy heart decided to shut down the practice. He would retire, and since I had come to learn so much about the practice and treated 90% of the patients, he decided to allow me to have access to patient lists.
This came with a lot of mixed feelings, but I quickly, within just two years of practice, learned a lot about business the hard way.
I ended up finding a group to join, where I would pocket myself and give me a location to treat the patients I had previously worked with.
Through word of mouth, I found another chiropractor, a savvy businessman that had a decent-sized practice in north Austin that was only seeing patients three days a week as he traveled doing other business the other two days.
This larger square foot practice ended up being the perfect place for me to grow, not only as a practitioner but also my patient following over the next five years.
I worked as an essentially 100% commissioned-based provider, so I was motivated and worked diligently for the next couple of years.
Much like I did from the first doctor I worked with, I learned a lot more from this gentleman, who had himself been in practice for 30 plus years.
Then, just like the first place, talk of buying the established practice was put on the table again.
For the later part of the five years I was there, we tried to work out how this would be possible to benefit both parties. I contemplated many different scenarios where I owned a practice, knowing I always had the choice of just going out on my own to start essentially from scratch. This thought excited me but truthfully scared me the most.
For several months I wanted this business venture to work, so I could take over the practice, but many things came up that kept pointing me in the direction of starting my own practice.
To make the situation more complicated, as this deal was supposed to be moving forward, my wife and I were expecting our second child. This made it an even more difficult choice, as I knew these decisions would affect more than just my own life.
The terms of the business deal were not aligned with what I had planned for my future as a business owner, I then followed my heart and made the decision to leave the practice.
This decision was made two weeks before our son was born.
I have in recent time, especially over the last couple of months of getting my own practice going, realized that the five years at the previous practice really served a purpose and taught me many valuable lessons. My time there did exactly what it was supposed to do, acting as a steppingstone and preparing me for the next stage of my life as an entrepreneur.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There have been many ups and downs on my journey already. However, leaving a good income at an established practice to live off savings, having a new child (our second kid) while trying to establish a new business in a city like Austin with high real-estate costs proved to be the most trying and challenging times.
I have also gone against the grain- or traditional practice ways in my own clinic. I prefer to spend quality one-on-one time with patients and in addition to chiropractic adjustments, I use rehabilitative exercise (much like seen in Physical Therapy), as well as muscle work/massage to get people better. Anytime you choose to be different or challenge traditional systems, there is always some kickback. Fortunately for me, this is why patients like what I do, and I am comfortable with that.
But leaning into the fears that I had of going out on my own, as well as utilizing all the experience I gathered from other practices and doctors, I have been able to grow in ways I couldn’t have imagined and really find myself as a Chiropractor and a business owner.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I own a chiropractic clinic that does traditional adjustments but specializes in various types of soft tissue/ muscle work and rehabilitative exercises.
Because I combine all of these techniques, I am able to treat a wide array of issues.
I take pride in doing one on one work with each patient. Customizing the treatment to the individual.
I am able to help the person who needs just a general adjustment, but also have many people that come to me that have been unable to get relief through other chiropractic, physical therapy and medical doctor treatments. I also have an extensive referral list, so if we feel like we cannot help or need to co-manage, then we have the right person to send you to.
I am also In Network with most major medical insurance plans.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Austin, Texas, where to even begin! Of course, I love our city. I think it is one of the most eccentric and welcoming cities. It offers gorgeous hiking trails, water activities, the best eateries and family-friendly spaces to spend your time. It is also full of health-minded people who are willing to be proactive and use conservate means to accomplish this, which I cater to. I think most people in my area would agree that one of the downsides to this town is how rapidly it is growing. This comes without the proper infrastructure (main roads), which means it is getting harder to get around. Its popularity is also driving up the market, which makes it harder for people to afford the housing market or acquiring business space.
At that same token, I have met some great people from all over the world who are choosing to move to Austin!
Contact Info:
- Email: forrest@atxbackpain.com
- Website: atxbackpain.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forrestchiro_atx/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Chiropractor/Dr-Brian-N-Forrest-DC-255960444758696/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/brian-n-forrest-dc-austin
