Estimated Reading Time: 7-9 minutes
The Breaking Point: When Success Still Feels Like Failure
After 15 years as a successful chiropractor in Minnesota, Angie owned and operated what most would consider a thriving high-volume practice. Every day was busy, lively, packed with patients who needed her help.
But something was wrong.
“I love what I do. I love chiropractic. I love the power of an adjustment,” Angie explains. “And yet it wasn’t enough.”
Despite her six-figure income and steady patient stream, Angie was burning out. The very success she’d built was becoming her prison – and with three kids (one she homeschools) and frequent solo parenting when her husband traveled, something had to change.The realization that changed everything: “I finally figured out that I really craved freedom and flexibility, and I was creating something that was the exact opposite.”
The Personal Catalyst That Sparked Professional Change
The turning point came when Angie’s daughter began struggling with severe eczema, high anxiety, and extreme mood swings. Traditional medical providers offered surface-level solutions – “just be gluten-free and take this probiotic” – but her daughter was getting worse.
“I’m like, okay, well I’m gonna solve this myself,” Angie recalls.
This led her down a rabbit hole of functional medicine education through classes, podcasts, and books. That’s when she discovered functional lab testing – specifically through a video about labs that immediately caught her attention.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for,” she thought. “This meets the need to help my daughter. This meets the need to shift into that helping space in a different way.”The connection was instant: The functional approach aligned perfectly with chiropractic philosophy – both focus on how the body functions and how that determines health.
From Imposter Syndrome to Taking Action
When Angie first reached out about adding functional medicine to her practice, she was drowning in self-doubt.
“Huge imposter syndrome. I don’t know if I can truly pull this off. I can’t do it like they can do it.”
She was a complete beginner to functional labs – she’d just signed up for a Rupa account to start exploring when she discovered the training program. But instead of letting inexperience stop her, she made a crucial decision.The mindset shift: “I finally decided to do it because I was like, I’m going down the path of burnout again. If I don’t, what is my other option? And I didn’t want the other option.”
The Strategic Implementation: How She Made It Work
Challenge: Solo parenting three kids, homeschooling one, running a busy practice, AND learning an entirely new modality.
Solution: Strategic prioritization and selective implementation.
“I was able to farm from within my practice,” Angie explains. “I dove into the lab modules, I dove into the material that could get me doing it right away. And I skipped over the social media stuff because I didn’t need it at that time.”
Her Step-by-Step Approach:
- Started with family members who were interested in functional testing
- Created a waitlist within her existing chiropractic practice
- Let her passion show when talking about the new service
- Leveraged her existing relationships instead of starting from scratch
The result: “I was astounded at the number of people that were super interested. They were interested because they could see how much I was passionate about it.”
The Pricing Conversation That Actually Works
One of the biggest fears practitioners have is transitioning from lower-priced services to comprehensive, higher-ticket programs. Angie’s approach eliminates this concern entirely.
Her reframe strategy: “If we don’t do this, I know the path you’re gonna take and it is far more expensive than this. One trip to the ER, an MRI – all these things are four or five times, 10 times more than this. So let’s do this now and let’s save you some money.”
Why this works:
- Focuses on prevention vs. treatment costs
- Acknowledges the reality of high-deductible insurance plans
- Provides a clear roadmap with defined endpoints
- Demonstrates certainty and expertise
“We lay it all out and we map it out. Here’s our journey, month by month of what we’re gonna do and what we expect, and here’s when we’re done.”
The Freedom She Never Knew Was Possible
The transformation has been dramatic. Instead of feeling constrained by 15-minute appointments, Angie now has the freedom to dive deep with clients.
“It’s really amazing to be able to schedule and get that time while I work from home to dive in and be like, ‘tell me more about this, this, and this’ and then just start to put all the pieces together.”
The lifestyle benefits:
- Works from home (or the pool while kids play)
- Can travel and work remotely
- More flexibility for kids’ schedules
- Deeper, more fulfilling client relationships
Building the Hybrid Model That Actually Works
Angie isn’t abandoning her chiropractic practice – she’s creating the perfect blend.
Her current transition plan:
- Recently hired another chiropractor to work alongside her
- Reducing to three half-days per week in the physical practice
- Filling remaining time with online functional health consulting
- Maintaining the practice she built while growing the new model
“That baby of mine gets to keep going while I build this baby of mine over here.”
The Practical Reality: What Her Days Look Like Now
Before: Back-to-back patients, 50+ hour weeks, constantly feeling behind, limited time for deeper health conversations.
Now: Strategic mix of in-person chiropractic care and comprehensive online functional medicine consultations, working from wherever she chooses, deeper client relationships, family flexibility.
The integration: Instead of having to choose between spinal health and overall wellness, she can now address both within her practice ecosystem.
Overcoming the Learning Curve
The biggest surprise? She didn’t need to know everything before starting.
“I still struggle with imposter syndrome, but I just love having the community behind it to go, ‘I don’t have to know all the answers because I have all these people where I can post some labs and ask some questions.'”Her advice on starting: “You learn the best when you do it. You can read a thousand books, but it’s the application, it’s the action that creates the confidence.”
The Business Model Breakdown
Revenue streams:
- Traditional chiropractic services (reduced hours)
- Functional lab testing and protocols
- Comprehensive health consulting programs
Time allocation:
- 3 half-days per week: In-person chiropractic
- Remaining time: Online functional medicine consultations
- Complete location flexibility for online work
Key success factors:
- Built systems that match her lifestyle needs
- Leveraged existing patient relationships
- Started before feeling “ready”
- Focused on learning through doing
The Ripple Effect: Impact Beyond Income
The transformation goes beyond financial freedom:
For Angie:
- Reduced burnout and increased fulfillment
- Better work-life integration
- Ability to help clients at a deeper level
- Geographic and schedule flexibility
For her clients:
- More comprehensive care options
- Deeper health transformations
- Clear protocols and timelines
- Integration of multiple health modalities
For her family:
- Mother’s increased fulfillment and reduced stress
- Better work-life balance
- Flexibility for children’s needs
Her Advice for Other Practitioners
“If you’re at least thinking about it at all, just dive in and just go for it and just trust the process. You’re not gonna fail. You’re gonna be good.”
Key principles from her journey:
- Build systems that match your life – don’t sacrifice your values for success
- Start before you feel ready – readiness is a decision, not a feeling
- Use your existing relationships – your current patients are your best starting point
- Let your passion show – authenticity attracts the right people
- Focus on application over perfection – learning happens through doing
The Technical Setup That Supports Her Freedom
Essential tools she uses:
- Functional lab ordering platforms
- Online consultation scheduling
- Digital protocol delivery systems
- Community support for case consultation
What she skipped initially:
- Complex social media strategies
- Expensive marketing funnels
- Complicated tech setups
The lesson: Start simple, focus on relationships, and add complexity only when needed.
Is This Model Right for You?
Angie’s hybrid approach works particularly well for practitioners who:
- Have established local practices with existing patient relationships
- Want to maintain some in-person connection while gaining flexibility
- Are interested in functional medicine or comprehensive health approaches
- Value lifestyle flexibility over maximum revenue optimization
- Prefer evolution over complete revolution in their practice
The Real Numbers: What Success Looks Like
While Angie doesn’t share specific financial details, her model demonstrates:
- Reduced working hours with maintained income
- Multiple revenue streams for security
- Scalable online components
- Preserved existing practice value
- Increased profit margins on comprehensive programs
The bigger picture: It’s not just about making more money – it’s about creating a practice that supports the life you actually want to live.
Your Next Steps
If Angie’s story resonates with you, consider:
- Audit your current frustrations – What’s pushing you toward burnout?
- Identify your passion areas – What health topics genuinely excite you?
- Start with your existing relationships – Who in your current practice would benefit from deeper work?
- Choose learning over perfection – Begin before you feel completely ready
- Design around your lifestyle – What does freedom actually look like for you?
Angie’s transformation from overwhelmed practitioner to fulfilled hybrid entrepreneur proves that you don’t have to choose between financial success and personal freedom. Sometimes the best business decision is the one that honors both your expertise and your energy.
The question isn’t whether you’re qualified to make this transition – it’s whether you’re ready to trust yourself enough to begin.
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About the Author: Michelle Rogers, ND, MSAOM, FDN-P, is a clinical mentor and founder of The WELLthy Woman™ movement. A practicing clinician since 2012, she pivoted to mentoring fellow practitioners in 2019 after experiencing her own transformation from clinic burnout to online business success. She has since guided over 150 health professionals to build profitable online practices using her unique integration of functional medicine expertise and scalable business strategies.
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