Synopsis
Dr. Steve Tullius and Pacha Hornaday talk with Canadian chiropractor Dr. Melissa Longo about losing and rediscovering authenticity in practice, the limiting beliefs that hold chiropractors back, and how to build a career and brand around what a doctor actually wants rather than what they think they should be doing. The conversation also touches on the philosophical divides within the subluxation-focused chiropractic profession and what more unity and respect could look like. It offers practical reflection for chiropractors feeling stuck or disconnected from their own practice.
Dr. Melissa Longo shares why building a fulfilling chiropractic practice starts with giving yourself permission to practice, communicate, and lead in a way that genuinely reflects who you are. Drawing from thirty years in chiropractic, she discusses the pressure doctors can feel to follow someone else’s scripts, systems, marketing, or definition of success, and how that disconnect can rob both the doctor and the practice of joy. The conversation gets into coaching, branding, philosophy, professional identity, and why the art of chiropractic leaves room for doctors to express shared principles in their own way. For Melissa, a healthier profession makes room for that individuality while replacing judgment and division with greater inclusion, acceptance, and respect.
Key takeaways
- 1
Authenticity over imitation in practice
Dr. Longo describes adopting a persona, down to her clothes and music, that did not reflect who she really was, and the shift that came from practicing authentically.
- 2
Limiting beliefs holding chiropractors back
The hosts and Dr. Longo unpack the belief that a chiropractor has to do everything, and how this pressure pushes many practitioners, especially women, out of practice.
- 3
Get clear before you build
Dr. Longo argues it is far easier to define what you want in your life and business up front than to untangle yourself later from a practice that is not working.
In this episode
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