A chiropractor discusses mindset and patient care using Terry Faitor, the world's most famous ventriloquist, as an example. Faitor's success came from putting full energy into every performance, even when exhausted. The lesson: patients feel whether you're truly present and invested in their care.
What can you learn about chiropractic and how to help your patients from the world's most successful ventriloquist? Weird question, but I am going to answer that today. Before I do, though, very quick announcement. The enrollment for the Happy Patient project has now closed. Those last five spots actually went in under 24 hours. So if you missed out on that, there will be some spots available next year, but it's going to be a 2, 3 month wait before I open up some new places. But congratulations to the new members and keep an eye on your email inboxes. If you did miss out, if you did want to take part, there will be some new spots available in the new year. Like I said, early Feb time is probably where we're looking for that anyway. Ventriloquism, what's that got to do with chiropractic? This is a story I heard about recently about this chap called Terry Faither, who is the world's most successful ventriloquist. He has had a spot on one of the biggest clubs in Vegas for years and years and years. Like multi, multi, million dollar. He sells out every night. He's been doing a run for years. And Terry Faitor, I found this out. He was discovered in a little club. He was playing his shows. He was barely making any money, barely successful. It was really more of a hobby. And he goes one night to do a show and there's two people in the audience. That's it. It's him and two people. And most people in that position would kind of like come out, like kind of resentful, kind of tired, phone it in a little bit, you know, kind of get through the show and get out of there and go, oh, God, that was awful. I never want to do that again. Terry didn't. Terry really gave it his all. And that's tough because you're relying on audience participation for that. You know, the energy is really what keeps it going, which with two people is really, really hard. But he did, he gave it his best. He found out afterwards one of those two people was a scout for America's Got Talent. That got him on the show, that got him to the final. He then won that year. And since then it has launched his career. No one has ever been that successful with a ventriloquismat. And like I say, this guy is selling out big, big clubs in Vegas. He has had the longest running, most successful show in Las Vegas with this since. So my point here is that we need to make sure that we're aware of that. As well. Because sometimes there are days, like I'll be honest, where I'm tired of my energy isn't really there. Like, we've had a tough weekend with our daughter. She's been unwell. I'm running on fumes. I'm not getting a lot of sleep. You might see the bags under my eyes. Like yesterday particularly, I was exhausted. And it takes a bit of energy to do more than the basics to be there for your patients to actually show up and be your best and try and connect. And I had a new patient at the end of the day, which is my least favorite time to see a new patient. I had a busy, busy day. And then at 6, 6pm I've got to be there for a new patient and show up and give it my best. And I didn't want to do it. I wanted to phone it in. I was tired. I thought, I'll just kind of, you know, go through the motions and like, we'll find out what the problem is and like, you know, get their goals and like, I'll do that stuff and we'll give some treatment and then maybe when, when I see them by the report findings, I'll have had a bit more sleep and I'll be a little bit better. But I was thinking of Terry and I didn't. And I just made sure I just did my best. You know, I wasn't the best ever because I was very tired. I had about two and a half hours sleep for night before, but I thought, no, I'm going to try and I'm going to show up and I'm going to give it my best. And it was a really great consultation. We really connected. She really felt I understood she'd been struggling with this for a while. She got on board with the idea of making some lifestyle changes that she was initially resistant to and didn't really want to look there. And I'm really looking forward to seeing her tomorrow for the second visit, see how she responded to treatment. So that's my kind of message. That is, if you're feeling tired, if you're having a rubbish time, you're a bit run down. It's depressing, it's getting to, like winter, the nights are getting dark. I get all that. But think about Terry Fater. Think about what might happen if you still just put in that little extra bit of effort. Don't exhaust yourself, but just think, no, I'm going to go out and I'm going to try. And it may not be my best to. With patients, it may not be my best new patient consultation, but I'll be open to it going maybe better than I can. And if you do that, good things will happen because you'll invite the best from that new patient as well to show up. And then you're both going to have a better time, they're going to get better results, your care will be more effective, and not only will you be more successful in practice, the whole.
