How I Started Practicing
Dr. Dan Underwood in Sarasota, FL in the meantime had decided that he
wanted to retire from his upper cervical practice, and he found me, and
asked if I wanted to buy it.
I thought that sounded great because my family lived in Tarpon Springs,
FL. Sarasota was close, but not that close.
Besides, I had lived in just about every topographical region you could think of except the coast, so I went to Sarasota, and shadowed Dr. Underwood.
Dr. Underwood’s daughter Shelly was his CA, and x-ray tech.
She was young, smart, sweet, pretty and single… but I was a blind idiot,
and didn’t see it the first time I shadowed at the clinic.
One day… after lunch… I was sitting in the waiting room of the clinic, talking with Shelly when a young family came in to be seen by Dr. Underwood. They had a 7 year-old boy who talked non-stop. And I watched as Shelly was so sweet to him, and just talked with him… and it was like scales fell from my eyes, and I knew at that instant (and not one second before) that I had to marry her.
I went home and didn’t say a word to anyone except my family… I had
to marry Shelly Underwood.
But I was afraid that it would look like I was trying to make her part of the business deal… after all, Shelly was the CA, and a big part of the practice. On top of that obstacle, Shelly was planning on leaving when her dad retired, and going to chiropractic school herself.
So I prayed for 5 months, that God would work it all out. And He did.
Every person I tried to hire to replace Shelly fell through, and I was stuck with no prospect for a CA. Also we were starting to get some real negative vibes from the patients who knew that Dr. Underwood was leaving. I asked Shelly if she could delay going to chiropractic school for one quarter, work for me as my CA, and help me train the new CA when I hired one.
After praying about it, she agreed.
Once that was settled, I then asked Dr. Underwood if I could take out his daughter. He said yes, and she said yes, and on July 23rd 2003 we went out on our first date. We both instantly knew that we were what we had been waiting and praying for.
In November I asked her to marry me, and in February of 2004 we were married.
Next, How I started Marketing My Practice
