This blog is a little late.
My parents are in town, and I don’t have full access to my office at home. Honestly, all the work being done in the front office and the constant change in timeline has been a little jarring to me. Add to that- negotiating the contract for the back office space has been a bit of a challenge as well.
…and of course, we’ve all been dealing with some sort of assault on our digestive system. Some would call it a “bug,” but if you’ve known me long enough, you know how I feel about that theory.
In the end, what often parrots in my mind is one of our four responses at West Point, “No excuse, SIR”.
I often laugh at that now because of the major influence that books like, Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin have had on me; or one of my all time favorites- Never Finished by David Goggins. Seriously, one of the absolute BEST reads ever.
No exaggeration, I might not be alive today if I did not read Never Finished TWICE in the last two years.
When your four-year-old says “no throw up” and barfs all over the place, begs you to hold her, and cries when you leave to teach a workshop… or when your wife has stabbing tummy pain and heart break because her in-laws visit catalyzed an emotional rollercoaster… or when I, myself, can’t eat anything for a week because I have a ball of stuck energy in my GUT/solar plexus…
Dad, you drop everything and respond with your WHOLE HEART.
Being a committed dad and husband is one thing. TOTAL ownership.
Being a conscious dad and husband is another. Total… CONTEXT.
They are not in opposition.
It is not either/or.
It is BOTH/AND.
It’s a nuance, and I’m learning to master it.
Why does this matter?
We have been expecting AND experiencing miracles in our community for over 14 years. We have quite literally been postured as one of the top prenatal and pediatric chiropractic clinics in the world, who has taken a stand for their community more so than any other practice in the world, hands-down.
I say that humbly.
This is really important, because we are about to embark on the greatest chapter in FG history. Clearing out the plumbing issue in the front office is literally a metaphor for what my family was doing emotionally.
Letting go.
Purging.
Healing.
Ascending.
Why?
…so we can DREAM again.
Guess what? YOU are our dream.
Our team.
Our patients.
Our family.
This community – both in person and virtual.
Thank you for your understanding and patience with the construction.
What you will see with the renovation of our back unit is a creative process that is inspiring my wife and I more so than anything since buying our home 2 years ago.
It is going to stand as a beacon of noble service for our community in very inspiring ways.
The hole in our front office started at about 3‘ x 4‘. There was an offset in the plumbing leading to the main sewer line. This caused the major issues we’ve had over the last two years.
The previous contractors have been very gracious in paying for all the work.
However, that smaller hole turned into a 15 foot trench, and the cast-iron plumbing was completely replaced. A week-long project turned into what’s looking like 2 1/2 to 3 weeks.
Some days my heart was racing because the protection was absolutely horrid. Our front office was full of dirt and dust, and I can’t help but think of all the babies that crawl on the floor and the expectant mothers who are researching every single toxin… I feel like my office is just a mess.
One of those days, after Dr. Ryan dropped his family off at the airport, he did what I do often; he stopped by the old office building down in Bankers Hill. He got out of the car, just to check things out, and he saw that not only was our building still there, but nothing has really changed in the interior of our space.
He noticed our “neighbor” had a new tenant.
After two years, the major developers, who gave us less than 90 days to vacate and find a new space, have an active business in the exact building that we were kicked out of.
He asked me, “how angry are you?”
It made me reflect- almost like the last two years just flashed before my eyes.
In the wake of Heart of Freedom 3, with 2000 people live and in person at Liberty Station celebrating freedom and LIFE…
2 of our very best quarters as a business.
My parents left California for good.
We had two of our top team members leave.
My wife peacefully and powerfully delivered our son at home.
My son got really sick at two weeks old.
One of my best friends and associate doctors gave his notice at that exact time.
My wife and I lost a set of “best friends,” because we weren’t “holistic” enough.
Realizing my son had major issues with his eyes and development post sickness..
Getting pushed to the edge of my clinical expertise in the search for providers who could help my son (2 Pediatricians, 2 ophthalmologists, 4 neuro-optometrist, and 4 pediatric chiropractors)…
Buying our first home.
Two days before escrow closed, we got kicked out of our office and had 89 days to vacate.
Virtually every landlord that we interviewed to find a space told us that a business like ours, that cared about INFORMED CONSENT (and freedom of choice) was not welcome to rent from them.
… to walking the entirety of downtown Escondido with my business mentor, Mike Lopez, and seeing a for sale sign at 324 S. Kalmia Street. We gave the realtor a call.
Providentially, my parents were having real issues with their tenant in LA who bought my dad‘s optometry practice of 40 years. I proposed the idea of a 1031 exchange for the buildings that we are blessed to invest in and serve you in now.
We found a contractor who would do a major build out in under 30 days…
Inspired a team to make the move with me (we have had 15 team member changes in two years)..
Inspired many of our patients from down south to make the journey north WITH us.
Virtually rebuilding the practice from the ground up.
All of that was from December 2021 to two years ago this month.
My immediate response to Dr. Ryan in the sweatbox of our yet to be renovated back unit was “not that angry,” and he said something to the effect of, “yeah, we could still be in HILLCREST”.
So when I say:
Let go.
Purge.
Heal.
Ascend.
DREAM…
I will tell you that those five “phases” theme the last two years. While it is very progressive, it has also been very layered and nonlinear.
In previous newsletters, I’ve shared with you the re-emergence of a lot of my military-derived (and previously healed) PTSD over the last two years.
While I have had some stress (ask my wife) over my parents visiting, this major plumbing issue and extended negotiations with the contractors who will take on the back unit project, I could not have responded with such poise to Dr. Ryan’s query.
On one end, I’m proud of myself. At a deeper level, I’m proud of my family, because they’ve been through it all, too. I’m super grateful for this team that we have right now. There’s something very deep and contextual about it – that it has offered an opportunity for me to dream again.
… and after 14 years of practice, and an incredible two-year journey of some of the most wild ups and downs, I feel like I’m just getting started.
For those of you who are new to our community, because there are a lot of you, I will put Future Generations up against any other holistic clinic and community in the world, and simply say WELCOME.
We are wildly intentional about making this a profoundly special, healing experience, and environment for you, your kids, and your Future Generations.
For those of you who have been with us for years, and for some- over a decade, thank you for your continued trust and belief that the best has yet to come.
Love and appreciate you all. ♥️
S