EPISODE SUMMARY
In this episode of the Building Us podcast, co-hosts Erik Garcia, CFP® and Dr. Matt Morris, LPC, LMFT interview Ben Dichiara, Chiropractor and Manager at Allied Chiropractic and Wellness. Ben talks about his business and his knowledge and expertise in Chiropractic. He also discusses how attitude can influence our business and our relationships, and the significance of adjusting your work-life balance.
Episode Highlights:
- Erik introduces Ben Dichiara. (00:38)
- Ben shares his background and his business. (00:51)
- Ben mentions that the DC behind a name means, Doctor of Chiropractic. (2:08)
- What kind of attitude adjustment has Ben had to make? (3:51)
- Ben talks about the attitude of gratitude. (4:45)
- Erik shares that if you approach attitude with a positive perspective, you’re going to set yourself up for greater success. (6:03)
- How has Ben found a work-life balance that works for him and his family? (7:49)
- Matt thinks that a lot of people are currently adjusting their attitude about how their work-life is considered, and businesses are adjusting their attitudes about how frequently employees are at work. (8:11)
- Ben mentions that he learned more about life, accountability, and responsibility in his first job than anything else. (9:38)
- Ben shares that one of the great books that has helped to establish their core values, and what they want to be known for in the business world is entitled, Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman. (11:32)
- Ben mentions that the three core values are service, integrity, and quality. (12:08)
- Ben says that there’s a difference between starting a business and sustaining a business. (14:37)
- Ben mentions that he’s a strong believer in God and the plans that God has for them are better than the plans that they have for themselves. (17:52)
- Ben mentions that everything comes with the cost. (20:52)
- Ben shares something interesting that happened when he was halfway through in his satellite clinic. (21:30)
- Matt mentions that culturally, a lot of men get the message that their value as a person is connected to their work or connected to their income. (23:40)
- How does Ben balance his need to earn an income and put money in the bank account for his family, but also that less tangible cost or that less tangible contribution of the investment he’s making for his family? (24:18)
- Ben says that when you’re talking about the money matter, it’s a bottomless pit. (25:23)
- What does Ben value? (27:05)
- From Erik’s perspective, relationships are important, and at the end of the day take all my money from him, but if he has good close relationships, he’s fulfilled. (27:55)
- Matt shares that from afar, it’s easy to quantify success as being material goods, but it’s much harder to quantify healthiness relationships and the quality of the relationships. (29:42)
- How does Ben balance the needs of his employees? (36:53)
- Ben shares the importance of looking at the person as a whole and understanding that they are not just a body in the clinic, but also a soul and they have other needs that need to be measured. (37:53)
- What changes did Ben’s business have to make due to COVID and what was his COVID experience? (39:37)
- Ben shares that one of their pivots is being able to educate everyone on what you can do to help support your immune system during this pandemic, the significance of wearing masks, and staying at home is one part of helping to control the spread. (40:48)
- As a business owner, a husband, and a father, what is Ben most proud of? (44:02)
- Ben says that if you’re not seeing patients, you’re not making money. But if we send that patient somewhere else and they got more help than we could give them, then we did the right thing. (46:05)
- How do we stay safe doing CrossFit? (48:19)
- Ben says that one of his favorite books is entitled, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. (51:32)
Key Quotes:
- “You hear the attitude of gratitude, and that’s really what it was for us is changing the perspective and being able to pivot.” – Ben Dichiara
- “Every patient is treated as if they’re the only person here, and there’s nothing else that we as a team member are focused on. We train once we step through the door, the office, home stuff, family stuff that all falls down, and we’re focused on the task at hand.” – Ben Dichiara
- “I believe that I was called to kind of go on my own, and so the way any decision that’s made in the business is made, getting into scripture, reading the Bible, and seeking good Godly counsel are the best ways to go about that.” – Ben Dichiara
Resources Mentioned: