Dr. Vismai Schonfelder shares how his experience as a chiropractor led him to develop ChiroRing, a wearable technology designed to help chiropractors and patients better understand changes in nervous system function through heart rate variability (HRV) and other wellness data. He discusses the challenge of communicating chiropractic’s value beyond symptoms, and how accessible, real-time information can open conversations about stress, adaptation, and the body's responses to care. The conversation also examines the potential of AI, wearable technology, and large-scale data collection to support chiropractic research, strengthen patient engagement, and make the profession more relevant to a technology-driven public.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Wearable technology can help chiropractors communicate nervous system function and adaptation beyond symptom-based conversations.

2. Long-term wellness data may create new opportunities for patient education, engagement, and chiropractic research.

3. Innovation should strengthen chiropractic’s foundational principles rather than replace its identity.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• ChiroRing - www.chiroring.com

• Dr. Vismai Schonfelder - www.instagram.com/vismaichiro

Dr. Joe Betz shares how his journey from chiropractic student to president of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) shaped his commitment to protecting chiropractic’s identity and advancing the profession through service. He identifies the lack of a clear professional identity as one of chiropractic’s greatest barriers, arguing that vertebral subluxation detection and correction must remain central to what makes chiropractic distinct. The conversation examines professional division, collaboration between organizations, Medicare advocacy, and the challenge of finding common ground without compromising foundational principles.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. A clear professional identity centered on vertebral subluxation is essential to protecting chiropractic’s distinct purpose.

2. Greater collaboration between organizations can strengthen advocacy without requiring agreement on every issue.

3. Every chiropractor has a responsibility to support the profession through patient education, membership, and involvement.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• International Chiropractors Association (ICA) - www.chiropractic.org

• Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP) - www.idealspine.com

Dr. Lawrence Palevsky brings a medical doctor’s perspective to vitalism, sharing how an early encounter with chiropractic introduced him to the innate potential to heal, a principle he says was absent from his conventional medical training but eventually transformed how he practiced pediatrics. He discusses why healing requires time, trust, presence, and a willingness to work with the body rather than reflexively intervening, while questioning why chiropractors sometimes move away from their own foundational principles in pursuit of functional medicine, supplements, herbs, and other approaches. The conversation examines the practitioner-patient relationship, the limits of promising specific outcomes, and the difference between creating an opportunity for healing and believing the practitioner is responsible for producing it. For Lawrence, a more vitalistic profession starts with the practitioner’s own inner work, then grows through communities that preserve curiosity, connection, hands-on care, and respect for the mystery of healing.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Vitalism requires trusting the body’s innate potential while allowing the healing process the time it needs.

2. Practitioners create an opportunity for healing, but they cannot promise or take ownership of a specific outcome.

3. Strengthening a vitalistic profession begins with personal growth, deeper connection, and communities that embody those principles.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Lawrence Palevsky’s - www.drpalevsky.com

• Critically Thinking with Dr. T and Dr. P - www.open.spotify.com/show/2Yo00hCLbbcfD9F4Gp93rO

Dr. Wade Port shares why becoming a better chiropractor starts with the person behind the adjustment, and why authenticity, congruence, and continual growth are essential to serving at a higher level. Drawing from his early mentorship with Arno Burnier and decades of involvement with MLS, he discusses subluxation as a pattern that can limit greater expression, the importance of meeting people just beyond where they are, and how chiropractic can create an opportunity for greater awareness and adaptability. The conversation also examines technique, communication, service, professional acceptance, and the inner work required before chiropractors can fully carry the responsibility of chiropractic’s Big Idea.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Who you are as a person shapes who you become as a chiropractor.

2. Authenticity and congruence create greater clarity in how chiropractors serve and communicate.

3. The profession grows as individual chiropractors mature, take responsibility, and continually work on themselves.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Wade Port - www.lifeworksatl.com

• The Chiropractic Summit - www.thechiropracticsummit.com

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.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Chiropractors thrive when they stop trying to copy others and find their own authentic way to practice and communicate.

2. Coaching, branding, and systems should support a doctor’s identity and purpose, not replace them.

3. Greater inclusion, acceptance, and respect can help chiropractic move beyond division while preserving individual expression.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Melissa Longo - www.drmelissalongo.com

• Rockstar Doctor Life Podcast | Melissa Longo

• Instagram — @drmelissalongo

Dr. Marc Surprenant shares how his own chiropractic experience led him from pre-med to Palmer, and how early struggles in practice pushed him toward mentorship, philosophy, systems, and eventually coaching other chiropractors. He digs into what it takes to keep the heart of chiropractic alive, from staying connected to the Big Idea and surrounding yourself with other chiropractors to continually nurturing the purpose that brought you into the profession. The discussion also tackles tribalism, professional responsibility, patient communication, and the need to unite around vertebral subluxation without demanding that every chiropractor practice exactly the same way. For Marc, keeping chiropractic’s heart intact means staying connected to your purpose while helping the profession move toward a clearer message and greater unity.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Marc believes the heart chiropractors bring into practice has to be intentionally nurtured. Philosophy, mentorship, seminars, community, patient stories, and regular study can help chiropractors stay connected to the purpose and conviction that brought them into the profession.

2. Systems and practice success matter, but they become more meaningful when they serve a deeper purpose.

3. Tribalism continues to weaken the profession when chiropractors isolate themselves or tear down those in other camps. Marc’s vision is not for every chiropractor to become identical, but for the profession to unite around a clearer message about vertebral subluxation while supporting one another in taking chiropractic to more people.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Marc Surprenant — ⁠www.familyhealingcharlotte.com

• Sherman College Lyceum - ⁠ www.sherman.edu/lyceum-2027

Dr. Craig Little shares how his path from chiropractic practice into higher education shaped his perspective on the challenges facing chiropractic education today. He explains how accreditation, licensure, competency standards, and state requirements intersect, and why rigid educational requirements can limit innovation at a time when programs are facing declining enrollment, rising costs, and increasing competition from other healthcare professions. The discussion digs into subluxation-centered and primary-care educational models, student debt, professional infighting, and the need for greater trust and collaboration between colleges, regulators, accreditors, and the profession. For Craig, protecting the future of chiropractic means giving programs room to innovate while finding enough common ground to strengthen the profession and prepare the next generation of chiropractors.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Competency should drive chiropractic education, not simply the number of hours spent in a classroom. Craig explains that accreditation focuses on whether graduates can demonstrate measurable competencies, while some state requirements still mandate specific classroom hours or curriculum components. He believes those restrictions can make it harder for programs to innovate.

2. Different chiropractic programs can have different missions without sacrificing educational quality. Whether a program is subluxation-centered or takes a broader primary-care approach, Craig emphasizes that the role of accreditation is not to dictate its philosophy. The responsibility is to ensure graduates meet established standards and are competent to enter the profession.

3. The future of chiropractic education requires the profession to work together. Declining enrollment, financial pressures, regulatory challenges, and distrust between different parts of the profession cannot be addressed through continued division. Craig believes chiropractors, educators, regulators, institutions, and organizations need to find common ground and collectively strengthen the profession.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) — ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.cce-usa.org⁠

Dr. Corey Malnikof shares how growing from a struggling new chiropractor into the leader of 24 clinics started with recognizing that the first thing he needed to build was himself. He walks through the shift from adjusting patients to developing doctors, teams, systems, and executive leadership, and how that growth expanded his vision from building successful practices to influencing the direction of the profession. The discussion digs into professional division, the limits of volunteer-driven leadership, and why bringing organizations, colleges, and chiropractors together is essential for creating meaningful change. Corey’s experience comes back to a simple principle: the size of your impact is limited by who you are willing to become, whether you are growing a practice, leading a team, or helping move chiropractic forward.

HERE ARE THE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Corey’s practice growth started with personal growth. After struggling early in practice, he immersed himself in business, leadership, and personal development, eventually applying what he learned to build systems, develop teams, and grow from one office to 24 clinics.

2. Scaling your impact requires letting go of the idea that you have to personally do everything. Corey’s transition from adjusting patients to developing doctors and becoming an executive allowed him to serve at a larger level, but each stage of growth required him to develop new skills and rebuild the infrastructure around him.

3. The same leadership principles that grow a practice can help move the profession forward. Corey sees division, fragmented organizations, limited resources, and dependence on a small group of volunteers as barriers to progress, and believes greater involvement and collaboration could give chiropractic a stronger, more unified voice.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Dr. Corey Malnikof — www.coreymalnikof.com

• MAHA Center/Chiropractic Hub - www.mahacenter.org