The birth of a thriving prenatal and pediatric wellness center.
Meet Courtney Gowin, chiropractor and the owner of The Nest - a prenatal and pediatric wellness center that’s all about taking care of moms-to-be and their little ones in Addison, Texas. Founded in 2014, Courtney has grown her clinic with an incredible team of health practitioners, including pelvic floor therapists, physical therapists, massage therapists, speech and language pathologists, a nutritionist, acupuncturists and more by her side.
Tell us a little bit about why you became a chiropractor.
I started my journey to being a chiropractor as a college athlete. I had a full college scholarship to play basketball for my school. During my sophomore year, we were en route to play Texas Tech when I attempted a jump stop and suddenly the whole left side of my body went numb. I couldn’t move, play, or even walk. I was rushed to the A&E where the orthopedist suggested a treatment plan involving steroids, muscle relaxers, other medications, and eventually surgery. However, I wanted to also see what other treatment options were available to me and a friend recommended I visit their chiropractor. After my initial visit, I noticed an immediate improvement in my mobility and was able to play sports again.
This experience sparked my interest in chiropractic care and I began studying at Parker University. Two years in, I was fortunate enough to find a mentor whose prenatal and pediatric practice amazed me. The joy and laughter in their work inspired me to want to build a similar practice.
After I graduated, I had a dream about opening a practice in an old Victorian-style building. While browsing Craigslist for a place to open my practice, I found a location that was identical to what I had always dreamed of; it was meant to be.
That’s when the vision of The Nest began to take shape. During this time, I was also struggling with severe postpartum depression and realized there was a significant void in our maternal healthcare system. It became my mission, alongside my growing team, to build a hub for birth, pregnancy, and postpartum care and fill this void in maternal healthcare.
What advice would you give new graduates of chiropractic school?
Find a mentor, someone to lean on and inspire you. For those who can’t find a mentor in person, look for one online. There are many wonderful people who are willing to share their passion with others. The accessibility of information about running a successful business is everywhere now. YouTube is also a great resource to learn from people you admire. Remember to stay true to yourself and never stop learning.
For me, one of the main reasons I started my own educational retreats was because I wanted to connect with people. I wanted to curate experiences that connect healers and allow them to heal themselves, refocus, recharge, and revitalize themselves to their calling.
As a business owner who has successfully grown your business and found your niche, what advice would you offer to new business owners who are looking to establish connections with their clients in a similar way?
Create a persona for your business. Define your business’s goals. What are your patients’ needs, and how you will help them? Then create a detailed breakdown of who you are and your services, and remember to get pictures taken of yourself and the space that will represent your business and you online.
“Remember to find your ideal patient, those who make you feel completely in the moment when you practice. It might be sports rehab, or for me, it’s pediatric care. Once you’ve identified them, be intentional with your online presence. Become the place where those people want to be.”
From there, start by updating your Google listing. Then, continue with your website and the verbiage you’ll use. The words and pictures you use can make your clients feel at home the moment they click on your website. You want to create a feeling of ease and that they belong there.
When someone googles The Nest, they’ll see our intentional branding. We want expecting mothers to know that they’ll be joining our ecosystem of maternal healthcare if they visit us.
Jane Shout out: Interested in a website builder that integrates directly with your Jane account? Connect with the Clinic Sites team here to see how easy it is to get up and running.
You mentioned in-person learning as a passion of yours. Why do you think that is so important?
I think in-person learning is crucial because it encompasses many factors - it’s sensory, mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. By stepping outside of your daily routine and immersing yourself in a different environment, such as Costa Rica, Toloum, or Greece, you can have an experience that goes beyond just learning.
You can look back on the retreat or seminar and remember not only what you learned but also the community, transformations, and breakthroughs you experienced. Being around like-minded people who are ambassadors of what you do will only ignite your passion further.
As healers, we need to continue our education and take time to heal ourselves. That’s why I organize retreats. While my practice has a great impact, curating an atmosphere where practitioners can be replenished and become better healers when they return home is equally important.
Courtney’s upcoming retreat has 16 hours of continuing education set aside for chiropractors. Learn more about this experience on the Greek Island of Mykonos here.
Why did you choose Jane for your practice?
I’ve been using Jane for 5 years now. Initially, I was using various systems to run my practice. I didn’t even have payment processing back then. When I found Jane, I was surprised to see that it did everything my clinic needed; it was truly an all-in-one solution. Jane’s ease of accessibility and streamlining of every aspect needed to run a business successfully is what I really appreciate.
“It changed my life by allowing me to grow my practice exponentially and freeing up the headspace and time I didn’t have before.”
Jane’s payment solution (Jane Payments) and scheduling saved me from having to answer calls and emails to schedule appointments. Booking online gave me time back with my kids and for other things. The software’s interface is so intuitive and user-friendly. Using Jane made a big impact on me and my business, and I absolutely love it.
How did you know when it was time to expand your clinic’s services?
This is where Jane can be really helpful in informing your decision about expanding your offerings. You can run some of the reports that Jane offers in your account, such as the appointment type performance report, the sales report summary, and the clinic retention levels report. These reports can make it easier for you to navigate the difficult decisions involved in expanding your business.
We’re now offering monthly wellness packages in addition to our protocol-based practice with Jane. Our protocols cover a wide range of conditions such as ear infections, colic, breech presentation, migraines, and more. So we have now developed packages around these protocols to make it easy for consumers to understand and use our services. These packages are going to be a game changer for us, and I am very excited about their potential.
Jane Team Shout out: Packages, punch cards, or passes. No matter how you refer to them, Jane’s Packages are a great way to provide additional incentives to your clients to maintain a regularly scheduled healthcare routine, meanwhile offering a little discount to sweeten the deal.
Why would you recommend Jane to other chiropractors?
Choosing Jane will not only help you grow your business, but also increase your time, flexibility, and give you a clear pulse on what’s going on in your practice. Jane’s success lies in its simplicity. Jane takes out all the distractions I had with my previous software.
So, I would say to new practitioners or businesses considering Jane, definitely make the decision. You will not regret it. You really cannot beat it, however, there’s no commitment if you don’t feel like it isn’t the perfect fit for you but with unlimited support from the Jane Team you’re likely to be able to work with Jane to make it work for your practice.
What is your favourite Jane report?
I really like the Referral Report. It allows me to see where our community efforts are paying off.
I always say there are two ways to get new patients: you can farm them or you can hunt for them. When we farm, we’re really stewarding the relationships within our practice that already exist. When we hunt, we go out to develop community partnerships and create new relationships. The Jane Referral Report allows us to see how our efforts are paying off when we’re reaching out to bring in more clients.
What have you done to grow these relationships in your community?
I am truly a relationship person. Recently, I launched a Nest membership program where people can sign up to get discounts with us. I have also expanded our relationships with yoga studios, coffee shops, restaurants, and other health and wellness businesses so that members can receive discounts with them as well. Creating these partnerships has built our community and helped to increase the referrals we receive here at The Nest.
What do you see as the most impactful part of your work?
I think the big-picture impact of my work and that of The Nest team is that we get to be stewards to women in a new birthing system that will impact not only their lives but also many mothers-to-be in the future.
“A big driving force is to see my own girls grow up in a world where they are connected and inspired by the work I’m doing.”
I’m so inspired that I get to see the next generation being born. It’s been so transformational to be a part of these mothers’ journeys, shaping their health choices, and helping them make decisions to better themselves and their children’s lives. It’s a great honour for me and my team.
What superpower do you hope clients see when they visit you?
I hope they see me as an inspiration. I have been through a lot in my life and have overcome various mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges. I feel like I am truly living my purpose. My hope is to spark something within them that is inspiring or motivating, to share my flame with their candle and ignite their own passions.
Resources
The Nest Instagram
The Nest Website
Upcoming retreats with Courtney
If you’re not already part of the Jane community, welcome! We’re so glad you found us. If you’re in search of Practice Management software to help run your clinic, we’d love for you to meet Jane. Book a demo with one of our lovely support staff, or sign up here!