How to Build a Financially Sustainable Community Acupuncture Practice with Michelle Hamilton

Is your acupuncture practice nourishing you or draining you? In this conversation, Dr. Michelle Hamilton shares how she built a $500K hybrid community acupuncture clinic, ditched the sliding scale, and created a business model that supports both access and sustainability.

She breaks down the emotional and financial transformation behind her pricing structure, introduces the concept of the “Healer Martyr Matrix,” and offers real-world strategies for creating a practice that aligns with your values and pays the bills.

You don’t have to build your practice based on what others say you should do—it’s time to create a business that supports you.

What You’ll Learn

  • Why she moved away from the sliding scale model after years of using it at her acupuncture practice, and what she replaced it with.
  • Innovative pricing strategies that allow for accessibility and provider sustainability.
  • Why your acupuncture practice should feel good to run and how to course-correct if it doesn’t.

🎙️ Listen to Episode #108: Making Community Acupuncture Financially Sustainable Without Burnout with Michelle Hamilton

💛 This episode is sponsored by TOMA Skincare, created by acupuncturists Tori and Marla.

TOMA Skincare is offering my listeners a free online microneedling course, normally $39, designed to help you confidently add microneedling to your practice. It’s NCCAOM-approved, includes intake forms, pricing guidance, and even marketing assets like Instagram images and captions.

Plus, you’ll get 50% off professional products and ongoing support. Use code MICHELLEFREE to grab the class for free. This is the class I used to learn microneedling – hope you love it!

Mentioned in this Episode

Connect with Dr. Michelle Hamilton

Transcript:

Michelle G: Welcome to the Acupuncture Marketing School podcast. I’m your host, Michelle Grasek, and I’m here to help you get visible in your community. Take marketing action with confidence, and get more patients in your practice and more money in your pocket every week. We both know you’re a talented, passionate acupuncturist and that acupuncture has the power to change lives.

So let’s dive right into this episode and talk about how you can reach more patients.

Welcome back. Today I’m talking with Michelle Hamilton, an acupuncturist who has built a hybrid community practice that brings in half a million dollars a year. She also teaches the online class community Acupuncture school, where she shares. How to launch your community acupuncture practice in 30 days.

In today’s episode, Michelle shares why she decided to let go of the sliding scale model at her community acupuncture clinic. What is the healer martyr matrix and how it prevents people from building businesses that support them? Innovative ways to make acupuncture accessible without sacrificing personal sustainability.

Her strategies for setting pricing, including something very clever, creating scholarship funds at her practice. This is an idea I absolutely love. I hope you love it too. These scholarships facilitate giving. While also allowing you to get paid for your time. So let’s dive in. Get ready to reimagine your acupuncture practice with Michelle.

Today’s episode is sponsored by TOMA Skincare. You may remember that TOMA was founded by acupuncturist, Tori and Marla, who have been on the podcast twice now to discuss things like marketing and growing their multiple successful practices, which. Tend to have a focus on skincare and just for listeners of the podcast, they’re offering a free online microneedling course, saving you $39.

So this N-C-C-A-O-M approved two hour class will teach you how to add microneedling to your acupuncture practice. This is the same class that I took to learn microneedling, and it really is fantastic. The overhead camera view gives you an. Up close. Look at every step during the demonstration and their q and a session at the end answers just about every question you could have.

You’ll also get guidance on pricing. They share their intake forms and they share quite a few marketing assets like Instagram posts and captions to help you succeed right away. Plus, you’ll get 50% off professional products and ongoing support from Tori and Marla. You can use the code Michelle free that has two L’s and it’s all one word, Michelle, free to access the class for free and save $39.

The link is in the show notes along with the discount code so you can get started right away. Hi, Michelle. How are you?

Michelle H: Hi, Michelle. So good to see you. Excited to be here.

Michelle G: So nice to see you. Thank you for coming back. For people who have not met you yet, do you mind introducing yourself?

Michelle H: Sure, yeah. My name’s Dr.

Michelle Hamilton. I am an acupuncturist. Also an educator. I teach CEU courses. I practice in San Luis Obispo, California. I run a hybrid clinic, so I have a community acupuncture clinic as well as, um, some private rooms as well. I been in practice for 15 years. I made the switch to go to a hybrid clinic. I wanna say seven years ago, and honestly, I love it.

I would never go back. I love the model. I love making acupuncture more accessible. I love having different price points for my patients so that they can complete their treatment plans. I love feeling more connected to my community, especially. Different types of people that I normally wouldn’t treat.

Things like caregivers, people that work full time, blue collar workers, um, laborers, moms, think people like that who were really what I consider to be more my people and, uh, a client base that I just wasn’t connecting with in one-on-one practice. In my journey. I’ve also found that while making acupuncture accessible, it’s also ultra important to make it sustainable.

Yeah. For the provider. And that’s one of the things that I’ve learned over the years and I’m so excited to share with your audience. ’cause I think this is valuable information, not only for our field, but for our own healing as. Providers and practitioners.

Michelle G: And so I’m pretty sure you’ve been on the podcast twice before and I will put the links to your previous episodes in the show notes.

People can listen. And the last time we talked, I think you mentioned that you had gotten rid of your associate acupuncturists. I did. Okay. Yes. Gotcha. Yes. So it was just you kind of. To do treating all the patients? Correct. So the one-on-one appointments and the community style acupuncture. Okay.

Michelle H: Yes, yes.

And honestly, I love that. Okay. Yes.

Michelle G: Yeah. It’s a bit easier, I would imagine, not having,

Michelle H: it’s such a relief. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I’ve been on a whole journey and, and I, I love sharing it because I, I don’t think I’m, I’m unique in that I think all of our practices, we’re all on this journey. Yes. And things change and shift, and if something isn’t working, I encourage people to change it, you know?

Our practices are our own sandbox. Right. So if you don’t like offering something that you’re offering, don’t offer it. Yeah. You know, you’re the boss of yourself. If you don’t like your schedule, change your schedule. Mm-hmm. If you don’t like your fee schedule, change your fee schedule. Um, I just think it’s important to practice from a place of empowerment and it’s taken some work for me to figure out, okay, this, this, and I really follow, I really follow what.

How my practice is feeling.

Michelle G: Mm.

Michelle H: Like how is it feeling to go into work? How is it feeling to work with these people? How is it feeling to work with the patients? And if you’re feeling resentful, that’s always a, a big sign that that something needs to shift. Yeah. I think it’s really important that we’re so, we’re so focused on healing and helping others.

I think it’s really important also to focus on. Nourishing ourselves, regulating our own nervous system Yeah. As well, so that we can truly be of service to our community.

Michelle G: Yeah. I think what often happens is it’s almost like we forget that we work for ourselves and we are catering to what we think patients, uh, not just what they want, but we are sort of like imagining like, oh, of course I need to work until.

Six or seven because people wanna come after work and quote, no one will come see me during the day and I can’t give up my evening hours. Right? But then eventually you make that change and you realize that the people who are right for you will come earlier in the day and it, it all works out. But I think it, especially at first, it’s really hard to make those decisions and just say like, I’m gonna raise my rates.

I’m gonna change my hours because. It serves me and helps prevent my own burnout. Maybe if we thought about it from that perspective, it would help us take action.

Michelle H: A hundred percent. Yeah. I mean there’s so many times when I’ve had to change my hours Yeah. Or change my fee schedule. And there’s been specific patients that I’ve been like, no, I can’t do that.

Because, you know, yeah. So and so can’t, can’t come at that time. Yeah. And I’m, you know, you’re just like, am I really gonna live my life for this person? I guarantee they’re not up late at night, like worried about me. You know? So, yeah. It is interesting this, like this dynamic that we create and this codependency ish a little bit.

Yeah. And I’ve had to do a lot of work around that. And in that I’ve kind of discovered this, this healer, Mardo Matrix. Have you heard of this?

Michelle G: I haven’t, but I am very interested. I I can kind of imagine.

Michelle H: I’m sure, yeah. It’s things that you probably already know, but like, I’m gonna put a fancy title on it and, you know, it’s like a diagnosis now.

Yeah. But it’s this idea that to, and it’s very common in the healing community. So therapists, you know, uh. Personal, even personal trainers, acupuncturists this core belief and it’s unconscious. Right? Right. So if you would’ve asked me five years ago if I had this belief, I’d be like, no, I don’t. You know, but I’m, I’m acting out of this subconscious belief.

Yeah. And the, the core belief is that in order to be effective as healers and as helpers, that we need to suffer. Mm, yep. Yeah. And I feel like that is such a thread. Across, across our community as acupuncturists and even in the schools, like the, our schools are suffering. Yeah. You know? Yes. Like, that’s one way to put it.

Yeah. Yeah. They are suffering. And if, if it’s not, if our practices aren’t sustainable and nourishing to us, if our schools aren’t nourishing to the, to the admin or whoever, it needs to be nourishing to, to the students, to everybody, it’s really not gonna be of service to anybody. Right. Right. So, yeah, I had to do a lot of work on that, on the core belief that I don’t need to suffer for the wellbeing of other people and to be most effective in what I do.

I need to feel safe and secure. And in doing so, I had to take a look at some things and change some things. So we’ll get into some of those changes.

Michelle G: Gosh. Yeah, I, I feel like I. I think we’re all working through some level of that. I can think of a couple acupuncturists who I have always recognized. Um, have, like, they’re so easy with setting up boundaries.

Um, they, they don’t seem to have that martyr complex. Mm-hmm. But for the most part, you know, myself and the people that I’m working with, I can definitely recognize that. And it’s fascinating because it’s not just like, in order to be an effective healthcare provider, in order to serve that we need to suffer.

In terms of like maybe allowing, like we were saying, our schedule to not be the best fit for us, but like, it’s okay. Yeah, because it, it needs to be hard in some capacity. Yes. But also there’s like this financial component where people feel like, I can recognize that martyrdom in people’s financial mindset where they’re like, it, it just can’t be.

Easy, right? Yes. I can’t charge a lot of money. I can’t want a lot of money. I can’t expect a lot of money because I am in service and they can’t go hand in hand, which I, I don’t think is true, but like, it’s really, really ingrained in the helpers, I would say.

Michelle H: Yeah. Yeah. It’s, it’s this belief like if you charge more.

Or you charge what you think you’re worth, like you’re selling out. Yeah. Yep. You know, and you can’t help people and ask for. For financial safety as an exchange. Like there’s just so many layers there that I think is difficult for people. I mean, let’s face it, we all got into this field. None of us were like, you know what, I wanna be rich.

Mm-hmm. Do wanna make the big bucks? I heard those acupuncturists, man, they kill it. I want a luxury car. I want a fancy house. I want all these material things. And you know what? Acupuncture is the ticket. That’s the right. You know, none of us said that. Right? We all had a, a deep calling like in our soul to help people and, and that’s really our why, right?

Yeah. Y you know, it’s been a journey to, to really figure out like, how, how can I create sustainability for myself and for my team so that we can serve people long term. Mm-hmm. Because I’m not gonna be of any service if I just burn out after four years. It’s great. All those people got cheap acupuncture.

Yes. But like, what about the people five years from now? You know? Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Michelle G: That really matters. So what are some of the changes that you’ve made at your practice then?

Michelle H: Yeah. So some of the changes that I’ve made is I did, I changed to a flat rate.

Michelle G: Mm. Okay.

Michelle H: And I did this for lots of reasons. The sliding scale, it was very inconsistent.

Sure, yeah. Um, yeah. So of course like running a business, which is what we’re doing as providers, it’s very difficult to, uh, turn the dials on your business if you don’t know what your price point is. Right. So if you’re setting up your clinic to say, okay, I need to do 50 community acupuncture treatments a week to make X amount of money to cover my overhead, to pay my staff.

If that price point is sliding all over the place, it makes it very difficult for you as a business owner to say like, these are the targets we need to hit.

Michelle G: Yeah.

Michelle H: So you’re very much, I fell victim to like at the end of the month. Whatever. After all of our, our overhead costs were paid after I paid all my staff, whatever was left was what paid me.

Right. And there was a couple months where I was not getting paid. Oh, crazy. You know, so despite having generating all this revenue, I think at our peak we did like half a million in revenue. Yeah. Oh my

Michelle G: gosh. I

Michelle H: remember you mentioned

Michelle G: that in your last interview. Yeah. I had

Michelle H: multiple providers. We were like cranking here.

There were months where I wasn’t taking home a paycheck. Yep. Wild. And I share this. Hopefully to be a benefit, you know? And like there was things that I changed that, that changed all that. So no matter what situation you’re in, in your clinic, it’s, it’s really within your control, right? Yes. Um, so yeah, I did a flat fee, and this was important too because I got caught up in allowing the patient to define the value of the service.

Michelle G: Hmm.

Michelle H: Yeah. Which, oh man, that’s a slippery slope. Yeah. Um. ’cause initially I created the sliding scale to make it accessible based on what they could afford. Yeah. Right. That was my perspective. Mm-hmm. I don’t know what you can afford. You do. And so you’re gonna pick a price point that will allow you to afford 10 visits or whatever it is that they needed.

From the patient’s perspective, they were really, like all of us, we live in a capitalist society. They’re looking at what’s the value of this. You know, what is this worth to me? And they’re also looking at it. Sometimes they were looking at it as like, pick my own discount. You know? Yeah, yeah. Like how, how much

Michelle G: can they get away with?

Michelle H: Yes. Yes. And that’s, that’s discouraging to like face that reality. But that’s really, I mean, people clip coupons and they go to stores mm-hmm. So they can get 50 cents off their milk, right? Yep. That’s a thing that happens. And so if you present them with, choose your price, it’s just human nature to be like, if I can cut my costs here, then maybe I can go get a manicure next door.

Right? Mm-hmm.

Michelle G: Yeah.

Michelle H: So. So there was that and they had no idea what my overhead was. Right. Or what it cost to go to acupuncture school. I was

Michelle G: gonna say, yeah, like you’re a doctor. Yeah. Right.

Michelle H: And then they’re like, they thought I went to like a weekend seminar and like. From their perspective. Yeah. It looks like they’re laying in a recliner and I’m just randomly putting needles in their body and listening to nice music.

Yeah. They don’t know like the training that I’ve had or like what my rent is or what my payroll costs are. Mm-hmm. What my taxes are, how much needles cost. They don’t know any of that, and so I was, but I was asking them to know that, ah, and then pick their price. Yep. And that’s not fair, right? No. To anybody really.

And it was uncomfortable for the patients too. Like people felt uncomfortable around the scale. Okay. Like it was a trick or something like, like they’d be like, well, what do I pay? You know? And we’d have to have these long conversations about what the sliding scale is and like. How to pick their price point, and that took a lot of time and that took a lot of energy.

And that’s not really how I wanna spend my time. Right. Yeah.

Michelle G: Or you’re a

Michelle H: receptionist or your

Michelle G: office manager, like I’m sure they have a lot of other stuff to do instead of giving the same spiel. Yeah. Over and over. Yeah.

Michelle H: Other thing that I did is like, it’s still really important to me that people have access to care.

Yeah. Especially people who are committed to their healing. So. I put together packages like you would in pri, you know, one-on-one treatment where they get a discount for buying 10, I think it’s 10 visits. They get a 10 pack. Yeah. Um, I still have my membership, which I love, which is for people who are just committed to wellness care.

Gotcha. Yeah. Similar to a gym membership, it charges their account every month and they get four visits a month. Awesome. Um, so those are things that are still available that bring that price point down. But I also provide free community days, which I love. It’s a way to still be of service, but it’s within my control.

Yeah. And I can give when I feel like I have something to give in that way. And typically I’ll do some kind of exchange, um. Usually for my free days, lately what I’ve been doing, it’s been content days, so those are days when they sign a waiver and they agree that they can be photographed or filmed, and so they’re getting a free treatment and in exchange I’m getting some content for my marketing materials, et cetera.

Gotcha.

Michelle G: How often are you doing those free days? Is that once a month or less often? Uh, less often. Probably like once a quarter. Okay. Right now is what I’m doing. Yeah. Yeah. It’s nice that you can think about it from the perspective that it’s when you have the time and the energy

Michelle H: Yes. That’s important.

Yeah. Yeah. Instead of like what we think we should be doing. Um, I really enjoy giving from a place like it feels different, and I’m sure a lot of providers know the difference between giving. When you feel like, like you had a great morning, you were able to work out or do your self care, or you took your time, you feel rested giving from that place versus giving from a dysregulated place.

Like it just, it feels so much better. And um, a lot of that is, is feeling financially secure as well. Yeah. It’s very hard to treat people if you’re living in a. A dysregulated, unsure financial situation that that’s no place to live, and that’s no place to treat people really.

Michelle G: Yeah, it’s, it’s interesting that you mentioned, you know, not.

Feeling resentful, like as you’re going to work, how are you feeling about the day and your patience? Because I, I totally agree that when you have that financial instability, it generates so much stress and anxiety and you feel like you have to go into work because you need the money. And as you’re saying like that is such a different place to treat people from versus.

Feeling secure and showing up and feeling like I’m here because it matters to me for these reasons. Right? Yeah. Yeah. And I think when we think about acupuncture as being of service, it can help us shift a little bit to thinking about what do I need to show up my best and serve, um. Everyone always talks about like, you can’t pour from an empty cup, right?

It’s very, it’s very cliche, but I don’t know. For me, when I think about it as service versus work, right? Like something I must do, like, oh, I have all these patients on my schedule, I have to go in today. But if I think about it from a service angle, it does. Kind of get me more in like a mental place, we’ll say on a Sunday night, like, okay, if I’m gonna show up and serve this week, what do I need to do this week?

Why I need to meal prep? Because I so grouchy if I don’t have enough food with me at clinic, hundred percent, I bring my, I bring my lunch. Dinner, snacks, water, beverages, like my lunch pail is huge. It’s huge,

Michelle H: right, girl. Me too. Yeah.

Michelle G: It’s probably true for most people, but Yeah. But I, I personally find thinking about like, what, what do I need to do today that will help me show up and serve the best tomorrow or later this week?

And that puts me in a different mindset of like, okay, I need some self care so that it feels good tomorrow. Instead of feeling like, oh, I have to go to work on a Monday sort of vibe. Taking a quick break to remind you of today’s sponsor, TOMA Skincare, founded by acupuncturist, Tori and Marla Toma is offering a free online microneedling course just for podcast listeners, saving you $39.

This N-C-C-A-O-M approved two hour class will teach you how to add microneedling to your practice. This is the class I took to learn microneedling, and it really is excellent. The overhead camera angle is. Perfect. So you can see everything they’re doing in the demonstration. And they also share their microneedling intake forms as well as marketing assets like social media images and captions.

So you can get started right away. Plus you get 50% off professional products, including their microneedling pen and more. Use the code, Michelle, free to get the class for free, and the link is in the show notes along with the discount code. Alright, let’s get back into the episode.

Michelle H: And I mean, I think we are the most qualified.

I mean we, we provide care for other people all day, every day. Right. And a lot of us are moms and you know, caretakers of other people as well. It’s just who we are. And I think we have the skills, we have the mindset. We just need to turn it on ourselves. Yeah, right. And be like, okay, if sometimes I’ll, I’ll tell myself like if, if I was somebody who really loved myself, which I did, right?

Yes. Yes. But if I was somebody who really loved myself, what would I do right now, you know, is a question that I’ll ask and I’ll be like, oh, I would take myself on a walk, you know? And it becomes very clear that way. I like that. Yeah. And. Ultimately we need to be setting an example to our patients, right?

Yes. How, you know, how many times have you had patients where you’re frustrated that they’re outsourcing their care to like the, their personal care to you? Mm-hmm. Right? When you ask them, did you do these exercises? Have you been, you know, have you been doing, you know, heat therapy or whatever it is that you recommended?

And they’re like, nah, I’d rather have you fix it. You know? Right. Yes.

Michelle G: I’m, I’m waiting for you to fix it. Like, okay.

Michelle H: Okay. You’re like, ooh. So, yeah, we need to, we need to raise the bar and set the example to our patients of, of what it looks like to care for yourself so you can be of service to others. Yes.

Yeah.

Michelle G: Do you mind my asking, what is your flat fee for your community acupuncture and your packages? How, what’s that look like? Now? Of course,

Michelle H: our flat fee is $50. Okay. And that was generated. I, I have a business coach as well and I met with her and I highly recommend hiring a business coach because they are not.

So close and emotionally attached to everything. Mm-hmm. She looked at everything, she looked at all my numbers and she’s like, this is what you need to, first of all, let’s figure out what kind of schedule you wanna have. Yeah. ’cause if it’s not working for you, none of this is working. And I was like, oh, but what about Bob who can only come at five o’clock on a Wednesday?

Yep. You know, she’s like, Nope, this is about you. Um, so we put together a schedule that works for me. Yeah. And for my. Family and for what I need and based off of that and how many patients that I can sustainably see. We created, uh, she crunched all the numbers, which I love, and we created pri price points for, for everything.

And highly recommend bringing in, you know, a neutral party to do that. And she tells me what to do and I just go do it. The best. Truly the best. That is the best, yes. So

Michelle G: how, okay, so $50 and how does that compare to your, like private pay patients, your one-on-one? Yeah,

Michelle H: so private pay is 2 0 9 for initial, one 40 for follow up.

Okay. I’m located in California. Mm-hmm. And another thing that’s important too is like, I think it’s important to choose your price point based on what you need, you know? Yeah. Like these are my price points. This is based off of where I live, what, what I need for my family, what, what my rent is like. I am not practicing where you’re practicing.

Yeah. And even if you are practicing in the same town, you don’t know what other providers. You know, they’re probably broke too. So I’m like, you don’t wanna pick their price point. You need to be taking a look at what are your expenses and how much do you need to make. Yes. That’s where you pick your prices.

And I think that’s where I went wrong too, with the, with the sliding scale. I kind of picked that because that’s what all community clinics we’re doing. Right. You know, and I thought that was what we did, and so I just did it. And, you know, I’m glad I did. ’cause it was, you know, I learned a lot. I became an excellent provider along the way that, like, I was doing close to a hundred treatments a week.

Wow. You know, and, um, accessing a large portion of the community that I normally wouldn’t access. And I really got my name out there and so I’m grateful for that. But it comes to a point where you get backed into a corner and you have to really ask what is the cost? Right. Personally of continuing to practice this way.

Michelle G: Wow. Yeah. So you were seeing a hundred people. Was that just community acupuncture or that was also your individual private treatments? That was everything. Yeah. That was everyone. Yeah. And so have you scaled that back?

Michelle H: Okay. Yes. Okay. I’ve scaled that back. I’ve scaled that back. I’ve scaled back on employees as, uh, I had, um, I think at my peak I had like three other acupuncturists here.

Mm-hmm. That was not my jam, you know, like it was another thing where like you feel like, oh. You know, this is the path to success. You open a clinic and then you get other employ associates, and that may be for some people, and hats off to you, like, I don’t love managing other people. Mm-hmm. That’s not really what I wanna do.

Well, how I wanna spend my time. I’m, I’m highly creative. I love creating, I have a podcast. I love helping other acupuncturists, um, in coaching. But when it comes to the day-to-day management, it just. You know, and I may, I may take another associate on in the future. Maybe it just wasn’t a right fit, but as for now, like I’m really enjoying this.

Yeah,

Michelle G: yeah.

Michelle H: Yeah.

Michelle G: Um, well I’m so glad that you were able to kind of take a step back. It sounds like you also reduced your hours a bit so that you could.

Michelle H: Yeah, I did so that I could pursue other projects. Um, I create courses for other acupuncturists. Yeah, I start a podcast. I love to write. I’m also a competitive bodybuilder.

Oh, you’re still doing that? Super. Still doing that. Yeah. So I love to make time to do that. I have a show coming up in, in November, so I know all about meal prepping and bringing, uh, ridiculous amounts of food into the clinic.

Michelle G: I love it. So when you made the announcement that you were getting rid of your sliding scale, how did that go with your patients?

Michelle H: You know, it was one of those things where like I had a ton of guilt and like anxiety leading up to it. Yeah. And then it wasn’t that big of a deal. I had some pushback. Right. As expected. Yeah. But it, for the majority, it wasn’t that big of a deal. And I lost some people and they’re also, they were people that I.

Was okay losing. Gotcha. Yeah. That really weren’t valuing me or my time or my boundaries. It, it created this weird dysfunctional dynamic where like people would regularly come in and they play the lowest and then it was created this mentality of like. Like, what else can I get for free? Hmm. You know, not for free, but like, can I get a massage for sliding scale and this, this expectation that I should be available all the time.

Yeah. For them, like on weekends and, and then also not valuing the treatment where like no shows or late cancellations, things like that. So it was, it was time to just do like a complete detox and really start. Fine tuning and focusing on clients or patients that really value the care. Mm-hmm. One, one person in particular, when we let them know about, about the rates, or I think they booked something and, and, and the rates had changed, you know, and they’re like, I noticed the, the rates went up.

Is this gonna be a regular thing, is their question. People don’t

Michelle G: usually change their rates temporarily, but Okay.

Michelle H: Well, I was like, well, yeah, it’s gonna be a regular thing as long as inflation is a regular thing. Like mm-hmm. I was just like, it was just a funny, funny comment. It is, you know? Yeah. I, uh, I took some time and, and I told her, yeah, you know, all of our expenses, I’m sure everybody’s experienced inflation, right.

  1. It’s been pretty ridiculous. And I, I just told her, you know, this last year, all of our expenses went up 10% and as a result, we, we kind of had two choices. We could close our doors or we could raise our rates 10%. So we decided to stay open and raise our rates. I love it. And she was just like. Oh. You know, like when you put it like that, it’s very like, do it is what it is, you know?

So, yeah. Tricky. But, oh my gosh. It, it just felt good to like, to, to be clear on the value point and to define it, you know? I like clarity, I like communication, and that just felt so much better. Yeah. You know, and, and if I had a couple people that like, have come to me and they still, they still couldn’t afford that.

They genuinely couldn’t. Yeah. And for them, I have a scholarship where I’ve had people who have donated so that other people can receive care. That is amazing. And. That is a beautiful thing. Yeah. So then they get care off this, this scholarship fund that people have donated to. So that’s a beautiful way and for the most part everybody’s been fine with it.

Yeah. You know, and it’s nice to have this option for people who truly like, need care and can’t afford it. Yes. So I love that.

Michelle G: Yeah, I find that most people really, really dread raising their rates, and then when they do it, the feedback is generally either neutral or positive, and it just goes much better than they think it will.

Even if they have one or two people who are like, oh, you know, I can’t continue. It’s too expensive, but. 98% of their patients usually respond in a positive way. So it’s like we build up a huge amount of anxiety before we hit the send button on that email. Yeah. And then it turns out to be the right choice.

Like it’s okay. Yeah, I, yeah. I would love to hear more about your scholarship fund and how do you let people know that they can donate to that? How? How does that work? That’s such a nice idea. Yeah.

Michelle H: You know, it kind of happened on accident. I had a patient that came in and was like, I absolutely love this model.

I love what you’re doing. I love everything about you. I, you know those people, and you’re like, yes. Biggest

Michelle G: fan.

Michelle H: I love it. They’re like, I would, can I donate so that people can receive care? And I was like, sh. Yeah. You know? Wow. So basically we just loaded a gift card.

Michelle G: Okay.

Michelle H: Um, and it’s like our scholarship gift card.

Um, with the funds that they donated. And then since then, I’ve made it available in my newsletter for, you know, that I send out once a month. Mm-hmm. I know we’re supposed to do it twice, twice a month, Michelle. But once

Michelle G: it’s still great. It’s just so much better than not at all. I

Michelle H: know. Um, where there’s a link where they can, they can donate.

So, cool. Um, yeah, it’s a great way to, to create that spirit of accessibility and Yeah. Um, without. Sacrificing yourself. Yeah.

Michelle G: And it, it is so nice because instead of having to set aside time to say like, oh, well I’m gonna do a free clinic on this afternoon once a month, so that you have that spirit of accessibility.

’cause I know sometimes people will take that approach. It’s like, you are facilitating giving, but you’re still being paid. I’m like, how incredible is that?

Michelle H: Yes, a hundred percent. And I think that was like, that was always the goal of sliding scale was like the people that could pay more, pay more.

Michelle G: Ah, that’s

Michelle H: true.

Michelle G: Yeah. And they make up the difference for the people who pay less, make up the difference. Gotcha.

Michelle H: Yeah. And this is just like a more clear mm-hmm. Like you wanna give extra great, this is how you can give extra and it’s going to directly. To the people that need it most.

Michelle G: Mm. I love this idea. I was listening to a podcaster recently and she was, uh, she’s very into psychology and she was talking about how we should all ask the people around us to help us.

More often at for specific things because it’s almost like each of us is creating a little universe and if we have goals and beautiful things that we wanna create in the world, if we ask someone to help us, we’re inviting them to create that space with us and people actually. Appreciate that very much.

It’s like people want the opportunity to be generous, to show up for us to do good work. And so I love how offering a scholarship fits right into that. Where you’re just saying like, if you’re, you know, if you’re looking for an opportunity to give and to participate in something wonderful. Here it is. Or even if you didn’t know that, that’s what you are looking for consciously.

Like here’s this thing where you can participate in this beautiful little universe that I’ve created. And I think we really underestimate how much people like to help and how much they want to participate in like goodness in their community. So Nice. Yeah.

Michelle H: Yeah. And I think what’s. What’s missing is just the invitation.

Yes. Right. Exactly. That’s such a

Michelle G: succinct way of That’s what I was trying to say.

Michelle H: Yeah. I’m here for you, Michelle. I know what you’re saying.

Michelle G: If this Michelle can’t figure it out, you, Michelle will figure it out.

Michelle H: Word economy right here.

Michelle G: I love it.

Michelle H: It’s an invite. That’s what we’re talking about, Michelle.

That’s

Michelle G: it. Just, it’s one word for this whole podcast. It’s an invitation.

Michelle H: Cool. No. Yeah. I mean, the helpers are there and they wanna help. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. So a lot of it’s just opening the path or the channel for them to be of service to you. Yeah.

Michelle G: Well, I have asked you this a couple times before, but I’ll, I’ll just keep asking, what is your definition of success?

Michelle H: Well, it’s always changing. Yes. So I’m happy you keep asking, Michelle. My definition of success is living a life that is in alignment with my purpose. Um, and my purpose is, is to serve and in living that purpose, also feeling deeply nourished and safe, I think is, is important to me too and, and allows me to live the life I wanna live.

Yeah. Awesome.

Michelle G: Thank you. Well, how can people find you online? How can they get in touch with you? And if you wanna talk about community acupuncture school a little bit, that would be great.

Michelle H: Oh, sure. You can find me on Instagram, Dr. Michelle Hamilton. You can also find me on, I have a website, uh, Dr. Michelle Hamilton dot com.

I’m probably gonna write a blog on this topic. Okay. Um, so you can look for that there. Um, I also have. Community Acupuncture school, which is a course which offers I believe, 13 CEUs, PDA credits. Basically the idea of the course is I teach you step by step how to open a hybrid or community acupuncture clinic.

I love the course. I love all my students. It’s, it’s wonderful to share all, all the things that I’ve painfully learned over the years. Put it in one little course so you don’t have to live some of those painful lessons. I have a couple other courses on my website as well if you’re interested in those.

Michelle, thank you so much for having me.

Michelle G: My

Michelle H: pleasure. I have a massive girl crush on you.

Michelle G: Likewise. And

Michelle H: the only real way I get to hang out with you is to volunteer to do these podcasts, so that is

Michelle G: only because we are on opposite sides of the country, which is really a shame.

Michelle H: Totally worth it. Totally fine.

But I adore you and thank you so much for. Everything that you are providing and all the education and all the support that you provide. For our field. You are elevating our field and I appreciate you. Ah, thank you so much. I appreciate all that you do as well.

Michelle G: If you’re ready to simplify your marketing and get actionable tips every week, check out the Snack Size Marketing Club.

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Head to the link in the show notes to join and get started for just $9 a month. I’d love to see you inside. As always, thanks for being here. I can’t wait to talk to you next time.