Dr. James Devine

Subtract ideas and relationships that are weighing you down. You won’t get more done, but if you focus on the important stuff, you will have more meaningful accomplishments, less stress, and better health.

 

Dr. James Devine grew up in Tacoma, WA. As a young child, a condition called leg Perthes disease, which disrupts the flow of blood to the head of the femur causing the bone to stop growing and die left him wheelchair-bound. Once he was able to walk, James began weightlifting as a way to strengthen his bones and muscles. In his twenties, after experiencing sciatica and leg pain, he decided to visit a chiropractor. When his symptoms resolved after a few visits, Dr. Devine decided to dedicate his life to studying natural health care and helping others resolve their pain and symptoms naturally, without the use of drugs.

After receiving his chiropractic degree from Cleveland Chiropractic College, Dr. Devine returned to Tacoma, WA to study with Dr. Ken Stillwell DC, and focused on the treatment of acute auto, work-related, and sports injuries, extremity adjustments, and wellness care. After his residency, Dr. Devine moved to Seattle, where he has practiced for the past 25 years.

In addition to being an expert on the care of automobile accident, sports, and on-the-job injuries, Dr. Devine specializes in treating extremity conditions, such as wrist, elbow, shoulder, foot ankle and knee pain. When he’s not at work, Dr. Devine enjoys spending time with his family, weightlifting, cooking, and researching natural health care.

Where did the idea for your company or organization) come from?

After years of not being able to walk without pain, chiropractic allowed me to live pain-free. I started Devine Chiropractic & Rehab Center to transform the health of the people in Seattle, giving others hope for a better life and long-term relief from pain and other symptoms.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My day starts at 5 AM with a workout in the gym, followed by a brisk 20-minute walk to work. I begin treating patients at 7:30 and continue, except for a 90-minute lunch-time break, until 6 PM. On a typical day I adjust patients of every age and from every walk of life, demonstrate exercises and stretches, and counsel patients about diet, posture, stress-relief and other lifestyle changes they can make. I answer phone calls and emails during my lunch break to minimize distractions and to keep the focus on my patients. I find at least a little time each day to train my staff since an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff is my most important asset.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Short, but effective team meetings with my staff allow me to draw upon each team members’ knowledge, skills, and perspectives. We work as a team to solve problems, innovate, and achieve collective goals.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Outsourcing. By outsourcing my social media, I reduce the need to juggle so many tasks and can focus more time and energy on patient care. Spending time on what I do best and having someone else do the tasks I don’t enjoy just makes sense.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Delegating. Sharing responsibilities with my staff has created a sense of community within my office and produced amazing success that I now know I never would have realized on my own. My staff’s many talents constantly amaze me.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Stop living in the future, and enjoy today. Yes, you can make plans, but after you make them, set them aside and focus on the thing you should be doing now, and just have fun.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

For optimal effectiveness, you need to do less. Instead of piling more and more onto your plate, you need to lighten your load. Subtract ideas and relationships that are weighing you down. You won’t get more done, but if you focus on the important stuff, you will have more meaningful accomplishments, less stress, and better health.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Exercise. From the moment I lift my first dumbbell, the benefits of exercise kick in. My heart rate increases and blood is delivered to my muscles. I start burning calories for fuel. And I get an almost immediate mood boost. Exercise helps me look younger, feel happier, have more energy, and stay fit. After a workout, my motivation is at its peak and I feel psyched and energized to start my day.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business? Please explain how.

Asking for Google reviews. Patients don’t typically review doctors unless something goes wrong. I tip the review balance back in my favor by getting enthusiastic patients to be my online advocates. The tip to getting reviews is to ask a patient in person. I’ve found that asking in person can garner many times more reviews than asking via email.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

A major setback in my career was time and money spent fighting a legal battle over ownership of a shared website. I overcame the battle through arbitration and learned an important lesson about the importance of signing legally binding contracts.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

On-site healthcare for employees. As healthcare becomes more and more expensive, patients and doctors will benefit from improving care delivery and prioritizing wellness and prevention. Bringing preventative healthcare services, such as chiropractic, massage, yoga, weight loss and acupuncture to the workplace will lead to a happier and more productive workforce.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I’ve never really understood the billing part of chiropractic; I figured that if I hired a good biller they could handle business part, and I could concentrate on patient care. However, this strategy has not served me well. The $100 I recently spent to attend an 8-hour billing seminar helped me communicate more effectively with my billers, learn to identify mistakes, and identify changes I can make to reduce billing errors and make the billing process more efficient.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?

Youtube. Videos are an effective tool for spreading my message to thousands of potential patients easily and at no cost. They offer a virtual introduction to me and my practice, so new patients come in feeling like they already know us.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Eighty years ago, author Napolean Hill interviewed more than 500 of the most successful business leaders of his time for his book, “Think and Grow Rich”. Hill wanted to learn made successful people so successful. The principles he uncovered and his advice is just as relevant today.

What is your favorite quote?

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” -Henry Ford
Self-confidence is a powerful thing. One of the primary keys to getting what you want out of life is believing that you can have it. So as you are reading my interview, ask yourself what you think you can do. Once you have determined this, begin to take steps toward this right away, because being indecisive about your thoughts will simply waste time.

Key Learnings:

• Youtube videos are an effective tool for spreading your message to thousands of potential customers easily and at no cost.
• Scheduling a specific period of time to answer email and make phone calls will help you be more productive throughout the rest of your work day.
• It is important to understand all aspects of your business, especially areas that aren’t your expertise.
• Sharing responsibilities/delegating creates a sense of community.
• Team meetings are an effective way to solve problems, innovate, and achieve collective goals.
• Start your day with a work-out for an immediate mood. You’ll look younger,

Connect:

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Dr. James Devine on Linkedin: