Running a small business is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and also one of the most exhausting. Some days you feel on top of the world. Other days, it feels like the world forgot you exist.
When I opened my first little four-room office in Appleton, I had no idea where it would take me. Eventually, it grew into a beautiful 3,000-square-foot clinic with a dream team and a full schedule. I thought I’d made it.
Then came 2024. I officially became an empty nester. My son left for the Navy and is currently serving on the USS Harry Truman. My daughter is now wrapping up her final stretch at Marquette Law. It was a year of big shifts both personally and professionally.
The Invasion
Now for the not so good shifts. An invisible war was being waged against my privacy in my personal life. A man I’d been friends with for nearly a decade, a person I considered to be my best friend, travel companion, colleague, mentor, confidant…had turned nightmare.
Unknown to me, he hacked my phone while he was living with me not only seeing texts, emails and whatever I was doing on the phone but also listening through my phones microphone both while I was on and off the phone. Did you know someone could hack your phones camera and mic? I sure didn’t. I’m not sure about the camera, but he could hear me. If I talk to myself in the car now, I do it with my phone on airplane mode or off. I’m not that only one that does that, right? Conversations with yourself in the car. Well he’d listen to those through my phones mic. And he didn’t stop there. He even hacked my friend’s phone, a friend I’d had conversations with for hours every day.
The digital stalking continued relentlessly throughout the year even into this year. My home security cameras were hacked along with my Apple ID. I’d change my number, he’d find it. I’d get a new device, new Apple ID, somehow he’d breach that too watching my location and conversations. The panic attacks started happening weekly, then daily. I’d leave my phone in the car or off during important conversations.
I was losing my mind outside of work.
When It Rains, It Pours
And the hits kept coming. Business slowed down to less than half of what it had been in previous years. In April 2024, I lost my right hand, the kind of employee you can’t replace because there just aren’t enough zeroes in the world to keep someone that amazingly phenomenal. She went off to do her own thing, and she should be because she’s too good to be an employee. Since then though, staffing’s been a mess. Some hires were sweet but not the right fit, and others… not so much. To top it off, the “massage therapist” in my office was getting paid for more than just massage, if you catch my drift. He really went all out to service his clients in unprofessional ways. It’s sad and infuriating because it puts legitimate massage therapists at risk for harassment from clients. Most massage therapists are legitimate therapists, this one happened not to be.
Add that to everything happening at home and at work, and it’s no wonder some of you noticed I lost 80 pounds, then gained 50, then lost 20. Cortisol, man.
So with staffing issues, slow business and my personal debt growing out of control just to keep my business open, something had to change. I was ready to throw in the towel and close in December 2024. I sold my Lexus, and started driving my teenage son’ car. That was hard for me, many of you know I’m a car person.
The Silver Lining
But here’s the twist: slower business meant more time with patients. And in that time, I remembered why I do this. I saw a guy who had three teeth knocked out, nothing his doctor did could touch the pain. One 45-minute FSM treatment with me and later that night, he’s eating pizza and chicken wings like nothing happened. Or my 92-year-old patient who got a chemical burn in her eye, another FSM miracle. Even when I was barely keeping the lights on, patients were still getting better. That’s what matters.
Going Back to Basics
So now, I’m going small again. Two treatment rooms and a small lab/testing area. No staff. Just me, and that’s more than enough. I’ll have extended hours a couple days a week, but I’m keeping my 3 day (Friday through Sunday) weekends – unless an IVF transfer pops up, of course. My patients are going to benefit tremendously from this new setup. It’s cozy, calm, and gives me the time to really do the deep work, especially with treatments like Craniobiotics. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s powerful and I’m so excited to share it with more of you. I look forward to adding to that with Lymestop training next year.
So everything is changing. New name, new logo, new number, new location, and yes, a new website, one I’m building myself. I’m also adding online scheduling, so you’ll notice a new look for appointment reminders, and you may occasionally get double reminders as I switch from one practice management system to another. So if something doesn’t make sense when you visit it, give me some grace. I had to throw something together fast and I’ll be updating it as I go.
To everyone who’s been coming to my home these past weeks, thank you for your support. Soon I’ll be able to pack up the massage table in my living room and welcome my 28-pound attack beagle mix back home. Right now, my personal number, 920-460-8171, is also serving as my business line. Once I move into the new space, that number will officially become the new business number. Either number works, but I’ll be phasing out 920-422-4910 within the next year or so while everyone gets used to the change.
Starting Monday, May 19th, 2025 I’ll be located at 2000 S Memorial Drive. It’s right on the corner of Calumet and Memorial Drive, across from Caribou coffee and I’m really looking forward to seeing you there.
Thanks for sticking with me through the messy middle. I can’t wait for you to see what’s next.
Dr. Pam
