Chiropractic Practice: Why Live Events Are Still Important

Hello, everybody, and welcome to Thrive in Five. I’m Dr. Dennis Perman, and I’ll be your chiropractic coach for today. This episode of Thrive in Five is called Why Live Events Are Still Important. I’ve been on stage or watching people on stage for most of my life. When I was in the fifth grade, my class play was an adaptation of Aladdin.

And being the biggest kid in class, I got the part of the genie. The plot was simple. Kids from my class walked onto the stage one at a time, picked up the lamp and rubbed it, and made a wish about what they would become when they grew up. A doctor, a businesswoman, a teacher, or whatever. As the genie, I was kneeling behind the table and as my little classmates announced what they wanted, I was to pop out from behind the table and grant their wish, after which they would demonstrate their newfound talents and abilities.

I guess I was a pretty spaced out nine year old anyway, but being on stage for the first time put me into a trance, especially crouching down under the table while the play was going on around me. It was so surreal that I went into a dream state for a minute, only to hear the first student deliver her line, which was my cue.

In a start, I stood up suddenly, not remembering I was under the table, and I smacked my head on the edge and knocked myself senseless. Out of the fog, I remember staggering back to my feet and proclaiming, Poof! You’re a pianist! Much to the shock and surprise of the little girl dressed as a ballerina who then went twirling across the stage.

You’d think that with that reference experience from my thespian debut, I might never dare it again. But the opposite was true. I loved being on stage, and I still love watching people on stage, in shows, concerts, seminars, in fact, any quality live event. And so, I gravitated toward becoming a professional speaker.

I offered healthcare class to educate my community and build my practice and my reputation. And I have to confess, it was never a burden. Always a pleasure. And over the last 37 years, I’ve had the privilege of being one of your seminar leaders, and I’ll be eternally grateful for that privilege. After hundreds of talks to thousands of members, I’ve never lost my enthusiasm for sharing ideas.

Unfortunately, we now live in a time where the typical patterns of attending public events have been distorted. The COVID experience left us with an assortment of scars, including less social contact and fewer interpersonal gatherings. The specter of masking and social distancing is too fresh in our memories, and some of our neighbors have recurrent fears of viral onslaught.

Whatever your personal beliefs, the cultural hypnosis is clear. People have gotten out of the habit of getting together. They work from home, use social media to communicate, watch Netflix in their living rooms, and so on. Many live mostly through their phones. I feel like it’s time to spearhead and encourage a return to the pre COVID mindset so we can feel good about participating in group activities.

Isn’t it great fun to attend a concert or a ball game or to go to a seminar and learn amazing things to help sick people get well and stay well? What is it about live events that makes them so compelling? The first and most obvious benefit of attending a live event is the energy field. Think about being at a show, or a talk, or a sports competition.

Isn’t there a buzz, a feeling of excitement and anticipation? That’s energy. And, when a group assembles for a common purpose, it can change the world. In fact, that’s where most global movements start. So attending live events that support or share your personal philosophy amplifies that particular type of energy.

It’s a foundational principle for all who put on seminars. Tending the garden and being sure the energy field is a good fit for the participants is a secret responsibility that often differentiates between good seminars And great ones. Live events also satisfy the need for social connection. All current studies on longevity, including the blue zones research done by Dan Buechner, point out that those who engage those around them tend to lead longer, happier, healthier lives.

It’s no different for chiropractors. Attending live events yourself and sponsoring or contributing to live events for your patients, demonstrates how much you care about them and enhances your engagement with them. As you know, live events are a primary resource for learning and growth. Seminars, postdoctoral training and workshops are like school for professionals.

And while you may get your continuing education online, it’s worth it to venture out into the public periodically, since when you’re there live, you tend to be less distracted and more focused. Plus. After all, if the reason you want to participate in an academic experience is to learn and grow, you want the investment of time, capital, and resources to pay off as much as possible.

And anyone who has ever compared a recording of a live concert with the actual experience of being at the concert clearly sees the difference. Knowing this, I planned my very first health care class in my new office around the brand new Renaissance posters I proudly placed on my easel. The room filled with enthusiastic family and friends, and I began the talk.

Well, it’s 7:30 and time to begin. I’m Dennis Perman, DC, which stands for Doctor of Chiropractic. And as I lifted the first poster, the clamp let loose and my materials scattered all over the floor. Not my ideal opening. But I gather up my stuff, put it back on the easel, and went on with my talk. That’s how professionals do it.

One more story. About 30 years ago, Tony Robbins planned a seminar that would be broadcast by satellite to 7 different cities. And he created the live feel by renting movie theaters and having master trainers like me as facilitators. My job was to get attendees ready for Tony’s face on a movie screen 30 feet tall, and then at the end to get them signed up for Tony’s next training.

I put two large trunks together at the front of the room and threw a tablecloth over them to make a little riser to use as a platform. Tony gave the signal, so I enthusiastically ran up from the back of the room and jumped up onto the trunks, which of course separated and I went flying. I picked myself up, dusted myself off, made a joke about live TV, Pushed the trunks back together and started the show as if nothing had happened.

Why am I telling you about the times I did a live event and it didn’t go as planned? Because I’ve done hundreds, even thousands of live events. Both giving and receiving. And these were the only three times that things went badly. Going back to the fifth grade. And obviously I lived through it. So make room in your thinking for including live events, both putting them on and attending them yourself, preferably with your entire team.

Even if you’ve gotten out of the habit, there’s so much opportunity available for you. It’s worth the expense and inconvenience in the long run. One of the keys to developing a following is to generate and maintain cultural equilibrium and momentum. And by keeping those who are of like mind engaged and together, Nothing works better than a gathering where people can pool resources, compare notes, debate their differences, and together move the entire culture forward.

When you get the chance to attend or produce a live event, seize the day! It may be your best chance to create the influence and meaningful leadership you aspire to, and that’s why live events are still important.

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