Today we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Amstutz.
Hi Rebecca, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, let’s briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I am a chiropractor, which is a second career for me. I am now certified to provide animal chiropractic care, and I love it! I returned to school after being a social worker and graduated with my Doctor of Chiropractic degree in November 2005. While in chiropractic school, I had often wondered about chiropractic for pets because, at the time, I had my best dog, a black lab mix named Rex, and I thought I would love to give her treatment but never wanted to hurt her. I knew it existed because I studied with a classmate who said they used it on their horses growing up; it fascinated me. At one point in chiropractic school, I heard some people who came to the chiropractic school speak on it, but my turning point was when I went to a chiropractic convention in Las Vegas and listened to a vet talk about it. His name was Dr. Giggleman.
I will never forget that name, but when I was sitting and listening to him talk about it, I said to myself, “That’s what I need to do!” I became certified in animal chiropractic about 5 years after I graduated in 2010. I was the 18th chiropractor certified in Minnesota to provide chiropractic care to pets. At the time, I was unemployed, and I didn’t want to start another business (I had tried it after school with another classmate for 2 years). Still, there wasn’t anyone to employ me in the animal chiropractic field, so I decided to focus strictly on an animal chiropractic practice and not provide human services. I started by going to people’s homes to see their pets. The first patient in my practice was in March of 2010, and it was a paralyzed dachshund that the chiropractor I did my internship with referred to me. It was one of her patients crying on the chiropractic table about her dog. The woman called me; I was waiting for the paperwork from the state for my approved animal chiropractic registration. I gave her some exercises and told her to keep doing acupuncture with her vet, and I would be out to her home in “three weeks.” I will never forget what she said at the end of the phone call: ” “You make me feel so much better already.” I provided treatments to the dog, her vet did acupuncture, and the dog regained the use of her legs. For three years, I treated that dog with maintenance chiropractic care until she died, and she never had another back episode like that again. I networked a lot in the beginning to build my business from mobile services. I moved into several different physical spaces and have been at the Eden Prairie Location for 8 years. In March of 2024, I will be reaching 14 years of business, which grows every year, and it’s the longest position I have held since I graduated with my bachelor’s degree.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has been a challenging road. When I started my practice, I was unemployed, didn’t own a home, and had practically nothing in my bank account, so working capital was challenging. I remember trying to apply for business loans, but I would need someone to approve me. I recall sitting in front of one of them and thinking, “Well, I guess I will keep doing what I am doing.” It takes a lot of work to get a business going, and the inconsistent income is a challenge; with my business, there is a life cycle, so you have that business for only a specific time, and then it goes away. One of the requirements in Minnesota is that we have to get a vet referral before seeing a new patient. That has its challenges, as there is sometimes a lack of education about chiropractic for pets, so vets will deny the referral or say, “They don’t think it will work.” I have learned that if I don’t get a referral, I say, “They weren’t meant to be my client,” instead of stressing about it. Building a business is definitely “Blood, Sweat, and Tears.” Times I had thought about quitting, I would randomly get a text from a client saying how grateful they were because their pet was doing so much better. That has kept me going.
We’ve been impressed with Perpetual Motion Animal Chiropractic, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have been in business for 14 years. My business provides chiropractic care to pets, and that is what I am known for. Few chiropractors have animal chiropractic certification in Minnesota, and even fewer do it full-time. Other providers also offer massage and acupuncture to pets in my office. Brand-wise, I am proud of our name, the quality of service we provide, and the great reviews we get on Google. If we cannot help someone, we give them other options and try to be value-added to ensure they get help for their pets.
Let’s end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
My family, my dog, and friends, and being ethical, truthful, and compassionate and treating people respectfully, you only get very far if you are ethical and truthful. It comes back to you negatively if you aren’t; if you are, it’s slow and steady, but you get returns you cannot put into words. It’s greater returns that you have done the right thing for people. In my business, making the right decisions means a lot to the customers with their pets, even if I have to deliver hard news. People appreciate honesty when making decisions for their pets, which comes back to you through word-of-mouth referrals, but it’s more the satisfaction that you have helped someone with something (the pet) that means so much to them. That’s a feeling you can’t put into words.
Pricing:
- First initial animal chiropractic visit 1 hour $125
- Follow up animal chiropractic visits 15 minutes $55
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.perpetualmotionchiro.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perpetual_motion_animal_chiro/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perpetualmotionchiro
