#09 Sustaining Alignment in Life and Work: Dr. Rachel Silver's Expertise

Speaker 1: 0:00

your brain is going to send messages down your spinal cord. You have nerves that go to every muscle, gland and organ in the body and on a regular, normal occasion we would be operating, you know, fully functional, but whenever anything gets out of alignment. So if we get, you know, a segment out, whether it's in our backs or our legs or whatever something gets out of alignment, we now have an interruption to that flow, and it's not always pain that we experience when that interruption happens, but ultimately, over time, it could definitely cause a lot of pain, but really we begin to dysfunction before we even experience the pain. That a lot of times will bring, you know, someone into the office with me. And so my job as a chiropractor is really to assess the body, to find out where are those misalignments and to create a plan in order to align it back. And I had a light bulb go off Like I don't know a few years ago. I said this is what I'm doing in so many other areas in life.

Speaker 2: 0:56

You're listening to Cold Press Conversations with Dr Jewel White-Williams, a lover of numbers, lists and a good glass of cold press juice, who is sharing episodes each week to help you explore the back end of healthcare and health sciences, where a lot of that grit is done. We'll dive into topics covering research, education and clinical practices, as well as guest shows with other leaders in the field. Pull up a seat and let's dive into these amazing and game-changing conversations. All right, welcome to Cold Press Conversations. I am Dr Jewel White-Williams. I have a doctorate in health sciences, focusing on clinician as well as education. I am here today with Dr Rachel Silver. If I had a little thing go, I would be celebrating you, Dr Silver, and I. We're actually with the same coach, all right, and we met over time and we just have been able to build a relationship which has been really, really nice and, knowing that she has so much to offer in the health care world, I thought it would be awesome to have her on Cold Press Conversations. Hello, Dr Silver.

Speaker 1: 2:15

Hello, hello, dr Williams, it is such a pleasure to be here today, Isn't it?

Speaker 2: 2:20

I'm so excited and when we last time met we went to the social in.

Speaker 1: 2:24

DC right.

Speaker 2: 2:25

In DC and I was just telling people I have a podcast. I have a podcast. I'm still working on the consulting. I said it will come in time. I believe in God will deliver where it needs to be. But this is something that I have done in the past, but this time I wanted to have more of a focus on medical and health sciences and you're like hook me up, let me learn more. And we communicated and I think this is going to be an exceptional show because we're going to take it to a business side of medical and health science, someone who is a practitioner, someone who understands business and someone who is actively working in that business. So let me go ahead and begin.

Speaker 2: 3:03

Dr Rachel Silver is an esteemed CEO of Aligned Goals LLC, where she has combined her expertise in healthcare, education, organizational leadership and business development to provide assistance to individuals and organizations struggling to align their vision and their goals with their actions. With a remarkable career spanning over two decades, dr Silver has dedicated 20 years of organizational leadership and 17 years to caring for chiropractic patients in hospital, sports health and private office settings. She also has 14 years experience in higher education, teaching a range of courses that include anatomy and physiology, human biology, general biology one and two and microbiology, mostly to students entering healthcare fields. She also facilitates multiple trainings and sessions that include leadership, compliance, conflict resolution, risk management, spiritual development, biblical application, team development and organizational management, and works with institutions, thought leaders and subject matter experts to design in-person and online learning experiences for their communities. Her professional journey is a testament to her commitment to learning and growth. As an adjunct professor, training facilitator and instructional designer, she has honed her skills in creating impactful educational experiences. Driven by a profound passion for enhancing learning outcomes, she orchestrated a significant achievement by elevating the pass rate of a challenging college course from 49% to an impressive 83%. Through the implementation of innovative teaching strategies, she has also boosted revenue for seven for-profit businesses and developed operational procedures for three more businesses. Drawing her extensive background in leadership, development and training, dr Silver has participated in research on effective learning methodologies and crafted curriculum designs for educational programs. Her ability to create engaging learning opportunities tailored to adult learners has set her apart in the field. Beyond academia, she finds fulfillment in leading events, conducting trainings and guiding organizations through strategic planning initiatives.

Speaker 2: 5:15

Dr Silver's academic accomplishments include a doctor of chiropractic, master's of education in structural design and technology, a bachelor's of science in biology, with minors in chemistry and psychology, and numerous certification trainings. This diverse knowledge base equips her to approach challenges with a multifaceted perspective, driving success in her professional endeavors. She extends and shares her understanding of the vital connection between proper alignment and efficient operation in the body, in learning and in business. Let's welcome Dr Silva. This is amazing, thank you. Thank you, I try to read all of my guest bios at least five times because that way it kind of gets into me and that way I will be able to give them the shine that they need to do, because my intention is to elevate who they are as researchers, educators and clinical practitioners.

Speaker 2: 6:11

But my intent also is to amplify what you do, and that's one thing that I like is because I'm trying to align what I do to make you shine. And you are living in alignment, where you're taking your chiropractic care influenced by your perspectives, by living in alignment and balancing your personal well-being with professional pursuits. How does that even work? How do you create living in that alignment?

Speaker 1: 6:38

Well, yeah. So I think the first thing that you have to do to create living in alignment is really understanding your values. When we are able to just like put it on paper or on a whiteboard I got whiteboards and stuff in here put it up. What is it that you actually value? What is it that you actually value for yourself, for your business? What do you want other people to experience with you as well? Once you understand your values, then you can actually say okay, now I can set some goals, some specific things around those values and actually calendarize it. I don't even know if that's a word, but actually put it on a calendar.

Speaker 1: 7:16

You can actually put it on a calendar, put it in a planner, put it in a reminders, get accountability partners, get coaches to hold you to it so that you're actually moving forward. I think so often we go just through life, especially if we're busy and it's such a fast paced culture that we're in we just go, go, go and as we're going, going, going, sometimes we are existing within the value set of our society or the value set of the expectations that surround us from our careers, families, from whatever, and we're not necessarily existing in a value set that we have set for ourselves. I think it's really important to take a step back. The first way that you can begin to have that alignment is to assess and say what are my values, because everything else is going to begin to kind of domino effect from that.

Speaker 2: 8:03

Awesome, awesome. And so when we talk about alignment and you are a doctor of chiropractic, you operate like we say alignment across our mindset, but you also focus on the alignment for our body, our learning, our business. So that's why I wanted you on here, because when we did have a conversation prior to I got to let people know when we were talking about I was like, hold a second. You're telling me you have taken what you did and learned from being a chiropractor and you have now taken all those leadership skills that you have and you're helping businesses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you mentioned I'm going by memory you said originally I was just trying to help businesses, but I find myself working in the medical field, helping those who have their practices create that alignment now.

Speaker 1: 8:51

Yes, In so many areas. So you know, if you think about it just from a chiropractic perspective, for those who may not know, your brain is going to send messages down your spinal cord. You have nerves that go to every muscle, gland and organ in the body and on a regular, normal occasion we would be operating, you know, fully functional, but whenever anything gets out of alignment. So if we get, you know, a segment out, whether it's in our backs or our legs or whatever, something gets out of alignment.

Speaker 1: 9:16

We now have an interruption to that flow and it's not always pain that we experience when that interruption happens, but ultimately, over a time it could definitely cause a lot of pain. But really we begin to dysfunction before we even experience the pain that a lot of times will bring, you know, someone into the office with me. And so my job as a chiropractor is really to assess the body, to find out where are those misalignments and to create a plan in order to align it back. And I had a light bulb go off Like I don't know, a few years ago. I said this is what I'm doing in so many other areas in life and organizations. I'm like, okay, if we want to operate more efficiently, then we need to make sure that things are aligned properly. If we want to, you know, be effective in our outcomes, even in learning, we need to make sure that there's an alignment. And it just went off.

Speaker 1: 10:05

I think I was adjusting someone and I was just like this is life I mean, I know that this is the life you know for our bodies, but I was just like this is life in all areas is, when things are not in alignment, we don't operate to our 100%. So now I get the opportunity to not only help you know individuals, but I get to help whole organizations kind of get things within alignment. It's not limited to just chiropractic, so I help you know counselors and therapists and I also help students. I have a STEM program going on. I also help you know just thought leaders. It may not even necessarily be done with healthcare, but we're able to get the thing that they have inside of them that can help people align their lives back so that they can operate more efficiently. I get to help pull that information from people so that they can put it in a format that others can utilize.

Speaker 2: 10:55

Oh, all right, so we're going to go one step further then. All right, when you have that alignment, you know where you need to take it. Okay, all right. Navigating challenges and maintaining alignment. I think that's so huge. Even when we're teaching, when we're introducing a program, we talk about sustainability. How can you sustain what you have? Well, it's kind of like what you're discussing. You're talking about maintaining that alignment. So, in your role working in medical businesses, what challenges do you have or what have you observed in maintaining that alignment with them? How do you work with them to get to that point of maintaining or creating a form of sustainability?

Speaker 1: 11:33

Right. So I would say there's a few things. One, sometimes people think that you know in the chiropractic world if they come in and they get adjusted one time. That's all you need, right when?

Speaker 1: 11:43

that is highly unlikely. It's almost like if you go work out in a gym and you're like, oh, I went one time, why did I lose 200 pounds? Because you just went one time and you did a lot to your body to get it this way. So in order to get to the place that you want to be, there's a process that has to happen, and so it's the same thing really in our bodies and it's the same thing in other areas of our lives. Is it's usually not just let me just do this one thing and then leave it alone and not do anything? Is it's usually not just let me just do this one thing and then leave it alone and not do anything? Usually, there's a process that we have to go through to even get to the level of maintenance. So before we begin to try to maintain something, first it has to be at its optimal health Right, and then, when it's at that place, there's things that we can do to maintain it.

Speaker 1: 12:26

So the first thing is not just thinking, oh, this is just going to be a quick fix, one-time thing, you know, fast and done, but actually being willing to go to it if it is needed, to get to the position where maintenance is available ourselves. So, whether that is, you know, coming back for a checkup, because typically, like I said earlier, people typically experience misalignment and dysfunction before they experience pain, even though pain is the thing that usually brings them. And so we need to have an assessment or a checkup before we even get to that place, so that we can begin to address things before they're problematic. And we should do the same thing in business. Right, there's no more money in the bank? Now, let me figure out what I'm going to do. Or, you know, now there's a problem, let me figure out. No, we should have those checkpoints in place in order to make the changes that we need to make, in order to see the outcomes that we want.

Speaker 1: 13:25

Same thing in learning. You wouldn't or I hope you wouldn't as an educator, go to a class and then, you know, teach them and then give them a final, and there's no assessments along the way, there's no way of figuring out whether they know the information Even leading up to the first test. Right? You want to have these different things in place, whether they're assignments or activities in class. You want to have things in place to kind of check where they are, so that you can either okay, we can move on and build on that knowledge, or you know what? Let's look at that in a different way than we looked at it before, so that we can get the outcome that we want and so first, we definitely have to one, know it's not just a one and done quick thing.

Speaker 1: 14:11

Two, we need to have those checkpoints in place in order to go back, in order to maintain things before they are at a point in disaster, so to speak. And then the third thing is we really don't have to do it by ourselves, and I think sometimes we're like what do I need to do by myself? There are, yes, apps that can help us, there are peers that can help us, there's professionals that can help us, there's coaches that can help us. I probably have a coach for like the three major areas in my life. I have a coach for right. So there's definitely that accountability, you know, those people that will not only hold us accountable for the things that we say we want, but also challenge us to go beyond the things that we even see, because they have some more insight in areas that we may not have developed in yet. And I think those three things really do provide a framework or a format for us to really make sure that we're maintaining alignment.

Speaker 2: 15:00

Okay, so you gave a lot. You gave a lot, so you gave the three items. It's not one and done. You have to have those checkpoints and just don't do it by yourself. That's what ends your life, isn't it? Absolutely. It was kind of interesting. I was talking to someone and I was explaining that you know, teachers have to maintain their certificate by having a certain number of classes, and then they were like really surprised that medical professionals. I was like wouldn't you want somebody who's updated though have to have continuing education units as well. So we're in school all the time and I think that's what makes a difference in where people are and how they develop and how we can help others. I don't know if I heard this right, but at one point you use five step alignment process.

Speaker 1: 15:45

Probably so. I do, you know, make sure that we're making sure that things are being assessed. So there's the assessment first. So, actually before assessments, you want to observe what's going on, and that's like getting history and observing. Then you want to assess and see exactly where everything is, what's out of alignment. Then you want to create a plan for that alignment. So you want to make sure that things are aligned properly and you want to create a plan for how long do we think it's going to take, where are checkpoints going to be, and such. And then you want to reassess again afterwards to make sure that what you did, and what she said you was going to do, is getting the outcome that you want. You want to do that reassessment before the end. And then, lastly, you definitely want to make sure that you're checking in. And I don't know when you said five points, I don't know if you were thinking of the five points of engagement that I usually have in my courses.

Speaker 2: 16:33

Okay, so maybe that's what it is. Then I told you I was doing a lot of reading on you. I'm telling you, if anyone wants to understand about themselves and how it relates to even your health, dr Silver, is it because she has so much in her toolbox that it's going to allow you to address the challenges. She's going to have strategies for you, and so that's the reason why I want to make sure I get the right terminology so people can understand what you're doing. So go ahead and explain what you were saying then.

Speaker 1: 17:04

Yeah, so one of the things I do get the opportunity to help create, as you mentioned, we have to do continuing education in order to stay licensed, in order to stay abreast with the things that are new, so that we can continue to provide the best care for our patients, and so, on the educational side, that means I get the opportunity to work with people who are like I have this vast knowledge and I want to create continuing education. So I get to work on that side as well and actually begin to create continuing education for other healthcare providers. I get to work with subject matter experts in that area. I'm in other areas as well, but inside of the courses and inside of the learning experiences that I create, there are levels of engagement that I think are very important. So what happens is, you know, we have a vast amount of information in our society, just at our hands, right.

Speaker 1: 17:55

That doesn't mean that everyone knows what to do with that information or even knows how to apply it. So we're just pouring all of this knowledge into people's heads that a lot of times they don't really know what to do with. And so when we have a course, we don't just want to pour knowledge into people. We want to make sure that there's different components within the course so that they can actually utilize the information and apply it to their lives. And one of the ways that we do that is making sure that there's multiple levels of engagement within the course, whether it's an in-person course or an online one.

Speaker 1: 18:26

And so some of those levels are one making sure that there is a learner to learner experience. So it's not just you know I'm coming in and I'm getting information, but I'm also able to interact with the other learners that are going through this journey with me, because there's a vast amount of experiences and information and stuff that can be gained, and even insight that can be gained from that learner to learner experience. When I was in college and I don't tell many people this because this is one of my lowest grades I got a C on a test. A C and I know for some people are like oh, you passed.

Speaker 2: 18:59

I got a.

Speaker 1: 19:00

C on a test cell biology and I got every answer correct. So I didn't understand. So I went to the teacher and I said I don't understand why I got the grade that I got, when all my answers are right, it was all fill in the blank, there was no multiple choice. And he said I don't know that you understand the material. And I said what do you mean? Because on page such and such and such, on the right side on this, it says blah, blah, blah. And I literally verbatim said it. And he said and that's exactly what you did on your test.

Speaker 2: 19:27

You verbatim said what was going in the book and I understand where you're coming from. Yes, yes, it's kind of like when we teach math. You know the kid goes. I got it right.

Speaker 1: 19:47

But it's deeper than that. What was upset, and I probably should have gone to the department and got my grade up, but it was one of the most important lessons that I had learned, because he was right, I was really really good at memorizing, but I really didn't internalize those processes, whereas I had friends that understood it so well.

Speaker 1: 20:02

they weren't that good at test taking, so they were, you know, getting the C's where I was usually getting the A's, and so what we did was we were able to work with each other. I was able to help them understand. Well, here's how you break it down, and here's how you can remember it, and here's how you can give it back to the test, and they were able to help me.

Speaker 1: 20:19

Well, this is really what's going on. This is really what's going on. This is really what's happening in this process, and we were able to take our worlds together in order to have a greater learning experience. So, of course, I got an a on nss, but we were able to do that, and so when I'm creating courses, I really want that learner to learner experience to be in it, and I mean, there's, of course, theorists and researchers and stuff that say why does it work?

Speaker 1: 20:40

too, but that's just my experience. The other so you have your learner to learner. You have your learner to material or interface, and so this is like you know, how are you able to interact with the software, if it's an online course, or the books? How do you interact with those things? So there's a learner to material or a learner to interface experience. There's a learner to instructor experience. So, whether it's in person or online experience, there's a learner to instructor experience. So, whether it's in person or online, there should be some type of learner to feedback. So, even if it's a evergreen course that you never see the instructor, there should still be a way, if I type this in, it's going to automatically give me feedback based on what I put in, for me to get more insight, so that learner to instructor or that learner to feedback is also important.

Speaker 1: 21:24

Then you also have to have learner to self. I remember when I was taking my education courses, they didn't like this term but I backed it up with the theorists and stuff that said it. But I'm going to call it learner to self and that's being able to self-reflect on what it is that you're learning. Being able to self-reflect on what it is that you're doing, because that helps you to really process. It, helps you to begin to utilize it in a different way and be able to just look at how am I going to use this in everyday life or really, how am I going to reflect on this, instead of just going, going, going.

Speaker 1: 21:54

So we definitely want to have that kind of learner to self experience we have learner to learner, learner to self, learner to material, learner to instructor and, for some reason, I can't remember the fifth one.

Speaker 2: 22:07

And when we get off, people will be like I know it, I know it.

Speaker 1: 22:11

I usually haven't. I don't know if someone else would know it, because I created them, but yes, I definitely want to have those multiple levels of engagement inside of the courses, inside of every experience.

Speaker 2: 22:23

I like that. We call it metacognition. For those of you who want to be really technical about learning yourself is when we take an opportunity to envelop and assess who we are and what we've learned and how we tend to use what we've learned. It's a self-reflection process for those who like to be so analytical about things. Okay, so I'm going to go a little deeper than I. Got one more question. I got so many questions.

Speaker 1: 22:48

The last one was probably learner to theory, because there's different learning theories and different learning models that are used for different reasons. Right, so what is the outcome that I want the learners to experience? What is the outcome that you want your patients to experience? What is the outcome that you want your patient to experience? What is the outcome you want someone to experience? Using the theory that gets that outcome would make the most sense, so I like to kind of connect that in there as well.

Speaker 2: 23:13

Oh, I love that because there is a large amount of theories that can be used, dependent upon education, business, whatever you wish to do the models there are multiple models out there. That's one of the things we studied in higher education as well. There's so much it's a vast amount of theories out there and how to use those theories in practice.

Speaker 2: 23:37

I love it, I love it. So let's say that you have someone who approaches you and they're like I understand that you are a doctor of chiropractic, you have organizational leadership, you understand business development. I would like to upscale, leverage my business differently, because I know that I can offer more. Give me one thing that you would tell them, and then we're going to how to reach out to Dr Silver so that you can have someone get you to where you want to be as a medical practice. Go for it.

Speaker 1: 24:13

Yeah, so I would honestly start off with a consult, because to upscale or to change your business around, I would need to know a little bit more about what it is you already do and what it is you want to do, to kind of get to what the next thing you should do. You know what I mean. So there's so many different ways that a person can go. That can all lead to success. But really to understand an individual and what that individual wants long-term, and what they're doing now is a really important, I guess, link in the whole aspect of things, and so I would actually do a consult with them. I do have a commonly link, so I would put that out and for them to do a consult.

Speaker 1: 24:52

Right now I actually have I'll give you the link from free to fee guide, because a lot of times what I find, even with working with clients, is, especially when they have a passion of something, it's very difficult for them to charge a fee for it or to charge the right fee for it, right. So I just have this from free to fee guide that I share with people so they can begin to see. Okay, these are some of the steps that I can take to make sure that I'm able to go on the next level whether it's from just providing services for free or going to the next level where there's a different model or a different type of charge, and then from that model bringing them in and kind of getting that one-on-one. What is it that they're looking for?

Speaker 2: 25:34

I really like what you're doing, because you are no longer taking it from just serving the client, but you're helping the professional to become more expansive in understanding what they're doing, how they can meet the needs of their community, and you are providing CEUs if they need it as well, how to develop it from that angle, and I think that creates a holistic practitioner, because that's what a medical and health science professional does.

Speaker 2: 26:02

They do research, and you mentioned research here. We educate and they also focus on not just education but the practice itself, the clinical practice, and so you're able to give all three, which creates the whole person, which I really, really like. Before I go, I just want to say thank you so, so much for even joining me here on Cold Press Conversations. My intention is for others to hear what you have offered, because that's the purpose of this particular podcast is to make sure we amplify what you are doing, but also allow others who are probably in the same predicament and say, oh, you know what she's doing, what I've always wanted to do, or I like that idea, how can I get there? And this is the purpose to create those networks, those connections and all. So give me one thing that you would say, is your greatest moment being a medical professional.

Speaker 1: 26:56

My greatest moment. I don't know if I can give one greatest moment, you know. I don't know if this is the greatest moment, but the thing that I really enjoy is when someone has something locked up inside of them and you know, after our experience together, they're able to see the freedom of it.

Speaker 1: 27:16

And that can be from. You know, I'm not able to pick up my child or hug my child because I'm in too much pain, or it can be. I have this great program in my head that I don't know how to get out, that literally can change someone's life. To see that unlocked and to see the other side of that, to see people be able to experience life with their family, to see people be able to impact the lives of others, I think that is probably the greatest moment or the greatest benefit of doing what I do.

Speaker 2: 27:45

Oh, that was awesome. I like that. I like that, I do. I really do. All my guests have to tell me about their cold press juicing. If you're unfamiliar with cold press juicing it's okay, but nine out of 10, most people do. What is your favorite cold press juice? It gives me a touch of your personality too.

Speaker 1: 28:01

So I'm also very severely anemic. But I typically have a lot of energy right and it's not from iron pills, like I'm supposed to be taking, no matter what combination they give me. I'm always a lot more symptomatic with all the iron pills.

Speaker 1: 28:17

So you know even with the new doctor, I was like I'm gonna listen to you, I'm gonna do what you say. For 30 days I did for 60 and I'm still bad. But going back to juicing, so kale beets, ginger and pineapple that's my favorite like little mix of juicing, and it literally gives me so much energy I feel wonderful. I don't know if my numbers are always as high as they should be, but as far as functional functional, you know, I'm able to be very, very functional with that. I don't know if that's the answer, but I think that's my favorite juicing combination and there's some other good ones, but I think that's my favorite kind of go-to. Oh, that's good.

Speaker 2: 28:55

I love it. I'm going to have to try that. I do a lot of beets, but I like that one. I like that. I'm going to have to try it with a kale beet combination. I like that.

Speaker 1: 29:04

Sometimes I'll switch it up and do like spinach, beets, pineapple, and I always do ginger as well. But yeah, it's a good combo.

Speaker 2: 29:12

Yeah, I love ginger. No, I really love ginger. I got you on that one. Listen, I want you to just give just a hint as to how they can reach you, dr Silver, because we've given so many gems here that I think it's important for them to know how to contact you.

Speaker 1: 29:28

Yeah, absolutely. So it's a bitly. If you go to bitly slash, free to fee, you'll get that guide and then you know you'll actually be able to contact me as well. My contact information is all on the back page of that guide, so you'll get that and they'll give you some good information. So that's bitly slash, free to fee, and then I'm also at aligngoalsacademycom or drrachelsilvercom. There's so many ways to get me.

Speaker 2: 29:57

Well, hopefully they will reach out to you, because you have given a wealth of information. Even though my name is Jewel, I have to say that you are a gem and I thank you so much, dr Silver, for being on. It has been an ultimate pleasure to have you on Cold Press Conversations and I thank you. Thank you so much. You are more than welcome. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Cold Press Conversations. If you love this episode as much as I did, I need you to head on over and subscribe so you never miss an episode. This is Dr Jewel signing off to health and cognitive happiness.