Two Years of Fireweed Acupuncture!
Today is the second anniversary of the clinic's opening! To celebrate, I thought I’d share some pictures of the construction process and a bit of the behind-the-scenes story of how the clinic became what it is today!
Before we get to pictures of the clinic space, I thought it may be fun to share some of the backstory of how I picked the location. Before moving to Des Moines in April 2022, I didn’t know anyone in the city and had barely spent time here! I originally intended to open my clinic space in Minneapolis, where my husband and I lived before Des Moines. But my husband was offered a job in Des Moines, so we moved here instead. This isn’t the first time I’ve moved states - I’ve also lived in Wisconsin and Colorado - but it was still a pretty sudden move!
While exploring the city in early 2022 and looking for a place to live, we drove past the building where the clinic is now. I remember saying at the time that it would make a great spot for a clinic, but there weren’t spaces available, and we hadn’t moved yet. Later in 2022, when I was looking for clinic spaces, I almost rented a completely different area of the city. Fortunately, that location fell through, but when my real estate broker sent me a listing for a spot in my current building, I had to see it!
The current clinic space used to be a hair salon (Guys & Dolls), so when I went to tour the space, it was a bit hard to envision as an acupuncture clinic! But the building was quiet, there was great natural light, and I saw through an open door that there were washer and dryer hook-ups (anyone who needs to wash sheets for work understands how valuable this is!) - I knew I wanted this space.
The lease negotiations took over 3 months - we were working over the holidays, people involved were taking trips - and it was a bit of a headache. But, in the end, the lease was signed, and construction began on the clinic space!
Once the lease was signed, I started designing the clinic space. Since the space was previously a hair salon, pretty much everything needed to be renovated, and treatment rooms needed to be added. I had to pick out flooring, fixtures, paint colors, and more - all things I didn’t have much experience with!
In school, we weren’t taught the nitty-gritty of opening your own clinic space. This is a bit of a weird omission, since the majority of acupuncturists are self-employed and do end up opening up their own space! But, regardless, I was able to reach out to a few acupuncturists who had done this before with simple-but-important questions like, “what size should the rooms be?” (thank you!).
While the clinic was under construction, I started practicing in a temporary office in the same building. I was in the temporary office for about a month, then on April 2, 2022, I was able to move into the new clinic space!
When I moved into the new clinic, I didn’t have any furniture for the lobby! Anyone who visited the clinic in the first few weeks may remember the empty lobby 😂 It took time to find the right furniture and get everything set up, but I slowly added furniture and decorations.
The first year was all about putting myself out there in Des Moines - honestly, pretty uncomfortable for this introvert! About a month after opening, I had an open house with art from Hannah at DinoCat Studio (who created the Pride flag art and many of the prints around the clinic!), The Plant Dealer, and I created a tea blend that Mary from Red Dragon Herbs and Teas served for us. Jackie from Resonance Massage Therapy did chair massages, and I did ear seeds, and we donated the money raised from the treatments to the Iowa Trans Mutual Aid Fund.
Over the next year or so, I hosted a few classes - some online and some in person - and provided ear seeds at other events. I tabled at Beaverdale Fall Fest (my first time attending!) and raised money for the Iowa Abortion Access Fund. I also pitched at Flourish, and though I didn’t win, it was great to meet so many people invested in supporting small businesses in Des Moines. Emily and I also partnered on a few Yoga+Acu events at Rooted Yoga + Fitness, which were a hit!
Year two was a bit more focused on the administrative side of the business, creating systems, changing software, and figuring out many of the details that you can’t anticipate before your business actually opens. I added a retail area to the clinic, which has been a really fun way to support other small businesses. I also did a few events, like a retreat with DM Wellness & Yoga. Also, Seeta and I hosted three Book Trades! And, of course, I continued to work on growing the clinic itself - increasing my availability, adding more online classes, adding more resources to the website, and more. Towards the end of the year, I quit social media, which still feels a bit risky as a small business! But it has helped me have more space to create valuable things for the clinic (and has helped my stress level!).
When I think about how much has happened in the past two years, it makes my head spin a little!
Opening a business is a pretty vulnerable process, especially if you have perfectionist tendencies! You want to find the perfect furniture or have everything just so, but in the end, sometimes you just need chairs to sit on. Over time, I have tried to embrace the idea that the clinic will continue to evolve as I am in the space, and let go of the need to have everything perfect. (This is a work in progress…!)
I am so deeply grateful to everyone who has visited the clinic, whether for an event, a class, or an appointment, and for everyone who has recommended me to their friends and family! When I moved here, one of my biggest worries was how I would be able to open a business without knowing anyone in the city. But I have been impressed over and over by how supportive people in Des Moines are of their local and small businesses! I’m also so grateful to the other small businesses who have supported me, too - I hope I haven’t forgotten anyone in my shout-outs! More and more, I am convinced that community care is our way forward - I know I couldn’t have made it this far without the support of the community, and from my friends and family!
I have some exciting things planned for this year! I plan to add new services, small group events and classes, new retail items, and more. Stay tuned! As always, I share everything with my newsletter first, so sign up here to stay in the loop!
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