Dr. Darcey Walraven seems to have it all figured out, but she will tell you that no one ever really thinks they know what they are doing. She exudes confidence and determination, which are the attributes that probably helped her the “Rising Star” award by the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

Her practice, which serves both people and animals, was established in 2004 and has been hugely successful, with one office running well, a second planned to open later this year, and an equine facility the year after.

Walraven found chiropractic through her love of horses, when she saw a lame horse adjusted successfully. She begged the veterinary chiropractor to allow her to shadow her for a summer, and at the end of that time she knew she wanted to be a chiropractor. It was while she was a student at Logan College and saw “awesome results” while working in the student clinic that she began to develop her passion for helping people through chiropractic.

Her startup story, like that of many other new DCs, began with a stint as an associate doctor. She chose Ohio because it was close to home. Hired as an associate, she was the solo doctor in a satellite office, running the office based on protocols and procedures set up by the owner doctor, and she says this was valuable experience in helping her learn how to treat patients and deal with difficult staff issues.

When she decided to go out on her own, she made the decision to leave her associate position literally overnight, but she had so impressed the doctor that she worked for that he became a financial backer for her new practice in Charlotte. She started her first office in November 2004, choosing Charlotte because it felt right and she had several friends close by.

Darcey makes her startup sound easy, saying she just followed her instincts, and she didn’t worry about her decisions. She applied common sense to business in many ways, for example by not letting her overhead get out of control. When asked about mentors, she said she really doesn’t have a single business mentor, but that she has been blessed to have a very supportive family who helped a lot, especially during startup.

To market her practice, Darcey relied heavily on networking. She describes herself as a joiner and a talker. To get the word out about her practice, she joined every group possible, and she talks to people every time she had a chance: She talked about who she was and what she was doing. She gives speeches and talks to groups, and she does some spinal screenings. She said there isn’t a restaurant or dry cleaner near her office that doesn’t know her.

Not content to rest on her laurels, Walraven bought out her financial backer in January 2006, and she is now planning the opening of her second office in a gym facility in October and an equine treatment facility on her property next year. No wonder she received the “Rising Star” award, which recognizes new women business owners who display “entrepreneurial tenacity, business savvy, and vision for future growth.”

Her advice to young DCs starting out: There is no “magic pill of wisdom” about practice startup. If it feels right and it works, do it, Darcey says.

She believes people have an instinctive ability to know when a decision is right. Many times, individuals choose to ignore that instinct or to over-think situations, she says.

Darcey continues, “You are capable of succeeding; if you fail at something — because you will — continue to picture the goal and try something different until you meet that goal. Nothing can limit you in this world except your own mind. Being passionate about what you’re doing will keep you going through the difficulties.”

In case you were wondering about her life goal, here it is: To help as many people and animals as possible through chiropractic. With her determination, independence, and positive attitude, there is no doubt that Dr. Darcey Walraven will succeed.

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