Community Builders Speak Series: The more you Talk about your Passion, the more People get Excited

This Community Builders Speak Series was inspired by the first article I wrote a couple of weeks back on The What, Why and How of Community Building. I have had the privilege to meet amazing people in the fitness and wellness space in the last two years and I wanted to highlight what these self-employed individuals understood as Community Building and how they were building Community in their respective businesses.

I am hoping that by speaking to these entrepreneurs/business owners and sharing their story, it can bring greater relevance to others, and will inspire and motivate others to understand the true meaning of Community Building, from a non-social services and non-sales angled approach.

Many are already building Community with their client and follower base, but they do not even know it! This series is for you to learn from different individuals in different stages of their entrepreneurial and Community building journey, and apply it to our own situations, and hopefully reap the benefits from it

Jesse Timm – Founder, Wellness for Life Chiropractic

Today I speak to Jesse Timm, Chiropractor and Founder of Wellness for Life Chiropractic.

Below is our conversation that has been transcribed and edited for you.

Tell me more about yourself and your business

I am a chiropractor. My clinic is in Raffles Place and I have been in Singapore for ten years. I have been a multi-sport athlete since the age of five and the reason why I got into chiropractic was because I am an avid sports person and having been treated by a chiropractor since a young age, I wanted to help athletes (and people in general) optimize and live pain-free.

After graduating from Chiropractic school in California, I travelled through Mexico in my van for a year before landing a job in Jakarta and then finally Singapore.

When I first started, I wanted to optimize the individual’s athletic performance. But I soon realized that the need to help people do very minimal things on a daily basis to help them just live healthier and happier lives was more crucial to tackle. I wanted them to be able to get by throughout the day without a headache or lower back pain.

In Singapore, I started working for a chiropractic practice first before starting something on my own with a business partner. But it was only after a change in company structure, when I was out on my own, that I started doing the things I loved again, being involved in the Community, and started getting involved in the run scene in Singapore.

What is Community building to you? 

I grew up in a small town in the US and the Community spirit was extremely strong. The village knew everybody, and I was involved in multiple sports groups as well as the band. Families knew each other from church and school. When I went to college, I played much focus and emphasis on my course and career and neglected the Community element in my life. I realised that it was the missing piece that actually gave me joy, happiness and excitement.

So when I went to chiropractic school, I made it a conscious point to be as involved as possible in different groups. This helped me tremendously professionally because it not only helped me juggle my time with performance as a student, but also gave me the training and skills to be able to talk to just about anyone.

Human beings are social creatures. We were never meant to do anything alone. Community building is being part of a group of people coming together for a common vision for the future and being able to contribute to that group.

How would you define your Community?

I see it as two different Communities although they might be related, and I also see my involvement different in each. There is the professional Community where the sessions I lead with either my practice, or collaborations and partnerships with brands or other services. There is also the social Community where I am a part of as an enthusiast or participant. 

The Communities serve different objectives and satisfy different needs. It also determines how I choose to carry myself – which hat I need to put on during the sessions.

What were the challenges that came with building Community?

When I first started, it was having to cater to diverse backgrounds and skill levels, and this was specific to running. I could have someone in their twenties and someone in the sixties, but both being at the same stage of their running journey, with same questions and concerns.

But the more I did it, the better I got at making sure that everyone that came for the Community sessions felt like they got what they came for.

Any success stories to share from building Community?

I have learnt to always enjoy the process and the moment with Community events and sessions. I make it a point to prepare expectations of the Community as well, and this sets the tone well for their experience. 

Apart from meeting new people sharing in the same love for the same activity. Two incidents stand out for me.

There was a trail run that I planned some time back, that did not go entirely that well. But a lady who attended the session and was running the Rinjani Ultra Marathon was extremely appreciative because she never knew there were trails like that in Singapore that she could run. So, it was a brand-new discovery for her, and it definitely helped with her training for her ultra-marathon.

Another incident is with an avid runner. Avid runners come see me in my practice for a “sore something” all the time. There are not able to function optimally and therefore need some adjustment. They are also normally well researched and will self-diagnose their problems and come with a “I know how to solve it” mentality. The challenge for me has always been on how I could give a different perspective and allow them to consider something else to work on for their own benefit in the short term and also long term. This gentleman listened, was able to get back to running and got great results in his next race. He still comes regularly for his adjustments.

What is your active strategy on how and when to engage the Community?

Initially I was saying “yes” to everyone and everything, especially when I was starting my own business. But I could because I had the time. But once I built that awareness, I realized I needed to be more selective and to prioritize my Community engagements. That was when I was able to charge a fee for my time committed and also see how there could be collaborations with different groups and be able to offer greater value.

So, start out being as involved as you can with the Community, but once you understand where you fall in the greater scheme of things, and the value you can bring to the Community, you will need to prioritize. And learn to collaborate with different groups to bring even higher value to the service you are offering.

How large can you grow the Community? 

I think the question really would be “What is your bandwidth and what are your personal boundaries?”. The things to consider would be time, energy, and finance (or loss of).

Develop that self-awareness to understand the sweet spot and your threshold to be able to deliver and still engage the Community. Are you getting something out of it personally and professionally?

Although personal experience is a tremendous teacher, you can circumvent having to go through all that and risk burnout by identifying your personal and core values. The vision is then clear, and you know how, what and when to align yourself, when it comes to Community engagement.

Tips and strategies for those looking to start their own Community?

Don’t be too consumed to focus on the endpoint. But figure out what you are doing now and why you are doing it? Covid reminded me that I do not want to focus on my practice until I die.

What is you purpose? Are you trying to help people and at the same time being able to support your ideal lifestyle?

But remember that to help others, you will need to be able to help yourself first.

Think about the end in mind and what are the ways that you can get involved in the right Community to actualize that. If that Community does not exist, then you can start one.

Have that self-awareness to know what you want and what keeps you motivated to be at your best. And then align yourself with the Community who is doing the same.

Meet the needs of the client and create opportunities to further develop the relationship through the Community. Show that you genuinely care. How can you increase, improve and maximize a person’s experience - by being genuinely concerned about user feedback.

I have my business hand and my heart hand. I have managed to create business systems to align the two. And the goal is to get people out of pain and out of my care.

Lastly, speak to people who have built successful businesses, not necessarily the same industry that you are in. That will give you insights and some things to think about specific to your business.

Parting Words 

Identify your passion. Know why you’re doing it. Then tell people what you’re passionate about and it’s amazing how much help you can receive from that.

The more you talk about the things you are passionate about and the more you share that vision to the Community; the more people get excited. 

So, don’t stop sharing, and keep doing what you are passionate about.

About Alex Loh

I am a consultant and coach in the fitness, health and wellness space, business owner, loving husband and doting father.

My compass is guided by the desire to help people. I help individuals and business owners to find purpose. Together we unlock fruitful solutions, experience growth and achieve targeted success. Having successfully built and maintained communities over the years, my focus is to help businesses and organisations harness community as the vehicle to connect, and build credibility, trust and authentic relationships.

Come speak to me about Developing Wellness Strategies, Finding Purpose, Building Communities and/or in Optimising your Life! 

Photos from Jesse Timm.