All About You FRIDAY – Finishing Well

I started my business in 2002 with big dreams about changing the world. I knew nothing about business, really. Just that there were pain problems to be solved and I had some ideas on how to solve them.

That same year, I met a woman who would change my life. Not in a big bold way, but in a more subtle, gentle way that years later makes you realize what a thread she has woven into your journey. She stepped into my classroom as a student entering her second career. 40-years old and eager to learn, she had heard rumors that my class was the one everyone failed (that was strictly rumor). She passed it with flying colors.

She became our first student intern at MIHP, doing an 8-week clinical rotation at our clinic in Warren. I wasn’t her clinical instructor, but I got to work beside her and I knew she was something special. I had a secret “dream team” list on my computer of the people I would hire if I ever got a chance and she was at the top of that list. A year after she graduated, I got my chance.

I don’t know exactly when it happened, because it didn’t happen right away. But one day, she knocked on the door to my office and we chatted about nothing really important. It was a staff member talking to her probably stressed out boss at the end of a long day…like a person. That conversation opened the door to a friendship that has endured the test of time.

That is her super power. She sees people and meets them where they are at. She has a deep empathy for humans. It is impossible to spend time with her and not walk away feeling important.

She became the wind beneath this dreamer’s wings. I would come up with an idea for launching a corporate program and she was right there, waiting to hear what I needed done. She organized events, negotiated contracts, scheduled presentations and made sure I showed up on time. And eventually, she became the face of MoveWell as she took over many of the corporate presentations. She helped lead teams of people from “couch to 5K” and did MoveWell 5-Minute Screenings and 15-minute consultations all over the country, sometimes during third shifts so people working at midnights in the factories could learn about living pain-free.

We always felt like we were just one step away from making millions. “This is going to be our year, Baby!” That was our battle cry every January as we high-fived each other in my office.

In the clinic, she became the champion for the elderly. To many, they might have been “less than”, someone to skimp treatments on because they were slower or weaker. But to her, they were people to cherish. People to learn from. People to love. I watched many a hard heart soften in weeks of working with her. They walked taller, not just because of the exercises she helped them do, but because she made them feel important and relevant.

We’ve shared countless lunches and watched our families grow up. She was there when I was widowed. She met way more of my online dates than she probably cared to. And last year, she stood up at my wedding and gave a toast that everyone will always remember.

At 7:30 a.m., when she walked into the clinic, my heart would settle knowing she was in the building. I wouldn’t be alone in conquering my day. And at the end of every long work day, we’d walk out together and say, “Bye. Love you. See you after a nap.”

Just like that, twenty one and a half years has passed. When she announced her retirement a few months back, I was in shock. I shouldn’t have been. She’s definitely put in her time and earned the right to step into her next phase. But she had become such a presence in my business and in my life that I felt like was just always going to be there. In reality, she always will be.

I’ve spent the week really thinking about her and all she has done for me. I reminisced about the conversations we’ve had, the meals we’ve shared, the disappointments and celebrations. As I wrapped her presents and wrote her letter, I let the tears flow. They are flowing as we speak.

Some tears of sadness, but mostly tears of immense gratitude for all she has done for me, our patients and my business. Turns out, I needed a Carol.

Everyone needs a Carol.

Today marks her last day at the clinic and the First Day of the Best of Her Life. Thank you, Carol, for all you have done. Time marches on and seasons change. You have accomplished more than you know. You’ve touched so many lives. You have changed the world. And I am so proud to call you my friend.

Now, go play some pickleball and travel the world. You’ve earned it.

There is something to be said about finishing well.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate. And raise a glass to my friend and colleague, Carol. Happy retirement.