Drs. Beau and Sloan Beard - 10 Years of Practice: WIR 30
A Decade in the Trenches: Strikes and Gutters from Building The FARM
In this special episode, Drs. Beau and Sloan Beard reflect on ten years of running their practice together. With honesty, humor, and a deep sense of perspective, they discuss the “strikes and gutters” — the wins and losses, the high points and hard lessons — that have shaped their journey. What emerges is a candid portrait of entrepreneurship in healthcare, marriage as a business partnership, and the relentless pursuit of purpose through movement, health, and service.
The Early Days: Building Something Out of Nothing
Every story of endurance begins with a leap. For the Beards, that leap was leaving the safety of conventional practice paths to create something unique in Birmingham, Alabama. The vision was clear: build a clinic that didn’t just treat symptoms, but truly changed how people understood their bodies.
The early days were both exhilarating and brutal. They talk about long hours, financial uncertainty, and the constant tension of wearing multiple hats: clinician, business owner, marketer, janitor, and mentor. These were the “gutters” — moments when the dream seemed too heavy to carry.
Yet the “strikes” were there too: the first patients who believed in them, the breakthrough cases where they saw lives change, and the realization that they were building something far bigger than themselves.
Strikes: Milestones Worth Celebrating
Over the decade, The FARM has grown from a scrappy start-up practice to a multidisciplinary hub for movement, rehabilitation, and performance. Along the way, there were defining moments — the “strikes” that kept the momentum alive.
A Growing Team: Bringing in other doctors, massage therapists, and staff to share the mission and broaden the scope of care.
Expansion of Services: From chiropractic and injury rehab to massage therapy, recovery technologies, custom orthotics, and performance analysis, The FARM became a one-stop home for athletes and active individuals.
Educational Impact: Launching professional courses like Rethinking Running Rehab and The Art of the Assessment expanded their reach beyond local patients, influencing clinicians nationwide.
Community Recognition: Watching patients return to sport, sharing in their wins, and seeing the clinic become a trusted resource in Birmingham’s health and athletic community.
Creative Projects: From podcasts and YouTube channels to writing and photography, the Beards found ways to merge their clinical work with their creative passions.
Each strike was a reminder that success is not built overnight, but stacked brick by brick, patient by patient, idea by idea.
Gutters: The Lessons Hidden in Setbacks
Of course, no decade-long journey is without its missteps. Drs. Beau and Sloan were candid about the “gutters” they’ve encountered — not as failures, but as teachers.
Burnout: Running a practice while raising a family tested their limits. They had to learn the importance of boundaries and self-care.
Business Growing Pains: From managing staff turnover to navigating the shifting insurance landscape, there were moments when the business side of healthcare felt overwhelming.
Unmet Expectations: Certain initiatives, whether marketing campaigns or side projects, didn’t always land as planned. Instead of giving up, they reframed these as experiments.
Balancing Roles: Being spouses, co-parents, and co-owners meant learning how to switch hats gracefully. Some days, the overlap felt seamless; other days, it was the source of friction.
By naming these challenges openly, they showed that the “gutters” are not the end of the game. They’re part of the process — the gutter balls that teach you how to throw the next strike.
Marriage, Mission, and Partnership
One of the richest parts of the conversation was the dynamic of running a practice as a married couple. For the Beards, The FARM is more than a business — it’s a shared mission, an extension of their values, and a place where their strengths complement one another.
Sloan emphasized the relational side of care — the trust, communication, and emotional intelligence that help patients feel seen and heard. Beau highlighted the systems, creative projects, and big-picture strategy that keep the practice evolving. Together, they’ve built something that blends structure and heart, science and humanity.
Of course, it hasn’t been without challenges. They were frank about the difficulties of separating work from home life, of knowing when to “turn off the clinic” and simply be present with family. Yet over time, they’ve learned that success is less about balance — a perfect equilibrium — and more about integration.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
After a decade in practice, what do the Beards take away? First, gratitude — for their patients, their team, and each other. Second, perspective — knowing that every high and low, every strike and gutter, has prepared them for the next challenge.
But most importantly, they look forward. The conversation hinted at big goals: expanding their reach, refining educational platforms, building more creative projects, and continuing to push the boundaries of what a chiropractic and rehabilitation practice can be.
The lesson? Success isn’t about avoiding gutters. It’s about throwing enough balls down the lane to eventually find your strike — and doing it again and again.
Conclusion
This candid conversation between Drs. Beau and Sloan Beard wasn’t a victory lap, nor was it a lament. It was a reflection — a chance to look honestly at the past decade and see it for what it is: a mix of triumphs, setbacks, and everything in between.
For young clinicians and entrepreneurs, the message is clear: the path will be messy, but it’s worth it. For patients and community members, it’s a reminder that The FARM is more than a clinic — it’s a story of persistence, partnership, and purpose.
As the Beards continue their journey, one thing is certain: the strikes and gutters will keep coming, but so will the growth, the creativity, and the impact.
