Meet Keiko Finnegan and Sera Sheppard of Kinfolk Optimal Living

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keiko Finnegan and Sera Sheppard.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The name Kinfolk found us in our last year of chiropractic school. We later learned it meant a collective family, which fit perfectly with what we wanted to create. Our vision from the very beginning was to build a community that values love, connection, and healing. Inspired by our mentors in Dallas, TX we knew it was possible and personally fulfilling to create an authentic practice that genuinely takes care of people.

We started out in a small space on 5th Avenue with $300 in our account. Not exactly a solid financial way to build a business! However, we were extremely resourceful and put all our energy into growing a practice. We used to call it a shoe box, but there was something beyond our four walls that kept the place up. We aren’t your typical doctor’s office. We intentionally set out to create a studio that was warm, inviting, and a place people looked forward to visiting.

There is something calm and peaceful about Kinfolk, and it is something we are most proud of. We are now known as Kinfolk Optimal Living and have grown into a larger studio. We have an amazing team of people who serve the community and continue to grow through word of mouth and referrals.

Has it been a smooth road?
The beginning of Kinfolk was raw and unknown. You can’t just hang your shingle and expect people to find you. So, the first focus was about building relationships in the community. This became an organic process of getting to know people and how we can serve them.

The greatest lesson was: it’s not about us; it’s truly about listening and connecting with who our clients are as individuals. We became fascinated about what they value and their stories. We simply invested in people, and something magical began to happen. They started showing up and sharing Kinfolk with their friends and loved ones.

The second greatest lesson was when you build a business/brand, you cannot hide your fears, in fact, they illuminate and magnify your insecurities. Growing a business required us to grow. We began to experience that it’s as much internal work as it is external work. Where you are within yourself reflects in your business, in your relationships and in all facets of life. This is a humbling truth, but when we fully embraced it and showed up to do the deep work, beauty began to unfold in all areas of life, including our business.

Lastly, at the end of the day, we basically became entrepreneurs overnight. We quickly learned we had to wear many hats, and the wisdom came when we could discern when to wear which hat. Through trial and error, we learned so much about what it takes to build and maintain a successful practice. It’s a lot of hard work, long days and late nights, but in the end, all worth it.

Success is full of beautiful and meaningful peaks and valleys. The art is in finding your center, a way to weather the storms and the wisdom to recognize the silver lining in all challenges.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
A majority of society is stressed, overworked, unfulfilled and tired. Kinfolk is the exact opposite of all that. We have created an experience that is peaceful, calm, intentional and rejuvenating.

When you visit Kinfolk, our studio manager Cassie makes you feel right at home. You step from the chaotic outside and fast-paced world into an atmosphere that pleases your senses and instantly puts your mind and body at ease. You then experience the Kinfolk adjustment, where we guide your brain and nerve system through three phases of healing: Reset, Balance, and Renew. Our focus is on the brain and nerve system because it is the master communication system of your body. It controls, coordinates, and regulates all 100 trillion cells in your body.

At Kinfolk, we serve people with a variety of different challenges such as back pain, joint pain, headaches, to anxiety, depression, PTSD, to hormonal imbalance, infertility, and autoimmune conditions. It’s simple. When there is an imbalance or interference in your brain and nerve system, something starts misbehaving resulting in the symptom you are feeling. If your brain and nerve system are balanced, your body is balanced.

It is never our intention to treat a symptom, sickness or disease, but when you begin to optimize the function of your brain and nerve system symptoms, sickness and disease go away. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s actually very simple. The human being is meant to express health, and it all begins with a balanced brain and nerve system.

We are most proud of our unique approach with the Kinfolk adjustment. It is gentle, light, relaxing and twenty minutes to achieve a reset of mind-body. It is a poetic blend of neuroscience, natural laws and a form of artistic expression. It requires a blend and synchronization of intelligence and craft. People get off the table feeling new, recharged, refreshed and cared for.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
We are deeply grateful to be serving in a city that is so health conscious and open-minded. Everywhere you look you see a business celebrating and nurturing community and connection. This makes for a city with deep wells of untapped potential and ever-expanding room for innovation and leaders.

We often try to convince our colleagues to move to Phoenix and join us in serving our community. Given our fast-paced lives and the shift in mindset to living a healthy, preventative lifestyle, getting adjusted is a key component.

When people begin to understand getting adjusted weekly is as important as brushing their teeth, there will be a need for a vitalistic chiropractor on every block.

We all know the importance of working out and eating healthy everyday. At Kinfolk, we remind people about the importance of taking care of their brain and nerve system, and it all begins with getting adjusted.

Pricing:

• Adjustments $45/session
• First Consultation $120

Contact Info:

• Address: 6820 E 5th Ave Suite 110
• Website: Kinfolk Optimal Living
• Phone: 602 370 0062
• Email: kinfolkoptimalliving@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinfolkoptimalliving
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinfolkOptimalLiving
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kinfolk-optimal-living-scottsdale

Image Credit:
Aaron Kes, Kinfolk Stock

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.