220: Actively listen - with Dr. Matt Waro

Meet Dr. Matthew Waro

Dr. Matt Waro is a family practice chiropractor that specializes in athletes. He works with his practice members to reach their goals by championing them through chiropractic care. Dr. Matt uses functional movement assessments to determine how best to correct the spine, arms, and legs to increase athletic performance, prevent future injury, and rehab current or old injuries. He loves working with people of all ages and levels of activity at Core Chiropractic, his practice in Oconomowoc.

What exactly is a chiropractor doing?

A lot of people think that I'm a bad doctor that you come to me when you have low back pain or headaches or neck pain, but what I treat is the nervous system. So the brain It's up top and sends down the nerves in the spinal cord. And when a bone in your back comes out of place your body braces out with inflammation. And that inflammation can sometimes irritate that nerve root, which causes the back pain, hence why people come to see me with back pain. But I'm not actually treating that back pain, I'm more concerned about something else. All that extra fluid in the area can put compression on the nerve roots. So my job is to go through the spine and make sure that all of the pressure is off those nerves so your body can function on its very best.

Why did you choose to specialize in sports chiropractic?

It makes my day interesting. So each different type of athlete has a different need. I work a lot with hockey players. It's their legs, their shoulders. For the goalies as their knees. For runners we have to deal with feet, ankles, knees, hips, just different. Different conditions that pop up each day. My job interesting.

What about cyclists?

So cyclists are actually pretty good. I'd say a big part of it is the pressure that's always on your pelvis. And then also, of course, we got the hip motion though. The ankle motion and the knees as well.

What other projects are you involved with outside of the clinic?

Outside of the clinic, I have a couple different things going on. One being I do corporate care practice. I actually go into corporations around the apartment area and deliver chiropractic adjustments to their employees on site. I'm actually just launching another project called Plants for Local Partners and this is based off of Dr. Anna Koeck idea. It's having to do with small business owners and people that typically don't offer insurance benefits but giving them an option that their employees or themselves can buy into to have regular care.

Can you share with our listeners your most successful or favorite networking story or experience that you've had?

I like networking events that aren't necessarily common to the reader card to people, right? Because that's very impersonal. In all fields, people tend to do business with those that they know, that they like, and that they trust. And at those events where you're just handing out cards, you're not building that trust. You're barely even getting to know somebody. So one of the big ones for me is actually eWomen's Network, which is kind of funny because I'm a man. But the eWomen's Network is very inclusive of males. But you go there, and you just feel like family.

As you continue to create new relationships and build your community, how do you stay in front of or best nurture these relationships that you're creating?

It comes down to consistency. So a lot of these networking events, these gatherings of people, they happen at a set interval. So you make sure that you are always at those events. You talk with all the people that you've already met, and make sure you pick up a couple new people. So you can start building more relationships. Outside of that, it's connecting with them maybe on LinkedIn or connecting with them on Facebook can and pushing content so that way your face stays in front of them and they recognize your name.

What advice would you offer the business professional who's looking to grow their network?

I grew my network pretty slow. And that's my own decision. That's how I decided to do it. I find more meaning and relationships that are closer and more personal. And you can't that you can't push that. It can't be done super quickly. So just get out there, meet people. Actively listen, and take an interest in who you're talking to, because they're a person just like you. They have a story and everyone can learn from each other.

Between digital networking and traditional networking, which one do you find more value in?

I personally find more value in traditional networking. Being, I can't physically be with somebody through digital marketing, or digital networking. And when I'm taking someone out to coffee, we shake hands, make eye contact, it's more personal, and people are more likely to remember that.

If you could go back to your 20-year-old self, what would you tell yourself to do more of, less of, or differently with regards to your professional career?

My 20-year-old self was studying at UW Stevens Point. And at that time, I hadn't decided exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I studied vocal music education for a while, I ended up with a minor there. But it took me five years to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. So really, it's just I wish that I had more focus when I was a student, so that way I could accomplish everything a little bit sooner and get more years of practice in.

I'm always interested in hearing what books or podcasts my guests are reading or listening to for their own personal growth and development.

So on the business side, I've been listening to the Empowerment Project, which is a podcast I listen through Spotify. It's a chiropractor down in Greenville, South Carolina, that likes to talk to other business owners and get their story. Typically, business owners, we just see their storefront, we see what they do in the professional community. But there's so much hidden behind that. And she explores that and I really appreciate it. On a personal note, I am reading a book about someone in Oconomowoc named Ramon. The book’s title is Ramon: an Immigrant’s Journey. He is an immigrant from Mexico. And he's someone that I have contact with very often through Rotary and other organizations in Oconomowoc. Learning about the people that you interact with every day. And his book is extremely eye opening and very much an emotional roller coaster. But that's his life. And that's his story. And there's a great appreciation that I have for it.

Any final word of advice to offer listeners with regards to growing and supporting your network?

It comes back to always be consistent. Make sure you schedule your time appropriately. There are a lot of events that come up, sometimes on the same day. You need to pick ones that you are extremely interested in, you like the people that are there, so you can continue to show up and grow relationships with them.

How to connect with Dr. Matt:

Website: www.corechiro.org

Phone: 262-204-7007

Email: info@corechiro.org