Graduate Spotlight  

Lonna Denny
Optimum Health Chiropractic

Walking into Optimum Health Chiropractic, one can almost feel your body relax and heal as the busy streets of San Francisco seem to disappear. Dr. Lonna Denny and her staff have created a near oasis as friendly smiles greet you and calming sounds of nature play in the background. This is not what you would normally expect at a chiropractor's office, but alas, Optimum Health Chiropractic is no ordinary doctor's office.

In 2002, Lonna opened her practice in a small two-room office space using nearly all her savings and investments. On a good day, she saw 5 or 7 clients, while working weekends to make ends meet. With no resources for marketing, Lonna and her partner Jill created unique ways to market her new practice, and "had to reach out as many ways as I could." "After working all day, we would go out at night, distribute a newsletter we made ourselves that focused on our neighborhood." Not only did the newsletter highlight her new practice, it became a fundraising vehicle for a local childcare center, Tenderloin Children's Center. Lonna also took an unconventional approach to find clients by giving health talks for major cab companies in San Francisco. In rooms usually full of men, waiting for their shifts to start, Lonna was able to speak to them and engage them on the effects that driving can have on your back. Taxi-drivers became her core client base in the first year and her expertises lead her to teach the health and safety portion of taxi classes around the city.

Lonna's resourcefulness, commitment and talent gave her a start in the highly competitive field of chiropractic. The training she received at Women's Initiative in her first year of business was a key element in her success, "Women's Initiative provided something they don't teach you at school. They gave me a formal business structure, helping me to fine tune my business plan with a mission statement and a marketing plan. I'm very thankful for that." Her training at Women's Initiative also provided her with a great network of support as well as new clients and new business partnerships. Optimum Health Chiropractic's new logo and signage was developed by another graduate of Women's Initiative.

Now in 2006, Lonna's practice has grown tremendously in client base and in services provided. Optimum Health Chiropractic sees on average, 20 clients a day, providing the most cutting edge technology in chiropractic, and has expanded to include massage therapy in their newly added office space. Her client base which was nearly 60% taxi-drivers in the first year has now vastly diversified to include sports-related clients. Financially, Lonna's hard work has paid off. In 2002, Lonna broke even with her practice's finances. Last year, just three years after opening her doors, Optimum Health Chiropractic grossed over $150,000. Her client list continues to grow every day as Lonna continues to forge new partnerships that provide her clients with valuable channels to other health services they may need.

The growing success of Optimum Health Chiropractic is a dream realized for Lonna. In the next few years, she hopes to add another chiropractor to her practice to accommodate the demand she now has for her services. Although she is as busy as ever, Lonna's commitment for her neighborhood still strong and she continues to provide support to local community centers. Every year, Lonna runs a special for Compass, a non-profit umbrella organization for community centers such as the Tenderloin Children's Center, providing a free chiropractic service, in exchange for gifts and supplies for these centers. Optimum Health Chiropractic is no ordinary practice, healing bodies as well as the neighborhood. In the words of one of her clients, "life is better with you across the street."

                        - Amy Tanaka