Today we’d like to introduce you to Alessandra Colon.
Hi Alessandra, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always love this question most because it is asked of me on a weekly basis. Most are surprised that a doctor can be a “young” successful business owner or assume a chiropractor is not a “real” doctor. Then they realize I am a chiropractor who is 5’2″ and mighty, pretty and smart as if all those things can’t exist together. As if pretty-female means no brains, small means no strength and young means not educated enough- and there is nothing I love more that to show that beauty, brains and grace can co-exist. That glass ceiling was meant to be broken by the brave few that will try. But don’t be fooled I am only here today because of the number of times I fell flat on my face or I was told no! and it always brings me back to one quote, “success is never owned, it’s rented and rent is due everyday,” It hangs in my office to this day. I knew that after all I had been through in my life, I could not quit on myself.
So after years of bad luck, sleeping on friends’ couches, not making rent, a house flood, missed job opportunities and above all the constant underestimation of others, I had no choice but to take matters into my own hands. Whether that meant working everyday till my eyes couldn’t open, putting myself into debt and leaving behind any/and all relationships that dragged me away from my dreams. Negativity was pushed aside. I had to believe that a positive mindset, hard work and above all determination would open doors. That the energy I put into this world full-heartedly would come back to me.
Funny part about success is that once you have it, most think you are willed it, born into it or just lucky. Truth is, it is easy to make an A, but harder to keep it. Life happens, bad things happen, obstacles continue and the world does not care whether or not your plate is full. Most would not understand the extraordinary pressures of being a boss, a wife, a daughter/sister, a step-mom and friend. However, the reality is there is not a day in my life I don’t come to work and smile. Everyday I hit the ground running I feel a fire under my feet that I can’t wait to share with my staff, patients, friends and family. Most days, I’m excited to build my companies and further my empire by creating new goals. Goals to keep me looking forward to the next wonderful thing. All I know is when my head hits that pillow at night in total exhaustion, I have done my best- And my best is my success.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Struggles. This is the word my mother used most when she describes the guilt she felt for times I was born into. A broken home. Happily, she describes my brother and I, as the “smiliest” of babies. We were in California at the time. By the time I was two, she found herself a single mom in Louisiana, working all the jobs and hours she could to support us. She could barely make ends meet. No money for after-school care, lunches, or even 65 cents for a Mcdonald’s treat. Like all mothers do, she somehow made it all work, from sewing our clothes to home-cooked meals. Thankfully, my brother, Daniel, was my best friend and my protector from the world. By the age of seven, our parents decided to be a family unit again, where we found ourselves halfway around the world in Saudi Arabia. While there was always conflict behind closed doors, it was overshadowed by our fortunes. My father provided us with a life not of wealth but rather of culture and experience. For this, I am forever grateful. By the age of 14, we had traveled around the world. To this day, I would describe these years as the happiest of times. Little did I know what the future held.
As with all expat families, we eventually moved to Texas. Can you tell we moved around a lot? Eight months into our new home, our lives came crashing down. I fell sick with Stage 4 cancer. The hardest part was that my brother was away in boarding school and my father worked in another state. Somehow, it was just my mom and I caring for her dying child. The worst part most would think was the chemo and radiation, but I never looked at it that way. Sure, It’s no fun to near-death everyday. I mostly just worried about my family. It was as if I never had time to cry or think about the bad things because I did not want to add anymore to their plates. So I smiled a lot and before I knew it, the skies had cleared. It was nothing short of a miracle. My life as I knew it had changed forever. I made a choice right then and there to either let the bad things in my life take hold or to overcome them. It was the first time I knew fear was a matter of perspective and that my future moving forward was a choice. This paved way for the doctor I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Empowered by my love for life and health, I hold proficiencies in sports therapy, auto accidents, rehabilitation, pediatric/pregnancy care and nutritional guidance. I firmly believe in a “whole person approach,” where healing starts from the inside out. It’s important for me to approach wellness by discovering the root of the cause, whether it be daily stressors, work ergonomics, injuries, illness, etc. that create pathology or dysfunction. From there, you can make any interventions and lifestyle adjustments to optimize one’s ability to function on a daily basis. For some, this means pain management or healing process and for others, routine maintenance for peak performance levels. I personally look to a persons’ spine when evaluating a patient’s entire body and treating accordingly, as I understand that complete health relies heavily on how body parts affect each other biomechanically.
I am honored to be an active member of the community working closely with charitable organizations such as the leukemia lymphoma Society and St. Jude’s. Community efforts that have made way for accolades such as Woman of the Year 2015, Palm Beach Illustrated Best 2018, Women’s Distinction Award 2019 & 2020 and Best of Palm Beach 2020 & 2021.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most is to show others every day that I am so much more than the misfortunes of my life. That life does not have to be jaded. It is okay to honor your flaws, fail, even cry when needed but it is how you get back up that counts. To stop waiting for that perfect moment to makes moves, love someone, create opportunities, travel, speak to a stranger or just be a better version of yourself. Tomorrow is not guaranteed and the time is now- and while your at it make sure to laugh along the way.
It is important to spread the value of chiropractic like wildfire. With a new era upon us, I firmly believe people are seeing the negative effects of over-medicating and overall unhealthy habits. People are becoming more aware of conservative methods like chiropractic care and better understanding a new wave of natural remedies for healing. More importantly, I am deeply sadden by the amount of force in the medical profession we are witnessing now. I remain a DOCTOR for medical freedom. I stand for the individual not for a one-size-fits-all. Refusing to normalize any forms of indoctrination. Because above all, I took an oath, “to first do no harm,” Hippocrates stated. A philosophy that speaks to the treatment/practice of EACH patient to the best of my abilities. Not by force, societal pressures, monetary gains, personal indifference, insurance or Big Pharma.
Contact Info:
- Email: acolon21@gmail.com
- Website: Papachiropractic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misschiropractic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alessandra.colon.9
