April 3, 2016
Mandy Wyant, founder and owner of Family Chiropractic and Wellness, has been named the March winner in the Next Generation Leadership program sponsored by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus Young Professionals group.
One young professional from the Columbus community is chosen each month in the areas of life, community and work as someone who exemplifies leadership skills. Wyant was nominated in the “work” category.
The Republic is introducing the winners each month through this column.
Name: Mandy Wyant
Age: 31
City of residence: Columbus
Family: Drew, husband, and Will, 18-month-old son
Education: Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from DePauw University, graduated 2007; Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) from Logan University, four-year program graduating in 2010
Your job: Owner of Family Chiropractic and Wellness. There, we treat patients with a variety of musculoskeletal complaints, including back pain, neck pain, headaches and migraines. Our practice focuses on helping patients reach their full health potential through not only chiropractic care, but also education about home stretching routines, postural and ergonomic correction and the benefits of preventative care. We are the only multi-doctor chiropractic practice in Columbus, and three of our four doctors are females. This offers us a unique perspective on both running a business and treating patients.
How many years have you lived in Columbus?: Five years
What are your activities and interests in Columbus?: I am involved with the Columbus Running Club, Business Networking International and Columbus Young Professionals. My husband and I enjoy downtown Columbus and its many restaurants. Being runners, we also take advantage of the great People Trails system every weekend!
The Columbus Young Professionals say you were nominated in the work leadership category. Give us some examples of ways you lead in the Columbus community through your work: Our office makes a concerted effort to “spread the word” about the benefits of chiropractic care. I know that many people have preconceived notions about chiropractic, and to some it carries a stigma. I feel that it is my job to educate the public about chiropractic and its many benefits. Our main way of doing this is through Lunch and Learns. On any given week, you’ll find someone from my office delivering a free lunch to a local workplace, and educating the employees about preventative chiropractic care.
We understand you have built your own business from the ground up, building it into a thriving practice. What did that entail as far as challenges?: For me, not being from Columbus, I found my biggest challenge initially was just getting to know who I “needed to know,” the “movers and shakers” in town, if you will. My first few years in practice, I attended every event, running race, fair, fundraiser and expo that was offered my way, in order to learn the ropes of how to have a successful business here. Over time, I’ve been able to build great relationships, both personally and professionally, with other local business owners and professionals. I’ve found that Columbus is a very relationship-based town, and the success of my business depended upon building and maintaining those connections.
Your nomination also said your personal life being a wife and mother is very important to you. What is it about Columbus that makes it a great place to raise a family?: My husband and I absolutely love Columbus, and we feel good about raising our son here. We’ve found that Columbus offers great small-town Midwest values mixed with cultural and social diversity. We love the many concerts, farmers markets, running races and fundraisers that Columbus offers. Now that we have our son, I’m looking forward to swimming at Donner, soccer at Parkside and much more in years to come.
We understand that your practice raised more than $22,000 for local charitable organizations such as the Bartholomew County School Foundation, Thrive Alliance and the Humane Society. Tell us about how you raise funds for charitable organizations and how you choose the organizations that will benefit. How much money do you hope to raise for Family Service this year?: Each year, my entire staff gets together to choose which local organization we want to partner with in our fundraising efforts the following year. Over my five years in practice, we’ve been able to raise more than $22,000 just through in-office fundraising. What we offer is for every new patient that comes in through a Lunch and Learn or patient referral, a donation is made to our “Philanthropy of the Year.” This year, we have a goal of raising $10,000 for Family Service of Columbus.
If you could change Columbus in any way, what would that change be?: Over the five years that my husband and I have lived here, we’ve already seen big changes in Columbus. We’ve seen the addition of the new Commons, the updates to Fourth Street and the expansion of the People Trails system. I honestly wouldn’t change anything about Columbus; I just want to see this forward momentum continue!
What do you think shouldn’t change about Columbus, and why?: For me, I’d never want to see Columbus change its mindset that it’s a special place and should always be treated as such. Nothing great would have ever happened here, and Columbus wouldn’t be the great city it is, if it was treated as just another small town in Indiana.
When you talk about Columbus to those who don’t live here, how do you describe it?: We mostly just describe it as a great place to live! When I describe Columbus to friends from other states, I talk about the architecture and culture, but also the community and my involvement in it. We’ve obviously been inspiring, because we’ve convinced many people to move here including my parents, several of my staff, and my husband’s company just opened a new location here.
If someone asked you what they could do to help the community of Columbus, what would you advise them to do?: First, you have to meet people, and many of them, to know what your options are for community involvement. I’d advise someone not to be afraid to get involved, ask questions and talk to the community leaders. It can sometimes be intimidating to talk with the people who are so integrated into the fabric of Columbus, but this is exactly who can help you and, ultimately, the community the most. Columbus Young Professionals and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce are great places to start!
