When Jake Coffman heard many good things about the great city Columbus is, his interest piqued. He spent a lot of time researching the city and even visited on two occasions.

In April 2017, Jake earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Parker University in Dallas, Texas and not long after, moved to Ft. Lauderdale where he had a short stint as an associate for a chiropractic office. At the end of the year, he and his wife, Samantha, made the move to Columbus to start their practice and also to be closer to his wife’s family. Jake loves living in Columbus for many reasons, but mainly the people, the green spaces and the food scene.

I had the chance to chat with Jake to discuss what inspired him to become a chiropractor, what makes his practice unique and what he loves about Columbus.

Samantha and Jake at their wedding on November 16, 2019

You attended Parker University in Dallas, tell us about what inspired you to become a chiropractor?

I knew from an early age that I wanted to help people, but I just didn’t know how I would do it. Having grown up around conventional medicine – my grandpa was a surgeon, and my two uncles and aunt are medical doctors – I observed how demanding their jobs were. They would get called into work while we were at dinner or they couldn’t go on trips because they had to work in the emergency room. My aunt on the other side of the family is a chiropractor who would always talk about how much she loved her job and helping people. Unlike the conventional doctors in the family, she never got called in for a chiropractic emergency and had the flexibility of making her schedule – at 22 years old, that meant a lot! Eventually, I started shadowing her at work, learning more about what she did and realizing that I wanted to be a chiropractor.

What advice would you give someone who wants to be a chiropractor?

Shadow as many different chiropractors as you can. While there are dozens of chiropractic techniques, there are also dozens of different ways to practice. Very rarely will you walk into a chiropractic office and it be the same as another chiropractor’s office. When shadowing, ask the doctors as many questions as you can about why they practice, how they practice, and what they would or wouldn’t change. Also, realize that being a chiropractor is a business. Many people go into chiropractic expecting to become a chiropractor, but don’t realize that the majority of chiropractors also have to learn how to be a small business owner as well.

You own Optimize Chiropractic, tell us what makes your practice unique.

At Optimize Chiropractic, every patient’s care is thought out, researched, and planned, so patients achieve the results they want and deserve. With our care, patients live at their optimal level of health and wellness in every sense of the word. Optimize Chiropractic is the only data-driven chiropractic clinic in the region. We draw from neurology, functional movement, and chiropractic to design customized, comprehensive care for our patients.

One of the most often asked questions I get is, “What is Data-Driven Chiropractic?” What that means is we use hard data (objective and subjective) to find out what is and isn’t functioning normally for our patients and use that information to understand their pain and structure. We then work with our patients to bring them back to a pain-free, higher functioning life by using their data to create a personalized plan with measurable and reachable goals.

Jake at his practice, helping others live at their optimal level of health and wellness.

You’re pretty involved with the community serving on the TriVillage Chamber of Commerce Board, a member of Columbus Young Professionals, and have been a keynote speaker at numerous events. What do you love about Columbus?

My favorite thing about Columbus is the people. Having lived in Oklahoma, Dallas, Ft. Lauderdale, and now Columbus, in my opinion, Columbus has the nicest, most helpful people I’ve been around. On top of that, I love how many green spaces we have and all the amazing restaurants.

You’ve been a great supporter of many small businesses including Kolache Republic, why is supporting small businesses important to you?

Small businesses are what create a community, making our cities unique and special. When you buy from a business, any business transaction is going to take place and hopefully, both sides are happy with the exchange. When you buy from a small business, your money is going to help pay the rent of the people that you bought from, allow them to save up for their kids’ college, take the trip that they’ve been wanting to go on – or for a lot of us this year, help keep the lights on. Supporting small businesses is so important to me because it’s the easiest way to give back and support your community while getting something amazing, like a Kolache, in return.

What is your favorite kolache?

My favorite Kolache is the sweet cheese, but I recently enjoyed the chili dog kolache!

Jake enjoying the chili dog kolache.

Follow Jake Coffman on IG: @optimize_chiropractic or visit Optimize Chiropractic.

Our Community Table highlights the great work of individuals continuing to help make Columbus a great city to live, play, and work. Send me an email at rick@kolacherepublic.com, if you would like to be featured.

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