Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Hamed.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town about an hour and a half south of Buffalo, NY. I am the oldest of 2 boys. My mom and dad were both from large families, so I grew up with a lot of uncles, aunts, and cousins. Family activities were a very important part of my life growing up as well as the overall importance of family.
My mom and dad worked very hard to provide the best life they could for me and my brother. They showed us by their example the importance of hard work, integrity, and helping others. Growing up in a blue color town, my mom and dad suffered through various times of layoffs, downsizing, and other economic challenges. However, no matter what stress they were going through, they always expressed to me and my brother the importance of faith and staying positive.
My younger brother also taught me a lot about life. Around the age of 2-3yrs old, he was diagnosed with a pretty significant case of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. He was in so much pain most days. I can specifically remember on some mornings my dad having to carry him to and place him in a bathtub because it hurt too bad to walk and he needed to let his body soak in the tub just to be able to carry on his day. He endured so many surgeries and so many medications for a very long time. Through it all, I can’t recall him complaining or ever using his RA as an excuse as to why he couldn’t do something.
Unfortunately, in 2001 I lost my dad to an 18-month long battle with brain cancer. As anyone would expect, this was a very trying time on my family for a multitude of reasons. However, through it all, my dad handled cancer just like he did everything else, with optimism, faith, and a big smile. Over the last 19 years since he has passed, I’ve come to realize more and more each year, how absolutely blessed I was to have the dad and mom that I did. They set an amazing example of living according to your values no matter what the circumstances. An example I hope I am providing for my kids now.
I have wanted to be a chiropractor since I was nine years old, believe it or not. Funny story, I was in 4th grade and at the end of the year, the teacher had a project where we all had to tell her what we wanted to be when we grew up and she was writing all down on this big board. All my buddies were saying they wanted to be things like, “Pitcher for the Mets”,” Shortstop for the Cubs”, “Fireman” and then I say “Chiropractor”. The teacher literally asked me if I knew how to spell that. I did by the way.
This desire at such young came from the fact that my uncle (by marriage) was a chiropractor. He and my mom’s sister lived and practiced in Oklahoma. He would come home to visit, and he would give me and my brother treatments, known as adjustments. I had awful sinus, ear, and allergy problems as a kid. My nose and ears were constantly stuffed up. Yet when he gave me those adjustments, my nose started to drain, and my ears became unclogged. At that age, you do not have a “bias” or even aware as to what is deemed traditional medicine versus alternative care. I just knew that my mom was taking me to all these Doctors, and my ears and sinuses weren’t getting better. Uncle Frank adjusts me, and I can breathe. From that point on I was in my Uncle Frank’s back pocket always asking questions about chiropractic and how the body worked. This lead to many years later after I had completed my schooling, I spent three years working alongside my uncle in his Tulsa Oklahoma practice. There he taught me so much not just about the art and science of chiropractic but also the art of taking care of people and the highest standards of running a professional health care business.
In 2006, my wife, Dr. Whitney Hamed, and I moved to Ofallon MO to open a clinic with our dear friends Drs. Bryan and Olivia Joseph. It’s been a great ride thus far. We’ve seen exponential growth of not only our clinic but our families, our team, and the services we provide to our community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I can’t imagine any endeavor worth accomplishing or success, in general, comes on a “smooth road”. My journey thus far has been no different. Sixteen years ago. we moved to Ofallon with our best friends and business partners to open our practice. At the time we knew no one and each of our families had an infant child. There were many long days and nights aligning all of our efforts across patient care, business operations, and marketing. Along the way, each of our families added 3 more children.
We weathered through economic challenges of the early 2000s, dealt with internal issues with our employees and among our ownership team, and then decided to get clear on our core values as an organization and re-brand our clinic.
Every challenge that I (we) have incurred whether it was personal or business-related has ultimately strengthen me and my resolve to grow as person.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Here at The Wellness Connection, our approach is common sense. We look at you as a whole person in your entirety, instead of as a collection of independent organs and systems.
Since 2006, The Wellness Connection has been guiding others to regain their optimal health through customized natural healing programs.
You can live a better life and we can help you get well and stay well!
We’ve created an environment that provides the highest quality natural health care which includes: Corrective Chiropractic care, Nutritional counseling, Regenerative Medicine Joint injections. IV Nutrition, Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression, Functional Medicine, Hormone Regulation, Food Allergy Testing, Home Exercise instruction, and more.
All of this takes place in our energetic, upbeat office that’s focused on our patients!
What do you think about luck?
I openly don’t believe in luck. I feel like God’s hand is at work in everything. Further, I feel when opportunity and preparation meet is what most people refer to as “luck”.
As far as God’s hand at work – that is easy. I had graduated from college in Summer of 1995. I was scheduled to enroll in Chiropractic School in January 2000. One of my good friends from college almost convince me to delay the start of Chiropractic school and go to Colorado and be a ski bum with him for a few months. Although I contemplated doing this once-in-a-lifetime experience, I decide to enroll as planned in Chiropractic school.
This fact is of significance because in THAT class was my future best friend and business partner (Dr. Bryan Joseph) and my future wife (Dr. Whitney Hamed). Who knows how my life would’ve been different had I going skiing and delayed my enrollment a few months. Regardless of what could’ve happened, I am eternally grateful that I chose to NOT go skiing, LOL.
Contact Info:
- Email: drjason@connectwithwellness.com
- Website: www.thewellnessconnection.com
- Instagram: @stlwellness
- Facebook: @stlwellness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWellnessConnection
