August is National Black Business Month, and the youngest Black chiropractor in the state gained exposure from the annual Black-Owned Business Expo in Fayetteville.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Essence Chiropractic opened its doors in May- breaking barriers in the health and wellness field. According to Pew Research Center healthcare and social assistance is the most common sector for Black-owned businesses.
In Northwest Arkansas, there are only two Black-owned chiropractic clinics. Dr. Bri Biehl-Jackson is the owner of Essence Chiropractic in Fayetteville and says her journey to entrepreneurship and healthcare has not been easy.
“It was definitely really hard just to even find an office space that would work for what I wanted to do. A lot of the businesses and landlords were not really getting the vision of what I was trying to do,” said Dr. Bri.
After over a year of searching for office space, she secured one with the help of resources and exposure from the annual black-owned business expo this past February.
“So that was my first one. And there were over, like, 2000 people in attendance. I ran out of business cards, I lost my voice that day, it was really crazy … and I met a lot of people who have made a good connection with the community,” Dr. Bri recalled.
Organizers for the Black-owned business expo said that they “think it’s fantastic that she was able to kind of get that launch pad using the expo. And now she’s our second black-owned chiropractic business,” said Jasmine Hudson.
Dr. Bri says many people aren’t familiar with chiropractic care and its possible benefits, but she’s trying to change that.
“A big part of what I do is being an accessible healthcare provider … I’m trying to shift the chiropractic practice from being seen as a luxury to being a wellness and bodily maintenance thing,” said Dr. Bri.
Former Razorback football player Brooks Ellis visits on a bi-weekly basis, and years after his athletic career ended he still makes sure his body is in good shape.
“My posture is improving, my knees are improving, my joints are moving better… I mean one of the biggest benefits of going to a chiropractor is your body starts to communicate with itself better,” Ellis explained.
With its close proximity to the University of Arkansas, Dr. Bri set up an NIL deal with the Razorbacks.
“Any athlete from any sport, men’s, women’s, whatever, they can come here and get services for free in exchange for social media ambassadorship basically. So right now I have almost 50 basketball and football players, a couple of women’s sports, and some track athletes. They enjoy it, [and it can] keep them well and keep them ready for whatever sport they do,” said Dr. Bri
Biehl-Jackson hopes to continue that momentum at the expo when it returns this weekend… organizers say that’s what the event is all about.
“The goal was to kind of highlight and amplify the local businesses that were here and give them a grounding place where everybody can just come to them and see what’s available. And it’s kind of created its own domino effect,” said Jae Merchant, the co-organizer of the Black Owned-Business expo. “It’s amazing to see the brand new scope in the healthcare space, specifically, because black women in the healthcare field face a lot of challenges when it comes to getting the top dollar help that they need.”
While Dr. Bri says it isn’t always easy, she hopes to bring a new meaning of wellness to the community and inspire young girls to follow their dreams.
“It’s honestly really not about me, it’s more about providing something to people in a way I wish I had before,” Biehl-Jackson said.
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