Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Manuel.
Hi Victor, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I understand people who are hesitant about acupuncture – I came from a very analytical background (25 years in IT), and didn’t believe in it at all! But I had horrible allergies, and one day some friends badgered me into talking to their acupuncturist. When it worked, I was beside myself because here I’d been suffering with allergies for 20 years, and this guy fixed it in less than a month!
My frustration and anger turned to curiosity about this weird medicine, and then a need to understand what it’s about. I decided to take the rather large leap and move to Austin for four years and attend acupuncture school in order to help others heal themselves like I did. It’s been an incredible life-changing journey, and I couldn’t do it without the support of my family and friends.
I opened the Texas Acupuncture Research Institute in 2023, and have a staff working with me on a mission. Our goal is to bring knowledge of acupuncture to North Texas, and help our society heal itself. My favorite clients are ones who tried surgery but still feel pain, or have seen three specialists and are going nowhere. Those are people I can help understand the path of their issues by seeing the body as a whole system, not just a bunch of parts.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Drastically changing careers at the age of 45 is not for the faint of heart. It was made difficult by my desire to get through school as quickly as possible by taking an accelerated program, and just as I began that program my older brother was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. I spent the first part of my degree driving between Dallas and Austin almost weekly in order to support him. It was so thoroughly difficult, but I’m glad I made the choice – he passed before the year was out. I accept my loss in order to ensure I can support others in their times of need.
I’ve opened my practice for two years now, and the first year was spent floundering, trying every avenue possible. As someone with a degree in business management, I thought it would be easy – but the map is not the terrain. In my second year of business I’ve gained an understanding of what works, and what keeps me going. And that’s given me the drive and the customers to succeed!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I keep my creative hat on and express my thoughts and creativity whenever possible. As a result, I make sure to find time to write and create art in my downtime. In 2019 I published my first novel Never The Moon and I’m currently working on my second. Also I put together a band and cut an album while in Austin – currently working on another one with a studio here in Dallas.
These outlets give me space to spread my wings and keep my life from becoming cloistered and stuck in a rut. I allow my business work to be the base of what I do, yet I refuse to let it be my entire life.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I work with the Universe at all times, and accept every bit of luck that comes into my life. As a result when I have things go my way, I take a moment to appreciate it and see what I can do to support others with my fortune. And when I have things go very wrong, I take a moment to look at what lessons the Universe is trying to teach me – what did I miss in this world that caused such a shift?
I consider God to be very funny. The problem from our point of view is that we only see the joke, but God’s punchline can be years away…
Pricing:
- Muscle Pain, Neuropathy, Oncology issues – All major insurances accepted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tarionline.com
- Instagram: @tariacupuncture
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/texasacupunctureresearchinstitute
Image Credits
Becky Deragon, Kayvan Moghaddassi
