We recently connected with Kate LaVigne and have shared our conversation below.
Kate, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
One of the last things my mom told me before she passed away was “always look for the blessings in the hard times because they are there if you look for them.” She passed away after a 5 year battle with cancer during which she never stopped working a high-level full time job as an executive and continued being a great mom, wife, and friend, mostly with a smile on her face. I figure if she was able to do that, what do I have to complaint about? That’s not to say that there aren’t hard times in life because of course there are. But now I always search for the lesson or the blessing. She taught me a lot about bringing comedy to a difficult situation and I believe if you can laugh about it, you can get through it. When we were kids, my mom gave us “the 24 hour rule.” If something made us sad or angry, etc we had 24 hours to dwell on it and then it was time to move on because something better was on the way. I still follow that rule. Optimism, happiness, and joy are all choices. I’m grateful my mom taught me how to choose them because it makes life so much more wonderful.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I started boxing in 2016, really just to exercise, and fell in love with the sport. I had my first amateur fight in 2017 and went on to compete in multiple national tournaments, including the National Golden Gloves and the USA Boxing Olympic Trial Qualifiers. In 2021, I turned professional and have continued boxing since then. People are often surprised to learn that I fight and when they ask why I love boxing, my answer is that boxing will tell you who you really are. How hard are you willing to work? How bad do you want to win? What sacrifices are you willing to make? I learned so much about myself through boxing and have accomplished things I did not know I was capable of. In the ring, I am “Kaptain Kate” which is a nickname my coach gave to me because of my leadership and organization at our gym. In addition to my own training, I enjoy helping to coach our amateur fighters and sharing my love of boxing with others. Outside of the ring, I’m “Dr. Kate.” I’ve been a chiropractor since 2015 and own/operate a private practice in Shawnee Mission, KS. I’ve been able to combine my two passions and I particularly enjoy working with athletes as I understand injuries, training, and how important it is to take care of our bodies for longevity in sports. I hope to continue to intertwine my professional paths and work to educate others about health and wellness, improve my own training and athletic journey, and at the end look back on two careers I can be proud of.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Hard work, patience, and confidence have been the three things that have been the most impactful on my boxing and chiropractic journeys.
They say that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Consistency is key. If you’re willing to put in the effort and show up, even when it’s tough, you will get results. I am not the most natural boxer or business owner. I’m consistent and I’m willing to work hard and want to learn. It is not acceptable to me to lose because I didn’t put in the work that I should have. If you show up for your business, your hobbies, and most importantly yourself, you can’t help but get better.
Results don’t happen overnight, generally. Having patience and appreciating the process, in both boxing and the chiropractic world, has allowed me to make better decisions, to continue learning, and to grow as an athlete and doctor. It’s easy to get excited and want to do everything at once but having some patience is very valuable and there are many times I’ve looked back and thought “wow, I’m glad I didn’t rush into that because look what I would have missed.”
A lot of people don’t like the expression “fake it til you make it.” But I do. If you act confident you will eventually be confident. It takes practice. I think that a large part of confidence comes from being yourself. If you can find a way to be your authentic self in your career you will be more successful, and more importantly, you’ll be happier.
My advice to professionals starting out on their journey is to find a mentor. You can learn a lot from talking to and observing other people. I’ve had several and I think this has helped my growth as a professional. Be humble and ask questions. I’ve also found that life blends together. Lessons that you learn in your personal life and apply in your professional life, and vice versa.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Gallup with Tom Rath is an assessment to help find who you already are and make you better. You take the assessment and it gives you your top 5 character strengths out of a list of 34 in various categories. The point is to learn who we are and what we’re best at so that we can be more of ourself instead of trying to be something we’re not. It teaches us how to operate effectively and communicate with others by optimizing skills we already have. For example, mine were competition, focus, achiever, maximizer, and significance. These were not a surprise to me given that I’m a business owner and athlete. The book helps explain the strengths and gives ways you might use them to your advantage. The book also made me more self-aware when assessing why I handle certain situations the way I do and make certain choices, etc. I would really encourage any professional to read this book and take the assessment to help enhance their personal and professional development. Life is easier when you understand who you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.drkatelavigne.com
- Instagram: @katelavigne
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CompleteChiroKC
Image Credits
Jennifer Ward
