Meet Maddie Bergner | Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maddie Bergner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maddie, what are you inspired by?
I am definitely someone who doesn’t suffer from a lack of inspiration. I find it in simple things, like watching the light change in the morning while I drink my coffee, or smelling the lilacs in spring, but in my career I am continually inspired by my patients. It’s sometimes hard for me to believe that my job puts me in daily contact with some of the most inspiring people I can imagine. From people with chronic illness who are able to find joy in their day-to-day while suffering in a way that most of us can’t fathom, to someone who is simply trying to figure out who they are and what they are doing here and how that relates to their digestive problems.

I suppose my greatest source of inspiration is the system of Chinese medicine itself. My practice is rooted in Daoist acupuncture, which invokes questions around who are we at our core, and views health as an expression of whether or not we are aligned with our purpose in this life. It can get a little esoteric, but seeing someone who comes to get acupuncture for their back pain seize the question and realize that their recurrent pain actually has to do with ways they are perpetuating suffering in their own life, then taking that information and making real change…that’s about as inspiring as anything I have come across.

What should our readers know about your business?
In college I studied Chinese language and politics and went into consulting after graduation. I only lasted one year at a desk job, and honestly I was almost completely checked out after 6 months. I have been fascinated by Chinese culture for a long time, and it took some creative thinking (as well as six more years of school) to figure out that I could have a job that satisfied both my nerdy intellectual side as well as my creative side. Chinese medicine is an extraordinary field, with more continuing education than I could complete in multiple lifetimes, but I also get to connect deeply with people searching for better answers to their questions about physical, mental and spiritual health. To me, there is nothing more exciting than getting to research a new case and also collaborate with my patients to create something that works well for them as an individual.

One of the most important lessons I have learned as a business owner is that you have to be willing to keep showing up. No matter what line of work you are in, it’s likely that when you start it will be discouraging. You probably won’t be successful immediately, but you have to keep going. I think especially in the age of social media we expect to start doing something and experience immediate gratification, and in the majority of cases that’s just not true. Dovetailing off of this is remaining true to yourself and your vision of your business. There is a lot of noise to tune out, and it’s incredibly easy to compare what you are doing to what other people are doing. Spend a lot of time with yourself and identify what separates you from others, not what you can do to be the same as someone who is succeeding.

Another takeaway that I always remind myself of is that we are all doing the best we can! I do my best to meet whoever walks through my door with openness and empathy, no matter how they show up. I think we could all use a little more of that attitude in all of our day to day interactions.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think part of what is so special about Denver is the access to both mountain and city activities. When I have a friend visiting, I like to split the time between the two. Hiking or foraging in Indian Peaks and stop for lunch in Nederland. Visit some of Denver’s museums. Eat a quesadilla at La Loteria and see a show at the Hi Dive or Skylark. Listen to music and get some records from Recollect, then eat a pastrami reuben at Leven Deli. Spend a full day in Cheesman Park playing volleyball and grilling hot dogs. Breakfast at Stowaway Kitchen. Most of my favorite Denver days start without a plan and end up winding all around the city!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m so fortunate to have had many sources of support and mentorship throughout my life and career. My parents encouraged me to be myself, even if I wasn’t always easy to understand. My three sisters helped me to develop my creative instincts with our numerous weird inventions and games throughout childhood. All of my friends have inspired me in different ways, and finally my teachers in both degree programs as well as continuing education have taught me the power of looking inward.

Website: https://www.bergneracupuncture.com

Instagram: @bergneracu

Image Credits
Jessica Christie, Luke Gottlieb, Lauren Ferrier