Episode 5: Meet our Number 2!

Allie Gerling has been the Chief Operating Officer at Two Roads Wellness Clinic for over eight years. With a background that spans a decade in mental health services, she has witnessed the evolution of the clinic firsthand. Allie is a dedicated professional who balances her career with family life, often juggling the responsibilities of being a mother of two active children.

One of the key aspects of Allie’s role is fostering strong connections with the staff. "I love to help our clients understand our services better and see them grow within the company," she says. Building these relationships not only enhances employee satisfaction but also improves the overall client experience. 

Allie’s approach to leadership at Two Roads Wellness Clinic exemplifies the importance of connection, transparency, and adaptability in creating a thriving workplace.

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Married to Wellness, a Two Roads Wellness Clinic podcast.

SPEAKER_02 0:04

We're Ted and Jessica and Emmett's married for over 20 years and owners of Two Roads Wellness Clinic.

SPEAKER_03 0:09

If you're passionate about wellness, curious about new approaches to healthcare, or trying to build a life and a business yuba, this podcast is for you.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Episode five, where you get to meet our number two, Allie Girling, our COO. Uh been with us for quite a while. Um, so I won't steal any of her thunder. I'll let her introduce introduce herself and let's get into this.

SPEAKER_03 0:34

Hey Allie, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. I'm excited to be here today. Good. So I didn't just drag you on here with you know against your wheel. I volunteered.

unknown 0:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

She was voluntole.

SPEAKER_03 0:49

Yeah, thanks for coming on, though I do appreciate that. So you and I actually met a long time ago.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

Long time ago.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

Yeah, I'm I was trying to think. Um, was that oh gosh, 19 years ago? Probably close. Was it 2008?

SPEAKER_02 1:06

That's when you were both both at Cross Point.

SPEAKER_03 1:08

Yeah, we uh Yeah. So Allie didn't have any kids at that point. I had two boys already. Or maybe I was pregnant with my second. I think you had two.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Yeah, if it was 2008, we we were too deep at that point.

SPEAKER_03 1:23

Yeah. So that's where we met. I was uh I started my internship there as a mental health therapist, and Allie was a case manager. But then we both went our separate ways for a while, and Allie came back to Two Roads and has been with us for about eight years now.

SPEAKER_04 1:39

Eight years last month.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Yeah. So tell us a little bit about yourself, Allie.

SPEAKER_04 1:43

Um, so I'm Allie Girling, COO of Two Roads. I married my husband Adam in 2007. We have two kids, Nikki and Sabie. Uh we live in Covington, cute little town. Our kids are involved in sports. I spend most of my time chasing them around. We're working.

SPEAKER_03 2:02

We're working. Yeah, you're definitely the uh taxi cab right now, aren't you? I am, but it's it's a good time.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Just for a few more months, though, right? Because Nikki gets her license here.

SPEAKER_03 2:14

One year, one month.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

So yeah, tell us a little bit, Ali, about um what you do with the company.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

Um so at T Rhodes, I am the COO, so I basically have a hand in all the operations across the company, including payroll, HR, onboarding terminations, uh staff and client concerns, opening new offices, part of the moving team.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Anything?

SPEAKER_00 2:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:41

Part of the move-in team. You want to expand on that?

SPEAKER_04 2:44

Somehow I got voted on the team that moves all the offices in and out. Uh you, me and Ted are just the dream team when it comes to moving couches and furniture and decorating.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

There was no vote held, Allie. It was just congratulations, you've been nominated.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

You're really good at putting things together. Thanks. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:08

A skill I've learned in my title here.

SPEAKER_03 3:11

That's right. How many moves have you been with like through two roads? Oh my gosh. One, two, three, four, at least five. Yeah. I was gonna say I wanted to say like eight, but maybe that's too much. Yeah. So what kind of changes have you witnessed while being here?

SPEAKER_04 3:32

Um, I mean, there's been a ton of changes over time. I mean, eight years is a pretty long time, but I think um the major changes are that we've added so many services. I mean, starting with basically all mental health therapists, I walked in right after um the first nurse practitioner had started. Um so really growing all of the services we have and then just expanding the amount of offices that we've had and all the locations.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's a lot, a lot of growth. Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_02 4:05

So, what's been the best and worst part of your job?

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_04 4:11

Um, I think the best part is probably getting to work with our staff. We have really amazing staff and um building connections with the staff and the clients really. I like the customer service part. I like to be able to that the staff grows within our company. I love that the clients are able to really understand better what we do here. I really do enjoy coming to work every day, but I think that the stresses of things like terminations, seeing people move on when they need to, um, knowing that you can't make everybody happy, um, and just general stresses of helping uh you guys to run the business on the backside can be stressful, but I won't I won't call it anything that.

SPEAKER_03 4:58

Yeah, I mean you have a behind the curtains view of everything.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

Right? Yeah. And that's gotta be hard. It can be tricky, but yeah. What's tricky about it?

SPEAKER_04 5:09

Um, I think we've talked about in the past like the transparency with staff, like what we would want them to know versus what may scare them. Um and just the little details of um the hardships of what it takes financially and mentally to keep everything going.

SPEAKER_03 5:30

Yeah, so we do that's one of our values is transparency, right? So we do try to um just help our staff see all the moving pieces of the business, but we also want to provide security for them and help them feel safe. So Allie's, you know, you have a you play a huge part in being able to communicate that to our staff. Um, I'm just gonna throw this out here. It's it's not a question I prepared you for, but what was the nickname that I gave you years ago? Rockstar. Rockstar, that's right. And why are you the rock star? I don't know. Because you get stuff done. That's right. Allie gets things done in a quick manner, which I love. And efficiently.

SPEAKER_04 6:15

I don't think you allow any other manner.

SPEAKER_03 6:18

I don't, yeah, that's true. I do move move pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_02 6:22

Nobody else saw the look she gave. She looked me dead in the eye and was like, Allie gets things done quickly and efficiently. Like just drilling a hole through my skull.

SPEAKER_03 6:34

Oh, I appreciate that about you, Allie. I've always loved that about you.

SPEAKER_02 6:40

Thinly veiled encouragement to up my game. I think that was.

SPEAKER_03 6:43

Well, I so I I own that I move fast. Like I like action, I like things to move, you know, pretty quickly. And Allie keeps up with me. It's great. I have learned your speed over the years. I appreciate that about you, Rockstar.

SPEAKER_02 6:58

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

Nobody else can have the name.

SPEAKER_03 7:04

That's right. That's Allie's name. So, you know, we had this girls' club for a while, Allie, but then Ted came into the company and it changed things a little bit. So tell us a little bit about what it was like when t Ted did come into the company after working with women bosses for so long.

SPEAKER_04 7:22

So the best thing is that it's always good to have somebody around to do the boy jobs. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 7:28

So so you you have to elaborate. We all know what a boy job is, but you have to give you some insight there, Ellie.

SPEAKER_04 7:35

So I have to do a lot less building now, putting things together. Anything that involves garbages, anything that involves being cold, feeding us.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Or wet. Did you say feeding you?

SPEAKER_03 7:51

Yes. Ted feeds us. Ted doesn't let anyone get hangry. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 7:57

He brings us drinks, brings us drinks, keeps us happy.

SPEAKER_02 8:02

Driving you two around when I have to transport you both. Yeah. So there's one passenger princess, I end up with two.

SPEAKER_03 8:08

That's true. So there's a whole story that goes along with the boy job thing. Do you guys remember that story, like where that came from? Didn't have to do with cleaning up poop.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

Was that when Allie coined that term? Like that's a boy job.

SPEAKER_03 8:22

I think so.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Yeah. So there was the at one of our offices, there was uh we we've got like a designated smoking area for the smokers on staff. And um I'm pretty sure someone was like randomly camping out there, and uh there was multiple occasions where I had to clean up piles of human doo-doo and then like throw away all their camping gear so they'd stop coming back. And uh it was pretty gross.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

But that was a boy job. That's a so that's where that came from.

SPEAKER_04 8:57

He's also the IT master. Uh-huh. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:02

Yeah, that falls into boy jobs, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 9:05

It does.

SPEAKER_04 9:06

So obviously the boy job has made it much easier for this girl gang. But I do have a story about Ted and him coming in to um to our little girl gang. So I think we were moving into university, and maybe it was my birthday, and you had asked me to go with Ted to the champagne office to get a couch and a couple other things. Obviously, I probably knew what you were talking about. And on the way to Champagne, Ted was like, Man, I just don't know if you know how much I appreciate you. And I was like, Oh, thank you. I thank you. That's really nice to hear. And he was like, No, my wife comes home and she complains about work. And for years we've had this dynamic where she's she's frustrated, and I want to tell her to run her how to run her business. And she's like, It's not that simple, but I want to protect her. And he was like, She came home the other day and she was complaining, and I started in on my this is what you need to do, and Jess just looked at me and said, It's fine. And and Ted said, Why is it fine? And just was like, Because Allie's gonna take care of it, and she went on with her life, and she was fine for the rest of the night. And I was like, That's right, because you're the rock star. Sweet. And so I think when Ted came in, there was already this level of um friendship and respect and like knowing kind of where we all stood in our positions, and I think Ted and I are both very protective people, so we just kind of had that in common. Yeah, yeah, I would agree with that.

SPEAKER_02 10:38

We definitely had an understanding, like it's it took me some time to adjust to what was Allie's lane and to like stay out of it and then you know, do what was do what was my lane, but for the most part we we understood each other with me walking in, like Right.

SPEAKER_03 10:55

Yeah, I would say you both are protectors. You're both you both say no more easily, and I say yes. And so that was interesting, like how that changed our dynamic too. It's like, you know, like Allie was always the break and I was the gas. And then we brought in another break.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

So you need you need a what'd you say, Allie?

SPEAKER_03 11:17

I said the parking break. The parking break, yes, yes, yes. So yeah, that was interesting, and then I had to really think about why I was saying yes.

SPEAKER_04 11:28

I do agree with that. I think the the biggest transition was learning kind of where we all stood and like our lanes, because uh when it was just you and I, and we were a lot smaller, I needed to do a lot more things, but as we've grown, I've needed to like kind of settle that down a little bit and let Ted take his piece as well. Um, and so like I don't have to do everything, I just need to do my job really well, and I think that we've just learned that over time.

SPEAKER_03 11:58

Yeah, I would agree. I think we've become more like specialists in what we're good at versus generalists and doing everything, right? Yeah. So that's that part's actually been nice as far as the growth of the company.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

Yeah. So much my question for you, Allie, is uh we're kind of touching on this already, but like an insight as to what it's like to work with us, like that's gotta be I mean, there's gotta be positives and negatives, right, between working with a married couple and especially since like just alluded to, I changed the dynamic when I came to the company full time. Like what's what's that like to work with us with all that all that context given.

SPEAKER_04 12:44

First of all, I know way too much about you guys. And also I praise you for being able to work together every single day. I could not do it. Um, maybe Adam and I just don't work at the same speed, so it wouldn't work for us. But um, yeah, I praise you for that. Um but you're both super down to earth, easy to get along with, and I think that you provide a super healthy space to feel confident about voicing our opinions and ideas in. Um we do a lot of laughing with really, really funny people. Uh and so it goes along with the whole uh work hard, play hard balance, and I think we all do that really well. Yeah. Um, we have a lot of honest conversation and balancing of ideas and circling everyone's ideas around until we see what really works. We're good at talking through things. Um, Jess is definitely the visionary. Um, and I'm such an organizer and Ted's such a protector. Um, that it just kind of just kind of balances all of us out. All of us out. Yeah. I think something I really do appreciate is that all of us are really good at um greeting each other. So we're able to like step in and help and take each other's uh tasks off each other's plate when somebody's struggling or not in the mental head space versus uh adding stress or anger. And so we will step in each other's lane to be like, hey, I know that you're struggling with this, let me take it. Um, or give me something else, something else, whatever it takes to get the job done.

SPEAKER_03 14:20

Yeah. Thank you, Allie. That's so sweet. And I'm I'm glad we don't make you uncomfortable most of the time with our joking or something.

SPEAKER_04 14:29

I think the dark humor, which I know you guys uh touched on, and I think your first episode definitely helps.

SPEAKER_03 14:36

Yeah, we do like to laugh a lot. So that that's how we cope, I think, with all the hard things. Oh yeah. And I love how you have the same humor, so it makes it easy.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

As long as I don't push the envelope too much when I sexually harass you, honey.

SPEAKER_04 14:49

Yeah, we have we have to have some boundaries, right? Uh there's less boundaries around me, but I'll just call it out. So yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 15:00

It's probably good that you're the HR coordinator.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

Like you're my words, violation. So all right. So where do you see our company going in the next few years, Ali?

SPEAKER_04 15:15

I think that's really hard to tell just because healthcare is always changing and it's changing so much that I'm not exactly what that looks like for us. But I think probably continuing to provide personal and integrative care. I think a lot of people are leaning into that more than ever before. Um, to be able to have providers that actually listen and understand is huge. And I know they don't get that everywhere. Not everywhere. Um maybe we see different partnerships and healthcare and in the community. I just never know. I'm just here for the ride.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

I love that about you. You're like, yeah, just tell me what to do, I'll do it.

SPEAKER_04 15:51

I like you to tell me what to do.

SPEAKER_03 15:54

You get it done. Get it done.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

I'm I'm gonna put you on the spot here, Ali. You mentioned different partnerships. What uh what do you see as being additional partnerships for T-Roads in the future?

SPEAKER_04 16:08

I mean, I know you guys are doing a lot and involved in the community with the different groups that you're in currently. Um, I think it's partnering with people uh that just have the like-minded values as us, um, and filling in the gaps where they're needed. I know we've seen a lot with um like Health Alliance leaving and with insurance changing and with um different jobs in the community being gone. So just filling out figuring out how to fill in those gaps to get people the treatment that they need. I don't know that I'm exactly sure how that looks since I'm on the spot, but yeah. Um and it's always in the back of my head. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

So it's more of continuing with the I guess being community based in terms of how we just and I are out talking to people and trying to get the word out about what we do. Like you see that continuing on, or I guess what I what I'm picking up from what you're saying is you see that as very foundational to what we do.

SPEAKER_04 17:09

Oh yeah.

unknown 17:10

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:10

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_03 17:12

Okay. So um I guess the next question would just be what part do you hope to play in all of it?

SPEAKER_04 17:18

I think my job has constantly changed and evolved and grown over the last eight years. So I'm not exactly sure what it looks like for me, um, but I'm thrilled to play a part in it. And like you said, I just like for you to tell me what to do and I'll get it done. Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 17:40

Allie, for those listening uh that know personality, can you share a little bit about your personality type?

SPEAKER_04 17:46

Okay, so I'm in Ineagreen six, which list um till death. Uh think it's I start from a very like protective questioning point of view. So where you're at the top envisioning everything you want, I'm thinking about everything that's gonna go wrong or how we're gonna put it into place, uh, which probably drives you crazy sometimes, but it seems to work for us because we end up in the middle. Um I like the safety and security. So where I don't necessarily know like the big goal or what I I want to get, I I like the safety of knowing like I can get us there with your vision.

SPEAKER_03 18:32

Um yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you can execute the steps, right? Like if I say, here's the vision, here's how we get to the vision, here's the steps, you're like, oh, I can do all those things and you get it done. So yes, and you've been with the company eight years, like the longest really.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

And uh so yeah, I definitely see that loyalty, Allie, in you, and I appreciate that about you. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 18:58

Am I the longest standing at this point?

SPEAKER_03 19:01

Uh I think so. I think so.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think you are. And it's funny because like the people that are sixes are like I think of you and Angie, and you're two of our longest standing employees right now.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

I think Angie's an eight. Angie is an eight. She has six by qualities.

SPEAKER_04 19:23

She does.

SPEAKER_03 19:24

Uh, I had the meltdown over if I was a six or an eight when I was sixes and eights do have similar qualities, so that makes sense. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:32

But I'm definitely a six.

unknown 19:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:35

We're talking about the Enneagram for those listening. Like we this is language we use in our company pretty often because we love personality stuff, but we use a lot of Enneagram and MBTI.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Well, it's just to understand how to work with people and it's a great tool to mitigate conflict. Right.

SPEAKER_04 19:52

Well, I think it's been huge for being able to communicate with our staff and and allow them to be able to communicate with each other and see issues without them blowing up. I think I think it's one of my favorite things about working here is that you do that with the stuff.

SPEAKER_03 20:07

Yeah, I think it helps us all say, okay, your personality is different than mine. You're looking at it from this, you know, angle because you're no, you're an Enneagram six, I'm an Enneagram nine, Ted's an Enneagram eight. So we're going to look at things differently, but we keep talking about it until we find that common ground. Right. So we can move forward. So that's why I think it's helpful. Okay. Well, Miss Allie, what is your favorite service at Two Roads?

SPEAKER_04 20:35

Well, I think over this winter, I have gotten a ton of nutrient injections, um, which has seemed to keep me healthy for the most part. And I'm so thankful for. So I'm, you know, try to keep up on those. I love the sauna. I am always cold. Everybody knows that. So I will jump in the sauna just to warm myself up. But being in there makes me feel healthier when I'm feeling crappy. But I think my favorite part about it is it's so quiet that I feel like I can get a mental reset too when I'm in there. Like just take a few minutes for myself. It's quiet, turn on some music or sit in silence and just know, like, okay, I'm ready to go again. Um, which maybe isn't something that we advertise for people, but the detox of your brain is just as good as the detox for your body for me.

SPEAKER_03 21:29

And absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 21:30

The DNA testing, I think, is so cool and so beneficial and so insightful for people. So I would definitely recommend that one to friends and family.

SPEAKER_03 21:39

What have you learned about yourself through your DNA testing?

SPEAKER_04 21:43

Um, that my anxiety is not in my DNA. I'm a highly anxious person. Um, I also learned about some of like the um medical traits that I do have in my DNA. So So I don't mind sharing that I have like really high cholesterol. Um kind of learning like mine is just going to be high because of my DNA doesn't necessarily mean that like I have huge problems or that I will have huge problems in the future, just being aware that it's there and that I can take supplements now instead of trying to be on medication, things like that.

SPEAKER_03 22:21

Yeah, that's awesome. So you've learned a lot about your health and mental health through it. Okay. So if your anxiety isn't from your DNA, where do you think it comes from?

SPEAKER_04 22:32

Well, that's a therapy session for another day.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

She does it.

SPEAKER_04 22:38

My other favorite service at T Rhodes is my free therapy every week.

SPEAKER_03 22:43

Therapy every week. Yeah. Well, you're surrounded by therapists, so that makes sense. We don't mean to, but we just don't take that hat off sometimes in between sessions.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Ever.

SPEAKER_03 22:53

Ever. Yeah. Until until we get home and then we try to take it off.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

And it's glued to your head. It's glued to my head, yeah. Probably. So last question I have for you, Allie, and I didn't prep you for this. You're looking at your list like we're not either. What's something about you that you want to share with everyone that people don't know about you?

SPEAKER_04 23:16

Oh my gosh. Um I'm probably seen by most people as an extrovert, but I'm an introvert. Yeah. Why do you think that is? Why do you think people think that? Yeah. I think that I'm really good in situations like with clients or staff where I have to be kind of on top of my game. I like uh customer service oriented. I enjoy having a good time. I'm pretty loud. I don't have a loud mouth. Um and I like to interact with people, but I do have a lot of that anxiety constantly going in the background. I I am great talking to like um people at marketing events at a table. Like we never want to be in the front of the crowd and she's been skydiving twice.

SPEAKER_03 24:15

Oh, that's right. That's awesome. Yeah, with I wouldn't picture that, Allie. So you have an adventurous side to you. Good. Well, Allie, thanks so much for coming on the podcast today. Like, we really appreciate you so much. I can never tell you enough how much I love you and appreciate all that you've done for the company and for me over the last eight years. So I wanted to bring you on here because I know you hate this kind of thing, but I everybody loves you so much, and I just wanted them to hear your voice and for you to have a place where you could share your own experience. Hey, Ted, anything else?

SPEAKER_01 24:56

I'm just uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_03 24:56

She looks uncomfortable because we're talking about feelings.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

What'd she say?

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Oh, she said boy job?

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Boy job.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

All right, Allie, thanks again. We'll see you later.