10 Years of UPGRADE

A THANK YOU
TO OUR COMMUNITY

This January, UPGRADE turns 10 years old.

I’ve thought a lot about what I wanted to say about this milestone, and when I look back at where UPGRADE started and everything that has happened since, it’s hard not to feel incredibly grateful.

UPGRADE started in a 99-square-foot room with one treatment table, barely enough room to move around it, and no guarantee that people would walk through the door. Ten years later, we’ve grown into a 1,400-square-foot practice with four treatment rooms.

Along the way, UPGRADE was voted Best Chiropractor by the San Diego Awards Program in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and was a Silver Winner for Best Chiropractor in 2023 and 2024. In 2024, I was also honored to be recognized as one of the LGBTQ+ Leaders of Influence by the San Diego Business Journal.

I’m incredibly proud of those accomplishments. But when I think about what these 10 years really mean, I don’t think first about awards or square footage. I think about the people who gave us the opportunity to get here and what their support allowed us to do along the way.

As UPGRADE grew, I wanted us to find ways to contribute beyond the treatment room. We’ve hosted free community events such as personal training at Presidio Park, yoga at Balboa Park, and yoga, breath-work, and a sound bath at Mission Bay. We’ve cleaned up our beaches, raised money for the Drag Defense Fund and Trans Equity Coalition, and hosted a drag queen performance on the beach at sunset to bring people together and promote awareness. With the help of other local small businesses, we also hosted a community mixer that raised $10,000 for Stepping Stone in a single night.

We’ve donated countless treatments and services to teachers, community members, charities, and local organizations. Today, approximately 200 active-duty military patients receive discounted services at UPGRADE. And through our monthly “Be the UPGRADE of Someone’s Day” feature in the University Heights community newspaper, we recognize people making a difference in our neighborhood and thank them with complimentary care.

One experience from the last decade changed the way I think about this business more than any other.

When the pandemic forced us to temporarily close in 2020, I genuinely didn’t know if UPGRADE would survive. The treatment rooms were empty, but the rent and bills didn’t stop.

Then some of our patients did something I will never forget.

They continued paying us even though they couldn’t come in for treatment.

They didn’t owe us anything. They simply wanted to help make sure UPGRADE would still be there when we reopened. Those payments helped cover our overhead and quite literally helped keep our doors open while our doors were closed.

When we reopened, we offered complimentary treatment to people who had lost their jobs because of COVID. People had taken care of us when we needed it, and we wanted to take care of others.

That commitment continues today. If an established patient suddenly loses their job and can no longer afford treatment, we do our best to continue their care at no charge while they get back on their feet.

After 10 years, I’ve learned that a small business doesn’t survive simply because someone puts a sign on the door. It survives because people choose to walk through it. They come back. They tell their friends. They leave reviews. They trust you with their care. And sometimes, when things get difficult, they show up for you in ways you never expected.

Every one of those moments helped turn a 99-square-foot room into the UPGRADE that exists today. And because people supported us, we’ve had the opportunity to support others.

That’s what I want our 10th anniversary to celebrate.

Throughout 2027, UPGRADE will spend the year saying thank you.

Each month, we’ll recognize a different group of people who help make our community what it is, including local volunteers, service industry workers, teachers, nurses, active-duty military members, and others who spend so much of their lives serving and caring for those around them.

During the month dedicated to them, those individuals will be able to receive treatment at UPGRADE for $10 in honor of our 10 years.

It’s not meant to be a promotion. It’s simply our way of saying:

We see you. We appreciate you. And we’d like to take care of you for a change.

Ten years ago, I was standing in a 99-square-foot room hoping people would give this little practice a chance.

You did.

You helped us grow. You allowed us to give back. And when we needed you most, you helped us survive.

There isn’t any way to adequately repay that kind of support. But we can honor it.

So rather than asking San Diego to spend our 10th year celebrating UPGRADE, we’re going to spend it celebrating you.

Thank you for every appointment, referral, review, recommendation, and every bit of trust you’ve given us over the last decade.

Thank you for giving UPGRADE a home in this community.

Here’s to 10 years of taking care of each other.

With gratitude,

Jeremy
UPGRADE Chiropractic

You have one body. UPGRADE it.