The P.t. Entrepreneur Podcast

Today I'm chopping it up with my man Duane Scotti. This dude’s a PT, a full-time professor, and the owner of Spark Physical Therapy. We get into how he juggles academia with running a cash practice focused on dancers, gymnasts, and runners. Duane shares his origin story, the power of niching down, and the mindset hurdles he had to clear to make it happen. If you’re thinking about carving out your own path, you’ll want to hear this.

You know that Dr. Seuss book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go!"? There's a bit in there about "The Waiting Place" that really nails what so many of us do, especially when we're thinking about starting a business or making a big leap. We get stuck waiting for the perfect moment, the right skill set, or for all the stars to align. Today, I'm diving into why that waiting game is so detrimental and why the discomfort of not trying often outweighs the fear of failing. Are you waiting, or are you just scared? Let's talk about getting out of that "Waiting Place" and into action.

Today Yves Gege's kinda taking the mic, though I'm still here, don't worry. We're coming at you from a financial conference, and man, it got us thinking. We saw a lot of successful folks who just weren't lit up by what they do. So, we're diving deep into living your passion and purpose. It's wild how many successful folks aren't truly connected to their 'why.' We break down how knowing your purpose fuels everything, from daily energy to big business decisions. Eve's on a mission to 'build better humans,' and I'm focused on impacting our profession and family time. We tackle burnout, the 'dip,' why now is a great time for PT entrepreneurs, and what retirement really means when you love what you do.

You know, I was just deep in revisions for our Gym PT Blueprint, specifically the sales section, and man, it hit me how much things evolve. Looking back at what I put together just a couple of years ago, I was like, "Wow, I've learned a ton since then!" And that's a good thing, right? Today, I'm talking about the power of focusing on those small, consistent improvements. That 1% better each day really adds up. It’s not about massive leaps; it’s about the daily grind of getting just a little bit better. We'll get into why that constant drive to improve is crucial, even if it means your old stuff makes you realize how far you've come.

On this episode, me, Jerred Moon, and Yves Gege get real about what separates the thriving PT entrepreneurs from the stuck ones: your mindset. We're talking growth versus fixed, and why getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, learning from failures, and constantly pushing yourself is non negotiable if you want to build a successful practice. It's less about your clinical skills and more about what's happening between your ears. We dive into how overcoming a fixed mindset and cultivating a growth one can transform your business and your life, drawing from our own experiences in the military, school, and entrepreneurship.

So, I'm out in Salt Lake City with Jerred and Yves, and instead of grinding out work before a finance workshop, we hit the slopes for a "Free Day." It's a concept from Dan Sullivan that Jerred reminded us about, a day where you do absolutely nothing business-related. No emails, no patients, just pure, unadulterated you-time. We all hustle, especially when starting out, but taking these dedicated breaks to recharge your brain is crucial. Trust me, you can't run on 10% battery forever. Giving yourself this downtime actually makes you more efficient.

On this episode, I had a killer chat with Nick St. Louis from The Foot Collective. This dude is up in Ottawa, Canada, doing some amazing things, not just with his physio practice but with a whole movement around, you guessed it, feet! We dive into how he built a thriving cash-based practice in a government-sponsored healthcare system, the power of educating your patients (and the public!), and how he's juggling a clinic, an online community, physical products, and even getting into making shoes. It's a masterclass in niche-ing down and building something impactful.

This week, a few of you hit me up on Instagram and email asking about adding personal training to your PT services. It's a great question, and I've seen some folks in our mastermind crush it with this model. My take? Yes, training can be a killer addition, but you gotta do it right. I've seen too many PTs undervalue their time when they switch hats from "PT" to "trainer." Remember, an hour of your expert time is an hour of your expert time, whether you're rehabbing an injury or guiding someone through a killer workout. Don't sell yourself short.

Just got back from our PT Entrepreneur Mastermind event in Dallas, and man, it was a blast. We were out at the Lucky Spur Ranch, talk about Texas! But more importantly, being with 40 fired-up PT entrepreneurs, sharing, learning, and growing together was incredible. It’s tough to explain the energy of these events, but it’s like a con-ed course for your business brain, a bit of a headache, but you leave super motivated. I wanted to share my top five takeaways that I think can help any of you looking to build your practice.

Just got back from our killer Mastermind event in Dallas, still buzzing from that, and I'll do a full recap soon. But today, I wanted to share a quick one. My son Jack asked about the weather, and the app said "partly cloudy." I told him it was going to be "mostly sunny." Point is, how you frame things, your perspective, it changes everything. After spending two days with 40 incredibly positive, "mostly sunny" entrepreneurs, it really hits home. Choose the positive outlook; there's enough "partly cloudy" crap out there.

Doc Danny here with Yves Gege, my partner in crime at PT Biz. We're diving deep into the 5 stages we see cash practices go through: Proof of Concept, Survival, Success, Turning Pro, and Repeat & Refine. We're not just talking theory; we're using real examples from our mastermind members to show you what to focus on at each stage, common pitfalls, and how to keep moving forward. It's all about pattern recognition, and after coaching so many PTs, we've got a pretty good handle on what works (and what doesn't) as you grow.

Had a chat with a buddy who's scaling his chiro practices nationwide, and it got me thinking: growth versus excellence, or growth versus the lifestyle you actually want. His vision is huge, and that's awesome for him. But for me? I realized I want nothing to do with that level of scale. Our cash practice could be way bigger, but we've intentionally stayed smaller to focus on high quality, fewer headaches, and being the best, not the biggest. I still love seeing patients; it gives me personal satisfaction. Your business should support the life you want. Don't get caught in the "growth at all costs" trap if that's not your true goal.

Tonight we've got a heavy-hitting roundtable with Doug Kechijian from Resilient Performance Systems and Kelly Starrett from MobilityWod and San Francisco CrossFit. We're diving deep into the state of physical therapy, the debate around standardizing care, and where our profession is headed. It's less about business tactics today and more about the core of what we do: working with messy, multifactorial human beings. Is PT broken? Do we need more standardization, or does that stifle the critical thinking and individualized approach that gets real results? Let's get into it.

Today's a quick one, but it's something I wish someone had drilled into my head when I started: patience. We're all driven, right? We want success, and we want it fast. But here's the deal: we overestimate what we can do in a few months and massively underestimate what we can do in a few years. Building a business, especially a cash practice, is a marathon, not a sprint. Frustration will hit when things don't happen on your timeline. I've been there. Don't let ambition without patience derail you.

It's been a week of highs and lows. We sold 1,000 books, which is amazing, but also dealt with three pretty negative business situations. I'm getting real about how to handle these events without letting them crush your spirit, using frameworks like "The Obstacle is the Way" and "Extreme Ownership."

I had a great chat with Jerry Durham and it sparked a thought: do your employees know what a single new patient is actually worth to your practice? Most don't. I'm talking about why having this conversation with your team is crucial for aligning everyone on the importance of patient experience and revenue generation.

I got some wild direct mail from a PT business group, a FedEx envelope with a bag of peanuts inside. I'm breaking down their aggressive, scarcity-based marketing tactics so you can spot them and not get manipulated. There's a big difference between persuasion and using fear to get what you want.

With the launch of my book, I've seen overwhelming positivity, but also that 1% of negativity. I'm talking about how to handle the haters and negative feedback without letting it derail you. If what you're doing aligns with your core values and mission, you can't let someone else's opinion stop you.

I'm fired up because today's the day my book, "Fuck Insurance," comes out. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why I wrote it: to give you a roadmap to escape the PT mills and insurance-driven bullshit. It's for every PT who feels stuck, burned out, and knows there has to be a better way to use their skills and build a life they love.

I'm giving a huge shout-out to my friend Clay Jones, who sold his truck to open his practice and just bought a new one he can easily afford. His story is a powerful example of what happens when you bet on yourself, invest in your business knowledge, and implement like a badass. It's proof that you don't need to be in a major city to crush it.