We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dr. Stephanie Duffey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dr. Stephanie below.

Alright, Dr. Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

I honestly never thought I’d have my own physical therapy practice. But looking back on it, I think it was inevitable. I’ve always wanted to do things my way, even as a young child. Not with the intention of being selfish, but with a deep sense of knowing “this makes the most sense”.

I’ll never forget sitting at the dinner table with my parents during one of my clinical rotations in physical therapy school. This was a particularly demanding rotation, and after a long day at the clinic I said, “I can’t wait to retire.” My dad laughed and said “Honey, you haven’t even started yet.”

This was a pivotal moment for me. I didn’t want to spend my life waiting for the “good days” of retirement. I didn’t want to wish away the amazingness that comes in the middle decades of life. I didn’t want to be so exhausted at the end of every work day that I had no energy to love on my friends and family. There had to be a better way.

Once I graduated PT school, I worked for a big healthcare company. It honestly was a great job and I learned so much. But I still had that thought of, “I can’t wait to retire.” I didn’t want someone else having control over my time, my income, and the impact I could make on my clients’ lives.

A friend of mine oh-so-serendipitously got me connected with a PT entrepreneurs group and I realized that I was being called to start my own practice. It was pretty scary at first. I had to do a lot of soul searching and personal reflection. It took upwards of a year to decide what kind of business model I wanted. But once I had that figured out, I didn’t know what action steps to take. Paralysis by analysis is very real. I decided to invest in a business coach to help me get started. This was the best investment because it propelled me to a very successful start of my business. It also gave me the skills to be able to change my business model two times since opening in response to the global pandemic and having a baby.

My biggest advice to anyone considering starting their own practice is to first decide what you want and what your values are. When you create your practice from a place of alignment with your visions and values, you will be successful. Work through your own baggage first. I also highly recommend hiring a business coach. They will help you reach success faster and with more confidence than if you go it alone.

Great, we appreciate you sharing that with us. Can you share what you do and what makes your practice unique?

My business, Empower Physio and Wellness, was born from the mission to do physical therapy differently. There is so much value that physical therapists can offer, however the current medical system doesn’t allow that to shine. Our mission is to empower humans, give them hope that they can feel better, and instill confidence in their body’s ability to move.

At Empower Physio and Wellness, we help active adults frustrated by pain and feelings of limitation know exactly what to do to move their bodies with joy and peace. We take a comprehensive and holistic approach, focusing not only on movement but also sleep, stress, mindset, and nutrition. All of these factors contribute to how a person feels physically and must be addressed in order to achieve the highest success.

We first get crystal clear on what the problem is and what the client’s goals are so that we can be intentional and effective during the healing process. Our goal is to identify the underlying problem and fix that- not just put a bandaid on symptoms. This allows for long-term success and empowers clients to take an active role in their recovery.

I am most proud of all my clients. They make a commitment to themselves to prioritize their health and make a lasting change. I am just a guide; my clients are the ones who do the consistent work. I absolutely love seeing the excitement and joy that lights up their faces as they complete workouts without pain, go on vacation and hikes with confidence, heal years of back pain, PR races, run longer distances than they thought possible, and pick up and love on their grandkids.

At the root of all these tangible successes is that they can show up energized and as their true selves, not weighed down by the energy suck of frustration, confusion, and not knowing what to do. It is so amazing and humbling to witness, and I’m forever grateful that this is my life’s calling.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the mentality of “go to school, get a good job, save money, then retire.”

Why can’t you have the freedom of retirement your whole life? Why can’t you monetize something you are incredibly passionate about?

I never wanted to work full time for someone else. I wanted the freedom to create the life of my dreams NOW. Not in 30 years.

I now firmly believe that if you have a deep, God-given passion and at least 1% more faith than fear, you are unstoppable. You can create whatever you want, make a good living doing it, and impact so many people.

The world is a better place when we show up as happy, authentic humans fulfilling our mission on this planet. We aren’t made to struggle through life. We are made to be joyous and live life to the fullest.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

It is crucial to have self-awareness and work on personal development. You can only grow your business as far as you’ve grown personally. Hardship, struggle, and anxiety in business comes from personal baggage getting in the way. It is crucial to do the personal development work so you can identify your habits and tendencies, unlearn the thought programs that don’t serve you, and instill new thought patterns that allow for limitless creation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.empowerphysioandwellness.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/empowerphysioandwellness/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/empowerphysioandwellness

Image Credits
Shutterhead Studios