Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danelle Dickson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Danelle, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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?

When you decide to step out on your own and create a business out of a vision, there is a moment where you find yourself at an intersection of firmly believing in yourself and stepping into the uncertainty that comes with creating something new. At that moment it is important to have clarity in your vision, determination and mastering action despite discomfort. That moment for me was in March 2017. I had the vision of creating a space where the unique relationship between a medical provider and a patient seeking guidance with their health care decisions wasn’t interrupted or dictated by an insurance third party, and where a true health alliance could be formed that allowed for the delivery of detailed and quality care. My experiences after 12 years as a PT showed me the need for people to experience something different in healthcare, and so Performance Plus Physical Therapy was created.

My main steps comprised of zeroing in on my target audience, finding a location that best served my population, and developing a strong business strategy. Finding the right place and refining my business strategy was one of the key challenges . Improving my relationship with taking risks, decision making and operating outside of my comfort zone were constant challenges that I had to master and still work on today. I would have done business mentorship earlier, and developed a support network of like minded business owners more quickly. If you are considering starting your own practice – dream big, get smart, seek out mentorship and constantly challenge yourself to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a board certified Clinical Orthopedic Specialist and Doctor of Physical Therapy. My 17 years as a PT started with my own personal injury story, as a young dancer dancing on scholarship at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. One summer, I was injured amidst my grandmother passing at the beginning of the program, which resulted in me not being able to attend the funeral in addition to financial restraints. Understanding what was at stake in concert with this great opportunity, I sought out a physical therapist to help me resolve the injury. The exposure to a professional that was able to resolve my issue and  allow me to continue dancing, sparked the passion that I have for the profession. Following my inspiration and transition into my profession, I have been able to share my passion by producing a host of services to help my patients. After taking advantage of a number of opportunities working at other clinics, I decided to create my own, known as Performance Plus Physical Therapy.

My clinic is located in Downtown Washington DC and primarily serves orthopedic, sports and performing arts patients. Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure to work with many people to get rid of their pain, while having a true therapeutic alliance, just as I experienced all those years ago. I have worked with many local DMV dance companies and schools, along with performing artists that travel to DC to perform, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Bridgerton, Little Dancer, and Angels in America. My work includes backstage coverage, rehabilitation, dance conditioning, educational workshops and business consulting. I have also co-founded the Dance Ready Project, where we focus on creating customizable templates of implementing tools for dance health and wellness for dance companies and schools, small and large. We do this in the form of Educational tools, Dance Fitness Screens and Dance Conditioning Tools.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

As a clinician, your ethics and morals is the framework in which you draw on tools and resources and how you conduct your work. I have pride in the way that I have navigated difficult situations challenging my ethics, and how I pull on my resources to get my patients the best outcomes Additionally, I hold myself to the highest standard of care and execute that effectively with my patients. I do this by keeping abreast of the best evidenced- based practices and applying that to my patients’ plans of care.

Lastly, I am invested in my patients’ success and treat them as I would a member of my own family. Helping someone in their time of need to navigate making the best health decisions is difficult work, and having an knowledgeable ally you can trust is invaluable. I provide that for my patients to ensure that they are able to have the best options to be in the best health possible.

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

I had to unlearn how to play it safe. As a clinician, you quickly learn that there is an incongruent relationship between clinical practice and evidenced based practice. And in your quest to find the best solutions for your patients, it can become easy to play into the comfort zone of what you already know and avoid working with the unknown. This can be new techniques, new considerations or even new/alternative providers.

Additionally, successful businesses take risks and venture out into the unknown. As a business owner, I had to unlearn playing it safe. It was important to operate outside of my comfort zone and expand my knowledge in different areas of business to better create opportunities and grow in my knowledge and expertise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.3ptdc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3ptdc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PerformancePlusPhysicalTherapy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danelle-dickson-pt-dpt-ocs-1a55a018/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/3ptdc
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBgmVMlWMH_iW9IbeluYbQQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/performance-plus-physical-therapy-washington
• Other: Other businesses: Dance Ready Project – www.danceready.org Business Female Foundation – https://www.businessfemalefoundation.com