We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dr. Stacie Barber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Dr. Stacie 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?
After earning my doctorate degree in 2015, I took my first job as a physical therapist in a traditional outpatient orthopedic and sports physical therapy clinic. Working with athletes and helping them get back to the things they love has always been my passion, so I was excited to dive in and start making a difference. Before long, though, I felt ineffective and overwhelmed. Between my double- and triple-booked caseload and the seemingly endless extra hours it took to complete the insurance documentation, it was impossible to give each patient the attention or quality of care that they deserved. I felt like I was failing them.
I began to realize that the current outpatient physical therapy model was the problem. It was more about maximizing profits than patient care. But another model didn’t exist. So, in 2017, I quit my job and decided to open my own business with a new model of care – one that puts patients first and would make me proud to be a physical therapist again! There was no turning back – I was all in!
Luckily, I had a lot of support from the beginning of this journey! From my incredibly patient husband to my large family of entrepreneurs, there were many people in my corner who I was able to get business advice or other help from. This came in handy since I was essentially creating a new business model from scratch. My mother, a successful businesswoman, never gave me all the answers (which I really appreciate looking back) but instead challenged me to learn and grow, and to begin thinking and making decisions like a business owner.
The first thing I did as a solopreneur was figure out our monthly expenditures compared to what I had in savings, so I knew how much time I had before I needed to bring money in. I was able to give myself three months leeway to get everything set up for my business. Next, I needed a business name, and ultimately decided on The Physio Fix, which was already the name of my instagram page so it just made sense. Then, I immediately began filing all the paperwork required to operate a legitimate medical services business; a PLLC (Professional Limited Liability Company), an EIN (Employer Identification Number), and a group NPI (National Provider Identifier) number. All of this needed to be done before I could even begin the process of getting credentialed as a new medical practice with health insurance companies / plans. While waiting for all the forms to be processed, I did market research on the going rate for both personal training and cash-pay physical therapy services in my area. [For reference, I had gotten my CSCS at the end of my undergrad and worked as a sports performance coach which allowed me to offer both types of “PT” services and differentiate myself from other physical therapists.] I also did homework to figure out the best way to keep overhead low while I was starting up my business.
Renting space in an established facility was the cheapest, easiest, and fastest way to get up and running. Without the capital to invest in buying all the gym equipment I wanted, I looked for a gym that had a private office that I could use for the manual therapy portion of my work. This meant I essentially only had to come up with funds for a treatment table and supplies (in addition to rent!). I found my first spot in a crossfit gym in Glendale and began treating patients there at the beginning of July 2017 – less than two months after I quit!
I found and opened a second location a few months later in Scottsdale which was closer to where I used to work and where my previous patients lived. I worked out of both locations for about a year while I built my name and clientele before deciding it was too much to go back and forth. I kept the Scottsdale location because it was a nicer gym and I had a busier schedule there. I remained at this location for about 18 months before having to take the next big leap – from solopreneur to entrepreneur.
I had just settled into my new routine in one place with a full schedule – and had even hired a former intern to help me with my increasing caseload – when Covid hit. Being a medical practitioner working out of a non-medical facility posed a big challenge. Like many places, we ended up in “lockdown” which meant that gyms couldn’t be open. I essentially had to sneak into work and keep the lights off and the doors locked while I saw patients. Then I learned that my landlord was pocketing the money I paid and wasn’t paying his rent to the owner of the building. The owner changed the locks while I was out to lunch one day while I still had all my stuff in my office! I was able to get access to my possessions, but knew I was nearing a dead end. I had to take the second leap within three years to open a facility that I had control over…and I needed to do it fast given the unpredictability of the pandemic.
I spent countless hours working on a floor plan design and mulling over whether I wanted to commit to buying a location or rent (and remodel) one. I had a list of “must have” equipment. I reviewed the footprint of each piece to arrive at 1,500 square feet of gym space, plus room for at least two treatment offices and a front desk area. I ultimately settled on 3,000 square feet. At that time, it was just me, the newly graduated intern, and a receptionist – plus my three dogs I wanted to be able to bring to work. It seemed crazy to think that my small practice would become so much bigger, because it had already grown so much in just a few months!
By August 2020, I signed the lease for a location in north Phoenix (purchase prices coupled with remodeling costs were outrageous in this market and climate, so it wasn’t the right time to buy). To finance this new undertaking, I used the SBA loan that was offered during Covid and had saved enough to buy all the equipment I wanted brand new. It took a lot of all-nighters to design, paint, and build all of the furniture and equipment by hand. Thankfully, I had help from many amazing patients and strong friends!
I held my grand opening in September 2020, and since then my practice has expanded from three people to four physical therapists, a personal trainer, six support staff, and several interns. We’ve already outgrown the current space and I’ve been keeping my eye open for the next location!
It’s wild to say that in just five years I built a full-fledged medical practice and sports-performance facility that is truly my home away from home. My business, my brand, and my community were all created from scratch and grew out of the idea to establish a new one-on-one physical therapy model with a higher standard of care. It is important to keep in mind that the growth and evolution of my business did not happen overnight. It has taken years to create all the systems that would grow with the business and hand pick the incredible team that I have today, all of which have allowed us to expand our services and offer telemedicine, online rehab / training programs and in-person classes in addition to one-on-one physical therapy / personal training.
Quitting the job I hated in 2017 was the easy part, but deciding to create a new model of physical therapy was a big risk, a risk that ultimately became the catalyst I needed to dream even bigger and risk even more with opening a brick and mortar facility in 2020. That one tiny risk completely changed the trajectory of my life and without it, The Physio Fix would not be the business that it is today. As a business owner in full control of my legacy, I’ve built more than I ever thought was possible and can’t wait to see what the next five years bring!
It has been both exciting and crazy to go from employee to solo practitioner to empowered entrepreneur and leader to my staff! It has and still is a challenge to balance time working IN and ON the business, while still maintaining a personal life. Trial and error has been the best and worst teacher. I wish I had an example to base my business on or someone with this type of experience that I could’ve hired as a business coach, but nothing like this existed when the idea came to me. Fortunately, I had my mother’s general guidance to help limit mistakes. Otherwise, once you start down this path you realize you can MAKE IT ANYTHING YOU WANT and that freedom is something I’d never give up! As long as you commit to learning from each step along the way, the sky’s the limit!
Dr. Stacie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Dr. Stacie Barber and I am the founder and owner of The Physio Fix which is a unique physical therapy and sports performance facility located in Phoenix, Arizona.
I founded The Physio Fix in 2017 so I could work with patients one-one-one for a full hour to give them the attention and the care that they deserve. I now have a team of 11 and together we offer physical therapy, personal training and injury prevention classes in addition to several rehab and training programs which can be purchased online through an app. We are a hybrid insurance/cash-pay clinic. Our goal is to help as many people as possible, so we do our best to be affordable and accessible worldwide!
Growing up I did 2 very different sports: horseback riding (barrel racing) and gymnastics. I did both of these from about 4 to 10 years old, which was when I chose to specialize in gymnastics. I continued gymnastics until I was 22. I earned my B.S. in Exercise Science as an NCAA collegiate gymnast at Illinois State University. While pursuing my undergraduate degree, I got my CSCS and worked as a sports performance coach all before attending Duke University and graduating with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in 2015.
I’ve personally have had to overcome 11 orthopedic surgeries, so I know what it’s like to be sidelined. My passion is for helping people and being able to give them the tools they need to recover from and prevent future injuries.
I consider myself a movement-based therapist and constantly use my background in gymnastics, sports performance coaching, physical therapy, and weightlifting / powerlifting to help patients not only feel better, but move better and get stronger too! I take great pride in being considered an industry leader at this point in my career, but I am even more proud of the business that I have created which has allowed me to help thousands of people over the years!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
I work both in-person and online with patients and clients, so I’ve had to build two sets of clientele.
The patients who find me on social media want to work with me because I’ve been able to establish myself as an expert by consistently posting high quality educational content. I also share the journey of patients (who authorize it) as well as my own training sessions. When people see that I have experience treating the types of pain and conditions they have, they inquire about our services. I answer as many general questions as possible for free in my direct messages which helps build rapport. We have also begun offering our group classes online, which is a very inexpensive way that potential clients can work with us and build trust.
Most of my in-person patients, however, came to me based on word-of-mouth and referrals. Here are the primary reasons why I’ve been able to grow my in-person clientele:
1. When patients see better results in their sessions with me (where we work together one-on-one for an hour) compared to the traditional physical therapy visit (where they only see their DPT for ten minutes and work with PTAs/techs the rest of the time), they will recommend me to other people they know who are struggling with an injury.
2. I am able to treat the whole person as opposed to treatment being dictated by insurance company limits and demands. This means patients can make improvement in multiple ways which empowers them and allows them to make more progress than they would otherwise. They will share this excitement and experience with others.
3. I make a point to figure out how to make physical therapy fit for a patient’s schedule and give them exercises they can do at home. This, again, empowers them and adds value beyond their session(s) with me. Giving patients more control over their time and recovery is something they will share with others.
4. I try to make the environment we treat patients in one that is inviting, fun, and supportive. No one enjoys being hurt and having to go to the doctor…much less visiting a sterile doctor’s office! Our friendly staff engages with each other’s patients and works together building a community feel. It’s helpful that patients can see each other’s struggles and progress, so they know they’re not alone. Plus, a lot of patients love interacting with my dogs who usually come to work with me. Once they come in for a consultation or visit, they’re usually hooked!
In either market, happy customers will always help do the work of spreading the word about your business, so be sure to stay focused on the patient’s needs and progress!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Initially, I only treated patients in-person, but I now work with patients both in-person and online, so I had to build my name in the industry in two ways. In general, there are two main pieces to this:
1) Working with as many people as possible – you can’t fake experience! The more exposure you have, the better your skills are, and the greater the knowledge bank you have to pull from.
2) Results speak for themselves and there is no better marketing than a happy customer. Be committed to each patient’s needs and progress and they will help you do the work of getting the word out!
When I first started my company, I had this idea to offer both in person and online services as I knew that would allow me to work with even more people from all over the world. The problem was, no one knew who I was yet, so it took awhile for the online side of things to really take off. In the meantime I started focusing on my in-person services and began working with patients in-person.
I initially rented space in a couple established gyms, so I interacted with personal trainers and gym goers. I also competed previously in body building, powerlifting, and Olympic lifting which served as a form of networking for that specific demographic. Over time, I developed relationships with a few local orthopedic surgeons who would refer patients. I also put my name in a couple nationwide referral groups so others in the industry or adjacent industries could refer patients outside their geographic area to me. More recently, we started offering a variety of group classes and workshops (from mobility to sport-specific training and injury prevention) and free 15-minute consultations that essentially give people the opportunity to “try before they buy.” Once they check us out, they usually commit to working with us.
I’ve been able to build my reputation online by:
1. Consistently providing high quality educational posts (and other interaction) on several social media platforms to establish credibility as an expert in my field.
2. Sharing my own lifting, mobility, and rehab workouts so viewers regularly see that I actually practice what I preach (added credibility).
3. Showing snippets of patient sessions (who authorize it) so potential patients know what they can expect in working with me.
4. Engaging with requests – from students, for podcast interviews, and peer collaborations (and even for a book!). This has provided access to markets that I might not otherwise be able to reach.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thephysiofix.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thephysiofix
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thephysiofix
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thephysiofix
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/thephysiofix
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-physio-fix-phoenix-6
Image Credits
Joseph Ettore Presley Brooke Webster James Patrick