We recently connected with Erica Franks and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Erica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?
Honestly, I don’t ask my friends or family to support my business anymore. Early on, I asked some friends and family to share and post flyers, but after a while I learned that everyone is not “Team Invigor” and that’s okay. If they want to repost a flyer or ask if I need help, then great, if not, it’s fine. Not everyone will want to see you win and that doesn’t bother me. Being a business owner, you have a strength that no one understands and realize how to work hard for yourself. Also, your family and friends are not always your target audience. I appreciate the love and support from others, but my patients are the ones that advocate for me and make my business what it is along with my skills. So, learn who your target audience is and focus on them. Go hard for yourself, no one else will work as hard as yourself to make your business successful!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Dr. Erica Franks, PT, DPT, OCS and I am the owner of Invigor Physical Therapy, LLC which was established in 2014 for orthopedic patients within their homes. In June, 2022, I opened within a gym space in Marietta, GA treating all orthopedic cases in addition to Vestibular rehabilitation.
Growing up, I began dancing at the age of four years old. I also was a cheerleader, on several dance teams, played soccer, tennis and loved swimming. I attended Howard University and majored in Dance Arts. While at Howard, I struggled with a knee and ankle injury and took an interest in the field after seeing several therapists. My third year at Howard, I switched my major to Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in Dance Arts. From there, I’ve always been intrigued in orthopedics because of my sports background.
In 2005, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Howard University and subsequently earned my Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree from Emory University in 2008. I received my advanced board certification in orthopedics in 2013 becoming an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS). I then later became certified in Dry Needling (Cert. DN) and then certified as a Kinesio Taping Practitioner (CKTP). I’m also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. I currently sit on the Career Technical and Agricultural Education Board-Sports Medicine Pathway for Benjamin E. Mays High School.
My dance experience includes competitive and professional training at: Howard University Dance Program, Alvin Ailey Summer Dance Intensive, Super Bowl XXXIV Performing Dance team, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Internship, Debbie Allen School of Dance Summer Intensive Internship, Ballethnic Dance Academy, Price Performing Arts Center Senior Company and Phyzix Urban Dance Theatre.
My awards include Top Doctors of America in 2023, which I’m the only PT in America awarded. I also just received the Pioneer Award from Tuskegee University Atlanta Alumni chapter on May 27, 2023, for excelling and being a pioneer in the field of physical therapy.
My clinical experience includes treatment of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine cases and Vestibular Rehabilitation at Benchmark Physical Therapy, Select Physical Therapy and Luna Physical Therapy; home healthcare with Gentiva and Kindred Healthcare and Emory University Hospital Midtown. I’ve also worked as the Clinical Director at Genesis Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation-Cascade.
My passion is providing treatment for dancers and athletes and all orthopedic injuries. I’m grateful for a growing practice, my patients and their families. I proudly offer a wealth of personalized services for positive results. The services I offer are: Outpatient Physical Therapy, Injury Prevention, Manual therapy, Core stabilization, Orthopedics, Concussion management, Dry Needling, Kinesio Taping, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo treatment (BPPV), Vestibular Rehabilitation, Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM), Myofascial Cupping, Sports Performance, TMJ Rehabilitation, Total joint replacement, Pre rehab/Post-surgery, Wellness- Cardiac Phase III-IV, Diabetic, High Blood Pressure, Weight Management, Blood Flow Restriction Training, and Work Conditioning.
What I am really excited about is that I have added a new title to my name, “Published Author”. I have had several PTs ask how to start a business over the last year, and now I’m excited to help others do the same. My published book is on Amazon Kindle called, “How do you start a Physical Therapy Practice.”
I am also proud to now see some of my mentees finish school and enter the profession as some great therapists.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
My most effective strategy has been patients marketing for me. They are really what keep me in business. Early on, when they went to their doctor appointments, I gave them flyers to hand directly to their doctors. Their doctors then inquired about me, and several had their assistants reach out to schedule meetings in person. I then built relationships with those companies which helped with referrals.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I went to Howard University and majored in Dance Arts the first two years and had some amazing internships. But after doing PT myself for my knee and ankle, I had to shift career paths and took an interest in PT. I remember my advisor at Howard telling me I would need to take 5 years to finish my undergraduate degree and I proved him wrong and took multiple sciences classes and did summer school to finish in 4 years. My senior year at Howard, I applied to a few schools, and I got called for an interview from Emory University that February before I graduated. I then had to make a hard decision to start school right away after graduation that summer or take a year off. I chose to come home to Atlanta and pursue PT and leave my professional dance path behind.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.invigorpt.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/invigorpt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076169705146
Image Credits
Professional picture- Shoccara Marcus @shocphoto