We were lucky to catch up with Erica Marcano recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Erica, thanks for joining us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

Right out of grad school, I chose to take a paid internship for a year as a way to get more experience and get my foot in the door at a well-renowned institution rather than seek a full-time position at a lesser known institution. As I think many of us have experienced at some point in our career, working at the big-name institution wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. However, I’m so thankful for that experience, as it taught me not only what I do and don’t want in a workplace setting, but also that there are ALWAYS trade-offs, and what you are willing to accept often has more to do with your personal values than your professional goals – an important lesson that I’m glad I learned early. In the moment though, as I was preparing to leave that internship, in some ways, I felt like a failure – although I did gain clinical knowledge, practical experience, and professional connections that I still value today. However, this feeling was offset by the fact that I was offered full-time positions at all three of my clinical affiliations with while in grad school. This was so validating after a setback, and I ended up happily accepting my first full-time offer from one of these institutions, where I thrived for almost five years before moving on. While I may have been able to attain a similar position had I applied a year earlier, I know that I would not have been as prepared without that extra year under my belt, and, more importantly, I don’t think I would have appreciated the workplace itself nearly as much.

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

I am a BOC-certified Athletic Trainer and NSCA-certified Strength Coach, and I am also trained in Blood Flow Restriction, John F. Barnes Myofascial Release, Pranayama, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra. I have been working in the sports rehab and performance sector with populations ranging from pro athletes to weekend warriors for 20 years, and currently offer my unique blend of high-performance services to in-person clients in the NYC area, as well as remote clients nationwide.

As a young athlete who was injured, I was told by a professional, “you’ll be fine if you just stop playing that sport.” What I needed to be told was, “We will find a way to make you strong enough to continue doing what you love, without pain, or future repercussions.” I have made it my mission to bring that truth to my own patients, clients, and athletes, and help them return to their strongest, most capable selves rather than let their injury become their identity.

I also strongly believe that through education and advocacy, I can help more people than I ever could in my own clinical practice. My mission is simple – I want athletes, patients, and clients everywhere to have access to the incredible power of the biopsychosocial model of care that I know we as skilled rehab and fitness professionals are capable of delivering when we are supported with the right resources. To that end, I serve as the New York City representative for the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association, and as the Northeast Regional Coordinator and Head Athletic Trainer/Performance Coach with The Rugby Research and Injury Prevention Group. I have lectured at several continuing education conferences for Sports Medicine professionals, and recently authored my first book, “Big Stretch: Stretches For Bed That Are Animal-Led,” in hopes of inspiring our next generation of athletes to view exercise and mobility as play, and help them build healthy foundations that will serve them for life!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest pivot of my career so far (as may be the case for some readers) was when everything as we knew it was disrupted due to the pandemic. In January of 2020, I had started to consider taking a sabbatical and then returning to my full-time job as a part-time employee in order to start my own business, so in that way, I was as well-prepared as I could have been – I was already doing some research into what my niche was and how to begin marketing myself. When in-person work shut down, we were all laid off, and I quickly realized that I would never have this amount of time to focus on developing my own brand again – it was a now or never moment. While the circumstances were not ideal, I was able to pivot with significantly less stress and anxiety because I already had some of the pieces in place, and then unexpectedly had the time to cultivate that vision, as well as temporary financial stability through the extended unemployment benefits. Because my business is small and nimble, I continue to constantly make small pivots to stay attuned to the needs and wants of those I work with. To me, what is true in sports is also true in business – strength, speed, stability and agility are all necessary to succeed.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think my passion for the work that I do may be the quality that clients, supervisors, and peers have all valued the most. The love I have for what I do informs all of my actions – whether it is going the extra mile to help an athlete, getting involved with projects that align with my values, asking for help when I need it, advocating for the profession, or continuing to seek out and learn new skills and techniques to deliver the best care possible. Because people know how much I care about my work, they trust me to always do the best job possible when collaborating on care, and to utilize the network I’ve built to support their goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thenotoriousatc.com
• Instagram: @notorious.atc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-marcano

Image Credits

Nousha Salimi
David Sauerhoff
Starky Morillo