We recently connected with Julie Auman and have shared our conversation below.
Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
2 years before I decided to leave the orthopedic physical therapy clinic I worked at, I knew I wanted to start my own practice. It took me two years to make the leap. In those two years I took a few different side jobs to explore my options and learn how to be an independent practitioner. I took a fitness trainer course to teach high intensity fitness classes at a boutique studio where I learned how to get out of my comfort zone, speak in front of a large class, and command attention. I also began treating as a concierge physical therapist as an independent contractor where I was able to see the ins and outs of running a cash based physical therapy practice. Both of these opportunities gave me insight and confidence in my ability to begin my own cash based practice and start to branch out on my own. There have been many iterations of my current physical therapy practice that now has two locations and I have a highly skilled and wonderful independent contractor working for me now! One of the biggest hurdles in starting my own practice was understanding all of the rules, guidelines, and practice needs. I decided to invest $2k into a course that taught me step by step how to set up a private practice. This was the best investment I’ve made as it laid out the details and checklists I needed to complete in order to successfully get off the ground. From there I began seeing patients in their homes as it was low cost and didn’t require me to find a space to rent. The drawbacks were that there was limited equipment I could bring to patients houses and travel time was lengthy. I began looking for spaces to rent and stumbled across a beautiful yoga studio that allowed me to rent the space by the hour. Now I had a home base and I loved it! In the early stages, and even now, one of the biggest challenges is getting new clients in the door. When I first started I had a small community of followers that allowed me to make a start but I needed to find consistent referrals. I began networking with fitness professionals, doctors, other physical therapists, health and wellness advocates which helped! The yoga studio I was working out of closed with in 2 months of me starting there and I was out on my own again. I needed to find another space quickly – and I did inside of a gym this time. This allowed me a network of referrals directly from the gym, a wealth of equipment, and a shared office space for privacy. This was another challenge and success in growing the practice. Now I had a reputable space to treat clients with no limits. Eventually I moved out of that space to a private room inside a boutique gym, SWEAT DC, and from there I have been able to flourish. There have been challenges and missteps along the way however there’s nothing I would do differently. Each time I was faced with a challenge I was able to navigate it successfully and that is all you can hope for in business. Each misstep has led to a better understanding of the necessities of building a practice and no misstep was fatal. The best advice I can give to someone starting their own practice is to invest in your weaknesses and take action consistently. Understanding where you struggle, maybe it’s the marketing side, or the finances, or forming relationships with other practitioners, know where you struggle and take a course or find a mentor to help you through those challenges. Take action consistently! In business, you are the driving force of your success. If you sit with indecision too long you will lose out on opportunities and growth. If you can make decisions quickly and act on them you will also learn quickly what works and what does not so you can redirect your course as you go. Action leads to results and propels your motivation. When in doubt go do something, it doesn’t matter if it works or not – you will propel yourself forward and at the very least learn from the result.
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?
I became a physical therapist because I grew up loving two things, science and sports. As I was deciding what career path to chose it became obvious over time that my love for chemistry, biology, psychology, philosophy did not belong in the traditional academic or research world, I needed a hands on job. I married my two passions of science and movement when I found physical therapy. As I got deeper into my career I became increasingly passionate about not only the physical sciences but even more so the psychology of pain and the practice of understanding people. I believe this is what sets me apart. I am a board certified orthopedic specialist who also is a certified integrative mental health practitioner. Meaning I understand deeply the orthopedic injuries but also pain science and psychology. How stress and trauma of any kind, peoples belief systems and own path affect their ability to process and heal from pain. This takes healing and rehab to another dimension. I am at heart a problem solver so I am to get to the root of each issue and work to solve it. This could mean graded exposure on a very tailored level meaning exposing patients to exercise and movement at the level they can handle and for chronic pain patients this may take a longer journey to recovery but ultimately it’s worth the time and effort.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Passion, resiliency, ethical business practices. You need to be completely dedicated to your practice that it drives and inspires you or you may find motivation challenging. Resiliency, you need to be able to with stand the many “no’s” it takes to get to a yes. And ethical business practices— I believe people want honest, transparent, and foundational information. Don’t try to sell something you don’t believe in or make a quick buck at the price of your principles.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
My constant desire for truth searching, information gathering, wanting to connect people to as many quality providers as I can to short cut the health care system. It has helped me form a network and create word of mouth
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Movementevolutionpt.com
- Instagram: @mvmtevo
