We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Garlit recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us 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.

My mentor once said, “Listen to what others are saying about you. If multiple people are saying the same thing, pay attention.” When someone would tell me that they saw me as an entrepreneur, I wouldn’t believe them. Even though I dreamt of starting my own physical therapy practice, I couldn’t see what they saw in me. For a long time, I had so many voices in my head telling me why I shouldn’t do it. “You don’t know how to start a business.” “You don’t have enough experience.” “Now isn’t a good time. I’ll do it when…” After becoming a mom, I really needed to reflect on who I was and what my purpose is. I decided to bet on myself and believe what others were telling me. I started to lean into this entrepreneurial journey, and once I did, doors started to open. As I consistently made decisions that aligned with my vision, the pieces started to fall into place.

I have a few words of advice for people who are thinking about starting their own physical therapy practice:
1. Study and learn from entrepreneurs who have successfully done it before you. There is so much to gain from understanding what helped others succeed, what they learned from challenging situations, and what they could have done differently. Also, you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. Gather what information you can, adapt it to your own, trial it, and revise as needed.
2. Get advice from a lawyer whose expertise is in business and/or health care. You want to make sure your business and practices are abiding by the laws and regulations of your county and state. Do this early and avoid any major issues in the future.
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Starting a business is hard. You have to constantly push the limits of what is possible, put yourself in front of strangers and get them on board with your vision, confront your inner struggles, try new things, face rejection, and so much more. The better you are at dealing with these uncomfortable situations, the more resilient you become as an entrepreneur.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

As a dancer and athlete, I was always fascinated by the human body. At a young age, I had an appreciation for what our bodies are capable of doing and how it serves as a vessel for us to experience life, see the world, form relationships, serve others, and make a lasting impact. Naturally, I gravitated to a movement-based profession and felt a calling towards physical therapy. Now, I provide rehabilitation to athletes and dancers who are recovering from injury, surgery, or chronic pain. My mission is to help active individuals stay active through movement, mindfulness and learning about their body. If you’ve had an experience with physical therapy where you felt fine with day to day activities, but felt unprepared going back to your sport, I can help you. Unlike traditional physical therapy, I excel in getting you back to a higher level of performance and competition. Each session with me is fun, engaging, and created with your end-goal in mind. Each person brings their own unique story and circumstance, and I treat each individual and injury as such. There is no such thing as cookie cutter programs in my practice. My goal is for my patients to get strong, build confidence, and leave feeling better than when they came in. I am so proud of the impact I’ve made on my patients and community. When they win, I win. They are the reason why I do what I do.

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

Before I started my own practice, I was working in a hospital-based outpatient clinic. I worked full-time and saw 13 patients a day. I would see each patient for 40 minutes and wouldn’t see them again for another 3-4 weeks. While some patients got better, many would come back complaining that nothing had changed. I felt like I couldn’t help patients to my full potential. I became burnt out. A little voice in my head kept telling me to leave. As this voice kept getting louder and louder, there came a point when I couldn’t silence it anymore. While it was scary, I left my stable job to follow my dream of starting my own practice. I had people telling me it was a bad idea. I did it anyway. I was so focused on my mission to help people return to a more fulfilling life. I made every decision in alignment with that and here I am today. Listen to that voice. It keeps coming back for a reason.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Interpersonal and communication skills are incredibly important as a physical therapist. I believe they’re more important than your manual techniques or exercise choices. Patients do better if they trust you and the service you are providing. Most people are looking for a provider that can listen and empathize with them. Sure, you may have a ton of credentials and come from a prestigious program. That may get someone to choose you initially. What keeps them coming back is your ability to see them as a person and not just a diagnosis.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nicolegarlitpt.com
• Instagram: drnicolegarlit