We were lucky to catch up with Sam Becourtney recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sam thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights 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.

After working at an outpatient orthopedic PT clinic for 3.5 years following graduation from the DPT program at NYU, I decided it was time to take the leap and start my own practice. Before starting Pillar Performance, I knew that finding the right location was a key first step and one I couldn’t afford to mess up. I was fortunate to find an amazing co-working gym space (Sky Health NYC) to start running my practice out of, and have hit the ground running since opening in January of 2023. I needed a space that could serve both as a fully functional private fitness center as well as an upscale physical therapy clinic with all of the necessary tools, modalities, and equipment – I found just that! What is currently a single PT operation (myself), I hope to someday consist of multiple physical therapists, all who believe in the importance of training together with physical therapy to help improve the health and longevity of every client that walks through our front door.

Pillar Performance is my way of making a difference in the world. I wanted to establish a company that meshed my background in personal training and exercise physiology with my doctorate degree in physical therapy. Thus Pillar Performance was born: where I believe in client-centered care and a sustainable approach to rehab and /training as a *pillar* of long-term health. I feel that This hybrid approach is what differentiates myself and my practice from many other well-established PT clinics in New York.

My goal has been and remains helping people get back to activities that they love doing. Whether it be running a marathon or playing with their grandchildren. Most people have some physical goal that becomes harder to do when injuries and pain enter the equation. I don’t just want to help people get rid of their knee pain… I want to help people get rid of their knee pain so that they can get back to the specific activity that they love. That is the type of personalized attention, active listening, and individualized approach that new clients should expect at Pillar Performance.

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 Sam Becourtney, and I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Personal Trainer, small business owner, and educator. Physical Therapy for me was the perfect way to mesh my love of sports, exercise, and personal training with my desire to help people and make a difference in their lives. I believe that physical therapists truly can form a more unique and meaningful relationship with their patients compared to many other medical professionals.

I established my company, Pillar Performance, in early 2023 and work primarily with people in pain, looking to return to an active lifestyle of some sort. Many of my clients choose to continue working with me, once their pain has been resolved, in order to work towards other physical goals they once thought unattainable. I work with people dealing with both acute injuries (including post-operative care) as well as more chronic ongoing issues.

Many of the clients I work with have “tried PT elsewhere” and never got the answers or help they truly needed. Every session with me is 60 minutes long and one-on-one, which allows for a truly customized plan of care. My goal is to provide clients with the tools they need to facilitate independence and a pain-free quality of life, hence why I take a very active approach to care with an emphasis on the importance of exercise and movement, rather than passive modalities.

In an effort to ensure future physical therapists continue to raise the bar and push the profession forward, I began helping as adjunct faculty at NYU in 2019. I believe that giving back and specifically helping students become the best versions of themselves, is key to continued growth of any licensed profession.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Organic marketing. Simply put, there is no more effective strategy for growing your clientele than having your existing clients vouch for you. Whether you specifically ask for them to do so, or it happens genuinely, word of mouth referrals are one of the strongest means of getting new business. This is essentially free marketing for you, with a trusted source vouching for you on their own accord.

As important as your skillset as a physical therapist (or any trade for that matter – architect, electrician, etc.) may be, equally important in a client-services industry is your ability to listen and build real relationships. These relationships are what will help grow your clientele in the future. Leveraging these relationships to generate new business has been a difference maker for me. At the end of the day, this also shows a level of true authenticity, rather than paying for overt marketing that can at times present as overly targeted and pushy.

I always believe that if you are good at what you do and can truly help people and make a noticeable difference in their lives, that’s all the marketing you’ll ever need to do. That is why investing in yourself and your skillset (ie. taking continuing education classes) has so much more value than just the initial price tag.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I often asked myself this question, especially prior to starting my own business and the answer wasn’t always yes. Since starting Pillar Performance, the answer is a yes 10/10 times. Prior to opening my practice in January of 2023, however, I was fed up and felt I had reached a growth ceiling in my previous role. This led me to actually consider leaving physical therapy altogether. I went through three rounds of an interview process for a research analyst position in the medical sector. Through this interview process, I realized that a desk job was not for me, and I simply needed to find a way to monetize (and grow within) the career that I actually did love, which was being a physical therapist.

I am a firm believer in the following: If you do what you love to do, and you’re good at what you do, the money and financial freedom will eventually come. The day to day enjoyment I get from being a physical therapist and helping others is unmatched. My advice to anyone who feels ‘stuck’ is to not give up on your dream. It’s okay to pivot, but don’t abandon your true life’s passion and purpose without exhausting all options to succeed within that career trajectory. I am so happy with where my decision to pursue physical therapy has landed me and am beyond excited for what the future holds.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pillarperformanceny.com
• Instagram: @pillar.performance.ny
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sam-becourtney-pt-dpt-cscs