Big Lessons from Scaling a Cash Practice with Dr. Owen Johnston

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Aaron LeBauer Show. This is the number one show for passionate physical therapy and health care entrepreneurs looking to level up their income and impact on the world. If that's you, then you're in the right place. So sit back, chill out, and let's get into the show.

[00:00:21] Hey, welcome back to the Aaron LeBauer Show. I'm your host Aaron and today my special guest is Owen Johnson. Owen owns a business with his wife Jen. It's called Advanced Physical Therapy and Wellness out in San Diego. And Owen's been on the show before he spoke at PTBizCon and he was entrepreneur of the year. And got it right there. Yep. Got it right there. There it is.

[00:00:51] And, you know, he's a lot has changed since the last time we spoke with Owen. And so I want to bring him back on the show to get a catch up, catch some of the new lessons he's done. He's been helping us in the platinum mastermind with some coaching and mentoring some other new members. And, Owen, welcome to the show. I really appreciate you being here. Thanks, man. It's my pleasure. Yeah, let me just say number one, I was late and I apologize. And because I value your time, but also your friendship, the good vibes. I mean, that's

[00:01:21] just one I really like. I just want to say publicly that, like, dude, it's just always awesome to be on a call with you and thank you for like always like giving more than it feels like that you receive. It's just another one of those people that you're like, I'm like, is he for real? Like, yes, he's real. Owen is just a giver by nature. So, dude, thank you very much.

[00:01:43] Likewise, thanks, man. And I always say that I just gave a presentation at my business networking group and basically I said I want to be known as the physical therapist that gives the most of like no one is going to give as much value as we do.

[00:01:56] Yeah, it's so in the in the course that I have in the cash PD blueprint, I have a whole mindset thing. So remember when I created 10 years ago was like, people are like just all have this and so one of the one of the things it's I have a mindset is called mindset

[00:02:12] everything. But one of the big things was you have to give to get right, you have to like this, you know, it's like the idea of reciprocity, like I have to give to someone else first and you're really good at doing that. And it shows with like the business success can you just share a little bit about like, how like, where that comes from and how you guys like what was some of the things you do? Where's that mindset come from? Because it's just the complete opposite of the scarcity piece.

[00:02:39] Yeah, great question. And so I guess I started with a book that I read pretty like almost right before that we launched the practice and it was called The Go Giver. And it's like this parable book and it's a great book and it's that that BNI business networking group that I'm in I just talked about presenting on they call givers gain. Yeah, a go giver instead of a go getter. And basically there were like three or four rules and I remember that one of the rules was

[00:03:09] the amount of impact that you have is proportional to the number of lives that you've touched. So if you've touched and you've helped so many people like if you got 1000s and millions of people that you've helped, then essentially, that's going to be the level of impact and essentially money, everything that goes into a revenue. It's going to be directly proportional to that. And I forget what the other principles was were of that book, I should probably read it again.

[00:03:39] However, that's just that one nugget is all you need from the book to write the 10. Yeah, but it is it's like this. It's right. It's the principle of go with a giving hand rather than a taking hand and like what's in it for other people. And if I can make it about other people, then it comes around. You know, we get what we we need. Right.

[00:03:59] Yeah, so yeah, basically, I mean, you said it right there and it's kind of like, I always say and I think it's from the book or maybe it's from my father is a really good gift giver. That's his love language. So when he gives a gift and I learned it from like the programs of recovery, 12 step programs that it's like if you give a gift, you have to have no expectation of getting anything in return.

[00:04:19] However, what I found later on with the go giver and whatever that it's like no matter what that energy that you put out in the universe, it always comes back to you and it comes back to you like tenfold. The math never adds up. However, it may not be directly from the source that you gave to. So it'll come back one way or the other. Sometimes it's from that source, but you can't have an expectation that's going to come from that source. And so long as you have that and you hold that true, then you don't become resentful about giving to people or something if it's not coming back from that source.

[00:04:49] As long as you don't become resentful, you can't maintain that positivity and then like and you're open to receiving and then you can't be not open to receiving because if you block it off, then you decrease that cycle, that loop.

[00:05:03] Right. Right. And I think that's the thing. It's like it's one is to give without expectation. And then it's two being the second part is being open to receiving from somewhere else and being a gracious receiver.

[00:05:15] Because I think a lot of people like don't want to receive and they have a hard time receiving gifts. It's like just be gracious that someone else wants to maybe pay for something for you. Right.

[00:05:23] Have you found that too? Yeah. Yeah. And I feel like I used to not be open to receiving too and I would stop. And nowadays I'm just like, cool. Yeah, sounds good.

[00:05:33] Sometimes if I have a rule personally, I don't know where I get it from. But when I offer to give something like that, if I'm like paying for a meal or something like that and someone says no, I offer one more time. And if they say no again, I say, okay, yep.

[00:05:47] I just leave it at that. Yeah, I have that same rule. I think I saw my dad and his brothers like arguing. Stop arguing the bill. Just you know, like they can all afford the food. And I was like, okay, like I'm going to offer to pay. And if someone says no, I got it or, you know, say I'll offer a second time.

[00:06:03] And then after that, I'm just like great. Thank you. Just exact same. And I'm sure we've never talked about this before, which is really cool. Oh, and so how do you use this to grow? I mean, I got to get back on track with some other of my thoughts. But just while we're here, how do you use this kind of principle and idea of giving first givers gain to grow your business and help with your marketing and helping your patients?

[00:06:26] This is a great question. And, and I got that from you, by the way, I always say this is a great question. And you always made me feel so good when you'd be like, like who else here wants to hear about that? Anyways, this is a great question. And essentially, it's kind of like our marketing events are all are all giving events. And currently we found that we need to do three in person marketing events a month to fill one therapist schedule. And we were looking at needing 12, 12 events, like whether they're workshops, whether they're free, can be done, or if they're open to the public.

[00:06:56] Or complimentary cupping sessions, bodywork sessions and injury screens. Whether we started doing some nonprofit stuff, we needed we needed events. And we did we did nine events this last month because we had three physical therapists. And like this last weekend, this is the way I went down. This is how we give.

[00:07:14] I think Dr. Myra was over at 45 East Hillcrest, and we messed up with the schedule. So we had to come back early to the clinic. And our, our administrative person was there with him. And I went to yoga six to help out with Dr. Jeremy or other than one of our PT T's. And so basically, sorry, started at yoga six with Jeremy doing the free complimentary cupping session and injury screening. Then I drove over to Hillcrest.

[00:07:43] East Hillcrest, East Hillcrest, I relieved my rose, we're gonna go back to the clinic and treat patients. And then I finished up his free cupping session slash injury screen. And then after that ended, I went back to yoga six. And Jeremy went back to the clinic to treat patients and Jen and I taught a workshop on handstands to the community.

[00:08:01] And they charged $40 per member for the handstand workshop. I think that 12 so they had like, they made like $480 and we didn't take a single penny of that. We said, it's free. It's not gonna cost you anything. And we tell that to everyone with any of the workshops and cupping sessions and whatever.

[00:08:18] We tell them you can charge for it and all the money goes back to you. Same with the nonprofits and he leads that come in through their stuff that, you know, buy like, buy whatever they buy, then they get 100% of that. And then they get a percentage off if they buy packages or programs.

[00:08:33] So those are three ways that we give workshops, giving our time, complimentary cupping sessions and injury screens and bodywork. And then nonprofit stuff.

[00:08:45] There's a fourth one that you do. You may not know it. You give compliments. I love your shoes. I love your shoes. Like, right? That's the conversation opener, right?

[00:08:58] Yep. And that is how you attract people over to your booth too as well when you're like doing an injury screen or cupping session at like any kind of community event. Or even if you're trying to draw people in at the gyms or wherever you're at.

[00:09:11] The first thing I do is compliment somebody. It's got to be a genuine compliment. It can't be a fake compliment because people can, I just feel it's not, it's unethical to lie, first of all. And second of all, people can smell it.

[00:09:24] And so it's got to be genuine. If you can't find a genuine compliment, don't give one. And I've not given one before. I've just stood there and said, I'm Owen.

[00:09:34] I love that, dude. Very cool. Okay, so I want to go back to where I was intending to start. But you know, if everyone here knows my brain moves around a lot of places and that's part of my superpower and part of how I try to keep things sounding normal.

[00:09:50] Owen, it's been a while since, it's been about a year since I interviewed you for the podcast. And then it's been what, have you been in business two and a half years or three years now?

[00:09:58] Yeah, it'll be two and a half years next month. So just about two and a half years.

[00:10:03] Yeah, two and a half years. So when we started, you know, you guys can go, you were like, I think you were like what, about to charge 75 bucks a person, you enrolled in the Patients and Profits program and you did like 7K your first month.

[00:10:14] And last time we checked in, it was like a year, a little over a year after that, right? And you had done a couple hundred dollars in your first year.

[00:10:23] And I just want to remember, like there's a couple of, there's some highlights along the way and then between here and last, the last time we did had you on the podcast. Just can you give it, catch us up to where you're at?

[00:10:34] Yeah, sure. So yeah, the first month I can say with confidence that I wouldn't have made more than $800 based on my track record.

[00:10:43] And I got into the Patients and Profits, your class that you did online for his five week course and cost $2,500. I joined that two weeks in, two weeks into business.

[00:10:56] And then I made like $7,400 that first month. And basically that was in the last two weeks of the month. So because I really had maybe made like, I don't know, $200, $300 or something like that.

[00:11:10] That's where I'm getting my projection of $800. So $7,400 the first month. Yeah. And then yeah, within the first year, I think we made $200K.

[00:11:21] And that's cool. That sounds great. And I've noticed it's really not that cool when it comes to expenses and opening a brick and mortar location. It really went back into the business.

[00:11:31] But that's cool. We went out to kind of break a record sort of thing. And sounds like it did at the time. Don't know if that's changed.

[00:11:40] However, year two was a struggle. Year two was a major struggle. I say we lost three quarters of the year. We were 1.2% profitability for the second year.

[00:11:59] We were just holding on nostrils barely above water. And I was beating myself up, taking it personally and it sucked. We did not have a great hiring and recruiting process. We did not have any leadership skills.

[00:12:14] I don't remember what we made in revenue. I think Jen would know better than me. However, I think it was, I don't know, probably between $300K and $500K. We'll just say $400K.

[00:12:26] However, 1.2% profitability. So that was not good. That was barely holding on and barely having everything covered and everybody paid and wondering if it was going to work out or not.

[00:12:41] Then we got really good at all those things that I said we weren't good at. I did a reflection exercise of, and I think it's like 26 ways that I failed as a leader.

[00:12:51] I wrote it all down. I also had some emotional breakdowns and asked you to ask Baderose, a therapist, and the therapist really helped me out. Had me read a couple books and read a bunch more books.

[00:13:05] And our last quarter of 2023, our last quarter of 2023, last quarter year two was great. I think we were like 12% profitability. We did a great job. I forget exactly what the numbers were. However, quarter one this year, I believe we were like 16.

[00:13:24] Our projections are we're like 16 or 17% profitability. We had a 67K month last month and I think January was like 40K, February was 50K over 50K. So on average we made over 50K a month. Same with the last quarter before that.

[00:13:41] Nothing on average we made over 50K a month. And like I said, we had a higher profit margin. Our goal was 20. So things are going well. We were pretty discouraged.

[00:13:56] I mean it's not easy. I don't know if anyone, you know, like it's hard. There's awesome results and but dude, it ain't easy. Right?

[00:14:06] Yeah, it's not easy. And then like I said last week, one of our PTs, one of our high performing PTs that's had a full schedule for after three months of training the last three months, she gave her two weeks notice.

[00:14:21] Which is okay. But it's just like when you're soaring high, you can always be shot down. Right? So that was like right after we were stoked about that 67K and we've been like the 16, 17% profitability and had our State of the Union meeting and talking about it.

[00:14:34] That was like the next day. Steve Eckert, one of Baydros' partners in like the project, whatever he did this presentation is like how to, I can't remember the name of it, but it's like basically how to maintain like a level head.

[00:14:48] Like you can't get too excited. You can't get too low. You got to because like good leaders are able to maintain it and it takes a long time to learn that.

[00:14:57] How do you get not so excited or not so down because business is just a big wave. It's just your, it's like a, what is it? Like a boat ride through the Pacific.

[00:15:08] Can you talk about like what were some of the biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

[00:15:14] Some of the biggest challenges.

[00:15:16] Yeah, the biggest challenge is like growing your business, scaling the multiple therapists. What are the biggest challenges? And how do you like overcome it? Or how do you feel? Like what do you do to like fix some of this?

[00:15:25] Great question. Yeah, so I would say some of our biggest challenges were so we didn't, when we first hired our first hires, so let's say out of our first four team members that we hired, we had to let go three of them.

[00:15:45] So only one stuck. And there were, it was, there were some challenges even with the one that stuck around and it's going a lot better now. But we were pretty worried.

[00:16:00] So it was, it was hiring people. I would say it was hiring people to solve a problem.

[00:16:08] In the Entrepreneurial Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy, it says don't hire people to solve a problem because don't hire people to put out a fire because if you do that then you may be trying to put out the fire with gasoline.

[00:16:19] And that's exactly what happened. We hired the PTs and the admins without any standard operating procedures or SOPs in place, no training programs whatsoever. I was treating over 40 hours a week.

[00:16:35] I was treating over 40 patients, 12 hour days, four days a week. And I didn't have clear expectations set when they did start. I told them it was going to be easy because I thought it was going to be easy.

[00:16:53] I thought that I was going to just build out the SOPs and the trainings while I train them and that I would have time to do that. And what ended up happening was I did not have time to do that.

[00:17:05] I did not have time to like leave the clinic and let them treat on their own because they weren't doing good in sales.

[00:17:13] I thought I was going to train the first PT so good that that PT was going to write the SOP manual for me. No, he didn't know how to do that.

[00:17:23] And hired another one, another PT a couple months after that one too as well because Jen had started treating too. So we were like we need to fill two therapist schedules.

[00:17:34] So hiring too many people too fast as well and telling him it was going to be easy. And the reason why we told him it was going to be easy was because it was very easy for Jen and I.

[00:17:43] Jen jumped in. And I think the reason is, is because we do a really good job in being in your program identifying the people that have what we want and then going and serving them and giving to them like we were just talking about.

[00:17:55] And then giving to them. Somehow we become friends by doing things for them, doing nice things for them. We become friends like a byproduct and then they teach people like you Jordan Peterson says people will teach you things that they like you.

[00:18:08] So then they automatically start teaching us things. So we realized that we hung out with the top 1% of people like in your program or in any other program that we've ever been a part of.

[00:18:17] And we hung out with the top 1% of business owners and we make it look easy. They make you look easy. So we thought that if we just hired people they were going to be just like us.

[00:18:27] Nope, they weren't like us whatsoever.

[00:18:32] And we didn't have any basis any foundation of training SOPs or anything like that in order to teach them to be like us. We threw way too many things at them at the same time.

[00:18:41] We're like go out make relationships in the community. Go to workshops, go to injury screens. Here you go. Here's and then I'm going to go just do an injury screen.

[00:18:49] I'm take all six patients. I'm going to throw them on as a total body diagnostic to Dr. Miro and he's just going to close at the same closing rate that I did with that without them even meeting him ever before.

[00:18:59] Did not happen. Close zero out of six one time and I was like, oh, maybe I should co-treat when I dump patients on from events so then they have got that familiar face and not just throw them on somebody and they don't even know who they are.

[00:19:14] So yeah, that was some major issues.

[00:19:20] I'm smiling because like all those things are familiar to me too.

[00:19:24] You know, and you just got a different words like, yep, yep, yep. That's it. You know, it's like struggle with some of the same things like for the me. Oh, and it was like I've hired people like remind was I've hired people put them in place and expect that they're just going to fill that seat forever and I can go just start filling more seats and then they move on or do something different.

[00:19:43] I'm like, I don't have to replace them. You know, and it's just you know, it's like it's never as easy as it seems but it's to me though and I don't know about you all that hard work and you know the the joy and the tears and all that is worth it because it's from it's building something for me and my family and my community and the people versus working for someone who doesn't care about my job and live with it.

[00:20:04] Don't you agree?

[00:20:05] Oh yeah, without a doubt.

[00:20:07] Yeah, so were there one or two things that like, like either whether it's something you were talking about with Kevin or that you've you figured out through this process that you know you could leave as nuggets or that you realize to help you kind of like shift or change perspective or do something differently.

[00:20:23] Oh yeah, great question.

[00:20:26] So yeah, you just talk, you talk about Kevin that's Dr. Kevin gotting.

[00:20:32] That's the last name anyways.

[00:20:34] And, and that's a bedrosis therapist I reached out to you when I had to not just one but two emotional breakdowns where I literally went gorilla mode on on the pillows of our couch and also to my bed.

[00:20:48] And both times I broke down and cried just straight sobbed hardcore.

[00:20:56] And, and Kevin was phenomenal he had me read a book called the E myth, the E myth revisited by Michael Gerber. And literally there's a woman she was a baker in the book that she like kicked her stove or her oven, and said like damn damn damn.

[00:21:12] And basically was having her breakdown and I was just like, yeah, that's me right there. So I would recommend that anyone that is in business that is thinking about scaling they definitely read the E myth revisited first.

[00:21:26] Also to I recommend the thing about scaling is to read, read the book traction by Gina Wickman and start implementing it before you hire people. I recommend a book called hiring with your head by Lou Adler, which I had to find out from a woman that is really high up in the University

[00:21:46] of Arizona like one of the most innovative campuses in the United States. She lives here in San Diego but she flies over there and flies back so they're doing some cool stuff there.

[00:21:57] So those three books, for sure I would say read those books five times.

[00:22:03] Five times each and implement everything get an org chart of what an organizational chart of what you want your business to look like not now but also to a year in the future and then also to maybe three years in the future maybe even 10 years in the future.

[00:22:21] And then the next one is how they actually has a traction like filling out the vision traction organizers, the VTO and implementing EOS the entrepreneur operating system.

[00:22:31] Those things before have standard operating procedures written out like detailed ones I have job aids where they are built amount of canvad where they're, they're PDF so the visual learners can do a step by step, and also to I made videos and most of them

[00:22:46] in action and video. And then so then they're in go high level under courses and then like I can literally like walk people through them and they can learn as they go I can have them review the standard operating procedures.

[00:22:59] I think they basically talk about all that stuff within those books to there's a number of other books too but I would say those three are probably the top priority.

[00:23:09] Awesome, dude, great recommendation. So yeah, I've read the two of the books they didn't read and read the third one. And yeah, they're massively like important. What's the number one. Let's talk about this is we've talked about this the being unemployable right you've even said like the burn the whole the burn the ships thing.

[00:23:28] Like one, it's you know like how do you know you're unemployable as someone walking around with a tattoo on their hand right or their neck. You know, but like what's that where that come from How did you get to this point where you were like, dude, Aaron, I'm going to go all in because, you know, as, as someone who said I mean as much success as you've had it's, it's not easy.

[00:23:49] It's hard, but you wouldn't be here now had you, you know, stuck around and said let me just hold on to this job like part time or find a part time job to kind of like keep my toe in one one dip your toe in one place and dip your toe out the other like, like, can you tell us a little bit about that.

[00:24:06] How'd you get there and why do you feel like that's an it's important asset to have. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So being unemployable and also to the burning the ships mentality and and yes did get a tattoo on my hand and this was after I was already in business and after I had already burned the ships.

[00:24:24] However, I didn't really realize I didn't really realize that I was unemployable at that time until until I tattooed my hand like I literally had like an egoic death.

[00:24:38] I got some ego deaths, like I was like, Oh no I can't hide anymore. I used to wear long sleeve shirts I put flesh color plugs in my ears. No one could know I was I was in, I was in like hiding when I was at work. No one knew unless they saw me on the weekends that I had like full sleeves.

[00:24:54] I wore you know I got got plugs in my ears and all that stuff. So I was like, I was like, what are my patients going to think about me? You know, like I can't get a normal job anymore unless I like move to Hawaii or somewhere where I like like show tattoos are acceptable sort of thing.

[00:25:09] And I was just like, I struggled for a little bit there and then I was like, you know what? I just don't care. I was like, I just don't care. If they're not gonna you know, they're not going to work with me because I got tattoos on my hands as a physical therapist or just not the right person for me.

[00:25:24] And then they can they can go to some in network clinic down the street or something like that.

[00:25:30] I told you what my uncle said to me when I moved to town right about the earrings. Yeah, he's like, you're never gonna be successful when you have your earrings and I was like, I was like, okay.

[00:25:42] I mean, now I don't forget even have them and like people don't care. But you know, I mean, it is a thing that we have like we have this like idea that if I have this or someone doesn't think x about me, then I won't be successful either. Right?

[00:25:55] Yeah, but then also too we got we got Baderose the man and I was like, well, if I want to be like Baderose, you know, they say like dress for the job that you want. And Baderose has his hands tattooed. So I was just like, hey, he's his net worth of like 220 million.

[00:26:10] So if I want to my net worth be that high, well, then I can have my hands tattooed. That's totally fine.

[00:26:15] 100%.

[00:26:17] And then being unemployable, I think not just with the physical being unemployable. It's just like, I could never go back to working in a real job quote unquote, working for someone.

[00:26:32] I mean, I guess I could I feel like it's like it's like one of those things that kids it's almost like too easy. Like it's like, I know people that have given up and that's what they've done. However, all those people that did entrepreneurs that I know that went back and work for somebody they were like, they're like, oh, wow, this is easy.

[00:26:49] I like it. And then after a couple of weeks or a couple months in, they're like, man, I miss it. Man, what if and they're playing this what if game like for the rest of their lives and I've seen it right now.

[00:27:00] Like I'm like, that's definitely not going to be me. So the burning the ships mentality though, interestingly enough, I don't know if you're gonna get mad at me talking about on your show, which probably won't because you're a good guy.

[00:27:11] But I read the burning the ships mentality from Danny Matey's book, the fucking insurance book because I bought both your guys books at the same time and then got on your email list through one.

[00:27:21] And I read about they're both great books, but he talks about the burning the ships. I find myself lucky because I got I got terminated from Kaiser.

[00:27:28] I got let go. So I mean, I basically I had to burn the ships and burning the ships is basically ensuring victory or death.

[00:27:38] So it's either you're going to succeed or you're going to fail. And I'm not one that that accepts failure.

[00:27:45] So I'm just going to keep going and going and going. And it was so much easier to hit 74 a month with your guidance.

[00:27:53] And then after that, I think we hit 10. And then after that, we did two months in a row where we hit 12 and then we we hit up 20.

[00:27:59] And and it was so much easier to be able to kind of go out almost like a sprint for that time being.

[00:28:09] To to to kind of start hitting that that upper end of the the solar pernumeral route with not having something else to pay attention to.

[00:28:18] Right. Having all of my focus on just one thing rather than other things taken away at it.

[00:28:25] I know other people have always done it and he was struggling a while and had trouble letting go, but he eventually did.

[00:28:32] And then his business blew up.

[00:28:35] Yeah, I know. So it's tough.

[00:28:38] I mean, it's like I think to me it's a how do I do I have something holding me back?

[00:28:44] Right. Or am I just ready? Am I going to go all in and do this?

[00:28:47] And it's like we had also it's like the I think one of the episodes we did was the Golden Handcuffs.

[00:28:52] Like you had a really good high paying job for Kaiser.

[00:28:55] Right. I mean, you know, it's like they're they're out there.

[00:28:59] But as physical therapists, we have really good option.

[00:29:01] We have good option and safety nets for jobs.

[00:29:05] My next question was you just mentioned like having that focus.

[00:29:08] Like so we talked that we mentioned this a little bit before.

[00:29:12] But, you know, before the show.

[00:29:14] So the question is with success, with like coming to PT BizCon and just being on social media and having success, like people are asking you like, oh, and how do you do this?

[00:29:24] Right. How do I you know, how do I do this too?

[00:29:26] And I know at some point you and Jen create another account.

[00:29:29] Was it a cash pay accelerator?

[00:29:32] I think so. I guess the question is, do you plan on doing more coaching or coaching for people or what's the plan for future for you guys growing your business and going from here?

[00:29:43] Yeah, this is a great question.

[00:29:45] And yeah, we created another account called at cash pay PT accelerator.

[00:29:50] And we don't we were at first like, oh yeah, we're going to put up a coaching business.

[00:29:55] We're going to teach people how that we did it because we were just about to get to a seven figure practice without having any ads or anything.

[00:30:02] It's all in person organic leads and marketing events and stuff in person.

[00:30:07] So we're like no one else has done that that I know of.

[00:30:10] So we're like, cool, let's teach the way on how to do that.

[00:30:13] That'll be our niche in there.

[00:30:16] Or maybe even physical therapists that are a husband and wife because there are a lot out there that want to grow a business without killing each other and not ending their relationships.

[00:30:27] So we're like, well, maybe that could be our niche.

[00:30:29] And it took us a little while to figure out.

[00:30:33] And it was really reading a book called Good to Great by Jim Collins from which was a recommendation by Dr.

[00:30:39] Kevin, the guy that you sent me over to my psychologist.

[00:30:43] And basically and it talks about attraction to as well talks about they call shiny things and traction and chase up shining things.

[00:30:50] And also to you had warned me about it as well about how that was your what you noticed about having your clinic as well as your coaching business.

[00:30:58] And when you fed into one, then the other one start dying.

[00:31:01] And we tried to launch our own course at one point, which we sold a couple.

[00:31:06] We ended up refunding them their money.

[00:31:09] And because we were about to die with all the energy we're pouring into the clinic and all the energy we're pouring into that.

[00:31:16] And we decided that we were not going to launch that course reading Good to Great as well as traction.

[00:31:21] We realized it was just going to be another shiny object.

[00:31:24] And really, if you're going to chase another shiny object, even if it's part of your business and you're just opening up another product in your business, it's almost as it it's almost like launching a whole other business.

[00:31:38] You got to start from square one.

[00:31:40] You're going to suck at it.

[00:31:42] You're not going to be as good as you know, like my first workshop that I ever did.

[00:31:47] It's terrible.

[00:31:48] It's like it's nothing like the workshops that we do these days.

[00:31:53] My first time trying to approach people and network with them.

[00:31:57] Terrible.

[00:31:58] Like I can get into places so much faster and we have like all the SOPs and stuff written out for when the time comes when we upgrade our leadership.

[00:32:08] So basically that's my forewarning to everybody is don't chase the shiny objects.

[00:32:13] Be very careful about even adding on another product or even another like wing to your business.

[00:32:20] Another I mean, it's another avatar, another, you know, promise avatar, another niche.

[00:32:27] It's really easy to almost do that as long as it's in the same line of work.

[00:32:32] However, if it's something completely different, then that's going to make it even more challenging.

[00:32:36] There's a guy that used to be in your mastermind and he's a great dude.

[00:32:41] Love him to death.

[00:32:42] He's got a clinic and also to he's got a bike fitting company, which is great because that kind of works with physical therapy and bike fitting.

[00:32:49] However, he's launching a new business and I wish all the best of luck to him.

[00:32:52] But it's kind of like the Zillow is subleasing space.

[00:32:55] It's like, dude, you're a physical therapist and you're going to launch this other business that has nothing to do with physical therapy and still try and run your bike fitting business as well as your practices.

[00:33:07] That sounds scary to me.

[00:33:10] That sounds like death.

[00:33:11] And so I'm not going to do anything of the sort in terms of opening up a coaching business.

[00:33:18] Jen and I, we realized what we're really good at.

[00:33:21] And that is group fitness.

[00:33:24] And that is what our clinics foundation is on.

[00:33:29] And we decided that we're going to not open up another coaching business.

[00:33:34] We're going to open up more clinics.

[00:33:36] We have plans to open up another one in North County, probably in 2025 and then repeat that model once the bugs are all fixed and kinked out of that one over in East County, San Diego.

[00:33:47] And then we'll figure out kind of where to go from there, whether we rip up California and then decide if we're going to just be like in and out and just stay to California.

[00:33:58] Whether or not we decide to rip across the United States and open up more clinics.

[00:34:03] So long-winded answer.

[00:34:05] No, we're not opening up a coaching business.

[00:34:07] The Instagram account, Cash Pay PT Accelerator is still active.

[00:34:12] We just don't post on it very often.

[00:34:14] However, if people want to ask questions and stuff like that, we're more than happy to answer questions and provide value as best as we can.

[00:34:22] If they need a lot more in depth stuff, we'll refer them over to you, of course.

[00:34:27] And they can also reach out to us on our PT page, which we're more active on the advanced PT wellness.

[00:34:33] So the advanced PT wellness is probably a better bet.

[00:34:36] One of us will be more likely to see it.

[00:34:38] And I mean, it sounds like the lesson is do one thing, do one solve one big problem.

[00:34:41] Do one thing, do and do it really well.

[00:34:44] Right. Because it's like it's like it is splitting your focus is really tough, you know, and you know, but it and it also feels like, man, this is really hard.

[00:34:53] So my question is, is it failure that you've decided not to do coaching or is is that different than, hey, we failed at it?

[00:35:02] Are we failed at it?

[00:35:03] Yeah.

[00:35:05] Do you feel like I mean, because to me, I mean, I'll say like to me, my my I'm trying to set you up with the question.

[00:35:12] But like to me, it's like you're not failing by making a decision that we shouldn't keep going down here versus saying, hey, I'm quitting like I'm quitting.

[00:35:19] Like, you know, the idea is like, hey, I'm going to quit on this.

[00:35:21] It's like it sounds like what you guys are doing saying, hey, that's just taking our focus off of the thing that we love and we do really well versus, you know, it's more of a redirection than a hey, I've just quit something.

[00:35:31] Right. Would you agree?

[00:35:33] Yeah. Yeah, we basically just pulled the plug.

[00:35:35] Yeah, I don't see it as failing kind of like you said, just just redirected attention because we were planning on like doing both.

[00:35:45] However, that's that's not really going to be possible until we upgrade our leadership and then the clinic becomes automated.

[00:35:53] Right. Really?

[00:35:54] And it's more of a it's like a it's like the lesson.

[00:35:57] What you've done is you've shared the lesson from that.

[00:35:59] Yeah, right.

[00:36:00] The cool thing was was actually trying to make that course that was about like workshops and stuff and how we our processes of doing it.

[00:36:08] It actually forced us to write down our processes for injury screens and workshops.

[00:36:14] And that's where we actually find tuned it.

[00:36:18] I'm getting goose bumps talking about it.

[00:36:20] So really like that, you know, quote unquote failure or whatever redirected the lesson that we learned from it was how we actually did what we did and were able to refine it.

[00:36:29] And therefore, we're able to teach it and coach it to our staff.

[00:36:33] And then the foundation of our standard operating procedures.

[00:36:37] So I mean, I guess there is no loss.

[00:36:40] There's only lessons like you taught us.

[00:36:42] Right. That's right.

[00:36:43] There was actually major lessons in all this.

[00:36:46] And so doing that helped your business.

[00:36:49] It's just, you know, yeah.

[00:36:51] I mean, I've always said like teaching things makes me better at them.

[00:36:54] No one's like something like share your wins and lessons like give, you know.

[00:36:59] So, oh, and you're no longer treating patients though.

[00:37:02] Right. Yeah, there's a great question.

[00:37:05] I am still treating patients probably about one to five a week, but I don't treat patients exclusively.

[00:37:10] They're co-treats.

[00:37:11] So I go treat with another one of our physical therapists.

[00:37:14] They do the documentation and the notes and they do a lot of the work.

[00:37:18] And I'm just kind of more there to ask them questions and kind of put my hands on them a little bit.

[00:37:26] Yeah. Is this more like a kind of a mentoring type of thing or like, hey, I've met this person at the event and let me kind of work with you with them to pass them off to you kind of thing?

[00:37:35] Yeah, it's it's a I think probably threefold.

[00:37:38] It's it's a mentoring thing, in particular when I'm training a new PT.

[00:37:42] It is the people that I'm passing off to them.

[00:37:45] And there are a couple of patients or people that I will until I'm ready.

[00:37:51] It's still like let that relationship go.

[00:37:54] I'm always going to work with them.

[00:37:58] And my father actually told me something really good about this.

[00:38:02] He said he said this should be very rare in your business.

[00:38:05] And my father, he like sold his shares of international business that made over 100 million in revenue a year.

[00:38:13] So he knows what he's talking about.

[00:38:15] I didn't really know that before I started asking him all these questions.

[00:38:19] It's like, you know what? I should start asking more questions.

[00:38:21] But he basically told me some relationships only you as the owner can can like maintain and hold on to.

[00:38:30] He said it should be very rare, but there's going to be a small percentage where you have to maintain that relationship yourself.

[00:38:37] He's like most of the other ones should be able to be delegated.

[00:38:40] But there's a there's going to be a small percentage where you got to do it.

[00:38:43] So they're they're my regulars that have been around some diehards that love maybe some business owners that I like.

[00:38:50] I get networking time with them while I'm working with them.

[00:38:54] And like I said, it's very few people.

[00:38:58] They're also referral partners. They send people into our business.

[00:39:04] So, yeah, those those three things and I can't even let go of patient care completely until I have a promoted director of therapies in place,

[00:39:15] which we basically need three full time physical therapists.

[00:39:18] We need four first, and then we need to upgrade leadership into one of them and elevate them to the director of therapy's role and have the three under that person.

[00:39:25] And then when we have that, then and only then will I be able to actually let go of treating all together.

[00:39:33] Right on. Dope. That's awesome.

[00:39:37] You got a few more minutes. Yeah. Good. Okay. Yeah.

[00:39:40] I got to like 230. So I think I just have like a few more three more questions for you.

[00:39:45] I want to find out.

[00:39:47] So you've been at you were in our platinum mastermind for a few years.

[00:39:50] Can you just share a little bit about your experience in it and how that helped you guys?

[00:39:56] Like what were the lessons and things you learned?

[00:39:58] And because a lot of people ask me all the time, like X, Y, and Z.

[00:40:01] I'm like, yeah, you know about it.

[00:40:03] But I figured maybe it was may as well ask you, like, what was your experience like in our group?

[00:40:09] And what were the big things that you got out of it?

[00:40:13] This is a great question.

[00:40:15] And yeah, I know I've been in the cash PT platinum mastermind for two and a half years.

[00:40:21] And it has been phenomenal.

[00:40:24] I tell everybody that if they're launching or relaunching a cash paid physical therapy practice, that this is literally the best place for them.

[00:40:34] And the reason why it's the best place for them is because I've been a part of some other coaching programs, too, and looked into some of them.

[00:40:42] And it was just like you have so many things built out.

[00:40:45] You have so many modules like built out that we can just directly download, you know, take the course and then become somewhat of an expert in it and then start doing it and repeating it pretty much immediately.

[00:40:56] A lot of these other coaching programs do not have those.

[00:40:59] They're just like the business coach seems like they're just an idea machine.

[00:41:04] They got good ideas and good advice sometimes.

[00:41:08] However, they don't have all the time built out systems and processes and stuff that works.

[00:41:14] We found that that that you had provided so many of those things, and it was so valuable that when Jen I was listening to one of your things one time in the car while we're driving on the way to a workshop and you were describing how to set up a workshop.

[00:41:27] And Jen was like, Have you already listened to this?

[00:41:30] Because this is exactly what you do.

[00:41:32] And Jen was like, Yes, in fact, I have already listened to it.

[00:41:35] It's like my fifth time listening to it.

[00:41:38] So that's that's one major thing that a lot of a lot of them don't have is the modules and the stuff that you have built out.

[00:41:47] I'll save the best for last, but a lot of them also don't have the nine profits accelerator.

[00:41:52] And I think you may have a course on that because I've seen you like I've seen some of your ads and stuff kind of like patients profits on demand.

[00:41:58] But you've taught it at every single mastermind retreat and even at like PT biz con and stuff like that.

[00:42:04] And that is one thing that a lot of the other business coaches and programs do not teach or have.

[00:42:11] So they it's it's a threefold like mechanism.

[00:42:15] And I'll let you like people if you got that course there and everyone go buy it.

[00:42:20] And you can't just you can't just listen to it once and fill out the diagram one time.

[00:42:26] You have to fill it out like multiple times before it actually starts sinking in to your subconsciousness.

[00:42:33] And then when it sinks into your subconsciousness, then you get it.

[00:42:36] Then we can teach it.

[00:42:37] Then you've mastered it.

[00:42:38] And it took me a few years to develop.

[00:42:41] But yeah, it's the nine profit accelerators.

[00:42:43] If you guys are interested, we could try to put a link in the show notes to check out that training.

[00:42:49] Oh, and you remember I think one of our first calls a few years ago, I said, hey, Owen, I'm going to teach you.

[00:42:56] I mean, like, hey, you know, I was like, hey, do the three quicks that promised ask for help take action and share what you learn.

[00:43:02] But I think when I what I remember saying, hey, I'm going to teach you this.

[00:43:05] But I want you to go make it better.

[00:43:07] I said, let me teach you how did we do the workshops.

[00:43:09] I want you to make it better and teach it back to us.

[00:43:11] Right. And you've you've done that.

[00:43:13] And now you for the last, what is it like eight months or since like April last almost a year, you've been helping doing leading some of our launch calls and some of our, you know, helping with some of our coaching calls.

[00:43:25] You know, how's that helped you like grow your business change things for you?

[00:43:30] Oh, that's been that's been wonderful.

[00:43:32] And like the the trainings and stuff that you taught me on like how to coach has been not just beneficial in like leading some of the calls and coaching some of the people in the Platinum Mastermind.

[00:43:43] It's also helped me upgrade my leadership in the clinic itself too as well.

[00:43:48] And notice that that the community get clear understanding from people saying things like who else wants to hear about this topic when people ask a question and getting making them feel all good about it other than saying great question.

[00:44:02] And then also to explaining sometimes it depends on where they are in their developmental process.

[00:44:08] If they're if they need to be coached, then asking them questions to help guide them into finding the right answer themselves or if they just need direction because they're a newbie and just give them clear direction right away.

[00:44:19] However, following up with the OK, you know what to do.

[00:44:23] And if they say yes, be like, what are you going to do?

[00:44:25] And then they say what they're going to do.

[00:44:28] And most of the time it is incorrect.

[00:44:31] OK, let's let me communicate this a little bit better than so that's been super helpful in helping out the mastermind members and granting it into me and my practice and also to upgrade my leadership to be able to coach my team members.

[00:44:45] And I'd be willing to bet you this is going to help even like lead my family as my daughter starts growing up to as well.

[00:44:51] Yeah, it's awesome.

[00:44:52] It's awesome. And I I learned a lot of that.

[00:44:54] I joined talking more program Black Belt for a little over four years ago and like he has some trainings.

[00:44:59] I was like, I learned a ton more about that.

[00:45:02] And then it's a lot of this stuff from Dan Sullivan who does the dance solving question.

[00:45:06] But he has a whole coaching program and reading his books.

[00:45:10] I've learned more about like how do we the whole idea is helping other people come to the understanding that it's like something they should be doing in their idea versus always just telling people right.

[00:45:20] And it's like it has to be custom for them because what works for me doesn't always work for you because I live in North Carolina and you live in San Diego and people don't say y'all the same way in both places.

[00:45:30] Yeah, awesome, dude.

[00:45:35] Thank you so much. Well, number one, hey, thank you for doing that and being willing to be open and vulnerable and just sharing unconditionally.

[00:45:42] I think that's just one of your superpowers.

[00:45:44] And the other one is the tag team in person marketing that we did at CSM, you know, like just like connecting with people.

[00:45:50] I'm sure you do that great with Jen before we finish up.

[00:45:54] Is there anything else that you think people should know listening like any more nuggets tidbits or something?

[00:45:59] I didn't ask you about that you think would be helpful.

[00:46:02] Yeah, well, I'm going to tell just I'll try and make it quick.

[00:46:05] But the two other main pieces of value that I got from your program, one of them is the cash P.T. roadmap and I got on the wall over here.

[00:46:14] That thing has multiple tiers like you want to make about 20k a month, you want to make between 46k, you want to make 70 plus k a month and just kind of having a roadmap and filling it out.

[00:46:24] I've had some other coaches that say like you need to give your people a roadmap and they don't have a roadmap themselves.

[00:46:31] So that thing is been amazing.

[00:46:34] But the biggest piece of value that I've gotten from your program, which is probably invaluable.

[00:46:40] So if anyone is just like on the fence or anything like that, get off the fence because this one skill, it took me a little while to figure out.

[00:46:50] It is actually to formulate a question.

[00:46:54] And formulate a question.

[00:46:56] I think that people say there's some books that talk about this, but they say like you're only able to solve the problems that you have the right questions for.

[00:47:06] So I've been able to formulate questions people like how did you learn to come up with such good questions?

[00:47:11] Oh, I heard you on this call and you like you're the guy with the great questions.

[00:47:14] Like, how do you do this?

[00:47:15] And basically it's the way you run every single call.

[00:47:18] And I just did it.

[00:47:19] I just went through the motions and it's still the way Jen and I do our weekly recap, we call it.

[00:47:25] And that is write down your wins, write down your lessons.

[00:47:29] So the things that aren't always good, write down your projects.

[00:47:33] And then of those projects that you're working on this week, what is the number one question that will move those projects or one of those projects forward the fastest?

[00:47:45] And it took me, it took me probably about a year and a half before I actually understood that process.

[00:47:51] Literally doing every single week with you.

[00:47:53] I just did it and I didn't even understand it.

[00:47:55] I even I just wrote down questions throughout the week that just popped into my head.

[00:47:59] But nowadays we get a solid question.

[00:48:03] And sometimes we don't even have the question because we already solved the question with doing that whole process.

[00:48:08] Yep, dude, dude.

[00:48:11] I mean, that's the biggest compliment you could have ever given me.

[00:48:14] Thank you.

[00:48:15] That's so awesome.

[00:48:16] It is.

[00:48:17] It's sometimes just by going through the process, the questions are solved.

[00:48:20] They're done.

[00:48:21] But then the other the other awesome thing is sometimes you got a question someone doesn't know how to ask, you know, and then you've solved their problem just by being willing to ask the question, which is dope.

[00:48:32] Man, thank you so much, Owen.

[00:48:35] This is great.

[00:48:36] Hey, guys.

[00:48:38] OK, so you check out Owen at Advanced PT Wellness and Cash Pay Accelerator on Instagram.

[00:48:43] Like we got you.

[00:48:44] We talked about that already.

[00:48:45] And there'll be links in the show notes.

[00:48:47] Owen, thanks again for being here.

[00:48:48] Please say hi to Jen for me.

[00:48:50] OK, man.

[00:48:51] Will for sure do that.

[00:48:52] Yeah.

[00:48:53] And I'm looking forward to seeing you guys in person sometime soon.

[00:48:56] Hey, guys.

[00:48:57] This is the Aaron LaBauer podcast.

[00:49:00] Look, go all in on your dreams.

[00:49:03] Don't stop and just keep going step by step.

[00:49:06] Go forward and crush your goals.

[00:49:08] And we'll see on the next episode.

[00:49:11] Peace.

[00:49:14] Hey, what's up?

[00:49:15] It's Aaron.

[00:49:16] Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to listen to the show.

[00:49:18] If you have an established PT business and you want to 10x your marketing time income impact and scale your business to multiple six or seven figures, then I'd love to invite you to join me or someone on my team for a free strategy and scale session.

[00:49:32] On this call, we'll help you get clear on your goals, identify the obstacles in your way and cover the hidden opportunities in your business.

[00:49:38] And then we'll map out a three step action plan so that you have more fun, help even more people make even more money much quicker.

[00:49:45] And you'll leave the session feeling clear, confident and excited about taking your physical therapy business to the next level.

[00:49:51] Sound good?

[00:49:52] That's a yes.

[00:49:53] Just DM me the word call over on Instagram at Aaron LaBauer and I'll get back to you with all the details.

[00:49:58] Thanks so much.

[00:49:59] See you next week on the show.