Homeschool Mom and Physical Therapist- Dr. Sarah Martinez

[00:00:00] Welcome to The Aaron LeBauer Show. This is the number one show for passionate physical therapy and healthcare 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. Today I've got another special guest, Sarah Martinez. Sarah is a cash practice owner in Houston and a member of our Platinum Mastermind and she's doing some really awesome things.

[00:00:39] And so I wanted to bring her on the show to talk about what she's up to tell us a little bit about her story and how she's grown a business while homeschooling four kids, which I think is pretty darn amazing. So Sarah, thank you so much for joining us on the show.

[00:00:53] Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.

[00:00:55] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:00:57] So tell me, do you remember like thinking back like, you know, in school, did you ever think you'd own a business?

[00:01:08] I think I always thought it would be cool because my dad was a he owned his own business and I always thought that was pretty cool to have the freedom. But I think I kind of got like, you know, I heard how hard it was done with insurance and it kind of just deterred me so like right away I just like now I'm just going to go get a job somewhere and get a sign on bonus, you know, that kind of thing.

[00:01:27] Yeah. So like, this is something that I realized about myself recently but so I'm just going to ask, I'm not going to tell you I'm just going to ask a question see if you had similar experience like when you went to PT school, were you thinking like yeah I'm going to get a job get a sign on bonus like I have job security and everything's going to be hunky dory and all that I mean like that's what I'm here for.

[00:01:49] Yeah, I kind of, I guess I just didn't know like how much it cost to like live and I just thought, oh I'm going to make like over 60k a year I'm going to be like fine and that's like so much money to me because I'm used to you know like minimum wage jobs and then, and then I was like, oh yeah and I'll always have a job and I can you know work.

[00:02:07] You know maybe some long days I have some you know a couple, you know longer weekends maybe that kind of thing but then I got into it and I was like man this is like horrible once you pay taxes and then see what you take home and you went to school for so many years to make this my husband literally was like, you have a doctorate.

[00:02:23] And this is how much money you're making like I can't believe it you know right.

[00:02:27] Right. So what were you making right out of school remember.

[00:02:29] I think I'm signed on, I think I made 60, I think a year I think 60. Yeah.

[00:02:38] Yeah and how long ago. So when did you graduate and how much debt did you have been out. Yeah.

[00:02:43] So it was 12 years ago. I didn't have much debt because I was like a grad assistant but I think I had like maybe 10k in debt and I think it was this like 12 years ago.

[00:02:51] Yeah. Lucky. Yeah. I think some of the kids I would say kids but you know some of the people getting out of school now are like hundreds of thousands in debt which is insane.

[00:03:02] So before we talk about like how you got here like just give everyone I'd love to know like where are you now so you're not working for someone else you're working for yourself.

[00:03:13] Can you tell us a little bit about like your business your practice, how many patients you guys see and what are you doing and just give me like two minute run down.

[00:03:21] It's kind of funny like thinking about me being on your podcast right now because I remember like watching some of these before I started the business so it's kind of funny like it's like full circle.

[00:03:31] So right now I opened up an outpatient clinic out of my house and my husband is helping me run the business and we we saw about 23 patients this week so far.

[00:03:42] I'm supposed to see a few more tomorrow but I don't know what's going to happen but yeah so we're visiting over 20 now which is nice and we're getting ready to hire another physical therapist and yeah that's kind of what we're doing.

[00:03:57] That's awesome. And then how long have you been in business?

[00:04:00] About a year and a half I would say so yeah.

[00:04:04] Awesome. And then was it easy from the start? What was the hardest part?

[00:04:08] I would say the hardest part is like once you get open and then you're like well shoot now what do I do because I don't have any clients but I've got everything set up and I'm you know I so that's when I basically needed help and got she was a coach but I think that's kind of the scary part is when you have no clients and you're starting and especially when you don't have

[00:04:27] like people who have multiple jobs like I had a part time job that I ended up quitting but that's kind of scary when you have no one's calling and you have nobody on the schedule and you kind of already started.

[00:04:39] Right. That's hard yeah.

[00:04:41] What's the I mean is it just that you know like where do I get the people is like where's the money I come from what do I do next I mean what's the what was the big challenge what was the what do you what are you feeling at that time?

[00:04:53] I think it was a combination of those because it was like okay I knew I need to go out in the community and do stuff but then when I get there I didn't know what to say.

[00:05:03] And then I would end up just going into physical therapist mode and like solving all their problems right on the spot and then I was like not getting anybody in the door so I was like I knew I needed to get out in the community I just didn't know what to say I didn't know how to like actually make money off of the profession so I was never taught that so it was like okay I got to figure out a better way to do this.

[00:05:20] Yeah yeah so for example what was the mistake that you made like doing some of those first like community events or workshops like what would you say what were you saying?

[00:05:29] So I had like a runner's workshop my very first one was like the end of 2022 I had workshops with a running group and they're like why don't you just talk for like a few minutes and then you can like hang out and talk to people.

[00:05:40] So I gave like a little 10 minute spill about what runners need to do to protect themselves from injury and then I said hey I'm here for an injury screen if you want to talk to me will people come up and like share all their problems.

[00:05:51] And I would like tell them what to do and like basically they wouldn't be motivated to come and see me in my office so nobody signed up.

[00:05:58] Right but it's like 12 people like for those assessments you know.

[00:06:02] Right I think I remember you were asking about that and it was so then what I mean what's the let's just say I mean let's say someone gets some help from you in that instance what's the best case well best case scenario is poof like you know miraculously they're peeled but like what's the typical like do you know like what the typical like

[00:06:22] scenario would be for people going home with some more information but not your help.

[00:06:26] They're probably just enough to be dangerous at that point right because they like don't know enough and you just gave them like a blurb and they probably didn't understand half of it so you know.

[00:06:36] So I did actually have one guy who ended up like six months later contacting me to come see me and he's been like my most faithful person now he's like coming like still monthly and he just likes to like prevent injury but yeah I'd say like the problem is you you only have five minutes and you're giving them a little bit of information but you don't really know enough to really help them but you might have to do something.

[00:06:56] They confuse them or make them actually think that they're okay and then they actually get hurt so you know I don't know if I helped those people are not but it was a fine learning experience.

[00:07:04] Right, so what do you do now that's different like how do you convert people what's the what's the conversion rate what's the conversation like.

[00:07:13] Yeah so I would say it's getting better I'm still not like great but like I had a workshop yesterday and I think I had like seven people and for signed up for TVDs which I thought was pretty good.

[00:07:24] And I think what I'm trying to do now is I give them a lot of really good information I gave them like some exercises but only like three or four.

[00:07:33] But then at the end I'm like listen like I tried to show them how complicated the system, the body is and how it works together as a system.

[00:07:40] And so even though these exercises may help them there's a lot of things we're not looking at.

[00:07:43] So I basically just gave a list of all the things that are red flags that they need to come see a health care provider like someone like physical therapist so you know, all those things people do like try to fix themselves on YouTube or Google or not sleeping well or taking you know

[00:08:01] Payments regularly that kind of stuff so I try to show them if you've had this pain for like more than 30 days and it's not changing those kind of things you need to come see me.

[00:08:08] Yeah, yeah that's awesome and then what's the offer that you make from an event like that is it just hey call me on the phone and come see me in the clinic.

[00:08:17] Is there something specific that you're doing that's working well.

[00:08:20] Yeah so I've been offering the total body diagnostic so I basically give them half off that first assessment and so I have them sign up right then so okay whoever here is interested you know go ahead and raise your hand now and I'll schedule you and then after that I'll be around to talk to everybody else.

[00:08:38] I'll do a couple of things that I want to do and then I'll be back in a bit.

[00:08:41] Yeah, I'm going to be doing some things that are in priority and then I scheduled them right there and sometimes I take payment right there but sometimes it's hard with like Wi-Fi connections and that kind of stuff so yeah, yeah, that's awesome.

[00:08:50] What.

[00:08:51] I think what I'm thinking because what everyone's always asking me is Aaron how do I get more new patients like you know how many patients is this kind of strategy bringing in and like like tell me like like what's it what's this doing for you and is this the only strategy that you're using to bring in new patients or other things you're doing.

[00:09:09] I would say workshops are my main thing but I am getting more like people off Google now that I'm showing up more on Google with you know having more Google reviews and stuff.

[00:09:18] I would say I try to do like three workshops a month and I focus on my niche that really helps me so I get more people who are more of my niche which is like people who do like Pilates bar and yoga and when I go there I tell them like these are people like these are primarily people that I treat as I treat people who do yoga I treat people who do Pilates

[00:09:36] and that's what I do and I do treat crossfitters and runners and everything else but the majority of my people are Pilates people.

[00:09:43] So I tell them that but yeah if I go to those niche groups like the club Pilates the bar method yoga places I get a higher conversion rate than I do it CrossFit.

[00:09:55] I don't know just because it's like my people I don't know but and then I do get some at CrossFit but I would say not as much but I'd say going to people that I you know connect with or like the kind of exercise that they're doing that helps.

[00:10:08] And then I do injury screens as well so that's more about why do I get CrossFit and then like F45 a group fitness kind of classes but I would say the main thing is workshops for me and then people find me on Google and I think they're finding me on Google because I've gotten more people who are more of a person who do yoga.

[00:10:24] I've gotten a lot of reviews in the past year I've got like 45 or something but just really trying to push that so people can like know that I have a reputation kind of thing.

[00:10:33] That's awesome. Like that's almost half as many as we have we have 100 and that's in 15 years.

[00:10:40] Well I'm sure you weren't focusing on it like last year that's like I had the time to focus on it you know.

[00:10:45] Yeah yeah well let me ask you about that what's the how do you go about getting Google reviews like is there a certain thing that you asked you email people message them something.

[00:10:55] I'm changing it up a little bit but what I was doing before was I would just like text every patient like you know if I always text me when they arrive because it's at my house so I was constantly texting with patients.

[00:11:06] So I hey by the way you know I know you had a big improvement this week could you make a review here's the link I've text them.

[00:11:13] I've started asking people earlier on so like when they have that aha moment and when like you know visit for comes along and they're like I can all of a sudden do this now it's like OK well hey here scan this I have a scan code in my office.

[00:11:26] Can you please write that down Google review or I'll do a video testimonial right there and then I'm also trying just to ask like way before discharge so I have all those sessions to get them to write it.

[00:11:36] And even that good enough they finally will do it but I think that's my main thing and that even when I do events I've been asking for them so like if someone doesn't sign up for a TBD and I'm doing like a free entry screen somewhere I'm like hey if you had a good experience today would you mind me go to review.

[00:11:50] You know awesome so yeah yeah that's super dope.

[00:11:54] I think one thing that I glossed over that I want to talk about is kind of like how you have your business set up. You're not traveling other people and you don't have like a you're not paying rent in a clinic location you've got the business in your home.

[00:12:09] Can you tell us about like a little bit about how it's set up and why you chose to treat out of your house.

[00:12:13] Yeah so we have it set up where I'm going to like a addition on the back of my house was already built and bought the house. We didn't know we're open this business we bought the house three years ago but we were like oh this room is like a really nice big space it's like a little natural light and

[00:12:27] I was looking at starting a business I was like well I could do it here that way I wouldn't have to waste time commuting and like if I have a break in my schedule I can spend time with my kids so it's worked out really nice for the balance of that and they just come in the side of my house and there's a separate entrance that I'll come through my house.

[00:12:43] Only problem is the bathroom but we make it work they have to go inside use of that sometimes but um yeah so it's way to like reduce overhead and just make me like a more available to my kids and they can be more involved so sometimes my kids will like prep the room and I give them their paid like little employees they

[00:13:01] wash my towels and they do so like that so it helps them more involved and it helps me be home more and I like the fact that like when I was first starting especially I didn't feel like I had so much pressure I'd have to take loans out it was like you know it was a very inexpensive way to get started with very little equipment like I mean I got like a hundred fifty dollar table like fold up table and literally I'm still using that and some free weights and I was ready to start.

[00:13:25] Nice nice what other equipment do you have now?

[00:13:28] I just pretty much have the same thing I got some foam rollers I've got a step a bozu and some bands and that's pretty much it because I'm very you know manual therapist so it's like I don't spend that much time working out with a patient size give them some home exercises and we're good to go.

[00:13:43] Yeah, that's awesome.

[00:13:44] Yeah.

[00:13:45] And then and so you guys homeschool your kids.

[00:13:48] I've even did you do that from day one or is this a change in the last few years you know what was you know how did we did it yeah.

[00:13:56] So we kind of started school our kids got school age during covid and it was like okay all this virtual stuff is crazy so we kind of like we're already thinking about it that pushed us over the edge.

[00:14:05] So, we just started with kindergarten with our oldest and it was very easy very like I'm a very efficient kind of person like I feel like homeschooling is like you just fit it in such a short time and you can just don't waste the whole day you know.

[00:14:18] Right.

[00:14:19] So I like that.

[00:14:20] Not the kind of person that can sit there's somebody you know it's maybe it's my personality and my kids personality is like getting them to do homework like my oldest now isn't that big of a deal but my youngest is like I was like pulling teeth to get them to do stuff and was like I need space in this relationship with my kids.

[00:14:37] It can be really hard when they don't want to do their stuff but then I think with homeschooling they realize like if I just get the stuff done I have the whole day to do whatever I want so they've gotten a lot better it's like at first it was like pulling teeth but now it's like listen we can sit here for an hour and you can have like the rest of the day or you can spend all day sitting here.

[00:14:54] I'm not going to sit here with you but you'll be here.

[00:14:57] You shared a like like a chore chart or strategy for getting your kids to do stuff from the house at one of our retreats a few like last year can you remind me a little bit about it tell us like how do you help get your kids to help out how do you keep them.

[00:15:10] You know, like, how do you keep them organized or their day going so it's not interrupting your work schedule and you know how do you guys make that work.

[00:15:19] Yeah, yeah. Well we're still working on it like it's always a work in progress and it's always like you have to be on them all the time and it's just that's the hardest part is just you making sure you follow through so like we first started with like very simple things like every meal you're going to swipe off the table sweep and take your stuff over it's like every meal

[00:15:40] that was just like baby steps and then we got to doing harder stuff we're like, okay now every day you have a chore so we have this little.

[00:15:47] It's like a slider a dry race for it and so every day they each have something they have to do that, you know, clean a bathroom or, you know, clean out their giddy pigs cage or whatever something.

[00:15:57] Duster room that kind of thing so every day I try to update that but there's some things that are daily that they have to do every day, and they just slide them over and so when I'm done with work I can see who's done their stuff.

[00:16:07] And we weren't doing that if you made it a whole week doing all your stuff you got a date night with one of the one of us, you get my husband or me so that's worked out.

[00:16:16] Then they started doing them all the time we couldn't handle all the date nights.

[00:16:20] So, but it's still like a, you can slack and then you had to get back on it again so I just say like that's the biggest thing is just you as the parent have to be consistent all the time like when you fall off just give it back on give back on and try to make them do it.

[00:16:33] And like I just tell my kids, it's work before play it's always work before play. So you have to get up, you do your work, then you can play but it's never just.

[00:16:41] Oh I didn't have time today, you know, right, right and everyone's got to be on the same page with the rules and the expectations to. Yeah.

[00:16:48] That's awesome. That's really cool. So you guys are doing, you're doing like you've done you've got a your mom of four kids that you homeschool them and you guys have done over 20,000 a month when you're doing 20 something people a week, like that's pretty dope.

[00:17:04] Yeah, people asking me all the time. Oh, you know, Aaron I'm having kids. I need to wait until I have kids, you know, like, I mean there's some, you know, fathers like I'm having kids soon I need to wait to start I'm like yeah but I did it two months before my first baby.

[00:17:17] You know you're doing it while you have kids you're not waiting until they're older to get started.

[00:17:23] You know, maybe there's something different with us but I think we're not that special like what was it what is it that motivates you to make this change now rather than wait till they were older or more independent and take less of your time to get this done.

[00:17:38] Yeah, I would say it really does actually help you I mean, in a sense you can have more time for them so like, you know I work Monday Wednesday Friday so Tuesday Thursdays are kind of my off days besides the fact that I have the coaching call.

[00:17:50] So, I have Tuesday and Thursday during the day with them, you know as I was working somewhere else full time I'd have to be at work every day you know so like of course I make sacrifices I get up early in the morning I work before they're awake and stuff like that but you

[00:18:02] actually can have more control of your schedule and be there more for your kids when they need you when you're a business owner you know and I think it's good to see that they see us that we're doing something that's hard and we're starting after our dreams and they could be a part of it

[00:18:17] and it's kind of cool for them like my kids when I first got my first patient I mean they were so excited over the moon they're like, mom got a patient you know and like when I had my first month of hitting 20k I don't know if they understood what 20k was but they were, you know like, so it's just like it's

[00:18:31] kind of cool but then be part of the victories you know and then I like that my kids are more independent like I have a three year old in another day another three year old came over and I was just like, I don't know if it's just the fact that he's had to grow up quicker or whatever

[00:18:43] and he was like a baby compared to my kid you know what I'm saying because my kid can get himself dressed he can go throw his you know pull up from the night before in the trash can get on his socks and shoes and you know he's like a little person like so it's made them grow up because I can't always be there to do everything for them

[00:19:00] so like my older kids their job is they have to read the kids who can't read because I'm not always there to read to them so it makes them be a little bit more have to take do their part you know yeah that's really awesome that's really cool and then

[00:19:17] you retired your husband

[00:19:21] you know I think Pablo was doing some different stuff and we can talk a little bit about like I mean you know like I don't know how far back we want to go but like there's this really cool story about you being an airline doer this as well but I mean

[00:19:37] let's start with the what was Pablo doing before what's he doing now and how's that like how's he helping in the business how's that helped you you know how's that work like share a little bit about why you did even why you decided to do that

[00:19:52] yeah so he was it was a pastor and like I you know went to pizza school first and then he went to seminary after so like we kind of put each other through schools I put him through school he put me through school kind of thing and then he graduated and

[00:20:07] had a first church we moved to Houston for it and kind of got burnt out and after two years of being there it was not the right place for him and so

[00:20:15] and was that like a burnout from COVID too or jobs just I mean was that I can't you know like I want to make that distinction because burnout before 2019 is different than burnout in 2021 because everyone

[00:20:27] I think it was a combination because he literally started at the church like the month COVID hit so it's like a really rough time to start first position and you're the main person in charge making all the decisions so I think it was like the stress of everything but

[00:20:40] ended up wasn't a good scenario he left and so it was kind of hard for him because like when you're in that kind of position and it's not a quick replacement job out there like you can't just like go find another church like tomorrow it takes like months even years

[00:20:53] so I had to go back to work like ASAP didn't have a license at the time so it was in Texas and then just moved so I got a license quick got a quick part-time job and yeah so basically that's what kind of motivated me from there is realizing

[00:21:06] we'll shoot I'm going to work a ton of hours to be able to like pay for all of our stuff and I don't want to be gone that much so

[00:21:14] and then I'm thinking what else my husband can do because with his degree in seminary is like you can do much besides pastor so anyway it just worked out that we started the business and he was able to just basically help me so now he is

[00:21:26] he's kind of like become my virtual assistant administrator kind of things like I did fire my virtual assistant once he came on board and he basically he does stuff like he makes flyers he helps me get you know organizational stuff

[00:21:41] figure out technology buying supplies buying things I need pretty much just like I give him just whatever I don't you know it to do the thing that I'm just trying to do so special media he does that kind of stuff.

[00:21:52] Oh nice so he's kind of like a in house VA. Yeah, you know just really helping support you on the back end type of stuff. Yeah, yeah. How do you make that work though because you guys now you spend all day long together like you know I don't know maybe I just need some more time by myself

[00:22:08] some days I feel like I have too much time by myself but there's your work relationship in your personal relationship in your teaching or your your homeschooling teaching relationship and parenting. How do you guys how do you guys make that work and like is there something you guys are doing or there's

[00:22:24] something that you're struggling with and you're working through like how does you know how do you make it like feel like really good for both of you.

[00:22:31] I'd say we're still learning that it's always a struggle but like, you know, for example I'm working he's with the kids and we've come to the realization that like just one of us needs to be working and the other person needs to be available to the kids so he was trying to work with the kids and that was not working.

[00:22:47] So it's just like when I'm working, he's totally on board just focus on the kids and take care of them and interact with them. I don't want them to be like neglected you know.

[00:22:56] And then when I get off work we're trying to switch so like I take over the kids he starts doing tasks that I need to have done that are you know not patient related like the I just do the patient care kind of stuff so

[00:23:06] And then the days that I'm off what we've been struggling with is like Tuesday Thursday or his days to also do like house projects so he needs to do stuff for the business but also he's like painting the fence and like people are coming to our house so there's things that have to be done so.

[00:23:20] It's a struggle right now between like business and house projects because he's very handy and sometimes I'm like well is it better to pay someone to do the house projects or to pay someone to do the virtuals and I don't know but he kind of likes to do something physical so he does like doing that stuff but um.

[00:23:33] He says up a lot of nights to like two o'clock in the morning working sometimes because that's when the kids are asleep and it's quiet but um.

[00:23:39] It can be hard like if you have a fight and then you have to work together the whole day or like you know you plan on saying some time apart to work on the business with sons we're going to babysitter like maybe twice a month and we'll have a like four hour block to just like work on stuff.

[00:23:53] Yeah.

[00:23:54] And then if you happen to be in a fight when that happens it just really makes it hard sometimes because you're like well I'll shoot out we're mad at each other but we have to we have to get uses for our block you know.

[00:24:06] So it can be hard but I think we're trying to not let things build up and then if we if we fight about something we just have to move on and for the kids sake of the business sake we have to just keep moving and just you know deal with it as we go.

[00:24:21] Yeah.

[00:24:22] I mean it's it's it's not the easiest to you know I mean it's just not the easiest you know and you have to have like ways to make it work and that you know everyone who comes to me says Aaron I want to partner I want to work I want my spouse or partner to work with me I'm like cool that's a great idea but you need to know like it's not it's not the it's

[00:24:42] it's not the easiest solution you know it takes work so because I think sometimes it can feel safer right you know yeah rather than hire someone new is like oh this person's built in but it comes with other you know it comes with other.

[00:24:57] I don't say cost isn't the right word but it's it's you know you're trading one thing for another and you know challenges yeah right you're just trading challenges and but it can build a relationship really deeply and help people and people I know who do it well like rush because it's like two of you.

[00:25:12] Instead of one you know so but that's awesome.

[00:25:16] Tell us I want to know when you hear the flight attendant story because I can't remember like as we're you were talking through it and I was like oh this is great I don't even know how to get there I just know that you were.

[00:25:25] Yes you know so like how did that come about was this before school I think we're maybe this when you guys were younger and had met right yeah.

[00:25:34] Yeah yeah so basically I went to undergrad got my degree exercise science I graduated I worked one year exercise science it was horrible it was like making $12 an hour or something.

[00:25:43] Working in I would have worked for the CDC but it was just a dead end job and my aunt was a flight attendant and she was like hey they're hiring they haven't hired like in years and I always wanted to do it before PT school thing I entered my mind.

[00:25:56] And I was like oh that's kind of cool to travel and I was applying to grad school at the time.

[00:26:01] It's like we'll shoot and they you know that so I just applied on a whim and got in and so it decided to push back grad school and my parents were like what are you doing.

[00:26:11] And I did it for two years it was awesome we get to travel a lot got to go to Chile where my husband's from quite a bit like 10 times I think in one year.

[00:26:18] So we spent a month there one try to get rid of all my flights we just travel but it was fun but I knew I couldn't do forever because it was hard being on that schedule all the time so applied to PT school and I think that was yeah so that in my delta actually was working delta they needed some people to let go and they said hey

[00:26:37] do anybody not want to work for a couple years of like me I'm going to PT schools so I took a leave of absence for two years and and I got my benefits still and it was pretty sweet.

[00:26:47] So leave of absence you still get to like fly places and stuff like that yeah you have like health insurance and you have to fly.

[00:26:52] That's dope.

[00:26:54] Yeah, and then my third year PT school they call me back they're like you want to come back I'm like nope.

[00:26:58] That's awesome I remember there was something about it and I think it was the fact that you got the benefits through like PT school and it like floated you but I know it wasn't very lucrative and it was a lot of time and hard on body and stuff like that too right.

[00:27:13] Yeah I mean it was the schedule is horrible and the pay was horrible I think I made like less than 20k my first years of flight to net and you know you could go to all these places but you couldn't spend money you know right.

[00:27:24] Right yeah.

[00:27:25] Yeah so yeah that's the.

[00:27:28] Oh yeah you went from 20k a year to 20k a month that was very different.

[00:27:34] Yes.

[00:27:36] You know and I mean I was just in Australia in a room people doing hundreds of thousands of months and millions of months and I was just like it's also very different.

[00:27:44] Yes, like that is.

[00:27:46] I can see how you easily like get used to that like you get used to like for me I just say 20k a month like back to me a year ago like was like $20 billion you know I'm saying like it just you kind of get.

[00:27:59] I don't know.

[00:28:01] Yeah it's a recalibration of your money and mindset and you know what what things are not just worth but the value of your time and your expertise.

[00:28:10] Right you know and it's like okay this is what we need and you know it's it's also an environmental thing the more people that were around who are you know having a good money mindset or talking about it and you know it's like the more we can help people more we can grow and the easier it becomes.

[00:28:30] Right.

[00:28:32] Yeah I just feel like I told my husband this last week I said.

[00:28:34] I finally feel like I raised my prices you know in January to like after the retreat maybe it's February I raised to 300 you know the session.

[00:28:42] And I was like I finally feel like I'm okay with it like I'm okay with what I'm charging I feel like the value is there and I just you know at first my first started like the 250 recession which is felt like.

[00:28:53] Astronomical but now it's like I see that I'm helping people and it's worth it and it's getting them better and it's you know a value so it's like I gotta find someone else like a hire who can see that you know.

[00:29:04] Right right yeah that's awesome and I think I remember one of their I think it was with you when the early conversation it was like it's like okay.

[00:29:12] You know I'm hesitant to raise my rates I'm like yeah but how much is your time worth with your away from your kids and this may have not it was it was with someone who was a mom I know this is like.

[00:29:22] Yeah much is your time worth to not spend it with your kids right like you know okay it's not that 50 bucks takes me away from it's not enough you know and then it's like I think to me that's a big marker is like if I'm not going to be with my kids what am I doing right now wasting my time or am I you know spending my time

[00:29:42] with them and having someone value the time that I'm spending with them as well right.

[00:29:46] Totally yeah.

[00:29:48] I think that the couple notes I have down is I want to talk about direct access and I want to talk about some hiring stuff which one do you think we should start with first.

[00:29:59] I guess direct access.

[00:30:02] Because I even had someone message me today and was like Aaron how do you do this you know in here from Mississippi I think like how do you do this with limited direct access I'm like you know and I sent him the blog article I wrote on this but you know there's a handful of people you know been through programs in Mississippi.

[00:30:21] Mississippi.

[00:30:23] Texas New York State feel like Pennsylvania I think has a limitation for people you know first few years in practice couple other places.

[00:30:31] Can you tell us like what are the direct access laws and rules in Texas and how are you making it work for your practice.

[00:30:39] Yeah so Texas we have two weeks from the first day of treatment to get a referral three weeks if you've done a residency which is interesting that they do that but.

[00:30:51] So how I do it is I see them for the total body diagnostic which is more of an assessment so I don't actually start treatment that day and then I get them in for their once they sign up I get them for the next treatment which is normally later that week or maybe the following week whenever.

[00:31:06] And to them that from that first treatment they have two weeks so it's nice the total body I can I can mention it.

[00:31:10] Hey you need to start working on this you've got you know in two weeks from your next appointment.

[00:31:15] Do you need help with finding someone to go to you have a primary care do you have a chiropractor.

[00:31:19] And so I have been going out and trying to reach some primary cares but it's been hard to find somebody who I kind of want to find somebody who will just like do like a quick five minute tele like visit over the phone like just a voice you know that's very quick and easy people don't want to go make an hour long appointment somewhere you know and spend their money and whatever.

[00:31:37] So I haven't been able to find anybody like I know there's other people in the state like in San Antonio been able to find people who will do that, but I have got a couple of physicians have given me like a flat rate like the central cost they want to come see me they're paying cash I have some offer I have some things I can give

[00:31:51] people. I have a chiropractor that I've used before but that can be kind of tricky sometimes with taking patients and stuff so just try to help them and then just kind of like I have it set up so that after their first session they get an email reminder that hey by the way you've got this much time and I think

[00:32:06] to get one more reminder. So I have to keep track of it is a pain I have to like document it and like store them somewhere I store on Google Drive but I constantly like going through my little referral document get your everyone's up to date, and then hasn't been too bad lately, I would say most people are okay with it

[00:32:25] it's just people get kind of annoyed like why do I have to do this right like the patients are like why do I have to do this. Yeah, they're like I just I don't have time to deal with this right now. I've lost one person over it they literally don't know what I'm doing.

[00:32:36] I just wouldn't do it. Yeah. Yeah, that's too bad. That stinks. Like we've had pretty much unlimited direct access for like 30 something 35 years or something like that.

[00:32:47] Wow. Yeah, I have a kind of a clue why maybe you have a residency get an extra week. But yeah, there's one of the big like education companies and PT is based in Texas never they have a lot of businesses there and I'm sure they're like, Oh, you know, we could I bet they would put they put that through can extra week I mean it's still ridiculous

[00:33:05] an extra week. Yes. You know, so tell me like if someone else is you know in a limited direct access state, you know, what are the first couple steps that they would need to take to make sure they can figure this out and make it work for them.

[00:33:23] One thing I did do is when I was getting ready to open I emailed the state board. And I'm just like, Hey, what do I need to know? Like there's a lady that there was a contact person.

[00:33:33] I'm like, who can write the referral? Where's the, what's the specifics here? Like, because it was kind of vague on the website was like, they will but I found. So I did reach out to her and she's been a great like resource I literally will email her like hey,

[00:33:46] hey, what do I need to do in this scenario you know whatever. So I would say getting contacted with somebody on the board and just ask if you know if it's not clear and the rule that's on your, you know, states document just for email them they're very quick to like get back to you and like any other question just reach out to make sure.

[00:34:03] And the earlier you can start that in your patients ear the better so like the first visit I used to make a mistake of forgetting that and I would like, Oh shoot I forgot to tell them. Then they feel like you're trying to like hide it from them and it's like, you know what I'm saying is just.

[00:34:18] So the first day is very important that you say it and you get it started and then they start looking to you know but also I was told to tell them just like calling your primary care ask them to sit it over without you having to come in just like hey could you specs us for me.

[00:34:31] Right. And that's the easiest way. Yeah, awesome. Yeah. Awesome. Very cool. So, okay, you started high list will switch to hiring now because I think yeah, interesting.

[00:34:42] Sorry, business like a year and a half ago. I think you hired the first person what like four or five months ago. Right. When you're the first PT but I had a virtual assistant to before that. Yeah.

[00:34:51] Yeah.

[00:34:52] Um, so let's see I want to talk about hiring PT because you know virtual yeah, I got virtual virtual assistants we can do that any day.

[00:35:00] Yeah. You I mean what what I think was impressive to me was like, you know, Sarah, you didn't have 20 patients a week and then you hired someone you were more like 1213 people a week and you went to hire someone.

[00:35:12] Why'd you go to hire someone then. And, you know, like, what was the what was the driver for you to start hiring, you know that hiring process, you know, within the first year of your business.

[00:35:25] Yeah, I would say maybe I kind of got used to like taking risks. I don't know. I was like, okay, what the heck let's just do this but everyone was telling me don't wait too long because then you get too busy and you can't train them you won't have time you'll be too.

[00:35:37] So I was like, I'm gonna do this early. And I also know like my goal is to not work so much. So I'm trying to get out of this position of being the only person treating as soon as possible. So I want to be with my kids like full time and just work like one day a week.

[00:35:51] So I started looking in August, I believe. And I think I hired her in August and started training this new person and then she started September. She would do events with me community events but um, yeah so she worked and she worked the shifts that I didn't want to work like afternoon

[00:36:07] and evening so she worked like two afternoons a week and then like a Saturday as needed. And that helped me just even if I was here still like I was just like able to have dinner with my family and cook dinner and like hang out with the kids and so it was good.

[00:36:20] It's just ended up not being a good fit for what I think she wanted and what I wanted so I think early on I decided like, I already know it's a good fit not a good fit let's just go ahead and look for someone else.

[00:36:31] Yeah, yeah was it a mismatch in expectations or availability time availability or something else?

[00:36:38] I would say it was probably like um, I think the job was going to be I thought draining on this person because they weren't going to enjoy the marketing and the outreach and the beating on people and I thought it was going to be too much of like, I would have to do everything and they would just want to see the patients and I

[00:36:56] wanted somebody who was comfortable with social media, being on camera, going out talking to people and more like a self starter.

[00:37:03] Right.

[00:37:04] Even though I think this person was good at being a PT and then she even actually sold a package I think I told you the first day like she sold like an awesome package like a 12 pack.

[00:37:11] Yeah.

[00:37:12] So she was good at connecting with the people but I thought like.

[00:37:14] That was like a $2,700 package or something.

[00:37:16] Yeah, like her first day it was like awesome.

[00:37:19] So it wasn't like it was if I learned a lot and I think it was really good as I learned a lot about hiring during that time and like what to look for and I think I was just so happy that I found somebody I was like yeah you know but now I'm looking like being a lot more

[00:37:33] like making sure that they're going to be happy in this in this role because I am looking for someone who's very unique is comfortable with like talking about money, talking to people, going to events and that kind of stuff.

[00:37:43] Yeah.

[00:37:44] So what are you doing?

[00:37:46] What are you doing differently now in the hiring process or the, I don't know if that it's the job description listing process like is there anything that you would you learn from the first one what's the lesson that you've picked up, you know because if we're not.

[00:38:00] If we're if we're not you know if we have wins and lessons right and like what's the lesson that you really that you really picked up and how are you putting that into place right now to hire this next person.

[00:38:11] So I think it's going to be more like clear that you have to be very good at being on camera, so like all those things like on the job description like, I think even on indeed I have a thing where you have to be comfortable with sales and marketing and you know kind of stuff so making that very clear

[00:38:28] job description and then I haven't gotten to the interview phase of anyone who's applied but like I have a multi step thing you will have to go through and one of the things is they have to make a video and so far no one's made a video so I'm not even considering them so you know that's going to be like a thing if

[00:38:46] you can't make a video which you know before I open this business I had never made a video myself I never been on YouTube I never done a vlog or whatever.

[00:38:53] I hated that stuff.

[00:38:55] So, I can see how that'd be really hard for somebody but I want somebody who's willing to try.

[00:38:59] Yeah, yeah, I just hired someone for our sales team and I think I had 100 I had a couple hundred like, you know application starts 70 something people fill out the application and four people made videos.

[00:39:16] You know, like, and someone even asked like do I need to make the video I was like well if you want the job.

[00:39:20] She never did.

[00:39:21] Yeah.

[00:39:23] I don't have like, I would like almost email people like hello waiting for the video but I'm like actually not to do that.

[00:39:29] So yeah, I'm just, yeah.

[00:39:31] Yeah, so that's interesting.

[00:39:34] Very cool what so you're getting so I haven't we haven't gotten update from you on this.

[00:39:39] Yeah, so you've got you've got the process going.

[00:39:42] You've got some application starts but we just haven't gotten the video yet.

[00:39:46] Right.

[00:39:47] Right.

[00:39:48] Yeah, awesome.

[00:39:49] Okay, so when someone gets that in and we get some interviews.

[00:39:52] What is it?

[00:39:53] What does the job look like?

[00:39:55] Like what are you thinking?

[00:39:57] I mean hey if anyone if anyone's listening and you know I plug Sarah and everyone else if you're listening and you're like I don't want to start a cash practice but I'd really like to work in one and be an intrapreneur.

[00:40:08] So contact me on Instagram because we've got a lot of people looking for awesome pts.

[00:40:14] We've got a job board and all that stuff but Sarah what does it job look like what you know what's the qualities of the person you're looking for what is the, you know, how is this job like different than all the other ones you could get in Houston.

[00:40:26] You know, I mean, yeah.

[00:40:28] I think the best part about it is like, you don't just have to treat patients all day. You know I'm saying because I'm looking for somebody that almost replaced me and do a lot of things that I do.

[00:40:37] So like, I want somebody who wants to like a variety of jobs who likes to do different things and not do the same thing all day long every day.

[00:40:44] You know, treating maybe six patients some days and then some days working on going out and visiting gyms or teaching a class somewhere workshop making social media posts so maybe some stuff doing like filming or editing videos.

[00:40:58] And just somebody who's like very warm and caring and really just like wants to go beyond with the people so I know every job says that but like really that's what sets us apart being a cash base is just like doing everything possible to help the person above and beyond, even thinking about

[00:41:14] the outside of their session like I come right into this session with ideas of what I want to work on and even go and look up stuff sometimes like I got to find a better exercise for this person or you know whatever someone who'll just go that extra make it extra special for every session for their client.

[00:41:28] So, and the good thing is you have the time to do that if you're seeing 20 people a week, you have time to do that.

[00:41:34] Yeah, you know the irony of that is when I was treating patients that you know I did for 20 years I'd be like, Oh, I'm going to do this with Miss Jones this and they come in and they're like, like, let's see what's going on it's like something completely different

[00:41:46] like change my mind.

[00:41:47] I'm like, oh, well,

[00:41:48] sometimes you waste that yeah.

[00:41:50] I know I have that like list of their on their dock like next visit and like half the time you don't do it because like their neck hurts that day or whatever.

[00:41:58] Something so much better that they can do this now, you know, or completely different, you know, it's like, yeah, okay, I guess we're doing these other things, you know, it's like something else is more important.

[00:42:08] I mean, I think to me like the way that I, you know, solve problems and people's bodies and businesses, what's the what's the biggest result I can get with the least effort and maybe a little bit of that is that is my my endurance, you know, athlete background to it's

[00:42:23] what's the biggest result I can get with the least amount of effort, you know, and that that changes my treatment plan, you know, depending on what's going on right now.

[00:42:31] So, that's awesome.

[00:42:34] Sarah is there a question that I didn't ask you that I should have.

[00:42:39] Oh, let's see.

[00:42:42] I think you did a really good job covering it.

[00:42:46] I would just say like one thing I think that's worked for us is just like less as more and like we've been very cautious about like spending money and like buying fancy equipment and I know some people like to make go out and go big and invest all that stuff but like,

[00:42:59] literally like I thought about getting a high load table I thought about doing all this stuff and I'm like, you know what it's one point that I hire somebody right now it's more important that I put money in, you know, things that I might need a space sometime, you know, in the future so I think

[00:43:12] I'm just like you don't need much you just need a table and a space I remember you told me like all you need is a sidewalk.

[00:43:18] Like all you need is a place to like put someone on a table. So, you don't have to have a lot of stuff. Just keep it simple and get the flush of stuff later I've grown like slowly like I just got signage like, you know stickers for the wall from my outside

[00:43:31] I have like a metal sign now it's been almost a year and a half before I had like the laminated piece of paper you know what I'm saying. It was basic. So don't worry about all that stuff you can get it as you go and as you start to have people who are helping you know my husband,

[00:43:44] I can like take over that stuff I there was no way I could focus on that at the beginning so I don't think people care about the flashy stuff they just care that you can actually help them right.

[00:43:53] Is there anything else you think someone listening, whether they're, you know, starting or growing or working on hiring anything else that you think that would be helpful for them to hear or know.

[00:44:04] Yeah.

[00:44:07] I would say like, you may not think you're special enough to do this or like talented like I honestly came from being like a stay at home mom and not working for several years.

[00:44:16] Did even have a license. And I kind of like I'd forgotten everything honestly, and then I jump back into doing this you know I'm saying so I don't think I'm like the cutting edge expert that you think somebody might have all these titles after their name you know what I'm

[00:44:30] saying. I have taken some continued stuff you know manual certifications and such but you don't have to be like that person to succeed you know you can be like an average good, but just actually interested in wanting to help people and you can make a difference

[00:44:46] so don't let that hold you back. I think that was kind of something I had to get over when I first came back to it because I felt like so rusty.

[00:44:52] I was like how can I ask for this much money if I'm like just coming back to this you know right, right. That's awesome.

[00:44:59] Well if someone wants to like internet stalk you or find your online like where she can they find your find you on like social media or website.

[00:45:10] So my website is covenant physical therapy calm and my Instagram is at covenant PT and it's the same for Facebook as well so we're on all those.

[00:45:19] We're not doing as much posting on Instagram was we're just like trying to focus on other parts of the business right now but it's definitely on there so check us out.

[00:45:27] Sarah, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing you know what's working and your big lessons and everything is really appreciated and super helpful.

[00:45:36] And it's always awesome to get an update in here you know how our clients are doing so thank you again for your time today.

[00:45:44] Hey all. This is the Aaron Lovauer show now I wanted to say that cash PT lunch hour but it's the Aaron Lovauer show it's it's been a year since I did some interviews and the last like five interviews

[00:45:56] were the first ones I've done in like a year so getting back to doing some more and this has been really great so Sarah again thank you thank you guys for listening if anything if you've learned anything on this show you've had any insights

[00:46:08] anything's been helpful would greatly appreciate a five star rating review on iTunes but man just shoot me a message on Instagram shout us out in your stories and let us know what was helpful and we'll be back on the next show.

[00:46:20] Peace.

[00:46:22] Hey what's up it's Aaron thanks for listening to show if you enjoyed the episode and you'd like to help support the podcast please share with others post about social media leave a five star rating and review overnight to catch all the latest from me

[00:46:35] follow me over on Instagram at Aaron Lovauer thanks again and I'll see you next time.