DPT to CEO: The Podcast
by Morgan Meese
My name is Morgan Meese & I’m a doctor of physical therapy and business & marketing consultant for clinicians. On this podcast, you’ll find stories from practice owners taking this journey, advice on marketing and sales for new business owners, and as many how-to’s I can put together to help you start, launch, and grow your own successful solo practice. I want to help as many other healthcare professionals as I can take the leap into starting their very own solo practices to build healthy, wealthy, and happy lives.Buy me a coffee :) www.buymeacoffee.com/buymorgancoffee
Episodes
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How Much Does a Cash Based PT Make? (vs. Clinic Pay)
How much does a cash based PT actually make compared to working in a clinic? If worrying about money is what's keeping you from starting your own practice, this video walks through the real numbers so you can plan with confidence. The median physical therapist salary is about $102,000 before…
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ADHD Might Be Your Biggest Advantage as a Practice Owner
Is ADHD holding back your practice, or could it be your biggest advantage as a business owner? Most conversations about ADHD focus on what you're bad at. In this video, I look at what the research actually says about ADHD and entrepreneurship, and the systems that help me run my business as an…
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Cash Based PT Practice as a New Mom | Dr. Bre Guettler
How do you grow a cash based PT practice while becoming a new mom? In this episode, returning guest Dr. Bre Guettler shares how she built her practice in less than two years, hired her first physical therapist, and used maternity leave to rebuild her business around her family. Bre works with...
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PT Practice Startup Costs: Mobile, Hybrid, Garage Gym
That post you saw saying it costs $50,000 to start your own practice? It's not talking about you. As a solo cash based PT, you can start for somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000 — and that's including a coaching program. The actual business setup is closer to $1,200 to $1,300 with inflation. And...
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How I Actually Run My PT Business (Systems + Workflow)
Most content about running a physical therapy practice is built for multi-provider clinics with full admin teams. This episode is for the solo cash based practice owner who is trying to figure out what actually needs to happen between patient sessions — and how to build a business that doesn't…
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How Much Does It Cost to Rent a PT Practice Space?
The listing said twenty-five dollars a square foot. Six hundred square feet. You did the math — fifteen thousand dollars, maybe doable in a year. Then somebody had to tell you commercial rent is quoted per square foot per year. That's twelve hundred and fifty dollars a month. Before anything…
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From Burnout to Booked Out: Cash Based PT in a Garage Gym | Dr. Payal Sanghvi
After 19 years in traditional outpatient ortho — missing her kids' activities, burned out from back-to-back patients, exhausted from late-night notes — Dr. Payal Sanghvi made a decision that changed everything. She started Flex Flow Physical Therapy out of her garage gym in San Jose, California....
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When to Invest in Business Coaching as a Physical Therapist
The month I invested ten thousand dollars in coaching, I made five hundred and four dollars and seventy cents. Most people hear that and think — that's terrifying. But here's what I know now that I didn't know then: waiting until you're more financially stable to invest in coaching is one of the...
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Physical Therapy Coaching Levels: Which One Do You Need?
From the outside, a $47 mini course and a $9,500 coaching program can look almost identical in how they're marketed. So how do you actually know what you're getting? And more importantly, which one is right for where you are right now? In this episode I break down every level of coaching…
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How Much I've Spent on Business Coaching as a PT (Was It Worth It?)
Since starting my cash based physical therapy practice in 2019, I have invested somewhere between sixty and eighty thousand dollars in business coaching across mini courses, group programs, one-on-one coaching, and a high-level mastermind. In this episode I am giving you the full honest breakdown...
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Pelvic Health Physical Therapy: Building a Cash Based Practice | Dr. Melanie Llanes
What does it actually take to build a thriving pelvic health physical therapy practice from the ground up — and keep growing it with an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity one? In this episode of the DPT to CEO Therapy Entrepreneurs interview series, I sit down with Dr. Melanie Llanes…
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Physical Therapist Exit Strategy: How to Go From Employed to Full Time Practice Owner
One of the most common questions I get from clinicians building their own practice is some version of the same thing: "How do I know when it's time to leave my job?" The honest answer is that waiting until it feels right is the strategy most likely to keep you employed indefinitely. The practices...
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How to Get Physical Therapy Clients Without Referrals
I sat down with a practice owner this morning and she asked me the question I get more than almost any other: "Where do I even get clients from if it's not referrals and networking groups?" Here's the honest answer: making referrals your main strategy is the most fragile way to build a cash based...
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Geriatric Physical Therapy: Building a Cash Based Practice | Dr. Sameep Contractor
What if you built your entire cash based physical therapy practice without a single paid ad — and nearly seven years later, you're still growing? In this episode of the DPT to CEO Therapy Entrepreneurs interview series, I sit down with Dr. Sameep Contractor, founder of Karma Rehab, a mobile...
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How to Organize Your PT Business: The 4 Routines That Change Everything
If your practice feels like organized chaos, it's not because you're bad at business. It's because nobody taught you how to run one. Most physical therapists are technically excellent at their jobs and completely winging it when it comes to the day-to-day operations behind the scenes. In this...
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How I Actually Run My PT Business (Systems, Schedule, and Workflow)
Most PT programs teach you how to treat patients. Nobody teaches you how to actually operate a business. If you've ever gotten your first patient and thought "wait, how do I actually run this thing?" — this episode is for you. In this episode I walk you through the exact systems, tools, and daily...
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Your Cash Based Practice Isn’t Growing (And It’s Not a Marketing Problem)
You have a practice. You're doing the work. You're seeing patients. So why does it still feel like you're hitting a wall every month? After coaching 100+ cash based physical therapy practice owners, I can tell you it's almost never your market, your specialty, or your follower count. It's almost...
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Sales and Coaching in Physical Therapy: What Nobody Teaches You in PT School | Dr. Samantha Ritz
Most physical therapists graduate with exceptional clinical skills and almost zero business training. Nobody teaches you how to have a sales conversation. Nobody teaches you how to coach someone through making a decision about their health. And nobody tells you that those two skills are actually...
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Why Clients Don't Book After Consults in Your Cash-Based PT Practice
You had a great consult call, they seemed interested, said it sounded like exactly what they needed, and then they ghosted. Or said they couldn't afford it. Or asked if you take insurance at the last minute. Sound familiar? The problem is almost never your price. It's what happened at the end of...
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How to Sell Physical Therapy Services: Why Confidence (Not Scripts) Converts Clients
If you've bought a script, memorized it word for word, and still fumbled on a sales call, this episode explains exactly why that happened. Most physical therapists spend so much time trying to say the "right" thing, they forget clients aren't just listening to your words — they're reading your...
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Why Your Cash Based PT Practice Isn't Growing (And What To Fix)
If you're already making $2-5K a month in your practice but still starting every month at zero, this episode is for you. You built the practice, you have patients, you're doing the work — so why isn't it growing the way it should be? This isn't about working harder or posting more. It's about the...
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Physical Therapy Entrepreneurship: How to Pivot and Build Your Dream Practice | Karen Baltz Gibbs
What if I told you that your first business plan doesn't have to be your forever plan? In this episode of DPT to CEO Therapy Entrepreneurs, I sit down with Karen Baltz Gibbs, founder of Garage Training & Rehab in Newberg, Oregon, who completely transformed her 20-year clinical career into a...
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Physical Therapy Practice Owners: What No One Tells You About Being the CEO
Becoming the CEO of your own physical therapy practice is one of the most challenging transitions no one prepares you for. If you've been feeling the weight of leadership, missing the simplicity of just being a clinician, or wondering why building your own practice feels so much heavier than you...
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Physical Therapists: You're Not Bad at Sales — You're Just Untrained
If sales calls feel awkward, it's not because you're bad at them — it's because you were never trained to lead conversations. As physical therapists, we learned clinical skills in school, but nobody taught us how to guide decision-making conversations or confidently ask for commitment. In this...
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Digital Marketing for Physical Therapists: Website & Content Strategy with Paige Ryan
What actually makes a physical therapy website convert; and how do you create content that brings the right clients to you? In this episode of the DPT to CEO podcast, I sit down with Paige Ryan, founder of Foundation First Physical Therapy & Coaching and a key member of the DPT to CEO team. Paige...
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Women in Healthcare Leadership: How to Set Boundaries Without Guilt
If you’re a woman in healthcare leadership and you feel guilty setting boundaries, constantly over-giving, or emotionally drained after work, this episode is for you. In healthcare, we’re often taught that being compassionate means being available, flexible, and selfless. But over time, that…
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How to Grow a Physical Therapy Practice with Better Marketing | Taylor Kirk
In this episode, we sit down with Taylor, a physical therapist, business owner, and key member of the DPT to CEO team, to talk about what it really looks like to build and grow a cash-based practice. We dive into her journey from clinician to business owner, what surprised her most along the way,...
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Women in Healthcare Business: Why Being Nice Causes Burnout and Weak Boundaries
Many women in healthcare business struggle with burnout and weak boundaries, even though they deeply care about their patients. One of the biggest reasons is the pressure to be nice instead of clear. In this video, we talk about why being nice can hold you back and how stepping into leadership…
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Why Selling Feels So Wrong to Physical Therapists (And Why It Shouldn’t)
Selling in healthcare often feels wrong, especially for physical therapists and clinicians who were trained to prioritize care over profit. But that discomfort is not random. In this episode, we unpack why so many providers struggle with selling, where the guilt around charging for services comes...
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How Reading 52 Books Helped Me Lose 25+ lbs and Make $250k+ in My Business
In this episode, I share how simple daily habits—not huge, dramatic changes—helped me lose over 25 pounds, read 50+ books, run over 500 miles, and more than double my business revenue in one year.None of this came from motivation or willpower. It came from setting small, repeatable daily…
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Doing It Scared: How Nicole Built a Cash-Based Pelvic Health Practice | Nicole Salge
In this episode, I’m joined by Nicole Salge, PT, owner of Catalyst Physical Therapy & Wellness, to talk about what it really looks like to build a cash-based PT practice from the ground up.Nicole shares her journey from working in traditional settings to starting her own practice, including the...
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How to Niche Your PT Business as an ADHD Entrepreneur
Niching your business as a physical therapist with ADHD can feel overwhelming. ADHD brains love variety, and PT training encourages us to treat everyone, which often makes choosing a focus feel impossible. But in business, unclear niches lead to unclear marketing and slower growth. In this…
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How to Delegate as a Solo Practice Owner
Running a solo practice doesn’t mean you have to do everything alone. In this episode, I break down how to get support in your business before you’re ready to hire a full-time employee. If you’ve been feeling stretched thin, unsure what to delegate, or isolated as a solo practice owner, this...
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Marketing Made Easy for Cash-Based PTs
Marketing is what keeps your cash-based physical therapy business growing, but when your schedule fills up or you’re tired, it’s easy to let content fall off the priority list. In this episode, I’m sharing simple systems to help busy physical therapists stay consistent with marketing without…
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What Systems You Actually Need as a Solo Cash-Based PT
Running a business alone doesn’t mean doing everything by hand. In this episode, I’m walking you through the systems every cash-based PT needs — and the tools that help you stay organized, get paid, and save time. If your to-do list is running your life, this will help you take back control.📌...
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How to Run a Solo Cash-Based PT Practice Without Working 24/7
If you’re running a solo practice and feel like you're *always on*, it’s time to shift from reactive to intentional. In this episode, I’ll show you how to structure your week like a true CEO — so you have time for your clients, your business, and your life (yes, even as a one-woman show). 📌...
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From Leadership to Liberation: How Jaime Built a Neuro Cash-Based PT Practice for Parkinson’s & MS
If you’ve ever sat in a leadership role thinking “I did everything right… so why does this feel so wrong?” — this episode is going to hit home. Jaime was running multiple clinics, climbing the ladder, and doing all the “right” things on paper — but she was miserable, burnt out, and completely...
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What to Say in the DMs to Turn Convos into Physical Therapy Clients
DMs can be the fastest path to filling your schedule — if you know how to use them the right way. In this episode, I’m teaching you how to go from friendly conversation to booked consult call without sounding salesy. You’ll learn what to say, when to say it, and how to know if someone’s ready. 📌...
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What to Post on Instagram to Actually Get Inquiries
Posting just to post won’t grow your business. During this episode, I’m sharing the Instagram strategies that actually lead to client inquiries — especially for solo PTs in the cash-based model. You’ll learn what to post, how to say it, and how to build content that builds trust. Inside: What to...
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How to Find Clients Locally and Online (Without Paid Ads)
You don’t need a clinic or a huge ad budget to get clients. In this episode, I’m breaking down simple, free ways to find your first (or next) few cash-based clients — both locally and online. Whether you’re mobile, hybrid, or 100% telehealth, these tips will help you build real momentum. 📌…
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Why You’re Not Getting Clients (And What to Fix First)
Are you posting on Instagram, trying to do all the things, and still not booking clients? I’ve been there — and I want you to know it’s not your degree or the algorithm that’s holding you back. Most of the time, it’s a strategy mismatch. In this episode, I’m breaking down the top reasons…
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5 Ways to Use Your PT Degree Outside the Clinic
Feeling stuck in the clinic? You’re not wasting your PT degree if you don’t want to treat patients forever or work for someone else. During this episode, I’m sharing five powerful ways you can use your background as a physical therapist to create impact, flexibility, and income without being tied...
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My Weekly CEO Routine for Cash Based PTs
🎯 *How to plan your week like a CEO without burning out* Ever hit Friday wondering what you even *did* this week? 😅 If your brain feels like it has 37 tabs open and your calendar’s pure chaos, this episode is for you. I’m walking you through exactly how I plan my week as a solo cash-based...
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Turning Doubt Into Drive: How Bre Guettler Built a Cash-Based PT Practice from Scratch
In this episode of the DPT to CEO Interview Series, we’re chatting with Dr. Breanna Guettler, founder of Rocket City Performance Therapy—a mobile, cash-based PT practice helping CrossFitters, weightlifters, and high-performing athletes stay strong, mobile, and pain-free. With a background in...
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Cash Based PT Packages: Are They Worth It?
Not sure if offering packages in your cash-based practice is the right move? During this episode, I’m breaking down the pros and cons of session bundles, how to price them without undercharging, and why they can actually help with client retention. I’ll walk you through real examples so you can…
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How to Explain Cash Based PT Pricing to Clients Without Feeling Awkward or Salesy
Talking about your prices doesn’t have to feel awkward or salesy or like you’re trying to convince someone of something. During this episode, I’m walking you through exactly how to explain your cash based PT pricing in a way that feels clear and confident—without rambling, apologizing, or…
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From Fear to Full-Time: The Power of Imperfect Action in Starting Your PT Practice
In this episode of DPT to CEO: The Podcast Interview Series, I’m chatting with Cristina Jesurun, a physical therapist and the founder of Dancer’s Choice PT. She works with dancers to help them get out of pain and back to performing at their best — and her story is such a good one. After years...
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How Much Do Cash Based PTs Really Make Per Hour?
Are you thinking about going cash-based but wondering if it’s actually more profitable than your $40/hour clinic job? During this episode, we’re breaking down how much cash-based physical therapists really make per hour after overhead, admin time, and everything else that eats into your income....
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Cash Based PT Pricing: What to Charge in 2025 ($100, $150, or $200+)
If you’re wondering what to charge for your cash-based physical therapy services, you’re in the right place. During this episode, I’m breaking down the common session pricing tiers — $100, $150, $200+ — and how to actually feel confident picking the right rate for your practice. I’ll walk you...
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How I Get Clients from Social Media WITHOUT Posting Every Day
Feeling like you have to post on social media every single day just to get clients? Yeah… no thanks. During this episode, I’m sharing how I consistently attract clients to my cash-based practice without being glued to my phone or spending hours creating content. If you're a physical therapist…
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About this show
My name is Morgan Meese & I’m a doctor of physical therapy and business & marketing consultant for clinicians. On this podcast, you’ll find stories from practice owners taking this journey, advice on marketing and sales for new business owners, and as many how-to’s I can put together to help you start, launch, and grow your own successful solo practice. I want to help as many other healthcare professionals as I can take the leap into starting their very own solo practices to build healthy, wealthy, and happy lives.Buy me a coffee :) www.buymeacoffee.com/buymorgancoffee
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