Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Cale Alexander, PT, DPT, Cert DN, Owner of Next Step Physical Therapy and Wellness, located in Hernando, MS, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Next Step Physical Therapy and Wellness is a mobile, concierge physical therapy and wellness business. We help athletes improve performance in order to play pain-free without nagging injuries. We primarily specialize in treating two types of athletes: golfers and CrossFitters.
We help golfers overcome physical limitations, whether that be pain, lack of mobility, or strength, or improve their biomechanics in order to help them play better golf. This starts with a golf-specific movement screen which leads us into strength-specific testing and joint-specific testing and then helps us to develop a game plan on how we are going to improve their golf game together.
We see our CrossFitters for primarily two reasons: to rehabilitate injuries or to maintain/improve their bodies in order to continue to hit personal records as often as possible.
Tell us about yourself
My name is Dr. Cale Alexander, and I am the owner of Next Step Physical Therapy and Wellness. We are based in Hernando, MS, but we also see clients in and around the city of Memphis. We have a mission of helping athletes realize the resiliency of the human body in order to do what they love without pain!
I myself am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and am certified in Dry Needling, as well as certified by the Titleist Performance Institute. I utilize a variety of hands-on techniques to help heal my clients. This can include dry needling, myofascial release, joint mobilizations, cupping, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and stretching.
I have had the dream of starting Next Step ever since I decided I wanted to become a physical therapist. I always knew that I wanted to have the freedom and flexibility to treat clients when, where, and how I wanted. That is one of the reasons we are a cash-based practice and do not contract with insurance companies. This allows us to focus solely on the client in front of us, one on one, and help them hit new limits in their golf game or with the CrossFit performance without having to worry about basing treatment around what insurance will reimburse. We only worry about the goals that we determine with our patients and then model their plan of care around that.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Being able to help golfers overcome years of pain and stiffness. I got a text the other week that said, "moving better than I have in 10 years. Back pain has gotten significantly better." That's what drives me. In this particular case, this was a middle-aged, recently retired man who golfs 5-7 times a week. Golf is his life right now. Helping him overcome years of back pain and improve his performance and overall physical health is what pushes me to be the best I can be.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It can be tough when you first start (and even now) to know that you are supporting yourself and that you have to grind each and every day, but that is one of the things that pushes me to be the best clinician I can be. And there is nothing more satisfying in business than calling the shots for yourself.
Now, I am able to focus on the clientele that I want to treat (Golfers and CrossFitters) and model my practice completely around their needs in order to serve them best!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Research and have a plan. Whatever market you are going into, always make sure that you have done your homework and feel comfortable with the risks/rewards that come with owning your own business. But, vice versa, don't let that paralyze you. When I first started, I felt like I had to know every little detail about everything and that I couldn't start until I mastered that. Then, one of my business coaches told me that I've got to just jump in and know that I will learn and grow as I go on.
- Be fully committed. Being an entrepreneur is a grind. There are going to be highs and lows, ebbs and flows that come with running a business. You need to have the long-term in mind. Make sure that you are starting something that you love and that doesn't feel like work. You know the classic "love what you do, and you'll never work a day in your life" quote. There's a lot of truth to that, but it is still a grind!
- Don't be afraid to ask for help and surround yourself with like-minded people or others who have already accomplished what you want to do. I would not be where I am today without the help of Uncaged Clinician and their community. I worked alongside awesome business coaches who had all started their own cash-based practice and helped guide me through the journey. I continue to be a part of their community, and it is an awesome place to go to for support or advice. So, make sure you surround yourself with a community of similar-minded people.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://nextstepptw.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NextStepPTW
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/NextStepPTW/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3SPsLOw
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.