Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy John.
Hi Tracy, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I initially aspired to become a Physician, however, after shadowing an MD and observing some surgeries, I began to struggle with that decision. I can recall sitting in a doctor’s office for an hour or two, just to be seen for 5 minutes and prescribed a pill that may or may not help – I didn’t want to be this person. I had no desire to go to school for another 8 years or have significant amounts of loans to pay back for the rest of my life. I wanted to be in healthcare but couldn’t settle on a particular field until my father suggested I try Physical Therapy. It was while visiting him at NYU Medical Center, as he recovered from heart surgery, that I got a glimpse of what a PT does. At that time, I had never even heard of Physical Therapy. I looked it up and discovered that they can help relieve pain and return people to function after injuries and surgeries. I signed up to volunteer at their Physical Therapy department and fell in Love!
I graduated from the first Entry-Level Doctorate program for Physical Therapy at Stony Brook University and proceeded to work at various Outpatient PT private practices in New York where I gained a lot of clinical experience, especially in Orthopedics. Needing a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple, I decided to do travel Physical Therapy and explore the warmer South East – North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia. My travels gave me the opportunity to learn about other fields of Physical Therapy – I’ve worked at a practice where I treated 95% military personnel, other assignments were focused on post-op, post stroke and post cancer rehab. I learned the ins and outs of Home Health Care, Skilled Nursing and Inpatient Rehab facilities. I had some great experiences and gained a world of knowledge from my travels. I became fond of Georgia and made the move to Metro Atlanta where I worked for a hospital system, first as a contractor, then a Full Time Outpatient/Inpatient therapist, and finally as the Outpatient manager.
Grateful for the skills acquired but tired of micromanagement, in 2020, I decided to start my own practice, Get Balanced Physical Therapy and Wellness, LLC; a mobile PT practice with a focus on treating back pain in the comfort of your home, office, or gym – we bring the clinic to You.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There is no such thing as a smooth road in life. There will always be a small crack or pebble that throws you off course. When I decided to start my practice, I envisioned that there would be tons of people eager for me to help them and I would have a booming cash-based business like some of my colleagues. I thought I would just go door to door, marketing myself to businesses and other healthcare offices and clients would magically appear, however, the pandemic hit just as I was getting started and threw a big stone on what I thought was a smooth road.
It proved to be very hard to grow a mobile practice, treating in the client’s home, when everyone is apprehensive about being around new people and the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic. I hadn’t built up enough exposure or trust with ideal clients yet and had to switch gears. I started making my presence known via social media, which was very uncomfortable for me, but necessary as I began getting inquiries via Facebook messenger.
I had to learn how to become business minded versus clinician minded. Business and Finance was not a major subject in PT school and it felt like being on a rollercoaster ride trying to figure things out on my own. Thankfully, I found The UnCaged Clinician and The Black Female Foundation coaching programs that helped me get on the right path.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Get Balanced Physical Therapy and Wellness?
My focus is on treating back pain and related symptoms, such as sciatica. Checking alignment and movement patterns to find the root cause of pain, as well as the proper core and hip exercises, are key to overcoming low back pain. Get Balanced PT is a mobile practice providing services in the home, gym, office, park – wherever the patient feels comfortable meeting. It provides convenience for the client so they do not have to worry about factoring in drive time to/from their appointment, moving business meetings around or securing childcare; there is less stress and more time in the day to focus on what is important.
Besides treating back and general joint pain, Get Balanced PT provides balance training and rehab for post-stroke and post-cancer survivors. Wellness sessions are available that include manual therapies such as therapeutic massage and full body stretching
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Risk taking can be looked at as a decision to make a change in life. Change is scary but necessary. I took a risk in leaving my salaried job to become self-employed and grow a business during a pandemic. Had I not taken that risk, I would have continued to be unhappy and eventually suffer from burnout.
Taking risks helps reveal and reinforce new truths in your life!
Contact Info:
- Email: tracy.john@getbalancedpt.com
- Website: www.getbalancedpt.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/getbalancedpt
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/getbalancedpt
Image Credits
Sydney Bloodworth
Shutter Bae Productions
