Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Gaston.
Hi Brittany , we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m originally from Detroit, MI and I was an athlete I played softball which was my main sport and I swam. I always wanted to be in healthcare to help people so I studied Allied health with a concentration in pre-physical therapy at Florida A&M University. I got interested in physical therapy because my twin sister was always getting injured some kind of way lol and I thought it was coo to watch some of the sessions. It really sparked my interest when I had my own injury playing college ball where I ruptured my R Achilles my sophomore year. I was devastated of course but I began to see things from a different perspective and put more focus into my school to transition from wanting to be a pediatrician to a physical therapist. I got my doctorate of physical therapy degree at Howard University and I intended on staying in DC (loved it) but the pandemic happened so I went back home and ended up sitting for my boards and got licensed in GA.
I always knew I wanted to have my own business learning that from my dad. At the two year mark of me practicing I began starting the process of creating my own business. I had a boss named Angel Williams (we still keep in touch and she’s now my physical therapist :)) and she always asked what do you want to do outside of the clinic and she would always do monthly dinners to see what our 1, 5, and 10yr plan would look like. I appreciated that because it lit a fire for me to start finding a name, who I wanted to service, location etc. so I greatly appreciate her for that. I always wanted the name of my business to have my last name in it and something catchy with the population I wanted to focus on treating. Initially I wanted it to be “GEMS in the gym” but it was a mouth full when I said the acronym aloud lol and for a while I stopped brainstorming because nothing was sticking. One morning I was driving to E.F.F.E.C.T fitness for early morning training around 4am and my GPS went off and it hit me “GPS PT” which stands for “Gaston Performance and Sports Physical Therapy” and the tag line “where your destination to recovery awaits you”. This was perfect because everyone in life has a journey to whatever they are trying to accomplish whether its good or bad and I have had my trials and tribulations in life as a child and in my doctoral program. I wanted to give each person that stepped on my table an experience they wouldn’t forget.
I am trained to treat all populations but the gym and your athletes, weekend warriors, and surgeries is where I thrive the most. I love working out even though it is a love hate relationship lol. I was once overweight and began working out 3-4x/week and created a lifestyle change. Being in the gym daily I knew people needed some form of recovery after a long week of putting a lot of stress on your body so I set up at E.F.F.E.C.T every Sat since I workout there daily.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road lol. One of the main struggles has been buy in and idolizing time when gaining potential clients. In my community a lot of people don’t know what physical therapy is and they think it is synonymous with a personal trainer even though we have the same initials. Education is a huge piece of getting people to commit to investing in my services but what I’ve learned is most people learn with their eyes. People are always intrigued by what they see so that has helped with gaining more traffic when I set up. Idolizing time when informing has always been a fine line. I will educate someone but if I spend so much time talking to them about their ailments and things they may not even commit to services so I will often offer a screen (consultation) which is a quick overview of what could be wrong and what services could be beneficial to a potential client. Having a 9-5 really doesn’t give me a lot of time to see ppl if they are on lunch break or are off certain times that I am not. Also being an entrepreneur is hard because you have to do everything on your own until you can pay help you need to get things done if you are preoccupied with something else like work.
The biggest struggle which is recent is I was involved in a really severe car accident where I broke my arm in 4 places and I had to get surgery. At this time I was solidifying a lot of partnerships and opportunities and I unfortunately had to take a back seat to do my own recovery for about 6-7months.
As you know, we’re big fans of Gaston Performance and Sports Physical Therapy (GPS PT). For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a Physical Therapist by trade. I specialize in recovery and performance for your athletes, weekend warriors, avid gym goers, or your every day person in need of physical therapy if they overstress their bodies at work or home. I cater to gym and I am mobile and occasionally I will do pop ups with different events or businesses. I am proud that I am accessible to a lot of people and I can always create a personal rapport with people when they may not feel as great if they are in pain. I offer services such as cupping, dry needling, stretching and massage to name a few and they are timed sessions or can be bundled for more than one service and you can book a bundle for up to 4 sessions at a discounted price.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
I am passionate about what I do and I enjoy connecting with people even when they are not at their best and I have fun with sessions to uplift and make people feel better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Gpsptscheduling.as.me/?appointmentType=category:General%20Services%20
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gps_pt?igsh=cjY2d3E1dmY4eTg0&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Whitegrams (IG)
