Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. NaPortia Mitchell and Dr. Chryston Fadeyi.
Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Fadeyi, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all started one sunny day in St Augustine, Florida… but seriously, it really did. We were both students on what seemed then like a never-ending journey to become Doctors of Physical Therapy. Chryston heard there was another “Delta” on campus (which was rare with the black student population being less than 5%). We instantly connected over our love for women’s health, entrepreneurship, talking, and Atlanta. From there, history was made. In Summer of 2015, on one of our 6-hour trips to Atlanta, we decided we wanted to start our own business and focus on pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT). We fell in love with the name Refined and the meaning behind it. We established our company in 2015. At that time, we were still in school finishing up our clinical doctorates.
Since then, we have been sharing information about PFPT with family, friends, patients, and strangers. We have received side-eyes, but we also have received some raised brows. We are determined to share the good news about PFPT with as many people as possible.
In January 2019, we decided to take a leap of faith and launch our concierge practice to serve the women of metro Atlanta.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This journey has been humbling. For starters, being in a profession largely known for athletic injuries or post-surgery treatment, there is a struggle to understand the need for a physical therapist in women’s health. Often we have to help people realize the “common” issues women have such as: “leaking” when they laugh, pain with sex, or straining to have a bowel movement, is not normal and can be helped.
Then, there is the issue of insurance. Unfortunately, the world of insurance is archaic and is not designed for people’s best interest. As a concierge company, we do not accept insurance because insurance often does not cover women’s health issues. This is mainly because our country doesn’t value the need for women’s health specialists. It is important women receive specialized care during various phases of their life. This should be a normalized practice in our healthcare system. If insurance does cover PFPT services, they try to dictate the best treatment methods based on minimal knowledge about the field.
Lastly, we dealt with the same struggles all entrepreneurs experience: the difficulty of getting a business off the ground, building consistent clientele, and reaching the community.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Refined Therapy & Wellness story. Tell us more about it.
Refined Therapy & Wellness, LLC is a concierge physical therapy company that specializes in treating pelvic floor dysfunctions, including pain disorders, incontinence, and pregnancy and postpartum related issues. Refined exists to help women, dealing with common female issues, feel there is hope for recovery. Through advocating, educating, empowering, and preparing our clients, we are able to positively impact each individual’s quality of life. We also strive to educate our patients on preventative measures to decrease the occurrence and/or reoccurrence of pelvic floor issues.
We are most proud of our individualized care with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach. We are trained to identify and address potential contributing factors to pelvic floor dysfunctions. We recognize that no two clients are identical in their needs. Over time, we have developed a method that allows us to stay true to individualized care and keep costs low for our clients, which is huge in our market. Each treatment plan and cost vary, which is based on the patient’s evaluation.
Our concierge model is what sets us apart in our community. We go to our client’s homes for evaluation and treatment. This has helped our clients with consistency and carryover. Because our clientele is women, typically moms who often put family needs above their own, it is beneficial for us to meet them where they are, so to speak.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We know that ALL things work together for our good, therefore everything we have experienced is unique to us and has played a role in developing ourselves, our craft, our partnership, and our business. We often marvel at the circumstances that brought us to each other: NaPortia took time to get a Master’s and teach before enrolling at USA, Chryston began a semester later than she originally intended, to our ties to Atlanta that made carpooling during 3-day weekends and breaks feasible.
It is in these moments that we reflect and acknowledge that timing, however imperfect, is everything!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.refinedtherapy.com
- Phone: 470.384.9846
- Email: refinedtherapy@gmail.com
- Instagram: @refinedtherapywellness
- Facebook: Refined Therapy and Wellness, LLC
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