Sometimes the Grass Is Greener Somewhere Else

How a physical therapist left a toxic work environment to start her own practice

By Julia Nelson, PT, as told to Alicia Backer, PTA

The following interview has been edited for style and clarity.

You will find the greenest grass where it is watered, period. New clinic owner and physical therapist at North Born Physical Therapy, Julia Nelson, found herself in a toxic culture that left her feeling unhappy and taken for granted. She made several attempts to water the grass in that pasture but found herself at a dead-end road of excuses. The easy decision would have been to stay, focus on herself and the patients she was treating, and pull the wool over her eyes to an environment that was betraying her own values and morals. Instead, she sought greener grass taking the challenging but much more respectable road, one that would lead her to a much happier destination. I’m sure many of us can relate to what Julia was feeling. She shares her journey to ownership and how the vision for patient experience and culture came to life.

QUESTION

Will you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your practice?

ANSWER

I recently made the leap of faith to private practice ownership and I’m loving it. I am married to Wyatt, and we have two beautiful children, Amelia (4) and Hudson (18 months). North Born is located in a small rural community in northwest Minnesota which gives us the opportunity to treat all ages and diagnoses. Our team consists of myself, a physical therapist assistant, and a front office administrator, all of whom are also my business partners. The journey from knocking down our first wall to opening day was exciting and equally terrifying. In eight weeks, we took our space from a former tire shop to a physical therapy oasis. On June 6, 2022, we treated our first customers and have been going strong ever since.

QUESTION

Can you give us a mental picture of your clinic and share how it came to fruition?

ANSWER

When you walk into our clinic you will see that the look and feel is probably different from most other clinics you have been to. Our vision and plan were extremely specific down to every detail. Long and careful thought was put into each decision — name, logo, color scheme, equipment, furniture, lighting, and structural design. I will admit that I spent an embarrassing amount of time shopping for very specific colors and styles of furniture and equipment, but we wanted to create a space and a culture that would facilitate healing and were aware of how these decisions would impact that vision. The final product made it all worth it!

Choosing the right name and logo were equally important to us because we wanted to best represent ourselves, our journey, and our community. The “North Born” name represents our roots to northern Minnesota and the logo includes a compass which represents guidance, protection, and safety. Our sign is in the shape of a circle symbolizing totality and wholeness and is white in color to signify the beginning of a new cycle. Although others won’t know all these specifics when seeing our name and logo, it is a constant reminder to us of our journey, how we got there, and where we want to go.

QUESTION

How would a client describe the culture or “feel” of your clinic?

ANSWER

Warm, inviting, calming, healing, and safe.

QUESTION

Will you share a little about your background prior to ownership?

ANSWER

I was hired after graduating physical therapy school at an outpatient private practice facility in Minnesota where I worked for 2 years. I enjoyed my time there but wanted to be closer to family and that’s when my husband and I decided to move further north. There I was hired at another outpatient private practice where I worked for approximately four years before making the decision to open a clinic of my own.

QUESTION

Why did you make the leap from staff physical therapist to owner?

ANSWER

I was finding myself unhappy in my current situation due to a multitude of reasons but mostly because I felt unappreciated and frustrated with the visions of the company and what we were or “weren’t doing” for our customers. I also felt like I was being held back. The culture was toxic, and the daily practices weren’t aligning with my priorities as a healthcare provider. I needed something different, something to keep the flame alive for myself, my career, and most importantly, my patients.

QUESTION

What gave you confidence to make the leap?

ANSWER

This clinic would not have been possible without the hard work and sacrifices of my friends, my family, and my team. Alicia, Cathy, and I complement each other extremely well. Where one of us is weaker, the other is strong. This team is ambitious, passionate, and supportive and I knew that we could create an experience for our patients above all others.

QUESTION

What has been your best marketing strategy/strategies?

ANSWER

People within our community sharing their own experience has been the most impactful marketing. People do not forget how you make them feel. Treating people with kindness and spending time making an authentic connection goes far beyond any exercise you will give them. Genuinely caring for people and their personal journey will create your best marketing strategy — word of mouth. We value 1:1 patient care and that is what we deliver every day. We also have a pretty strong social media presence and are highly engaged in our community.

QUESTION

What was the most challenging part in preparation for opening day?

ANSWER

So many things! Scheduling and coordinating build-out, equipment and furniture purchases, credentialing, billing, choosing an EMR, and marketing all while trying to learn the business side of running a clinic! Of course, the anxiety of the unknown and being fearful of failing also weighed heavily on my mind.

QUESTION

Did you hire any coaches or outsource services to help you through the process?

ANSWER

We actually didn’t hire any coaches, but we definitely had an army of very outstanding mentors and resources that guided us through the process. Our team is truly blessed with people we have met through previous school and work experiences, conference networking, and community relationships. We did outsource our credentialing, billing, accounting, and payroll. Those are things I really didn’t want to mess up.

QUESTION

What has been the most difficult part of ownership?

ANSWER

I have come to realize that I am very good at taking care of other people but not very good at taking care of myself. As a mother of two young kids, finding a work-life balance and setting boundaries in my work life have been challenging. Being the only physical therapist in this small clinic, I feel very strongly that my daily presence in the clinic is vital however, I also know that I am irreplaceable at home. I’m learning and improving to be the best in both worlds. It takes time, but I have a great support system and I will get there.

QUESTION

Does your clinic specialize in anything that makes you stand out from other practices in your area?

ANSWER

Yes! When we were in the planning stages I knew that I wanted to provide a service that made us different from everyone else. I have worked with aquatic therapy in the past and know the benefits it can provide a large population of people. It took a bit, okay maybe a lot, of convincing to get my team on board but they agreed to my crazy idea, and we now have the only above ground aquatic pool in the state of Minnesota. We have had patients from 10 years of age to mid-’70s in the pool so far and have witnessed some incredible outcomes. Referral sources love it!

QUESTION

Would you do it all over again?

ANSWER

Yes, in a heartbeat.

QUESTION

Do you have advice for others who are looking to take the leap?

ANSWER

Surround yourself with the right people, use your resources, and do it. Staying in an environment that doesn’t make you feel fulfilled or happy will lead to toxic emotions and behaviors. Stay true to who you are and do the good things that you set out to do in this profession. Keep your flame burning. Sometimes doing the hard things brings the most happiness. 

Julia Nelson, PT, is owner and physical therapist at North Born Physical Therapy in Thief River Falls, MN. She is a member of PPS and can be reached on Facebook or at julianelson@northbornpt.com.

Alicia Backer, PTA, is owner and physical therapist assistant at North Born Physical Therapy in Thief River Falls, MN. She is a member of PPS and the Impact Editorial Board and can be reached at aliciabacker2323@gmail.com and on Twitter @AliciaBacker.