Luke Barhorst started Training Nation Performance Therapy in March 2020 after COVID disrupted the jobs he and his wife expected to return to in Ohio. What began with a treatment table stuffed into the back of a Camaro eventually grew into a multi-provider cash practice with locations in North and South Dayton.

In this episode, Courtney talks with Luke about building Training Nation while working full-time, overcoming the fear of leaving a steady job, raising prices, reducing his clinical schedule, and dealing with imposter syndrome as both a clinician and business owner. Luke also shares how his definition of success has shifted toward becoming a better leader, creating great jobs for his team, and building a business that gives him more time with his family.

In This Episode, You'll Learn

  • How Luke started Training Nation during the uncertainty of COVID
  • Why he spent roughly a year building his practice while continuing to work another job
  • How he finally gained the confidence to take Training Nation full-time
  • Why longtime patient relationships can make reducing your caseload difficult
  • How Training Nation approached raising prices in the Dayton market
  • Why the owner's time eventually needs to shift from patient care toward leadership
  • How imposter syndrome can follow you from being a clinician into being a business owner
  • Why Luke wants to create flexibility and autonomy for the clinicians on his team
  • How losing two PTs forced him to think differently about retention and culture
  • Why time with his wife and four children remains one of Luke's biggest measures of success
  • How coaching and community have helped make clinic ownership less isolating

Key Takeaway

You don't need perfect confidence or a complete long-term plan before building your practice. Luke's journey shows that the owner's job continually changes as the business grows. Eventually, creating more freedom requires moving beyond doing everything yourself and becoming the leader your team and business need next.

Technology Spotlight

Documentation continues to be one of the biggest frustrations for physical therapists.

Claire is an AI scribe built specifically for PTs that dramatically reduces documentation time, allowing clinicians to focus on patient care instead of paperwork.

Try Claire free for 7 days.

Free Resource

Ready to take your cash practice from part-time to full-time? Join the free PT Biz Part-Time to Full-Time 5-Day Challenge.

PT Biz Training YouTube

Get more training on building, growing, and scaling a cash-based physical therapy practice on the PT Biz Training YouTube Channel.

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