You Have the Power to Heal Yourself - Empower Physical Therapy

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Julia Rosenthal, Owner of Empower Physical Therapy, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Empower Physical Therapy is an orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapy practice in DUMBO, Brooklyn. We work with adults of all gender identities to address pelvic floor conditions, including pelvic pain disorders, urinary symptoms, gut and bowel symptoms, orthopedic pelvic pain conditions, and more. Our focus is on finding the root cause of our client's symptoms. We take a holistic, whole-body approach to pelvic floor rehabilitation and address all the contributing factors. Part of our pelvic health program includes supporting pregnant or postpartum people. We work with people at all stages of pregnancy to help them feel good in their bodies and stay active without pain. We help pregnant people prepare for delivery and are there postpartum to get moms feeling like themselves again. We also treat a wide range of orthopedic issues, including both chronic and acute injuries. Whether you're recovering from surgery or hoping to make lasting changes in your daily movement routine, we will design a treatment plan to suit your specific goals.

Tell us about yourself

I became a physical therapist because I wanted to be the person guiding clients through their experiences with rehab. I initially wanted to go into orthopedics because of my strength training and fitness background, but I found myself gravitating toward pelvic health because of the holistic nature of it. As a pelvic health therapist, it is so important to understand the influences of the body's system on how people move or experience pain or dysfunction. The more I learned about pelvic health physical therapy, the more I realized that I had to be a really good orthopedic therapist to be a good pelvic health therapist. I sought out training and mentorship opportunities in both so that I could sharpen my skills. After working in a variety of settings here in NYC, I started to feel like something was missing in the way that I saw pelvic PT offered. I was seeing clients who wanted to return to higher-level activities like weightlifting, sprinting, and high-level athletics, but there wasn't really the infrastructure to train those people appropriately given their goals. I was also seeing clients with pelvic floor issues who I really thought would benefit from PT programs that included more strength training and heavier loading, but again the infrastructure just wasn't there for that in most pelvic PT practices. So, in 2020, I started Empower PT with the goal to start bridging the gap I saw between pelvic floor physical therapy and performance. So far, it is going great! My pelvic floor clients press weights overheads, deadlifts, squats, train on a single leg, and more, and they are better for it!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Thus far, I am still a solopreneur. I had a lot to learn about owning and operating a business when I started, but I am proud to say that I am now successfully running a 6-figure business on my own! I am looking to expand soon because things are going really well.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

We really had no business education in physical therapy school. The hardest part of starting was learning all the how-tos from a financial and legal standpoint and getting over the fear of taking the leap. Now, the hardest part is deciding on the direction the business could go. There are so many things I want Empower PT to offer in the future, like more personal training options, functional nutrition counseling, and more, and it can be difficult to decide what to prioritize and invest resources in.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
   I had changed almost everything I had set up when I first started, but I needed to take those first steps just to get myself going.
2. If you don't know something, don't guess.
   I knew where a lot of my weak points were, and I sought counseling from a business mentorship group. One of the first moves I made was hiring a lawyer and a CPA, and I am so grateful that I did.
3. Be ready to work harder but for greater returns.
   I thought when I started my own business, I would work fewer hours because I would be in charge of my own schedule. The reality is that, especially as a solopreneur, I work far longer hours. However, I love what I am doing, and I am really invested in the growth and success of the business, so even if I am working more, it doesn't feel like as much of a chore.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.empowerpt.nyc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowerptnyc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empower_physical_therapy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JCRosenthalDPT
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliarosenthaldpt/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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