Helping People Stay Fit and Active - Stephen Dunn

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Stephen Dunn, Co-Owner of CORE Therapy And Pilates, located in Austin, TX, USA.

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

My business is CORE Therapy & Pilates, and we serve the Westlake and Austin community with physical therapy, Pilates, Gyrotonic, and Teacher Training. Our customers are active people that are having trouble being active due to pain or injury. We help people in Austin stay active and fit and move away from pain pills and surgery to a healthy lifestyle.

Tell us about yourself

I graduated from physical therapy school in 1998 and was laid off only 10 weeks into my first job due to Medicare cuts from the politicians. This led to me moving across the country to find a job almost a year later, only to find a new landscape of physical therapy. After two and half painful years as an overworked staff physical therapist, I decided to open my first business in 2001. This led to opening my own studio in Austin | Westlake in 2005. Each day I am motivated by finding a way to own a profitable physical therapy business at a time when we have declining reimbursements and increased costs every and every year.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

To work myself out of treating patients and actually run the business like a business owner instead of running it like a clinician treating full time. Writing a book on back pain after helping thousands of people with back pain has been a great accomplishment, sharing what has worked for my patients and me for over two decades.

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

The everyday grind of entrepreneurship, the ups and downs, the restless nights thinking about gaining new clients, reactivating old clients, more revenue, and making payroll. But I wouldn't change it for the world!

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

1. Find something that you really enjoy, I mean really enjoy, like LOVE!
2. Find your audience. How old? How educated? Where do they hang out?
3. Find a problem you can solve with your PASSION for them!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://therapyandpilates.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TherapyAndPilates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coretherapypilates/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-dunn-at-core/

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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