We Took a Year-Long Vacation and Our PT Practice Kept Growing

We did this by implementing proven business systems that allow us to treat when we want to, not because we have to.

The following is a personal account from FYZICAL franchisee Keefe Fugleberg.

Freedom of time has always been a priority for my wife, Lisa, and me. We have four kids that keep us pretty busy! We met when we were in PT school together in Norway. She was an Olympic caliber athlete ranked 2nd in track and field in the 400-meter hurdles in Norway, and I was a student from the U.S. We both loved physical therapy and eventually opened our own practice in the states in 2000.

We started our practice in a small room in a medical building, with no insurance reimbursement. We answered phones, handled marketing, billing and even the laundry. As we built our business, we brought people onboard to help us and hired an outside company to handle billing. Today, billing is managed in-house.

From the outset, one business goal never changed

We wanted to create a PT practice that first and foremost revolved around quality patient care. We concentrated on the health and well-being of our patients and really wanted them to feel comfortable. Through word of mouth, our practice eventually started to grow.

Our initial growth was a bit scary

We decided to invest in a larger space, state-of-the-art exercise equipment and growing our team. So many times, we felt unsure about what to do. It was scary. As you scale, it’s hard for many physical therapists to run a successful practice. After all, we’re trained in the art of healing, not in the art of business management. But we were determined to make our practice a success.

There were a few setbacks along the way, of course, but if you have a dream and stay focused, you can achieve anything. 

Business was good… but we were spending A LOT of time in the practice

We were introduced to a brand-new concept called “FYZICAL,” a business model that would allow PTs to put the focus equally on exceptional patient care and operating a continually profitable physical therapy business without the owners needing to be there. It made sense and really resonated with us.

So, we became FYZICAL’s very first franchisee. It wasn’t a hard decision for us. We have access to business management principles and techniques that aren’t part of the typical physical therapy school curriculum. A team of business leaders and brand experts is committed to our success, helping us learn how to manage our practice and employees, market the business, build relationships with patients to keep them coming back, and track our key metrics (more on this in a bit).

Business is crucial – but patient care still comes first

We’re always working to improve the patient experience, too. With FYZICAL, we’ve been able to not just maintain the level of compassion we’ve always shown our patients, but significantly improve it.

With the support of FYZICAL, we’ve not only been able to help our patients more effectively, but we’ve learned how to operate a successful practice and enjoy the freedom to spend quality time with our children and take long vacations.

We just spent a year in Norway on vacation and our business was on cruise control

It was always our intention to find time to return to Norway. Lisa and I thought it was important our kids be exposed to her family’s culture as well as U.S. culture as much as possible. Now, because of FYZICAL, we’re able to spend extended periods of time across the globe.

FYZICAL has the reports in place that Lisa and I review daily on our smart phones to check the status of the business. If by chance something urgent occurs while we’re away, we know it immediately and can call to offer guidance if necessary. In addition, our team can tap on the expertise of the FYZICAL support team if needed.

I came back to my business on three separate occasions

During that year-long vacation, I came back to the states three times to congratulate my team, pat them on the back and say ‘thank you’ and ‘keep up the good work.’ When I came back the third time, two of my employees asked to meet… and extended an offer to buy my practice. Two months later I sold my practice for multi-millions. My wife and I decided to extend our one-year vacation to three years!

FYZICAL gave us the freedom to do what we wanted

If you would like to know how you can run a profitable practice while on an extended vacation, look no further than FYZICAL. The business management protocols and special skills you will learn are unmatched. There’s no other opportunity like this for private practice PTs.

Discover how to treat because you want to… not because you have to.

It’s time to be part of something bigger and discover the business management
skills you need to make this a reality. Attend FYZICAL Discovery Day before it’s too late.