Profitable in Less Than Two Months: Early Success Sparks Multi-Unit Expansion for FYZICAL Owners

Noel Thomas, PT, and Jayne Thomas, M.Ed, RDN, owners of FYZICAL Sugar Land and FYZICAL Harvest Green, Texas, never set out to build an empire. They planned to open just one clinic—enough to satisfy their shared dream of ownership and create a space where Jayne could help launch the clinic and Noel's clinical leadership could thrive.

After breaking even in just a month and a half, the success was impossible to ignore. Jayne and Noel purchased a second and third territory, and Jayne eventually left her corporate hospital position to focus on the business full time. This husband-and-wife team, nominated for FYZICAL's 2025 Franchisee of the Year, is a marriage in more ways than one—blending clinical expertise and business savvy into a thriving partnership. Together, they’re not only growing a business but setting the standard for what's possible with FYZICAL.

Q: Congratulations on being nominated for FYZICAL's 2025 Franchisee of the Year Award.

This prestigious annual award honors more than just numbers—it celebrates franchisees who set the standard, consistently exceed goals, elevate the FYZICAL brand, and create meaningful impact in their communities. Your clinic’s designation as a Regional Training Center for Client Care Specialists and your presence as trusted voices in local healthcare media speak volumes about your role in the FYZICAL system.

What does this nomination mean to you both, and what do you think it reflects about the culture you’ve built within your clinic?

Jayne: It means so much to me—it really does. It’s such an honor. We were pleasantly surprised to get the email: “Top 4 in the Nation.” It’s incredible—we certainly weren’t expecting that. Our efforts and work are validated, appreciated, and seen.

Noel: It’s always natural to question our methods: "Are we doing the right things? Are we following the right path?" So, this is truly a validation that some things we are doing are actually good. Our team is excited as well. Jayne and I would not have made this happen without them. We have an awesome team. 

Q: How did FYZICAL first come into your lives, and what made you confident that building clinics together was the right path?

Jayne: We were serendipitously introduced to FYZICAL. We were at dinner one night with friends and told them that we had finally committed to a location and were going to open up our first [physical therapy] clinic. One of the girls at dinner said, “You should talk to my brother," [Multi-Unit owner and physical therapist Sanjeev Joseph]. She said FYZICAL has been the best decision ever for him. He's been very happy with the decision and has found success in a short time. Hearing him say it was the best decision ever, with absolutely no regrets – that alone was everything for us.

When we connected with FYZICAL, it was immediately clear they were aligned with how we wanted to run our clinics. Their values and philosophy all matched ours. Every single conversation just felt right. There were never any red flags. It was so seamless that we actually thought, “Is this too good to be true? How can everything feel this perfect?” We just absolutely fell in love with the FYZICAL model.

Noel: I practiced in different countries and continents, like India, Australia, England, and the U.S., so it has always been our dream to own a clinic or have our own practice. I think this is a perfect marriage. I have clinical experience, and she has administrative experience, but neither of us is a business person. We didn’t understand the business component – being an administrator or a good clinician doesn’t make a successful practice.

When we connected with FYZICAL...their values and philosophy all matched ours. It was so seamless that we actually thought, “Is this too good to be true? How can everything feel this perfect?”

-Jayne Thomas, FYZICAL Multi-Unit Owner

Q: You mentioned that Sanjeev achieved success quickly. What advice did he give you so that you could follow in his footsteps?

Jayne: He very clearly told me, “Just do what they tell you. Follow their advice, and they will guide you every step of the way. Don’t do the opposite of what they say. Trust the system, and you’ll be just fine.”

And he was absolutely right.

We broke even with our first location in a month and a half! I'm so proud of that. At the three-month mark, we had to hire our first physical therapist (outside of Noel). I still look back and feel so thankful. We didn't have a ton of capital, and it was a huge leap for us to have Noel quit his job. To have broken even at the month and a half mark and profit after that was huge for us, because it was the scariest thing in the world as first-time business owners to put that much into this business.

Q: You came into FYZICAL with a strong healthcare background, but not specifically in physical therapy. How did FYZICAL’s business training help bridge that gap and set you up for success?

Noel: It has all the frameworks, successful algorithms, and the tools to make a practice run successfully from a business standpoint.

Jayne: The spreadsheets and the metrics were everything to me. I have a healthcare background. I spent 20 years on the operations side working for two large hospital systems in Houston. I’m a licensed dietitian, and I’ve worked in many spaces: weight management, wellness, bariatric surgery, and diabetes.

But I never worked in physical therapy.

All of the information was absolutely golden to me.

I didn’t know the metrics that applied to this space. How many appointments per hour? How many patients a day? How many clinicians should we have? How much square feet per therapist? What’s the most efficient floor plan for a PT clinic, especially with an open gym, when I am used to physician office layouts?

"[FYZICAL] has all the frameworks, successful algorithms, and the tools to make a practice run successfully from a business standpoint."

-Noel Thomas, PT, FYZICAL Multi-Unit Owner

Noel felt like he knew a lot of it, but I also know Noel is a unicorn as a PT. Scaling him and applying what he knows to the broader PT world is a unique experience. FYZICAL gave me the tools, data, and insights I needed to understand the business of PT and how to apply it system-wide.

Honestly, I like to say it would have taken me 10 years to figure all this out on my own: connecting with all the experts, vendors, and best practices. What would have taken me maybe 10 years to learn, FYZICAL taught me in a year or two. 

That’s the difference.

Q: You initially thought you’d open just one clinic—so what changed? What inspired you to leap into expansion, and how did that decision reshape your vision for the future?

Jayne:  One story I always love sharing is about how we decided to expand because we were absolutely convinced we’d be one and done. From the beginning, we thought we’d be lucky to get one clinic off the ground. That was everything to us. We had no expectations and definitely no dreams of ever owning more than one clinic.

I truly believed I’d help Noel launch the operations—because that’s what I do, and that’s what I love—and then I’d slip right back into my hospital role. I figured, two months in, I’d hand it off and disappear. But at that two-month mark, Noel and I had a moment: he looked at me and said, “Wait a minute, I thought you were going to do this forever.” And I said, “Wait a minute, I thought I was just doing this temporarily and then you would take over.”

It was a wake-up call. Noel quickly realized he didn’t enjoy the admin side—he wanted to focus on being the best clinical director possible. He didn’t want to run the business, and I was falling in love with it. But I was burning out—working full time in the hospital, supporting the clinic, raising two little ones. It just wasn’t sustainable.

Noel even said, “We’ll just get out of the business. I’ll go back to working for someone else.” That’s how much he didn’t want to deal with the business side. But I said, “Oh he-- no, this is the key to our family’s future." The profit potential with FYZICAL was far greater than anything we could expect working for someone else. I wasn’t willing to give that up. 

Then in January 2022, corporate sent an email about a special for new territories. It was perfect timing, and the perfect decision. That’s when we expanded and purchased a second and third territory. I made it my goal to leave my hospital role by the end of 2023 and focus full-time on FYZICAL...and that's exactly what happened. 

"The profit potential with FYZICAL was far greater than anything we could expect working for someone else. I wasn’t willing to give that up."

-Jayne Thomas, FYZICAL Multi-Unit Owner

Q: You’ve built a successful multi-unit operation. Do you see that continuing to grow, or have you reached your ideal size?

Jayne: We have three locations right now—honestly, I’d be perfectly happy and satisfied with three. We’ve talked about a possible fourth, but only if the right opportunity landed in our lap—something strategic that made sense for capturing the territory around us. But three has always been the goal, and we feel good about that.

Q: Why do you believe it makes sense to think beyond just one clinic, and what would you say to someone debating between a single location and multi-unit ownership?

Jayne: In short, I’d say it’s a no-brainer. If you’re going to open one, you should seriously consider doing more, because it’s not double the work. All the heavy lifting and stress go into launching that first location. Once that’s up and running, opening additional clinics is relatively easy. It’s nothing compared to that first one.

Honestly, it just makes sense to be a multi-unit owner. At this point, I’d even say it almost doesn’t make sense to do just one.

Q: What makes FYZICAL stand out as a franchise opportunity, and why has it proven to be a wise investment for you?

Noel:  One of the biggest pleasures of running the business is that, of course, as a practitioner, we make changes in people’s lives, but as an owner now I have the pleasure of seeing the happiness in making the changes in staff member’s lives, so the young talents who come through our doors, we are vested in their careers.

Jayne: I believe in the partnership model—an investor paired with a physical therapist. As far as an investment goes, I think FYZICAL is a no-brainer. Just look at the stats: we’re the fastest-growing physical therapy franchise in the country, with over 600 locations. The brand has presence, protocols, and proven pathways already established. It’s recession-proof, and in a sector projected to grow over the next 20 years, while many other industries are moving in the opposite direction.

Q: Has your experience with FYZICAL lived up to your expectations when you first joined, and were there any surprises along the way that stood out in a good way?

Jayne: FYZICAL has absolutely lived up to expectations. During that critical startup phase—the first three years—they fulfilled every promise they made to us.

Dawn Hesse, Vice President of Franchise Operations, and Chief Clinical Officer Rick Douglass, PT, DPT, provided extensive hands-on support. Noel connected so well with Rick; having that kind of mentorship and understanding was golden for us.

Dawn and I would talk on Sunday evenings when I was stressed and freaking out before launch. She was always there, and Rick was always there. And here’s the thing—they didn’t even promise that level of support during onboarding, so it ended up being this incredible surprise that far exceeded our expectations regarding the resources that would constantly be available to us. 

Q: How has FYZICAL’s community of franchisees and leadership contributed to your success and sense of support as a business owner?

Jayne: My absolute favorite part of FYZICAL is the networking. That was one of my biggest concerns when I left the hospital world. I had been managing departments across six locations in Houston, and I loved the local camaraderie and collaboration. I was genuinely worried I’d miss that when I gave up my position.

But I haven’t missed it at all—and that’s 100% because of the FYZICAL network, especially here in Houston. We have such a strong group of local owners, and now with Area Representatives, we’ve built an incredible support system. We all help each other out. If I have a problem, someone connects me to another owner in Houston or across the country who’s been through it. 

What I love most about FYZICAL is that it truly feels like family. I love Brand Triumph, I love the energy, I love it all. I love everything that comes with meeting new people across the country who share the same passion. That is my absolute favorite part of FYZICAL. 

Thank you for your time.

Read more franchisee stories here.