 |
The P.T. Entrepreneur PodcastAuthor: Dr. Danny Matta, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, & Entrepreneur
The PT Entrepreneur Podcast with Danny Matta brings you interviews and insights from top physical therapy business owners. Topics range from starting and running a cash physical therapy practice to creating digital products and even physical products. The PT Entrepreneur Podcast gives you an inside look of the minds and businesses of some of the most successful physical therapists today. No empty fluff.... just actionable, helpful information you can use TODAY. Language: en-us Genres: Business, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
Listen Now...
Ep961 | How Luke Barhorst Built a Cash-Based PT Practice for Time Freedom
Wednesday, 7 October, 2026
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. Connect Training Nation Performance Therapy Training Nation PT on Instagram Physical Therapy Biz
