Grow Your Practice Podcast

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305

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May 2026

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About the show

Each week, the Grow Your Practice Podcast with Chad Madden of Breakthrough brings you no-nonsense marketing & business growth strategies that deliver new patients and higher profits. Co-Founder of Breakthrough, Owner of Madden Physical Therapy and Author of "Killer Marketing Secrets for Private Practice PTs", Chad grew his practice 600% in the last five years using direct response marketing strategies. He sees more than 200 new patients each month in his single location Private Practice. Now he's teaching over 800 Practice Owners to do the same.

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May 29, 202650 min

PT Student Debt, AI, and the Future of Private Practice

In this episode of the Grow Your Practice podcast, Chad Madden sits down with Jimmy McKay of PT Pintcast to talk about the future of physical therapy, student loan pressure, value-based communication, and the role of AI in healthcare. Jimmy shares how his unique path from radio DJ to DPT shaped his ability to communicate, educate, and connect with the PT profession. This episode is packed with insights for clinic owners, students, and clinicians navigating a changing healthcare landscape.Subscribe for more conversations on growing your PT practice, improving patient care, and navigating the future of private practice.00:00 - Introducing Jimmy McKay and PT Pintcast 01:00 - From Morning Announcements to Radio DJ 07:48 - Lessons in Communication and Creativity 10:00 - DPT Student Debt and Education Challenges 17:16 - Can PT Education Be Disrupted? 27:08 - Understanding Value in Healthcare 39:29 - AI, Productivity, and the Future of PT 48:39 - Where to Follow Jimmy McKay

May 27, 202636 min

How Rizing Tide Helps PTs Recruit the Next Generation

In this episode of the Grow Your Practice Podcast, Chad Madden talks with Heidi Jannenga and Shelley Menk about Rizing Tide, a nonprofit scholarship and mentorship initiative supporting underrepresented physical therapy students and residents. They discuss the PT staffing shortage, the importance of diversity in patient care, and what new graduates are really looking for from employers. Shelley also shares how Rizing Tide helped her pursue residency training and launch her own pelvic health practice.Learn more at rizing-tide.com.00:00 - Introduction to Rizing Tide and Today’s Guests 01:15 - Why Heidi Jannenga Started Rizing Tide 03:40 - The Personal Story Behind the Mission 06:45 - Shelley Menk’s Experience as a Rizing Tide Scholar 08:42 - How Rizing Tide Mentorship Works 10:39 - Scholarships, Community, and Employer Connect 15:49 - How Scholars Are Selected 20:17 - What New PT Graduates Want from Employers 25:52 - Shelley’s New Pelvic Health Practice 27:21 - How Practice Owners Can Get Involved

April 16, 202622 min

How to Add Cash Pay Services to Your PT Practice the Right Way

In this episode, Chad Madden breaks down the real playbook for rolling out cash pay services inside a private practice. He shares how his team 6x’d cash pay revenue, the three-step promotion strategy that works, and why clinician confidence matters more than most owners realize. You’ll also hear real numbers from laser, HBOT, and reactivation campaigns so you can see what successful implementation looks like. If you’re trying to grow profitability, help more patients, and reduce dependence on insurance reimbursement, this episode gives you a practical roadmap.Time Stamps 00:00 - Welcome and Why Cash Pay Matters Now 00:24 - The Shift from “Should We?” to “How Do We Do It?” 01:34 - The 3 Ways to Promote Cash Pay Services 02:15 - How Existing Patients Drive Early Cash Pay Success 04:31 - Reactivating Past Patients with Offers and Promotions 07:54 - Using Paid Ads for Cash Pay Services the Right Way 11:36 - Case Studies, Evidence, and Clinician Buy-In 17:06 - Hiring for Cash Pay Confidence and Sales Competency 20:36 - Why Private Practices Can’t Ignore Cash Pay Anymore

April 15, 202610 min

2026 Breakthrough Virtual Summit: New Rules to Grow Your Private Practice

In this episode, Chad Madden gives a preview of the upcoming Breakthrough Virtual Summit: State of PT: The New Rules of Private Practice Growth in 2026. He shares what practice owners can expect, from reimbursement challenges and AI to cash-based services, compliance, team building, and practice valuation. If you own or lead a private practice, this free event is designed to help you navigate industry changes and grow with confidence. Check the show notes for the registration link and save your spot.Register now: https://getbreakthrough.com/2026-virtual-summit/Time Stamps00:00 - Welcome to Grow Your Practice00:21 - Free virtual summit announcement for PT owners01:15 - State of PT: reimbursement, hiring, AI, and automation01:33 - Paul Welk on practice exits and valuation playbooks03:02 - Systems, scaling, and operations with Tim Dwire03:23 - Cash service sales and packaging with Doug Adams04:20 - Compliance and uncovered billing with Mary DaLong04:59 - Team building, mindset, front desk, and growth strategies08:38 - Justin Moore keynote on the future of PT in 2026

February 19, 202630 min

How Breakthrough Started: From Cold Email to PT Marketing System

In this episode, Chad Madden shares the behind-the-scenes origin story of Breakthrough—starting with a cold email in 2012 and a call with Carl Mattiola (then at Tesla). You’ll hear how private practice marketing evolved as physician referrals declined, and why direct-to-consumer strategy became essential. Chad breaks down the shift from courses and newsletters to a unified, three-channel marketing system built for private practice growth. Subscribe for weekly best practices to help you grow your clinic with more time and financial freedom. If marketing feels complicated and your schedule isn’t as full as it should be, Breakthrough gives you a simple, proven system to attract and follow up with new patients automatically—book a demo here: https://getbreakthrough.com/demo 00:00 - Welcome to Grow Your Practice 00:21 - Why this episode: the Breakthrough origin story 01:02 - 2008–2013: physician referrals decline & the push to DTC marketing 03:44 - The cold email that started it all (November 2012) 05:41 - Carl’s Tesla background + interviewing 300+ owners 09:01 - From Clinic Metrics to marketing referrals (and early stumbles) 16:12 - Webinars, “green ink letter,” and the early courses 19:27 - Evolution into ads + a purpose-built CRM and 3-channel system 26:43 - Market–Message–Media Match + how AI changed copywriting

February 5, 202648 min

From Overworked to Owner: How to Escape the PT “Owner’s Trap” With Jamey Schrier

Private practice owners: feeling stuck in the clinic and stretched thin? In this episode of the Grow Your Practice podcast, host Chad Madden interviews Jamey Schrier on moving from burned-out clinician to true business owner. You’ll hear the pivotal moments (including a literal clinic fire), the mindset shifts around identity and ego, and a practical first step to reclaim your time. If you want a self-sustaining PT practice that doesn’t require you every day, this one’s for you.If marketing feels complicated and your schedule isn’t as full as it should be, Breakthrough gives you a simple, proven system to attract and follow up with new patients automatically—book a demo here: https://getbreakthrough.com/demo00:00 - Welcome & guest intro02:30 - The fire that forced a reset05:45 - Personal low points: stress, family, and wake-up calls12:10 - Stages of a practice: clinician → operator → entrepreneur14:50 - First step out of the trap: the “activity organizer”17:45 - Ego, identity & letting go of control29:40 - Lifestyle by design (not default)37:40 - Profit vs. revenue in today’s reimbursement climate43:55 - Where to start: assessment & next actions

January 21, 202631 min

State of PT 2026: Hiring, Reimbursement & Cash-Pay Growth

Chad breaks down the 2026 state of private practice across four pillars: people, finance, operations, and marketing. You’ll hear hard numbers on the DPT shortage and debt, why reimbursement + inflation equals a ~29% hit since 2019, and how cash-pay services are stabilizing margins and improving outcomes. He also shares systems to streamline ops and a playbook for always-on marketing—even when you’ve got a waitlist. Subscribe for weekly strategies to grow a resilient, patient-first practice.Timestamps00:00 - Welcome & why this matters00:44 - The four pillars of private practice03:00 - People: DPT shortage, debt & salaries09:05 - Finance: fee schedule declines & the 29% squeeze15:04 - Cash-pay services: what works and real numbers20:55 - Team buy-in & rollout pitfalls22:36 - Systems/ops: EMR, integrations & AI24:28 - Marketing evolution, reactivations & waitlist trap30:50 - Key takeaways & next steps

December 31, 202530 min

5 Levels of PT Practice Marketing: Predictable Patient Demand

Most PT owners outgrow word-of-mouth long before they build a true demand engine. In this episode, Chad Madden breaks down the five levels of marketing awareness—from “I don’t need marketing” to running a predictable patient pipeline—and shows how to pick the right next step for your stage. You’ll learn where most clinics stall, how to avoid the DIY trap, and what a unified system looks like when it’s working.👉 Learn more or book a demo: https://getbreakthrough.comTime Stamps00:00 - Welcome & why DTC marketing now02:54 - The 5-stage roadmap to predictable demand03:56 - Level 1: Unaware — “Quality + word of mouth is enough”08:34 - Level 2: Problem Aware — The costly DIY rabbit hole14:36 - Level 3: Solution Aware — Channel dependence & algorithm shocks17:40 - Level 4: Product Aware — The “duct tape” tech stack nightmare20:34 - Level 5: Most Aware — One integrated, always-on system28:48 - How Breakthrough helps & next steps (CTA)

November 12, 202541 min

Adding Tech to PT: Cash Services, ROI & Mentorship Ft. Ben England

Chad Madden sits down with Dr. Ben England, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT, to break down why adding treatment technology (laser, shockwave, direct current, dry needling, HBOT) isn’t a fad—it’s what today’s patients expect. We cover how to roll out cash-pay services, pricing, ROI, and the mindset shift clinicians need to recommend ethically and confidently. Ben also shares a turnaround story and how mentorship/accountability accelerate growth. Value-packed for private practice owners and clinicians who want better outcomes and better business.YouTube Timestamps00:00 - Intro & Ben’s PT origin story03:00 - From hospital to private practice to all-cash05:20 - Why patients want tech now (AI, biohacking, expectations)07:45 - Rolling out cash-pay tech: training, pitfalls, integrity selling10:50 - Evidence behind direct current, lasers & e-stim (Ben’s paper)14:30 - Overcoming “sales prevention” and dosing mistakes17:25 - ROI math, scheduling devices, and first-visit trials23:40 - Mentorship, accountability, and building the Torrentia Tribe30:10 - Practice turnaround case study + how to join39:30 - Books that shaped Ben’s career & wrap-upBook a free demo call and get a behind-the-scenes look at the exact systems, tools, and frameworks Chad used to grow from a solo PT to a $20M practice — and the blueprint he's using to reach $100M. https://getbreakthrough.com/demo/Torrentia.com Tribe of Millionaires - https://a.co/d/bjlyKdhFinancial Freedom Book - https://a.co/d/enf9G8EInnerpreneur - https://a.co/d/0PKfKta

October 13, 202518 min

Titans of PT: 26 Clinics, Smart Hiring & AI—With Ryan Christoff

Private practice builder Ryan Christoff joins Chad Madden to unpack how he grew from one clinic to 26 in Western PA. He shares the two books that shaped his mindset, the sub-$500 tool that moved the needle, and the painful expansion mistake that became a turning point. You’ll hear practical hiring and retention tactics, why “foot on the gas” matters, and how AI will reshape scheduling, authorizations, and collections. Watch if you want battle-tested strategies to grow your PT practice and protect your time.Timestamps00:00 - Intro & why Ryan’s a special guest01:18 - From one clinic to 26: Ryan’s background02:52 - Game-changing books: The Strangest Secret & Rich Dad Poor Dad04:24 - Best sub-$500 tool: two-way texting for D2C & reactivations05:48 - Biggest mistake opening a clinic—and the turnaround08:30 - Mantra: “Keep your foot on the gas”09:32 - Best investment: time to think, partner smart, win-win deals10:46 - Unconventional review process: staff self-assess wins & teamwork12:18 - New mindset: you can’t please everyone (comp & balance realities)13:55 - Starting a practice: legal/finance first, don’t rely on MD referrals15:20 - Protecting time: say no, one needle-moving task per day16:35 - Overlooked trend: staffing squeeze & creative scheduling17:30 - What’s next: AI for auths & collections; faster changes than ever18:16 - Closing advice to owners