PT Practice Success

Hosted by Shaun Kirk

Business Management Marketing

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Take your physical therapy practice to the next level, and handle any break through all barriers to your expansion. Listen to renowned PT consultant Shaun Kirk, as he takes you through what to do to get your PT practice to where you want it to be, with weekly tips, tricks, techniques and stories!

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33 recent

August 13, 202659 min

Survive or Thrive in Private Practice (Version 2)

Most private practice owners aren't thriving — they're surviving. They're working hard, treating patients all day, and managing everything around the edges, but never quite building a business that gives them real financial freedom or time back. In this episode, Shaun Kirk breaks down exactly what separates the practices that thrive from the ones stuck on the hamster wheel. Shaun covers: The four fundamentals of real management — and why most owners are only doing one or two of them How to classify your team into A, B, and C players, and why your "A team clinician" might actually be a C player in disguise Why setting KPIs, quotas, and targets (not just vague expectations) is what actually drives performance The real reason most owners avoid confronting underperformance — and why it's rarely a leadership problem Simple, high-leverage habits for the morning huddle: tracking the MIA list, calling past patients during downtime, and the "four-phased approach to care" that turns a standard treatment plan into something patients can actually follow Why building genuine patient relationships — not just doing good clinical work — is what creates referrals, reactivations, and a patient for life If you've been blaming your staff, your reimbursement rates, or your market for a business that feels stuck, this episode makes the case that the fix is almost always internal — and gives you a real starting point. Ready to find where your practice is leaking money and fix it for good? Shaun's 6-Week Practice Accelerator is a live, one-on-one program where he analyzes your practice, identifies your biggest leverage points, and builds a week-by-week plan with you. 👉 Learn more and get started: https://get.ptpracticesuccess.com/6-week-accelerator Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

August 10, 202617 min

Selling Cash-Based Services

Insurance is covering less and less, and cash-based services like StemWave and dry needling are becoming essential revenue — but unfortunately most clinicians would rather give the service away than ask for the money. In this episode, Shaun Kirk tackles the real obstacle head-on: It's not a lack of sales skill, it's sales avoidance. Shaun breaks down the five stages of a clinician's sales discomfort — the avoider, the apologizer, the educator, the advisor, and the advocate — and shows why most clinicians get stuck in the middle instead of moving into the two stages that actually close: advising and advocating. He also lays out a six-step conversion gradient for having these conversations without feeling like a used car salesman: establish the gap in care, quantify the cost of inaction, present the offer as a decision, state the price plainly, handle hesitation with information (not assumptions), and ask for the decision. You'll hear real conversation examples, why silence is one of your most powerful tools once you've stated a price, and why underselling — staying quiet and letting a patient leave in pain — is just as much a failure as overselling. The core message: selling isn't a betrayal of clinical care, it's a form of it. Telling the patient the whole truth, including the number, is what actually lets them make the choice that's theirs to make. 👉 Ready to close the gaps in your practice? Learn more about the 6-Week Practice Profit Acceleration Program: https://get.ptpracticesuccess.com/6-week-accelerator Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

August 9, 202637 min

Increasing Profit in a Shrinking Reimbursement Environment

Reimbursement keeps shrinking — but your profit doesn't have to. In this episode, Shaun Kirk breaks down why most practice owners don't actually have a marketing problem, they have an operations problem, and shows exactly where the money is quietly leaking out of your clinic. Drawing on his experience as a private practice consultant and separately running 180+ locations as a VP of Operations in private equity, he walks through: The "leaky bucket" — why roughly 50% of your caseload is already past patients, and what that means for your true patient lifetime value The five places profit disappears: front desk control, clinician execution, patient experience, billing/coding, and systems Why "2 to 3 times a week" isn't a real plan of care until your team can actually hold that line — and how to fix it The cluster-booking trick that changes how busy (and profitable) your schedule feels A real example of adding just $7 per visit in average reimbursement — and what it took operationally to get there If you've been telling yourself "we just need more new patients," this episode might change your mind — and show you where the real leaks are hiding. Ready to find your own leaks and fix them for good? Shaun's 6-Week Practice Accelerator is a live, guided program where he personally analyzes your practice, finds where revenue is slipping through the cracks, and builds a week-by-week plan to plug it. 👉 Learn more and get started: https://get.ptpracticesuccess.com/6-week-accelerator Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

August 6, 202640 min

Building a Team That Grows Your Practice

You've hired good people, you've trained them, but you still feel like you're carrying the load. In this episode, Shaun Kirk breaks down why that happens — and it's usually not effort, it's alignment. Shaun walks through what "training" really means beyond clinical skills (coding, documentation, fiscal responsibility, asking for referrals), why every change you introduce will be met with resistance — even from a great team — and how to write clear orders that eliminate misunderstanding. He shares his "private practice emotional math problem" concept, explains why small, consistent changes beat big swings, and lays out the five things a stellar practice does well: front desk control, clinician execution, patient compliance, patient experience, and revenue. You'll also hear why the goal isn't just more patient volume, but building a practice that's valuable — and sellable — without you standing in the middle of it every day. If you've ever felt like you're the "cop" of your own practice, this episode will change how you think about leadership, structure, and what it actually takes to build a team that drives growth instead of just keeping up with it. 👉 Ready to close the leaks in your practice? Learn more about the 6-Week Practice Profit Acceleration Program: https://get.ptpracticesuccess.com/6-week-accelerator Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

June 5, 202427 min

Overcoming Clinic Blindness

I call it "Clinic Blindness" because you can't see it. When you are too close to something, you can lack a point of view. It can be hard to see what is directly in front of you that is impeding your growth as a practice. Little changes lead to massive success is true, but what change should you make first? Here it is: Overcome Clinic Blindness! This presentation on "Overcoming Clinic Blindness" can help you find a path and the vision to see yourself get to your destination. Click on the link below and find out what "Overcoming Clinic Blindness" will do for your practice. You can go straight to this presentation by clicking the link below. HOW TO OVERCOME CLINIC BLINDNESS In this presentation I cover: Learn how to overcome mediocrity from your team Find the "sweet spot" where action multiplies success Learn how character, work ethic, performance and purpose intertwine to bring about successful or failure I hope you find this helpful for you as a practice owner. Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

May 15, 202412 min

Setting Standards of Care Benchmarks

We need to deliver care in a fiscally responsible manner. That means we need to deliver great care AND make money! Setting appropriate benchmarks of expectations upon your clinical team that permits you and them to view what they are doing to bring about a heightened financial viability is crucial. I always say that the only way to make more money is to make more money. Don't leave money on the table by failing to set and manage with your Standards of Care benchmark metrics. Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

May 15, 202419 min

How to Ask for a Referral from a Patient

Asking for referrals from you super happy patients can feel pretty salesy, but if you have that viewpoint, you have the wrong viewpoint. You are in the business of helping people live pain-free lives and I believe it should be to help as many people as possible. We spend money on ads, we knock on doors, hold events and so many things, but do we ask a patient, "Who do you know who needs my help?" You might be surprised with the impact this simple question can make. Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

April 22, 202430 min

How to Create Time

Description: How do you implement something you've learned to better run your practice when you have no time? The answer is one bite at a time with dedicated focus. This presentation will cover: Are you the Tortoise or the Hare? (Who got distracted?) How to manage distractions during your admin time. Learn the "Teflon Drill" to get others to solve problems. Find out the 4 D's of Time Management Remember: “Little changes lead to massive success!” Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

April 15, 202415 min

The Private Practice Blueprint

In this episode, I want to share with you The Private Practice Blueprint Importance of Drive and Goal Setting : The critical role of 'drive' in distinguishing highly successful practices from moderately successful ones and stresses the necessity of clear, actionable goal setting. Strategic Planning and Team Alignment : The importance of having a well-thought-out strategic plan (practice blueprint) and the need for team alignment to achieve these plans effectively. Operational Efficiency : I introduce the concept of a 'five-hour block,' a dedicated weekly time for practice owners to focus on high-level management tasks without distractions, which he identifies as a game changer in practice management. Financial Management : Shaun addresses common areas where practices lose money and underscores the importance of identifying and plugging these financial leaks to stabilize and grow the business. Leadership and Resistance Management : Shaun talks about the inevitability of resistance when implementing new processes and how effective leadership and communication are vital for overcoming such challenges. Practice Blueprint for Success : Outline of the 'Private Practice Blueprint,' an eight-week course designed to equip practice owners with the tools to build a robust foundation for their business, enhancing both management efficiency and financial performance. Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com

April 15, 202419 min

Physical Therapists - The Hairdressers of Healthcare

Patients will tell you anything. It is shocking the "secrets" they tell you. In this episode, I will go over the value of this relationship and how you can leverage the relationship to grow your practice. Physical Therapists as "Hairdressers of Healthcare" : Discusses the unique, trust-based relationship physical therapists build with patients, akin to hairdressers, due to the personal nature of their interactions. Marketing Challenges : Addresses the difficulties in standing out in a crowded market, the high costs of traditional marketing, and the often low return on investment from paid social media campaigns. Effective Use of Marketing Budgets : Critiques the common practice of outsourcing marketing tasks like social media ads and emphasizes the importance of understanding marketing to maintain control over patient acquisition. Crafting Effective Offers : Suggests refining the messaging and offers in advertisements to convert leads into patients more effectively. Lead Management : Highlights the importance of properly managing and converting incoming leads, especially those that are weak or come from free service offers. Leveraging Existing Patients for Referrals : Advocates for using satisfied patients as a marketing resource to attract new patients without the heavy costs associated with traditional marketing. Building Rapport and Trust : Discusses the importance of building deep, trust-based relationships with patients to facilitate word-of-mouth referrals. Communication Skills and Personal Connections : Emphasizes the need for physical therapists to be good listeners and communicators to foster relationships that encourage referrals. The Art of Asking for Referrals : Provides strategies on how to comfortably ask patients for referrals to bring in new business without appearing forceful. Training Staff on Communication and Referrals : Advises on training staff to enhance their communication skills and confidence in asking for referrals. Sales as a Positive Interaction : Reinterprets sales as a helpful and necessary interaction in healthcare, encouraging a more proactive approach to patient referrals. Feel free to reach out for assistance on building a referral-based practice and mentions an upcoming system to boost referrals even more effectively. Coaching Program #1 Coaching program post-roll #1 Schedule a consult with Shaun by visiting https://ptpracticesuccess.com