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In Episode 34 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Daniel Patterson—founder of Full Speed Performance and co-founder of the medical referral platform Refr Health. Daniel shares his incredible journey of starting a physio clinic as an undergraduate university student with zero business background, building it up to 8 locations across Australia, and mastering a subscription-based clinical model.Daniel dives deep into why profitability must always be king (allowing you to weather storms and experiment safely), why small, highly profitable clinics often outperform massive multi-staff behemoths, how they pay top clinicians up to $100/hour by maintaining healthy margins, and why the allied health industry needs to embrace smart experimentation over rigid "evidence-based" dogma. Plus, Daniel shares the vision behind Refr Health and how it's streamlining clinical pathways and easing pressure on GPs.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: Meeting Daniel Patterson (Full Speed Performance & Refr Health).01:02 Starting a physio business as a university student with zero business background.03:38 Overcoming early ageism and building a scrappy model from a gym backroom.04:14 Scaling to 8 locations across Australia and hitting the $2M revenue inflection point.05:36 Why profitability is king: Reaching 28-30% profit margins and why it gives you freedom.07:16 Pioneering subscription-based physio: Designing automated payment plans and predictable revenue.11:42 Training your team to believe in and explain long-term care programs naturally.12:50 The reality of practice size: Why smaller, hyper-profitable locations beat giant overhead-heavy setups.15:19 Paying clinicians up to $100/hour: How strong margins enable top-tier pay and staff retention.16:18 The unpopular truth: Why healthcare needs to embrace safe experimentation and trial.18:07 Introducing Refer: Streamlining scans, specialist referrals, and taking pressure off local GPs.

In Episode 33 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Michael Dermansky, founder of MD Health and a veteran in the physio space with over 23 years of experience. Michael shares his journey of realizing that traditional short-term "band-aid" physiotherapy wasn't actually changing patients' long-term lives—leading him to pioneer structured, long-term transformation programs and customized clinical Pilates. Michael breaks down why clinic owners need to think like engineers rather than scientists, how they engineered systematic product lines instead of trading time for money, why length-of-stay and consistency are the ultimate leading indicators of clinical and business success, and why every clinician stepping into business must learn the basic language of accounting, marketing, and operations. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting Michael Dermansky, founder of MD Health and industry veteran. 00:46 The early realization: Why traditional short-term physio leaves clients no better off long-term. 02:18 The 2-year grind: Testing new product lines, renting church halls, and moving away from standard consults. 03:00 Engineering human physiology: Designing a 3-month complete transformation program based on healing timelines. 05:10 The evolution from church halls to dedicated spaces: Transitioning to group clinical Pilates and customized models. 06:37 Clinicians as engineers: Why stepping away from one-on-one dependency creates real scale and better client outcomes. 09:29 The core metric: Why length of stay and patient consistency are the ultimate leading indicators. 11:00 Internal accountability: Using software flags and team oversight to catch dropped reassessments early. 14:43 The unpopular business truth: Why clinic owners must learn the basic language of finance, accounting, and marketing. 17:03 Final thoughts and parting advice on building unique, outcome-driven healthcare models.

In Episode 32 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Paul Hedges, co-owner of a thriving 9-physio practice in the Adelaide Hills and founder of Rate My Clinic. Paul brings a refreshingly honest perspective—having spent 23 years in the trenches growing, expanding to 3.5 locations, and ultimately making the bold strategic decision to "shrink to grow" back to a single, highly profitable flagship location.Paul shares why bigger isn't always better, the massive financial and stability advantages of purchasing your clinic's freehold building, and why obsessing over data (like Net Promoter Score and team feedback) helped them achieve an astonishing average staff tenure of 13.2 years. Plus, Paul breaks down what he’s learned from benchmarking over 120 Australian clinics through Rate My Clinic.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: Meeting Paul Hedges and the 23-year journey of their Adelaide Hills clinic.01:53 The early days: Running Pilates classes in church halls and processing paper bookings.03:07 "Shrink to Grow": Why Paul and his wife decided to downsize from 3.5 locations back to 1 flagship clinic.04:44 Buying your clinic's freehold building: The financial advantages of becoming your own landlord.06:58 What drives sustainable growth? The power of deep communication and team engagement.08:52 The data that matters: Achieving a 13.2-year average staff tenure and using NPS for client feedback.12:59 The uncomfortable truth: Why practice owners wait too long to take action on staff who aren't the right fit.14:40 Introducing Rate My Clinic: Benchmarking over 120 Australian clinics to discover what high performers do differently.16:05 Final thoughts and how to connect with Paul Hedges at ratemyclinic.com.au.

In Episode 31 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Deanne Bannatyne (CEO of HICAPS, NAB) and Sam Waterhouse (Business Executive, MedFin) to dive deep into the comprehensive NAB Health Insights Report. Together, they explore the complete lifecycle of an allied health practice—from initial ideation and financing to multi-site scaling and navigating evolving consumer expectations. They discuss whether to bootstrap or seek finance, the risks of buying an existing clinic vs. starting greenfield, how to reduce owner dependency for better funding, and how to combat cost-of-living pressures by focusing on transparent pricing and patient experience rather than just raising fees. Plus, Deanne drops exciting updates on what's next for HICAPS over the coming months, including portal refreshes, digital claiming, and broader API/ecosystem integrations. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting Deanne Bannatyne (CEO of HICAPS) & Sam Waterhouse (MedFin). 01:05 Starting an allied health business: Financing, ideation, and bootstrapping vs. borrowing. 03:52 Buying an existing clinic vs. starting greenfield: Which option is lower risk for a bank? 05:30 Operational considerations and modern patient expectations with HICAPS. 09:29 Phase Two: Scaling your business, managing multi-site complexity, and reducing owner dependency. 13:40 Leveraging AI and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to build a systematized clinic. 18:12 Navigating cost-of-living pressures: Should you raise prices or focus on patient experience and value? 23:25 The importance of voice-of-customer (VoC) feedback and tracking patient retention. 29:30 Sam & Deanne's top piece of advice for allied health practice owners. 31:40 What's in store for HICAPS: Digital portals, new terminals, and future API/ecosystem integrations. 37:20 Final thoughts and how to connect with the NAB Health and HICAPS teams.

In Episode 30 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with legendary allied health business coach, physiotherapist, and author Paul Wright (creator of Practiceology™ and author of *How to Run A One-Minute Practice*). Paul shares his hilarious and candid journey into private practice—including why he describes himself as a "hopeless employee" who once got sacked from a public hospital job—and how he transitioned into building highly profitable, turn-key health businesses that run without the owner.They dive deep into the evolution of allied health business education, why traditional accountant P&L data often fails clinic owners, how to escape the clinical grind, and why building robust systems and retention frameworks is the true key to freedom. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting allied health mentor and business legend Paul Wright. 01:30 Paul’s early career journey: Being a "hopeless employee" and getting sacked from a public hospital. 03:15 Transitioning to private practice and discovering the missing business skills not taught at university. 05:45 Why university prepares you to be a clinician, but leaves you blind to business, marketing, and profit. 08:20 The birth of Practiceology™: Helping clinic owners earn more, work less, and enjoy life. 11:10 Why your accountant's P&L data won't help you run a great health business (and what you should look at instead). 14:05 How to structure your practice so it can run successfully without you. 17:30 Avoiding the burnout trap: Setting strict boundaries and designing a lifestyle business. 20:10 How to connect with Paul Wright and grab his best-selling resources.

In Episode 29 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry is joined by James Grafton, Founder of Champion Health. James shares his rapid ascent from renting a single room in a chiropractic clinic to building a massive 80+ clinician enterprise that now operates fully under management, generating over $10M in revenue. James drops some hard-hitting, unconventional truths about scaling a healthcare business. They discuss why true leadership requires an uncomfortable balance with strict management, the controversial benefits of running a bulk-billing model as a real-world training ground for new grads, and why the most successful practice owners are rarely the loudest voices on social media. Now a scaling coach, James reveals the specific growth phases every clinic hits—and exactly what breaks at each stage. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting James Grafton and his rapid scale from renting a single room to 80+ clinicians. 01:31 Why James transitioned away from clinical treating to focus entirely on business building and scale. 02:53 The predictable growth phases of a clinic: From lead generation to recruitment to the ultimate bottleneck—leadership. 03:59 Leadership vs. Management: Why inspiration is useless if you can't hold your team accountable. 05:22 The controversial benefits of bulk-billing: Using accessibility models as an "apprenticeship" for new graduates to learn without high-ticket pressure. 07:20 The most important metrics for an allied health business (and why clinician utilization is king). 08:23 An uncomfortable truth about the allied health industry: The most successful clinic owners aren't the loudest voices on social media. 09:15 James's current role as a scaling coach and how he helps practice owners step away from the daily operations. 10:08 How to connect with James Grafton and learn more about his coaching for 7- and 8-figure clinics.

Alex shares the raw realities of building a Practice Management Software (PMS) from the ground up, including bootstrapping Pogozo, building a team of 20 engineers, and navigating a process that took 10x the budget and twice as long as expected. She breaks down why clinic owners need to stop settling for clunky "workarounds," why treating software like an employee changes how you manage tech, Pogozo's philosophy on all-in-one platforms vs. specialized AI integrations, and what she would do differently if she were building a 10-clinician practice today. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Alex Forde's path from Physio to Pharmacist to Tech Entrepreneur 01:00 Why a chronic back pain patient inspired Alex to study Pharmacy 02:18 Opening a hybrid clinic & gym practice and hitting software limitations 03:24 Bootstrapping Pogozo and bringing family on board as investors 04:14 Scoping Pogozo: Interviewing 200+ clinic owners to define the product 05:32 The reality of tech startups: 20 engineers, 10x costs, and timeline delays 07:50 The startup grind: Working 16-hour days to build a modern platform 09:27 Eliminating "workarounds" and why you should treat software like an employee 12:08 The 3 main reasons switching Practice Management Software is so hard 14:58 All-in-One vs. Best-of-Breed: Pogozo's philosophy on integrations and specialized AI 18:00 What Alex would do differently if she built a 10-clinician practice today 19:22 Official Announcement: CliniScribe & Pogozo integration partnership

In Episode 27 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry Nguyen is joined by Craig Hankridge, Founder and Director of ProFeet Podiatry in Melbourne. Craig shares his journey from initially studying occupational therapy to finding his true passion in podiatry, eventually scaling his practice to a multi-site operation with a team of 40 across the span of 11 years They discuss the unique challenges of allied health, focusing heavily on recruitment, preventing the dreaded "five-year burnout" among practitioners, and how to balance professional growth with personal goals. Craig also shares an insightful "Southeast Asia truck" analogy to explain why high patient visit averages (PVA) are actually crucial for patient health literacy, and drops an unpopular truth about why clinic owners need to stop coddling their team and embrace honest, accountable feedback. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting Craig Hankridge and his path into podiatry. 01:48 Early career experiences, working in London, and deciding to start a private practice. 02:58 Connecting with co-founder Shane Davis and launching ProFeet Podiatry in Melbourne. 04:45 Scaling the clinic to a team of 40: The philosophy of organic, bottom-up growth. 06:54 Why allied health practitioners burn out at year five and how Pro Fit combats it. 10:18 The trap of a "catch-all" marketing funnel and the importance of finding your ideal client. 13:30 Key metrics for clinic growth: Why rebooking cadence and frequency matter for patient success. 15:22 The "Overloaded Truck" analogy: Why cramming all your advice into a new grad’s first assessment fails. 17:15 Craig's unpopular clinic lesson: The danger of "coddling" your team instead of holding them accountable. 20:14 How to connect with Craig and ProFeet Podiatry.

In Episode 26 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Shane "Guna" Gunaratnam, a well-known business coach and successful former clinic owner. Shane shares his unfiltered journey from working as a physiotherapist for a decade to launching, scaling, and ultimately selling a highly profitable clinic—all while navigating a global pandemic. They dive deep into the realities of modern clinic ownership, discussing why the traditional "bootstrap" startup hustle might no longer be the most viable path and exploring the challenging "messy middle" that traps many business owners. Plus, Shane reveals the single most important metric every clinic should track and drops a controversial, unspoken truth about what it actually takes to survive and thrive in private practice today. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Meeting Shane "Guna" Gunaratnam 00:44 Shane’s clinic ownership journey and partnering with Life Ready 01:51 Scaling a physio clinic from startup to profitability during a pandemic 02:42 The Life Ready acquisition and why Shane transitioned out 03:44 Why a partnership model beats the traditional "bootstrap" method today 05:50 The harsh reality of starting a clinic and surviving the "messy middle" 07:24 The biggest challenge for clinic owners: Staff recruitment and retention 07:41 The #1 metric for success: Net Promoter Score (NPS) vs. Google Reviews 10:01 The controversial truth: Why clinical excellence is non-negotiable in private practice 13:01 Final thoughts on continuous learning and mastery

In Episode 25 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry Nguyen sits down with Stephen Lee, Partner at Total Physio Care, a multi-location clinic in Melbourne. Stephen reflects on his 15+ year journey from a new grad under the mentorship of pioneering sports physio Barry Gavens to managing a large, long-tenured team of over 20 practitioners. They dive into the unique benefits of integrating hospital contracts into a private practice, the hard lessons learned from expanding and subsequently downsizing footprints, and the real secrets to achieving a 10+ year staff retention rate. They also touch on their collaboration in developing robust AI tools for clinical workflows. Timestamps: [00:00] Introduction to Stephen Lee and his pathway into musculoskeletal physiotherapy [01:42] Early career mentorship and working a hybrid hospital-private practice model [04:42] Developing clinical reasoning and improving referral efficiency with surgeons [05:47] Building a custom hospital software application for notes and billing tracking [07:09] Lessons learned from expanding the clinic footprint and managing overheads [09:28] Secrets to retaining staff for 10+ years and managing a team of 20 physios [10:59] Why communication and personality outrank clinical skills when hiring new grads [12:54] Advice for new practice owners on the initial hustle required for referrals [14:46] Teaser: Upcoming episode on developing AI forms and treatment plans for CliniScribe AI

In this episode of The Business of Allied Health, we sit down with Paul Ness, the Senior Director of Medical Services and Senior Physiotherapist for the ATP Tour. With over 23 years of experience traveling the globe and treating some of the world's greatest tennis players, Paul shares unparalleled insights into the realities of working in elite professional sports. Paul discusses his journey from a local clinic to the Australian Open, the intense pressure of treating top-tier athletes who need results immediately, and why injury prevention programs require deep adaptability. We also dive into the critical lessons private practice teaches you about time management, and why so many sports physiotherapists drastically undervalue their services when working with elite teams. Supported by CliniScribe AI. Subscribe for more interviews with allied health leaders and clinical business insights! Timestamps: [00:00:00] - Introduction and welcoming Paul Ness [00:00:46] - Right place, right time: How Paul transitioned from a local clinic to the ATP Tour [00:02:51] - Being "put under the microscope" by players who need immediate results [00:03:59] - Building trust quickly with top players (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic) [00:05:55] - Why you should treat a 75-year-old patient the same as a professional athlete [00:07:07] - The nuance of injury prevention programs and adapting to unique athletic bodies [00:09:42] - Force plates and strength testing: Where tennis currently stands [00:11:12] - Crucial lessons private practice teaches you that elite sport doesn't [00:13:25] - Why sports physiotherapists severely undervalue their worth and how to determine your salary [00:17:57] - The unglamorous reality of elite sports: 11-hour days, windowless rooms, and travel fatigue [00:21:47] - How to connect with Paul and what it takes to join the ATP Tour team

In this episode of The Business of Allied Health, we are joined by Jordan Gauder, Founder and CEO of Gen Physio, a rapidly growing nationwide provider of in-home allied health services. Jordan shares his incredibly unfiltered and authentic journey of scaling his business, transitioning from a clinical founder to a true CEO, and the hard financial lessons he had to learn along the way. From an embarrassing $55,000 superannuation oversight to fund a custom Range Rover in his twenties, to later trading his luxury car for a Toyota Corolla to support his team during tough NDIS pricing changes, Jordan holds nothing back. We discuss the critical importance of tracking Gross Profit Margins, why being "busy" doesn't always equal profitability, and the mindset shift required to successfully lead a scaling healthcare organization. Supported by CliniScribe AI. Subscribe for more interviews with allied health leaders and clinical business insights! Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and welcoming Jordan Gauder 01:10 - Discovering physiotherapy and early career path 03:07 - Identifying the gap in the market for in-home care and starting Gen Physio 06:53 - Scaling to $2M revenue and understanding profit vs. volume 09:09 - The Range Rover lesson: A $55,000 cash flow wake-up call 14:13 - Why Gross Profit Margin is the critical metric for clinic owners 15:52 - Making the hard mindset shift from Clinician to CEO 19:20 - Navigating NDIS pricing challenges and downsizing to a Corolla 21:58 - Future goals and how to connect with Jordan 24:35 - Final thoughts on transparency and removing ego in leadership

In this episode of The Business of Allied Health, we sit down with Rob LoPresti, CEO of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA). Rob shares his unique career journey, starting as an ICU physiotherapist before moving into high-level education and executive roles, and eventually returning to lead the peak body for the profession. We dive deep into the most pressing issues facing private practice owners today, including the squeeze between rising wages and stagnant funding across schemes like the NDIS and DVA. Rob also provides a behind-the-scenes look at the APA's long-term advocacy strategies, their push for a recognized sustainable hourly rate, and how the newly formed AI advisory group is helping practitioners safely adopt emerging technologies. Whether you are an early-career clinician or an experienced clinic owner, this conversation provides a transparent look into the future of the physiotherapy profession. Supported by CliniScribe AI. 🔔 Subscribe for more interviews with allied health leaders and clinical business insights! Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction & Welcome Rob LoPresti 00:38 - From ICU Physio to CEO: Rob's Career Journey 04:16 - Leadership Tips & Mentorship for Early Career Clinicians 06:10 - The Biggest Challenges for Private Practice Owners (Costs vs. Funding)08:21 - Navigating NDIS Cuts, DVA Fees, and Private Health 10:59 - How the APA Delivers Practical Value to Clinics 13:29 - Researching the Sustainable Hourly Rate for Physiotherapy 17:11 - Safely Adopting AI in Allied Health & The APA AI Advisory Group 20:09 - The Reality of Advocacy: What Members Should (and Shouldn't) Expect 24:47 - Passing the Baton: The Future of the Physiotherapy Profession

How can physiotherapists step up their clinical reasoning to beat the rise of AI-generated exercise programs? In Episode 21 of The Business of Allied Health, we are joined by Craig Phillips, the inventor of Clinical Pilates and founder of DMA Pilates. With over 38 years in the profession, Craig breaks down the specific movement-based classification systems (directional load) that are outperforming standard care in global RCTs. We also discuss the harsh realities of health economics, why physios are massively underfunded by the government, and actionable advice for new grads to avoid the dreaded 5-year burnout. Topics Covered: - The difference between standard Pilates and Clinical Pilates - Moving beyond structure-based classification for chronic pain - The threat of AI "physio bots" and generic protocols - Using heuristics and directional preference in patient assessments - The financial value of conservative care vs. surgical intervention - Why the physiotherapy profession needs to get political Timestamps: 00:00 The Origins of Clinical Pilates 05:38 The Rise of AI Physio 08:49 Groundbreaking Research 15:31 Heuristics in Clinical Reasoning 28:04 Combating the 5-Year Attrition Rate 30:16 The Health Economics of Physio 34:48 Political Advocacy

In Episode 20 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry Nguyen sits down with Jason T. Smith — founder of Back in Motion. Starting from his garage, Jason built a $100 million physiotherapy empire over two decades before successfully exiting the business. In this episode, Jason shares the untold, behind-the-scenes realities of scaling one of Australia's largest health groups. They discuss the delicate balance between clinical excellence and commercial strategy, the brutal tax of giving up control, and the difference between owning a business and just owning a high-paying clinical job. Jason also reflects on his biggest mistakes, the relational cost of extreme growth, and the harsh realities young ambitious physiotherapists need to hear before trying to build an empire. This episode is proudly supported by CliniScribe AI. KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Clinical vs. Business Excellence: Why being a brilliant clinician isn't enough to scale, and the 60/40 rule that drives a national brand. - The Founder's Tax: The hardest thing founders must surrender to stop being the bottleneck in their own company's growth. - The 3-Month Test: How to determine if you've actually built a true business or simply bought yourself a demanding, self-employed job. - Leadership over Structure: Why Jason believes his biggest mistake was underestimating the power of leadership and culture in the early days. - The Cost of Ambition: A candid look at the burnt bridges, scar tissue, and relational toll that often accompanies a 20-year scaling journey. ABOUT THE GUEST: Jason T. Smith is the founder of Back in Motion Health Group, an author, and a leadership coach. Over a 20-year period, he scaled his practice from a single garage clinic to a massive national franchise before exiting. Today, he focuses on leadership development and mentoring. You can connect with him at jasonsmith.com.au. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction to Jason T. Smith and the Back in Motion story 01:31 - Did Back in Motion scale because of clinical or business excellence? 04:46 - The 60/40 rule of building a national healthcare brand 07:07 - Surrendering control: The hardest compromise for a founder 11:12 - Do you own a true business or just a self-employed job? 14:38 - Jason's biggest mistake: Underestimating leadership and culture 16:49 - The brutal truth for young physios wanting to build an empire 19:15 - Burnt bridges and the relational cost of extreme growth 20:45 - Conclusion and how to connect with Jason