Launching A 6-Figure Part Time MFR Cash Practice With Julie Leigh | Myofascial Release

I think when I downsize and I went to part time, I started to realize that what a boost I had to my energy level, my emotional intelligence, I guess, if you will, that I just didn't want to go back there. You know, I have done seven or eight patients a day, but that's not a good number for me. I think because I do so many other things outside of work that I need that balance and for me that's the balance. I know other people can do more and that's fine. But for me, four is a safe number and it's a fair number because after that it's just not really fair to the people.

Hey, what's up? Welcome back to the Cash PT Lunch Hour podcast. This is your host, Aaron Levouer, and today my special guest is Julie Lee. Julie is one of my Platinum Mastermind members and the owner of Issaquah MFR in Issaquah, Washington, which is right outside of Seattle. And, and Julie is someone who I've known quite a while and has moved to her practice across country and in the last year she's totally crushing it while being like a part time stay at home mom. And so I wanted to bring her on the show because she's got a unique story and inspiring things that she's going to share with you. Hopefully we'll dig out of her today. So, Julie, thank you for being here today. Really appreciate it.

Thanks for having me. I'm a full time mom.

You're a full time mom?

Oh yeah.

What does that mean? Let me go back and say you're a part time business owner, full time mom or. Well, what is it? Because you basically have your daughter at home full time and you're running a part time practice. So tell me, like what do you call that and how are you making it work? Because I think that's the secret that we need to get into today.

It's crazy. Well, she's not at home with me anymore. She's home with me on Monday because I'm off on Monday. So I'm not really off. I'm not really ever off. That's why I specify that I'm a full time mom. Because you're never off the clock.

That's true.

Which is fun, but it's crazy and we just roll with it like 2020. Anyway, she has help for school Tuesday through Friday and I help her on Monday.

This summer was different, wasn't it?

Well, she was in camp for the summer and then there are certain breaks that they have where she's Home with me. But initially she was going to come to me, come with me to the clinic for certain days. And then I just realized that's not working because people were so stressed out and they needed that place. It wasn't so much that she was disrupting the treatment. She's very respectful, even being seven years old. But people need a place to cry. They need a place to screen, they need a place to cuss, they need a place to let go. And I need to hold that space sacred for them. So I made sure that I could maintain those boundaries. And I just have to limit my schedule. So I work 9:30 to 3:30 and that's all I can do. And I work Tuesday through Saturday.

Yeah, that's awesome. So this summer, and the reason I wanted to bring that up, because I get a lot of people say, Aaron, well, I can't possibly get started because have baby on the way, moms and dads, you know, it's like, well, I can't because I have. I don't want to take time away from my family because I have all these things. But this summer, as things change with COVID I think a big part of it was your daughter was probably just staying home with you and not going to camp or doing a different schedule. And you're like, erin, how do I make this work? Because I have limited amount of time, right?

Well, yeah, in the beginning, when Covid first hit and they were navigating that schools closed and she was online. So she was home with me in March and April.

And how did you make it work?

You know, my husband took some time off and I took that time to set some systems in place that I didn't set up before just. Cause I got busy. And then it's hard to do it all when you're parenting, and I get that. But you just have to make time for it. You know, like talk about time blocking. And I would set so many hours, allowing me to work on my systems and so many hours to get. Give my husband respite and so many hours to play with her to go outside. Because we make that a priority to get outside no matter what. So everything has to have a limit, you know?

Right, right. And that's awesome. And I think. I think a lot of people talking about that, a lot of people have time. Have difficult time prioritizing. Right. Prioritizing family or work, you know, how do you. How do you choose and how do you make sure that you're able to do both of them, like family stuff, getting your business up to the level of success that you've had this year.

It's hard, but I'm definitely committed to that because I went all in. And that was backed by my husband. So he absolutely supported my decision. And he's carved out time in his schedule to allow me to do the things that I need to do. So it's. It's definitely their trade offs.

You know, have you guys had to have, like, tough conversations around business or has he always been supportive of you?

No, he's always been supportive, yeah.

Why? You know.

Well, I think. Let me back up.

Yeah.

In 2014, I want to say it was a slow start to the year. And he asked me one day, do you ever just think about getting a regular OT job again? And I said no. I said I would sell my body before I bill insurance again or go back to work as an employee. And he never asked me again.

Yeah. So let's go back. You had a practice initially in Memphis. When did you start that? And can you tell us a little bit about what you had set up? And I think it was. You said insurance and cash, or were you. Did you start one way and do the other thing?

Yeah. So in my Memphis practice, I went all in in my mind at the time. In 2011, we found a foreclosed property in the heart of downtown, the heart of the business district. And it was right where I wanted to be. So we built it out. That took three months. And I opened doors and I did a mix of insurance and cash pay. Then over time, I started getting frustrated with reimbursement rates. They were so extremely low. I started phasing out of insur. And then about seven and a half years into the practice, we were both kind of working two jobs in the sense that my husband's always worked odd hours. And he would help me in the morning and then he would go to work or if he worked night sometimes his schedules changed. But in the beginning, he was working a midnight shift. So he would help me a little bit in the morning and sleep and go to work or mix it up like that. And then after having my daughter, I was managing the practice and I was busy with patients all day. And then I would go home and parent and we were both kind of tired. With that, we decided to downsize. And so we sold my office space and I switched to part time and my hours became like 7:30 to 3:30. So anyway, I moved into a professional ballet studio. Ballet Memphis. And I saw patients there and it worked out great. I really loved the slower pace of Things and having more time to do some things that I wanted to do and have more time to be ready to parent full on in the evening. So knowing how well that worked for me, that's what I wanted to continue. You know, it's really. It is hard to do both, but I think it's doable anyway.

Yeah, you had said something like, so we first started recording it and the technology didn't work. And you said something really awesome. You said, my husband asked. You said, your husband asked you a question when you got started. Can you.

Right. So we met and married in 2011, and that's when we came up on this property. And so we had this idea because I've always wanted to have my own practice, and it ended up happening sooner than later. But he asked me, do you want to have a business or do you want to have a baby? And I said, well, both. And he said, well, which first? And I said, well, the business, it won't work the other way around. So, yeah, we got started.

That's awesome. What do you think has been the thing that's allowed you, even before you moved to Seattle, like in Memphis, like, what allowed you to be successful? What were the things that you were doing then that were working well and whether it was in business, marketing or, you know, with your schedule and relationship with your husband and family stuff.

Yes. In Memphis, it was different. You know, I had lived there for a long time, so people knew me in the community, and I had a lot more of a network built in. I never really marketed, to be honest with you. It's. It kind of just grew word of mouth. Like, when I first started practicing in myofascial release, I was practicing on my triathlon teammates, and many of them came to my house for me to increase my confidence with my skills. And then they just started paying me. And so it became this side business. And then I went to work for Susan Jenkins, who had a practice in All Branch, Mississippi, and I worked for her for four years before I met my husband and went out on my own. And during that time, I was seeing a lot of people on the side. It just got to be too much. And I was like, oh, look, you guys have to come to the clinic. I can't keep doing this. And so, you know, they followed me to Mississippi, and then when I started my practice, they followed me back to Memphis, and it really just grew word of mouth with, you know, the running community, the cycling community, the triathletes. I saw athletes of all types. Gymnasts, tennis players, hockey players, Professional baseball player one time who was just in town to scout for the Redbirds, which was pretty cool. So I worked a lot with recreational athletes and it really was 80% word of mouth. I had some Google Ads, but to be honest, I never really tweaked them. They just kind of would run in the background and would pay for themselves.

Right on. And then you guys moved out to Seattle, to Issaquah. Like when did you guys move and what prompted the movement?

You know, just a life change. I always thought that the wind would blow us west. And my cousin got married here last, well, actually two August ago. And I just thought it was absolutely amazing. It was really more of a calling before it was a conscious choice almost in the same sense that happened to me in Memphis because I was prepared to go anywhere graduating from college. But I just felt like it was time for a change and instead of waiting until my daughter graduated from high school, we thought we could be enjoying this now. So we're going to take this risk. Let's do it now. And if it doesn't work, we could still recover financially or whatever. But it was just one thing that I felt I would regret if I didn't try in my lifetime. And so I wanted to take that risk and do it now.

That's awesome. So what do you like so great about Seattle? I mean, I've been there at school. There's a big needle and they throw fish at the supermarket. But it's cold and rainy, right?

It is, but I think it's amazing. I think even the mist in the morning, it's just I see the mist over the mountains and I think it's beautiful and inspiring and there's so much nature to enjoy here. I love trail running and hiking and getting on the water, paddling and things like that. There's just so much to do and so much to explore. Even my patients say you won't even get through it all in your lifetime. There's so much to do here and I love that. I love that my daughter's going to grow up with the natural resour this year. There's just so much to see. You know, we've made an effort to make concentric circles and exploring around Seattle and still like it just, you know, kind of whets your appetite for more. So I feel like I kind of have ADHD for everything you can do outside and I have a long to do list, but I'm just kind of, you know, checking things off that bucket list.

Right, right. What's the. Oh my Gosh. What's the big mountain out there? It's called Veneer. Yeah. Mount Rainier. That's it. Get all my big mountains mixed up. But I know I can see it clearly because the pictures is almost always snow capped. You also climb that this summer, right? That's like, that's not an easy thing to do.

No, you have to be prepared.

Yeah. I mean, you had to train me. So this summer you were training to climb Mount Rainier. You're working on growing your business, being a full time mom. Like, where'd you, like, how'd you fit? Like you, you, you didn't just like, you know, take a vacation and start a business you, like, work for like a couple different goals? Can you tell us about, like, how'd you, like, how much time did that take and how'd you fit that in to your schedule?

I carved time out on my schedule. So basically it's a four month training program that I followed. And knowing how much time it was going to take me each day and each week, I would block that off my schedule so that I wasn't overbooked because a tendency to take my time away from myself when someone else calls me in a crisis. And it was just an absolute boundary that I couldn't give up. So I would see, you know, a couple people and go work out. And then if I had time to see someone else, maybe I would, but it would just depend. So I would have to fit it in with my daughter's camp schedule.

Right. Right on. That's cool. And not everyone makes it to the top. Like a lot of times people get to halfway up and the weather's bad or.

Right. Yeah, it has a 50% success rate. And you know, it's a very aggressive elevation gain. Most people don't really realize that Rainier is like a freestanding mountain next to an ocean where you're at sea level and then you're climbing to 14,000. So it's not that tall. But when you, you know, when you get in the parking lot, you're at 1500, whereas if you go to Colorado and you go hike, you're already at 6,000. So it's not much of a gain. Yeah, it's an aggressive gain for the two time and a lot of people get sick. So that's one thing that happens. Or they're not as prepared as they think. And you have to be able to go hard for nine to 12 hours and you're roped to your partners and so you're responsible for their safety and they're responsible for yours. You want to make sure that you're ready to do this mentally and physically.

Yeah. Wow. That's awesome. That's so cool. I got shivers just thinking about that. That's really awesome. But it's one of those things where that's a lot like business. Wouldn't you agree? Right. Sometimes you just got to go hard. There's a big elevation gain. You don't always get to the top, especially by yourself.

Right. Need a good team.

Yeah, you do. You need a good team and people around you. So you moved out to Seattle, and by the time this spring rolled around, when we started talking again, things had changed or were different. What was different about restarting your business there? Like, what worked well, what didn't? Like, you know, what was happening

here. I found that people weren't as friendly. They weren't as receptive to networking with me. You know, I really had to get out of my comfort zone and knock on doors and introduce myself. And I didn't get a lot. I didn't get a warm welcome. I didn't get reception there. So I kind of stopped that. And I just realized I have to do what I can do. I have to focus on what I can control, which is me. So I started working on the things that were in your CashBT blueprint and the blog post that you put out about improving your organic Google rankings. I did everything you said, and that made a huge difference within three months.

That's awesome. That's awesome. Was there anything specific that you. That you're like. That you did, that you saw work or, you know, was it a. You know, was it. Was there something, like specific that you did that you can share or that you remember? Or was it just like a kind of a. Kind of.

Definitely a combination of things. You know, raising my rates.

Yeah.

Offering prepaid plan of care packages, Tweaking my website to include the application. Does that help weed out your serious potential patients? Your prospective patients? Getting the Google reviews, the videos and listing the website on the very first line and just slowly building that library on my website that got positive feedback. The patients really loved it, especially during COVID when we took a break from meeting in person. And that was one reason why I started it, to keep them accountable for the exercises that I wanted them to do. That no matter how many times in person we'd go over it, they'd still come back with questions and, you know, and wanted clarification where to put the ball, where to put the foam roll. You know, how long do I Hold this and what am I doing here? And that sort of thing, like, their proprioceptive awareness just really wasn't there. Like they thought even for some of my really athletic and stronger clients. And so that was really helpful. They really liked that. And so I just been building that.

Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. What, because it. Like, you didn't have to do that before because would you had more time in Memphis or just, you know, was there something where people just more. Was it that they were more receptive to networking or.

I think it's just because they knew me, you know, personally and they knew me, you know, in the sport, and so they trusted me. But. Yeah. So that word of mouth was. Was more organic. Referrals were organic. I didn't really have to work for them. There was a running store that I was shopping at for 18 years, and I knew the staff. I treated most every. All of the staff, and they sent referrals my way, especially when they weren't responding to traditional modalities, which was super helpful and appreciated. And so we kind of had that relationship. Also my team, you know, I've received a lot of referrals from my teammates and from friends and family members. And then it also would spread from there. So it wouldn't be uncommon for me to see the whole family. You know, I'd see one spouse and I'd see the other spouse, and I end up seeing the children. I am seeing the grandparents. And that started happening here, too.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, is that only happening more recently now or. You know, it was kind of happening

from the beginning, but I definitely have people that. I feel like here in Seattle, they're so much more focused on their health and wellness, and they have no problem paying for it. You know, they'll put money down as long as they're getting the results. And so I have patients that are anxious that, you know, I'm almost going to have to push them out of the nest. They want to stay on. And it's like, I can't retain everybody because then I can't see new people. So I'm kind of having that problem with the overflow, which is a great problem to have. But, you know, you want them to have some confidence in what they're doing. And they have to test the water, too, and get back out there, because I can't treat them forever.

Right, Right. But. And that's a good problem. Right. It's like, what do I do? I've got people. I've got. I don't have enough for new patients, but you're not seeing. But, like, like we said before, you're not seeing. I mean, you're not seeing 40, 30 people a week. You're. How many people a week are you treating right now?

No, I can only see four people a day because that's the amount of time that I have while my daughter's in school. So I see a maximum of 16 a week.

That's awesome. That's awesome.

18, but that's not fun.

I mean, I, like, I got to the point where If I saw 26 people a week, I was exhausted and just like, you know, like, 18, 20, I was like, I could do this all the time, you know, it was a great number.

Yeah, it's a great balance for me. And it's not so much the physical work, it's the emotional. You know, I can listen with my full body for about four hours.

Yeah, you know, I'm glad you bring that up, because I know a lot of young therapists, even Caitlin, who, you know, works for me, you know, they don't really learn how to balance or handle, like, the emotions from other people. Like, they're not really taught that in PT school. Like, I was taught that in my massage therapy training, and I took it for granted. And I was like, you didn't talk about this in pt. Like, we're seeing more people. Did you know, how did you learn about that or figure that out?

You know, I think when I downsize and I went to part time, I started to realize that what a boost I had to my energy level and emotion, my emotional intelligence, I guess, if you will, that. I just didn't want to go back there. You know, I have done seven or eight patients a day, but that's not a good number for me. So I think because I do so many other things outside of work that I need that balance. And for me, that's the balance. I know other people can do more, and that's fine, but for me, four is a safe number, and it's a fair number because after that, it's just not really fair to the people.

How do you make sure? Like, do you have a way that you make sure that you're not taking home other people's, like, baggage, negative emotions, like letting that affect you?

I think exercise helps, but I do practice grounding and centering and before and after clients are things that I would do to make sure that I'm kind of shifting that off of me just in case.

Yeah, right on.

I don't feel like it's too much of a problem.

Yeah.

Cool.

Cool. Yeah. I mean, sometimes, like, you know, if I see too many people or, you know, have people that have a lot of negative energy, like, I feel at the end of the day, or if I'm not centered, I'll feel it more, you know? But if I. I got to a point where it didn't take me very long to feel centered and ready for patients, but if I wasn't paying attention, someone would take me off, off balance, and, like, it would affect me. So, you know, But I know that, like, it's hard to explain how to do that. It's hard to explain, but a lot of people probably recognize what that feels like, you know?

Have you ever worked for that? Like, if I feel like I can't do it on my own and I need some energy to help dissipate it, then I'll use forks on myself.

Oh, that's awesome. That's cool. Have you ever, like, had the experience where you, like, right before you walked into a treatment room or treatment with a patient, and you're, like, felt something in your body and you're like, huh, that's interesting. And then they're like, hey, this is exactly where I hurt. You're like, wait a minute, that's. Have you ever had that kind of experience with people?

You know, what happens a lot when I'm treating someone and I feel it in my body, and I think that's because I'm such a, like, intuitive and empathic person. Yeah, that. That's happened so much over the years, like, even from very beginning of taking seminars that I don't discount it, you know?

Yeah. I almost, like, feel it beforehand. And I'm like, oh, this is one. You know, like, the person starts telling me where they hurt, and I'm like, oh, I've been feeling that. You know, it's weird.

You know, I'll often feel the releases in my own body.

Yeah. Yeah. That's really neat. And so you're an occupational therapist. So I want to ask, like, not many occupational therapists go into, like, private practice for themselves, doing mostly, like, manual therapy, mfr, et cetera. How did you end up down this path?

You know, it's interesting. In school, I had a really hard time deciding between physical therapy and occupational therapy, and I took the prerequisites for both. And so at the last second, I kind of veered into OT because I thought I'd have more room for creative expression in the field. And I thought at the time I was going to be a Pediatric occupational therapist. So that's what I did. But I felt like really hard to let go of treating the whole body. And I was very fortunate that I've always been cross trained by pts and I've always worked closely with pts and they were never territorial with me. They were always sharing what they've learned. And I felt like it was a very nurturing relationship with the other pts that I work with. They let me work on the lower body and they'd work on the upper body and it wasn't like, oh no, stay in your lane, upper body only. And so a lot of the patients that we co treat require two or three people on them. When I initially got into myofascial release, I was working with severely compromised individuals that were wheelchair bound, non verbal and had just a long list of diagnoses and issues and they required two or three people to transfer out of their wheelchair onto the table. And so we always work with them as a team. The speech therapist, the physical therapist, and myself as the OT on this team. And so we got great results doing that. And I think, you know, coming from that end of the bell shaped curve and then like starting to work on these athletes in my home and then, you know, when I went part time into the ballet studio, I saw more like everyone else in the center. So I feel like I've seen all ends of the spectrum and everyone's responded beautifully to the work.

That's awesome. You know, and it's one of those things where I forgot that you were an ot. Like you said something this summer, I was like, oh yeah, just occupational therapist. It's like, you know, I think, which I think is great because I think when we get to a place where PTs, OTs, even chiropractors, you know, and other professions like, where we feel like there's no distinction, like, I feel like that's where we're doing some of our best work because it's patient centered and in a way rather than, you know, like body part centered and you know, problem centered.

Right. You put in the person and the fabric and the context of their life and their goals. And I think that's essentially what an occupational, occupational therapist does. Like we can justify pretty much anything. It just depends on what their issues are, you know.

Right, Absolutely. So we, so we met at Mafosh Release 3 seminar was almost like five years ago.

And it was longer than that.

Was it longer than that?

Like eight months?

Gosh, Was it five? It was. So it was. But I'd known you before. I don't know we had met at a seminar before that. Or not, I can't remember. But we had been in contact through email or through one of the email

listeners I think I saw you at, but it was either Quantum Leap. Yeah, it was Quantum Leap in Delaware, right?

Yeah. Yep.

And I think I was thinking about transitioning out of Medicare and transitioning out of insurance, and I asked you some questions.

Oh, wow. Right on.

Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions? And you said, oh, sure, I love it. So anyway, we talked about that, and then after that conversation, I did hire an attorney to help me navigate opting out of Medicare. I did. And successfully.

Yeah. That's awesome. And there's slightly different rules. Like, I know we don't have enough time to go into that with on the podcast, but if you're interested, there's. I've got a lot of other episodes and blog posts. Just go search the blog. And there's Medicare stuff. But was there anything specific with the attorney that you had to do or change or make sure that was running the right way so that you could see Medicare patients doing occupational therapy with them?

Well, she. She tweaked some of the documents, but then I. Shortly after that, I moved. Yeah, it didn't apply, but we know that. That it was effective because I received a letter a year later acknowledging that I was opt out. So.

Yeah, and that's a big difference. Like, with pts, we can actually opt out. We have, you know, we have to have, like, do other things in place.

But people say that, but, you know, they have an option on the website. And I called and the staff, the rep walked me through the process. So it's like, if we can't opt out, then why would it be on the website? And why would they have the knowledge of being able to walk me through the process?

Yeah, and I think that's the difference because, like, OT is included in that, but not pt. I think it's one of those things. So.

Depends on who you ask.

Right. So, Julie, you had said something to me also this summer. I was like, this is awesome. And I was like, we need to talk about this more. You sent me a text message. Like, check out what, you know, how my business is doing. The other MFR therapist wouldn't believe this. Like, you know, can you. Could you share a little bit about, you know, what is it that. Like, where did that come from? Like, what is it that you felt like other people wouldn't believe that you were able to do with your business or with patients?

I Think while moving and having like zero support system and network in the community and being able to build from nothing literally to the caseload, which for me, I work part time, four patients a day. I think a lot of people have this mindset that you can't make a living working part time or you can't make a living as a myofascial release therapist, only seeing one patient a day. And I've known therapists that I thought, oh, I could work with this person. When I was thinking of possibly building and bringing other people on, getting to know them through that process. And I realized, okay, we actually can't work together or that's not going to work for different reasons. But a lot of them have that mindset is that you can't make a living doing this. And so they don't even want to try. They don't even want to take the risk. And I know a lot of people don't want to take the risk, and I understand that and I appreciate it. But I also know that I don't fit the mold. You know, I don't really like to be micromanaged. And it's interesting that it ended up being this way for me that I kind of paved my own path. But the fact that it, you know, started from nothing. And then people, as soon as I opened, people started coming. I had clients the first day I opened, and it wasn't like people were banging down my door, but I had enough to pay my bills, you know, which was a promising sign. And then as I started making those changes that you recommended, it started growing exponentially. By October, it exploded. And so it's been. My caseload has been full since like late September, early October.

That's awesome. And I, you know, just for. I want to share context with everyone out there. I mean, you're making more per month, seeing people part time than a lot of people make doing full time. I mean, you're. What you've shared with me is well over six figure months. Like six figure, like months where you're generating your, you know, whatever, six figure years with just the month. So, like, I think you've showed me that you're on pace to, you know, crushing it with what people are able to earn and what people are able to do. And I think, I think it's awesome and I'm super stoked and proud of you to have months where you're saying, like, hey, I'm seeing four people a day and making over $10,000 in a month or more, you know, like, I don't know your books, but I want to share with people that. And I think that it is because there's a misconception that we can't earn a lot of money and we shouldn't ask for a lot of money for a healthcare service. Wouldn't you agree?

Yeah, definitely.

Why do you think people are afraid of, you know, like, how much they can earn or how much they should ask for or even that they can't make enough money doing what we're doing?

You know, I don't know. I think there's a lot of deep rooted emotional issues with money and mindset with money that people have from long ago and even I've had to work on that, you know, but when I got here, I realized in order to make this work, I shouldn't be struggling. You know, if I can only see four people a day, they have to pay because I need to make sure they're not going to waste my time, that they need business and they're going to be committed to the process because otherwise I'm going to go run trails.

Right, Run trails. Or hang out with your daughter. It's like, right?

Maybe something else.

Yeah, yeah, because what is that? Because you've got to the point where you realize that your time is. Well, you've clearly realized your time is valuable, you know, or you wouldn't be

valuable and we just won't ever get more time. We can always make more money, but we will never get more time. So I think that's why I shifted my focus away towards like doing things on my bucket list, even if it took longer for me to grow my business. And then I think detaching from that outcome and I don't know, I just started attracting people who were dead serious about it and it's been great.

Yeah, that's awesome. I mean, that sounds like that's something that even allowed you guys to move across country and be like, this is our bucket list. We may as well do it now rather than later, right? Yeah. It's not something you picked up in the last year. Do you know where, like, are there any other experiences you've had that have helped you be able to make those decisions or take the risk?

I listen to my body and I just had to trust my gut. You know, when I graduated from college and I spent resumes all over the US Literally from California to the coast of North Carolina and I went on a handful of interviews, but when I went to Memphis, I felt my solar plexus open up and bottom out. And that's always a sign for me that it's the right thing. So when I was Memphis, really? But, yeah, Tennessee became three dimensional on the map, and that's where I was going to land. So anyway, it kind of grew from there. But that similar thing happened when I visited Washington. I'd always wanted to come. I had good intentions. It just didn't happen. Then when my cousin got married, we made it a priority. And when we came out here, my husband was nudging me. He's like, look, look, look, look, look at Renier. And I was like, oh, my God. And just the energy. I felt like my energetic anchor had already been uprooted. Like I said before, it became a conscious choice for me to move. I feel like the decision was already made that I needed to be here. And it fe. So

that's awesome. Not many people are able to do that. I mean, not many people I talked to are able to say, okay, I'm going to trust my instinct and go for it. Because they've had a lot of times in the past where they've made what they feel are bad decisions. I don't know. That's just really cool. I mean, are there times where you've made decisions like that? You're like, oh, this wasn't the right one, or is it. Do those feel different when you look back on them?

No. I think that when we saw the place that we purchased for my first clinic, you know, that felt right. My solar plexus bottomed out, and I knew that was the right spot. So we did it. And, you know, we sunk a lot of money into that place. It was amazing, but I don't regret it. You know, if I still lived in Memphis, we'd have that thing paid off. Because my husband really didn't pay me. We put all my money back into the clinic to pay it down because that was the goal. Thinking we were going to be there for 30 years, but I'm glad we did it, you know? And then we went in stark contrast to me being in this minimalistic space here, which has worked out beautifully also. And that wasn't my intention. My intention was to stay small because it worked for me in the. In the ballet studio, but now it's growing organically, and so it's kind of funny.

That's awesome. Yeah, that's cool. So what, Julie? What are your goals for next year? And even three to five years from now?

I probably need to hire some help, so that's on my list. Working on my technology skills, I have some goals related to that. I also have a climb scheduled in Europe, assuming that travel flows. And I'm going to train like it's happening and we'll see what happens. You know, I see the business growing. I see it expanding. I see another part time or maybe full time therapists. And so we'll kind of have to see how that, how that goes. But I would love to have coverage so that there's continuity of care for my clients so I can do these climbs without guilt because they have a lot of anxiety when I'm not working.

Right. So how many climbs are there? You have like a. Is there a certain number that you're aiming for?

Well, there's three that are on the bucket list. And then after that it'll be just for fun.

So what are the other climbs? There's Rainier and. What else?

Rainier was one. And then Mount Elbrus in Russia is on the, on the dock for this year.

Cool. Do you have like, I mean, anything cool like Kilimanjaro? I don't know how hard that one is, but I know that's pretty impressive. And then there's the movie, the old Clint Eastwood movie, the Eiger Counter. I think that was in Switzerland. I can't remember. You know, that one was cool. I mean, because I saw that as a kid and as an adult and I'm like, I want to climb up there. That looks cool. Do you have any of those Swiss mountains on your list?

Well, Mont Blanc's on there. And that's also contingent on. If we can't do Elbrus, then Mont Blanc is second place. But I want to do them both at some point. But I'm putting priority on the 7. 7. But probably won't get in all 7. 7. So anyway, Russia and then Argentina and then Alaska. So we'll see.

Cool. So what does that mean? Seven. Seven.

The seven peaks on the seven summits, the seven continents.

Got it.

That was awesome. It's probably four, and then I'll be pentat.

Yeah, that's cool. That's really cool. So looking back, if you were talking to someone else, we're gonna recommend or give some advice to someone else, even like another MFR therapist who we're connected with, who wants to grow their business and even do it without insurance. What would be your number one recommendation or any success tips that you have?

So go for it.

Yeah.

Trust your instincts and to take those risks.

That's awesome. Yeah. Sometimes you just got to take the. Take the next step and see where you land.

Right? Yeah. You have to reevaluate as you go. I mean, you're not going to have it all figured out the first day, but it's like you said, 80% is good enough, so you just have to move forward. You know, it's just like climbing a mountain. You literally put one foot before the other and that's how you get up.

That's awesome.

You move your foot, you take a breath, you move your other foot, you just keep going.

Yeah, well, that's really cool. Well, shout out to John Barnes for connecting us, which is really cool. I owe him a ton of gratitude and I want to thank you for being here today. If someone wants to check out your website or find you online social media, what's the best place for them to go?

Yeah, Issaquah Myofascial Release is the company name. It's www.issaquamfr.com. i s s a q u a h mfr.com.

awesome. Awesome. Are you. Do you have anything on Instagram or Facebook or would they just.

I'm not admittedly on there as much as I should be because that's the number one thing that falls off my list. So that'd be the first thing I punt to an assistant because I have a hard time keeping up. So that's always another priority. But because that's not how people find me, that's just not my top priority. But I do try to stay relevant and have a presence there. But, yes, I have an Instagram account and I have a Facebook account. Both are named iskwa mfr iskwa myofascial release. And my email address is julie j u l I equimfr.com that's awesome.

Well, yeah, I mean, you know, people say, hey, I'm not on social media. I'm like, good, don't let it use you. You just got to use it for your business. Right? So that's it. I mean, that's totally cool. Totally cool with me. And the way I have it set up, like I get on there, I'm like, there's nothing gratifying on here anymore. Anyways, Julie, thank you so much for spending time with me today and chatting about your business and I really appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely. Well, this is the Cash we do lunch hour. This has been Aaron Labourer and Julie Lee and we'll see you on the next show. So don't be afraid to take the next step and go out there and crush your goals and we'll see you on the next one. Thanks.