In this instructional video Kelly Alhooie shares a practical, first‑person roadmap for clinicians launching a cash‑pay practice and landing their first paying client. She emphasizes starting with people you already know—cousins, friends, neighbors, and community spots like dog parks—to spread the word that you’re open for business. Kelly stresses the importance of a clear 10‑second elevator pitch that succinctly describes the conditions she treats (bladder leakage, pelvic, hip, and shoulder pain) and the outcomes she enables. She advises offering a free initial session to acquaintances in exchange for a Google review or video testimonial, which can be posted on social media to build credibility. After each session, she recommends asking the client for referrals and even collecting contact info for potential patients. Kelly outlines partnership strategies with gyms, CrossFit boxes, yoga and Pilates studios, proposing free mobility or pressure‑control workshops that provide value to members while exposing the therapist to new leads. She advocates claiming digital real estate on free platforms (Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook) by creating accounts with the practitioner’s name, following local influencers, and dedicating daily time to comment and post content. Additionally, she suggests joining local entrepreneur networking groups and making at least 15 outreach contacts per day—whether online or in person (e.g., during dog walks)—to ask how you can help. Throughout, Kelly shares anecdotes of treating patients in unconventional settings (kitchens, hotel rooms, beds) to illustrate adaptability. The cumulative strategy combines personal networking, concise messaging, free value offers, referral loops, community workshops, robust social media presence, and disciplined daily outreach to secure the first cash‑pay patient and generate ongoing referrals.
Chapters
All right, so here is the million-dollar question. How, Kelly, how do I get my first patient? Who the heck's gonna want to see me? Okay, well, there are a lot of people around you right now that actually need your help. You just got to find them. So number one, Tell your cousins, your friends, your neighbors, anyone and everyone that you're starting a business. When I first came to Virginia from California, I didn't have any friends. I knew no one. So what did I do? I went to dog parks because I had a dog. I knew my dog could make me friends because I did the same thing when I moved to California. Okay, and I started meeting people that were around my same age because they don't have kids yet, typically, and they all love their dogs. So I would go to the dog parks, hang out there. I would actually put together dog meetups. And because I was kind of a leader, people would come to me. They'd be like, Kelly, what do you do? The question that everyone asks. Kelly, so what do you do? Well, let me tell you. And I had my elevator pitch down. So I say, I help men and women get rid of bladder leakage, pelvic pain, hip pain, to be able to return to the activities and workouts they absolutely love. That's what I do. Oh my God, I actually got this shoulder pain right here. Can you help me with that? Oh yeah, what day and time are you free? I'm gonna come, come over there. Okay, that's— you just gotta make sure you know how to talk to people and how to make sure, um, to say that you can help them out. Like, you gotta, you gotta get that very clear on what you do. Okay, number 2, make sure you know how to say what you do I just said in 10 seconds or less. That's what I would say. Number 3, start by treating everyone you know for free. Do not charge them. The only thing I'm looking to do when I treat them for free is— and by the way, one time. This is not many times, just one time. Okay? When I treat them for free, I would love to get a review out of them. Sally, I would love it. Here's my Google link that I just created yesterday with Google My Business on Google Maps. You guys should register your business through there. They'll send you a code in the mail. But when you do that, they'll give you a Google link and people can review you. Now let's just say you don't have a Google link. Have them write an email to you on their experience. Have them video them. Use your phone, video them, and say, hey, after one session, how did you feel? How did you rate the experience? Something like that. They don't have to have like the, you know, you don't have to treat them their whole diagnosis in one day, but like How was your experience, your first visit with orthopedic physical therapy? Can you let me know? Okay, great. Post that, put that on your social media. People are like, oh wow, she has some patients, this is amazing, they're getting results, great. Okay, that's key. Okay, and also it's going to help build your confidence, and it's like a practical. Each time you go and like set out a table, like if you're mobile in someone's kitchen, living room, hotel room, I mean, outside on the street. I've treated in all different places, and each time it's just a different experience where you have to adapt because you're like, wow, I don't know what to expect. I don't know how this table is going to fit. It's going to fit? I don't know. Do I need a table? Sometimes I'll treat on people's beds because I couldn't even fit a table in their apartment, and that's okay. You adapt. Maybe I'll treat people in people's gym in their apartment building. Like, there's all different places, okay? And again, at the end of the session, make sure you ask for a Google review or a video. Um, it's, it's just very important. Number— let's see, number 4: ask anyone you treat if they have or know someone with an issue that you can help out with. So this time, position it. Sally. Sally's on my table. Sally, isn't it crazy that your OB, it's not an automatic referral to pelvic health PT after you have a baby? Like, how crazy is that? Who do you know that's a postpartum mom that has— that hasn't been to pelvic health PT? Oh my God, Kelly, I know so many. Have you told them about this? Have you told them that you're, you know, going through this? No, I haven't actually. Wow, I think you should tell them and be like, look, there is help because there's over about 50 million people in the next couple of years that are going to have leakage and we have solutions for it. Why is this information not out there? Think about, Sally, if you got help earlier, what would that be like for you? Well, yeah, I'd actually be running with my kids right now without leakage. I know. This is why together we got to get the word out and I'd really appreciate if you just let them know that we're here and I would love to help. Do you have their— and if If you want, you can leave their Instagram handle with us, and I'd be happy to reach out and contact them if that's okay with you. Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I'll tell them that you're going to contact them. Okay, great. And I contact them. Let the patients do the referral for you rather than you having to do all the marketing yourself. It's very key to growing your business. Okay. Um, all right. So that's what— that's what we're gonna do there. Number 5. Take any and all workout classes. Most gyms have at least a 3-day or a 1-day or a 7-day free trial that you can go and experiment and see what the gym's like. So can you go in? And I always take like the earlier classes because that's typically the manager's there. The late night classes at 6, 7 o'clock at night, the manager's not there. So go early. Can you ask for a manager? And you state to the clinical manager, hey, you know what, I actually love coming in here and this is what I actually love about it. And I was wondering if for your members to provide more value to them, because I see we're not doing any mobility work, I was just seeing if we could do like a mobility workshop. We can do it live in your Facebook group. We can do it in person, whatever you think would work best for you to get the value out there for your members. But I'm just thinking we should do something like that. Would you guys be interested in that? Like, do you see how casual it is? It's not like, hi, my name's Kelly and I'm gonna go do a workshop with you guys. Can I come in and do a workshop so I can get clients from you guys? They're gonna immediately deny you. It's all about communicating and positioning it. That's the key. So watch how you're doing that. Basically, keep paying attention to these courses. I'll keep telling you how to communicate to people so that they understand that you're providing them value and not taking things from them. It's very important. Okay. Um, what else? Also, at a CrossFit gym, maybe their main thing is like pressure control. So I would position a pressure control workshop or hip mobility one. A yoga and Pilates studio. Maybe I'm trying to work on more core engagement because typically those people go there to get their core better, or more body awareness, or maybe some down training. Like, those are those kind of people. So you've got to know, know your audience. Number 6 is make an IG. It's free, guys. Threads is free. IG is free. Facebook is free. Twitter, TikTok, all the things, it's free. YouTube, make your accounts. I couldn't state this enough. You've got to get your real estate. I look at it as digital real estate. It's free. You might as well claim it with your name, and that is your real estate, and stick with that. So make an IG account. Start by just adding friends, your local friends, or friends, or your mom, or your dad, whoever. Then start to look in your area because you can look in your area Who is active on there? Start friending those people. Who are the big influencers? Friend those people in your community. Even if it's like a local mom influencer, friend that person because that's gonna be your mecca to find the people that you are looking for. You could also go to their profile, look at follow, who they're following, and see who they're actually following 'cause it may be local moms as well and follow them as well, okay? So that's key. Also in your area, look on Instagram, okay? Not on Google, but on Instagram. Who's around you? Is there a bakery? Is there a juice shop? Is there a running store? Who is around you? Start friending them and star them as your favorites so you can talk to them every single day. And just set a time for 20 minutes. I'm going to comment on people's stuff for 20 minutes. Do that. Try to post every single day if you can. If you're not a big tech person, then post whatever you think works for you. If it's once a week, post once a week. Maybe you're gonna start a podcast. Maybe you're gonna go on someone else's podcast. Maybe you're gonna do a Facebook Live and you're gonna join all these Facebook groups and go live with another provider or another collaborator in your area. Highly recommend that because what that does is their audience comes over to you, Your audience comes over to them, and then they can choose like, hey, I really kind of vibe with this person. I'm going to actually reach out and call this person. So now you're promoting to one-to-many rather than you going into the doctor's office just trying to get them. Okay. And number 8, attend a local networking entrepreneur group. This is how I started. I found it through Facebook. It was like a local women's networking group. And I would just show up there. And you don't wanna always, like, continuously to market to them, 'cause they're gonna be the same people over and over and over again, but it's a good starting point to be like, who's who in the community, and they can start to know, like, and follow your page, and you can start to, you know, like everyone else. And then number 9, try to connect to at least 15 people a day, and basically ask them how you can help them. So I'm reaching out on Facebook, Instagram, in person when I take my dog for a walk, Sally, how can I help you today? How can I help you? Maybe I organize their schedule. Maybe I just by talking to them provide value to them on how they could solve this problem. Whatever it is, that's what you're trying to do for the day. Okay, so this is how you get your first client. I got my first client by literally standing on a trailhead and what people joggers were running by and I did movement assessments on them. I treated them for free. And I was just screaming at them in parking lots, and that's how I got my first client. Okay, and then they just start to refer. But this is it.
