In this solo podcast episode, Kelly Alhooie shares her forward‑looking predictions for the healthcare, clinic, and online therapy landscape through 2026 and beyond. She argues that the biggest differentiator for any clinic or online practice will be robust systems and automation; without them, providers will be out‑competed by marketers and tech‑savvy competitors. Alhooie highlights the shift from high‑ticket in‑person services to low‑cost digital alternatives, using the example of an inexpensive LV wearable that insurers now push to patients, undermining traditional therapy revenue. She stresses that certainty—delivered via wearables, apps, and productized programs—is essential for patient acquisition and retention. To avoid therapist bottlenecks, she recommends diversifying offerings into group coaching, curriculum‑based programs, and other non‑one‑on‑one models. Alhooie also introduces a custom social‑media bot she built for PTs/OTs that automates content creation, eliminating the need for costly agencies. Looking further ahead, she foresees rapid growth in health‑tech, robotics, and consulting opportunities for therapists, and identifies a lucrative niche in serving perimenopausal and menopausal women through a movement‑style brand akin to the “Tone It Up” model. Throughout, she emphasizes that providers who resist technology, automation, and new business models risk obsolescence, while those who embrace them can thrive. The episode ends with sponsor information and a call‑to‑action for listeners to engage with her coaching services.
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I got asked a question the other day about where I think our profession is going. And here is my prediction for 2026 and beyond. I think we should first start out at 2026. And by the way, I should start with saying I do not have a magic wand, but I do know pattern recognition. And I look at that and I have multiple clinics that I get to study daily to figure out what people are buying, what are people, not, what's happening, and all the things. So I have a lot of insight and research by, you know, all the clinics that I coach. And so I can tell you clinics and online businesses, by the way, it's not just clinics. I also coach online. I think that needs to be clear. So with that being said, I believe in 2026, I believe the biggest thing that is going to, that you're going to have to have is system, system, system, especially for repetitive tasks. You will have to have things automated and systematized to even play the game of entrepreneurship. If you do not, if you do not and continue like you've been doing things, you will lose and you won't make it. Your clinic will go down or your online business will go down, especially online. If you are online and you do not have systems, there's no way you can win because all the online marketers will out compete you. I'm just being honest. Okay. No matter how much an amazing provider you are, therapist, they'll just out compete you. Okay? So that is the first thing that I would say is huge in 2026. Now where do I think things are going? Do I think occupational therapy, physical therapy will be around? Yes, I do believe it will still be around because there is a baby boomer population that they're going to need us all in the skilled nursing homes. I, you know, also look at this data and you know, in my clinic, people would come in and pay us 3k. And you also have people, the same people, by the way, that would pay $30 to an app. So 3K $30. When you looked at it, in the program of it all, the $30 was the same programming that my 3K offer was. So why are they still coming into the clinic? That's what you got to ask yourself. Why? The only reason why they are coming into the clinic is because they want certainty. And so if you guys, and this is where I need you to think, if you guys can create certainty through products, through wearables, those are on the rise. You know, all the technology, wearables, those are on the rise through an app. If you can create certainty, then that is how you win. The online game or wearable app game is if you create certainty. If you cannot create certainty, then you do not win in that, in that space. And I'm going to give you an example of this and a good example of this is the lv. The LV came out, I would say like nine years ago from when I first got my hands on it and actually tried it. Okay, don't quote me on that, but. And by the way, the company is doing amazing. Anyways, that being said, and which is crazy, they also now tell the insurance company, hey, try this device. The insurance company now sends the LV device to patients. I don't know how this is legal and says try this over any therapy because they know therapy is expensive and they know that LV device is like $100. So. So they'd rather, rather just pay for it and give it to the patient than them have to use their insurance. Isn't that crazy? Okay, this is where we're going though. This is where we're going. So bear with me. I still believe clinics can make a lot of money and thrive. I still do believe that. Okay. But I believe you're gonna have to find other ways besides just doing one on one sessions with throwing therapist because I know and you guys have seen it, the therapy market is becoming, you know, less and less and so it is harder to find a therapist. And so this is why I coach different offers besides just one on one like group coaching and other offers that actually still get the result without even having a therapist so that you're not bottleneck again, no one's doing this. We have to do it differently. Quick interruption. For those that have questions on today's episode, please text my personal number. It's 703-783-2388. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have to get you unstuck. Let's get back to the episode. And so I've been there, done it, and I coach on that to allow you guys to still make money in your practice grow no matter if you have a therapist or not. And I think that is going to become, that will become more and more necessary, especially in 2026 and be gone. I also think going back to the app versus them coming in person, I still believe there will be people that will want to come in person no matter what. And I also believe that there will still be a rise in people that want convenience from their pocket from certainty from you, meaning through online coaching. I believe that is on the rise and, and I believe that people are going to want it even if it's not in high demand right now. I, I have seen the trends of it with my people that I do coach online and that is trending upwards. So just FYI on that, again this is just for my experience on all this and what else do I see going forward? I believe you are going to have to automate and bought every single thing and for some of you guys that's not going to be in the cards because you're either going to be scared of technology, you're not going to have the payroll to do it, you're not going to have the knowledge to do it because you don't even have time to go take those courses because you're busy taking Con Ed courses. And I believe you'll be left behind and ultimately go out of business because you can't compete with any of the marketing because the marketing can out compete you in two seconds because everyone's running 24, 7 and you can't keep up. And I, and I believe a lot of therapists this will happen to because they just think it's going to continue to keep going the way we've been doing it. And I don't believe that that's the case. I don't. And I believe you really will have to buy into systems and automations on who's done it and who's been successful at it. We have, we've coached other people to do it and I believe every single person that's in business will have to have it. That's just it. I just created the only social media bot that I know for PTS and OTs to automate it all. You don't even have to think, you don't put on makeup, you don't have to use Canva, you don't have to use any of that. I'm super excited about that. No one's doing it, but I saw that as a problem because no one has time to do it. But we got to stay ahead. And so to do that, that's just one example of how to get your time back and not have to spend hours and hours and hours on social media every single, you know, week or month or whatever and not pay an agency 3k because a lot of you guys cannot afford that, right? So Instead of paying 3k, you would pay like one fifth of the price of that to be able to have these bots. And like that's 100% worth it. So every company right now is moving into how do we decrease, how do we decrease employees? And how do we actually systematize everything so that our costs drive down and that our revenue goes up? And if you're not a company that's in that pattern right now, and you know, you're kind of spending things on here and there and you don't really know the return, you gotta rethink it. You gotta rethink it and say, how can I have better outcomes? And I think that's gonna be, you know, key going forward. So what else do I have to say in my predictions? I don't know. I kind of have a lot in my head. I do believe there will be a time eventually that robots will be us. And I don't even think it's. It's here. They already have bots. The. There was just a summit in Vegas, literally, as I'm making this video right now, of the top tech stuff in robots came on stage and it was really cute. And it was like R2D2 and there's two of them. And they were walking out on stage. It was like, so cute. He's like, come on, kids. And they could do everything. And they could, they could do all the dexterity, they could grip, they could. I mean, it's. It's truly insane. And I believe, I believe a lot of us will go into consulting on like, maybe these, like bigger tech companies and go into health tech. And if you're not satisfied with like, you know, working, you know, patient to patient, or if you don't have your own company, I mean, health tech is, is on the rise. And we know wellness is on the rise. I also believe this, that there's a big opportunity that again, no one's like, doing this. And I think of. If you guys remember the girls, Katrina and Catalina, I want to say, I don't know, they're called the Tone It Up Girls. Is anyone my age? 40 years old? Okay, the Tone It Up Girls. Well, the toning Tone It Up Girls. I don't know, maybe it was like 10 years ago. They were everywhere. They went on. They would go to the beach and do these workouts. And all of us, like envied these Tone It Up Girls. There's just two of them. They ended up breaking up. And they were a billion dollar company. Okay. And I met one of them multiple times last year because she was speaking and I just loved everything she says. Anyways, my point is they had a movement, they created a movement of just working. It was just beach workouts. Okay? And then they got protein, and they put it in Target and it was like, a whole thing. But my point is, I believe that's the menopause movement. I believe women that are perimenopausal. And I don't, again, think many people are thinking about this. But if you can do this right and put on big events, what people, what women of menopause age want. They want to know how you have thick hair. They want to know how you have good skin. Right? They want to know how you do your makeup when you got wrinkles. Now they want to know how do you keep your teeth straight because they're now getting all crooked like mine, okay? They want to know how to make themselves feel good in a cute fit because, oh, my God, now they got this weird stomach bulge. They want to know how to gain muscle. And you guys are probably thinking, kelly, why are you talking about this? Like, we're therapists. Like, we need to know, like, talk about that. But you're missing the point. Like, this is it. So if you create a culture that is all about serving menopause and perimenopause and cultivate all that, you're unstoppable, because that's what people want, and you're giving the people what they want. They want to know how to build muscle. So if you can coach them on how to actually build muscle, guys, that's the winning ticket. That's what they want right now. So give it to them. And then create, like, a movement like Katrina and Catalina. I'm probably botching her name, but. Or maybe it was Kate, I don't know. Making this up. I'm not, but I'm just making up the names. But it's the Tone it up, girls. And create a movement, like, with them, like they did, but for menopause, you'd crush it. You crush it. That's my prediction. So anyways, these are my predictions of what the future looks like. And we'll see 20, 26 right now. And I would love to. Can't wait to go back and watch this and see what happens then, even in the next three years, like, see if these predictions come true. All right, guys, Checking out super bills, telehealth, all the different options. That code is Kobe Biz1mo. We'll put in the show notes. But Kobe Biz1 movie. That is the code for Jane. And thank you so much, Jane, for sponsoring this podcast. If you guys want more information and want to learn how that you can keep bettering yourselves, go ahead, click the link down below and make sure that you book a call and would love to provide any clarity questions on any follow ups. Bye, guys.
