How to Embrace and Release Your Fear in Starting A Business with Dr. Brandie Freeman

Hi, welcome to the Pelby Biz Podcast. Are you a pelvic health PT or ot struggling to start your own practice? This podcast helps pelvic health PTs and OTs get out of debt, gain the income they desire, be able to treat patients without insurance restraints, and learn how to create time freedom for yourself and your family. I'm your host, Dr. Kelly Alhui, founder of Ortho, Pelvic Physical Therapy, Pelvic health Business grower and Pelvi Biz. Over the last two years, I went from a solo entrepreneur to a seven person team in counting. I'm here to help provide a clear path to grow your pelvic health business as fast as possible so that you can gain the time freedom, decrease debt, increase income and live the life that you desire. Before we get started today, make sure you click the link in our bio to grab your ticket for Pelvi Biz. Now let's get into today's episode. Welcome guys to Pelvi Biz. I'm your host, Dr. Kelly Alhui. I am here with Brandi Freeman. Welcome, Brandi.

Hey, nice to be here. Thanks so much for having me. Like Kelly said, my name is Brandy Freeman and I own Connect Pelvic Health and Physical Therapy in Acworth, Georgia and we have been open for six weeks just this week. So that is where we are.

I mean, I cannot wait, guys for you guys to hear her story. If I hope you guys stay and listen to the end of this because it's going to be frigging fire. She's going to tell us about her journey. So Brandi, let's go ahead and dive into this. Can you tell us, Brandi had a whole career, guys, before she became a physical therapist. So Brandi, can you give us a backstory on that? And you know, what did you do before you were a physical therapist?

Yeah, absolutely. So I was a high school teacher for over a decade. Chemistry, environmental science, Absolutely loved it. Did all the things state science teacher of the year, won some national awards. Just absolutely dug it. It was my thing and I just enjoyed connecting with people and just being there for supporting folks as they kind of were in that part of their lifespan.

Yeah. So that's awesome. So then what made you say, oh, physical therapy?

I had a little bit of a yoga background. I was interested in a lot of things as far as women's health. I was always really passionate about empowering people. But basically, true story, I just had a dream like I'm asleep in my bedroom and I had been to pelvic pt and there was this beautiful black woman with an afro, and she was so classy, but her legs were covered up with the sheet. And I was sitting on a treatment stool, right? And she put her arm on my hand like this and she was just like crying and telling me thank you. And it just. It was uncanny. So between that, that dream and like getting into PD school and starting with nine months, and I just. I left everything and just went for it.

So, wow, guys, hopefully you just heard what you said. She literally had this full on career that clearly she was accelerating in. She got all these awards, okay, she was doing awesome at. And then she literally had this dream one day and was like, you know what? I'm going to give this all up and go pursue something different. And you know what that takes? That takes a lot of guts, guys. That takes a lot, a lot of guts. Okay, so now, Brandi, you went through school, you finished school, okay? And now let me just do a backstory. Tier two, guys. So I met Brandi through pelvi biz. And the fact that we just connected and she just. We just randomly connected was like, hey, you know, let's. Let's see what you got on the table. Let's see what I got on the table. And the first thing when I was talking to Brandi, she was like, yeah, Kelly, I just signed this contract for 70k a year. And I was like, okay, cool, so you're not going to take that, right? And she's like, no, no, I think I'm gonna, like, take it. And I was like. And she was like, no, I don't think I, like, I want to do my own business. Like, I'm good. Like, I just think I want to, you know, do my thing. And if anyone knows Brandi, she is a go getter. She knows her shit. There's no, like, oh, maybe I cut. No, no, no. Like, she will give you 110%. And I could just see that she was going to do this for this clinic. And I was just thinking in my head, why didn't she do this for herself? Because I saw her passion. I saw like, what she had in her. And you just know when you, like, trust me, I talk to a lot of pelvic health pts and you just see it and you're like, why? And so, Brandi, I mean, can you kind of give us a background of why you originally thought that, hey, taking this other position would be best for you? And then what kind of was the mind shift change for you when you were like, you know what Maybe I should start my own practice.

Yeah, I was in an insurance based place and that really wasn't. I wasn't able to reach people, I wasn't able to serve people. And I thought, okay, this 70k offer that you're talking about, I was like, well, you know, I don't know how to start a business. It's super complicated. I live in this area, like this rural area and people had told me like, nobody's going to pay for cash based PT there. Like, nobody even knows what pelvis. Like, people were giving me all these reasons why a business wouldn't start here. And then in my own head I was like, you know, you're totally right. Like, that's a lot of paperwork and there's a lot of unknown. So I thought, well, why don't I go and work for this other person? Because I need, I need to be shown how to do, to do everything. I need to be mentored more closely. I really need all these things and I'm going to go and basically work for almost nothing while the other person really was going to benefit off of me. And I thought it was going to be worth it for the mentoring, but it was. I wasn't going to be serving my community. I was going to be driving 45 minutes away and serving an area that already had pelvic pt. And so I just knew something wasn't right. I knew it wasn't being valued. I knew that my skill set really wasn't registering with the person. But at the same time, I had so much doubts. I didn't think I could do it by myself. And that's. I was like, Kelly, like, what should this person really be paying me per hour? I don't think this is right. And so I was really just trying to get some information, not to start my own business. But, you know, that's kind of what happened.

I love it. I love it. Yeah. And so what did I say? I told you, hey, what you should be making, right? And then as we were talking the converse. I don't know if you remember this, Brandi, but the conversation just turned into, you know what, maybe I can do this. Like, maybe you're right. And I remember just Brandi telling me so much about her skills and I truly believe that she could like treat anyone that came in her door at that time. And so after some thoughts, Brandi was like, you know what? I think I'm going to open up my own practice. Right? Yeah.

And I think I had the same kind of limiting things where it's like, well, I'll start slow. I'll just treat out mobile. I'll just do this and that. And what ended up happening was the people that the insurance based place I was working at, they were not, they were not vibing with me, going and doing this whole thing because they wanted to, they wanted to keep me there and let me see two or three people an hour and get, you know, that kind of revenue from me because people liked me. Everybody was coming in, like, vibing with me, like, hey, this lady's really a go getter. And so, you know, they can really work you to death in an insurance based place when you have a heart for service and you really want to help people and unfortunately that doesn't do anything for you as the clinician. So, yeah, I mean, I was like, I'll start slow, whatever. And then I got some kickback. And then it got to the point where I was like, I actually, I'm a grown woman. I'm 38 years old. I. I can, I guess I'm just going to go do this. So I was like, peace. And then I. That was on a Thursday. I had a little negative interaction and I was like, I got to get out of here. And so I opened the doors here like the following Monday and, you know, threw some stuff together, did the best I could. And that was six weeks ago.

Crazy. Crazy. I'm just going to reiterate what she just said. Okay. She literally left her job on a Thursday. And this is on the whim. She wasn't even planning on leaving her job. It's just something. There was a little tip that happened. And then all of a sudden she was like, okay, peace out. And then literally by Monday, guys, she has a space. Not even mobile. She has a space. Ready to say, ready to go. She had to get just within one day. I think it was like one day. You literally got everything together and put it in this room that you're in right now, which is your office. Okay. And she. Guys, within two weeks she was completely booked. Completely booked. Crazy. She now has over 30 patients a week. And yes, and she just got this space that's number one. But guess what? She just had another space within six weeks time period with how many rooms, Brandy? How many rooms does it have?

Six large rooms in a lobby and an office and a bathroom.

Six large rooms and an office and a bathroom. People that have been practicing for like 12 years don't even have that space. For real? Yeah.

I mean, I made the rent today, so.

And she made the rent in One day, guys. Wow. Wow. I mean, we just need to give it up. I just have to, like, give it up. I mean, it's freaking awesome.

I mean, but in all seriousness, like, I could. I really was five minutes away from sending an email that was just like, okay, here, let me come and work for you. Because I obviously, you know, there's nobody going to come to pelvic PT here. Nobody's going to pay for cash based services here. There's, you know, I can't do this. I don't know enough. I was five minutes away from sending an email and something told me to check first. So, I mean, I got to give it up to you. I got to give it up to God because, like, apparently this is my thing. This is my calling. But that's the situation, Brandi.

So if someone was in your position, because there's a lot of people out there that are, and if someone was like, saying the same stuff to themselves and telling them these false beliefs of, I'm not good enough, I need mentoring, what would you tell them? Like, what was that shift that you. That literally that you didn't say yes to that contract?

Well, it was just like, I have always been one of those people that I. I mean, the name of my business is Connect, but I can connect with people. I can really, like, want to help them. I really want to partner with them. And if you have that drive and, you know, people just really seek after you as a clinician, like, and you're limited by, you know, your insurance billing and coding and your paperwork, and your boss doesn't really get why you're that way. Like, why would you act like that if you know we're only going to get $76 for the visit? Like, if you're that person and you just feel like you can do more and you feel like you're giving everything to an insurance company or to your boss, and you're not really. You're not growing yourself. Like, that's when you got to say, peace. And guess what? Like, I have a mentor. I haven't been. Kelly's my mentor. I have. I meet every week with Susan Clinton. I meet with a life coach. Like, I still have mentors, but now every single penny that I put into that mentoring goes into me and goes into my business and not to somebody else.

Yeah, it's. It's epic. So what she's basically saying is she took. Put a massive investment in herself and that massive investment has significantly paid off. And honestly, guys, investing in yourself is the best investment that you will ever, ever, ever make it. Truly is. Yeah. And I think Brandy, too. Part of that is belief. You had belief, and a lot of times, people, even though you had doubt, but then your belief. But then your belief, saying, you know what? I am the connector. I am this person. I am the best. You truly believe. I believe that you truly believe that you are a great pt. And I don't deny that. Right. And I think by you having that belief is also what drove you to be like, you know what? I think I can do this. Yeah.

Yeah. There's a week. There was a reason I went to all those weekend courses.

Right.

There was a reason I took people. It's so funny. You just keep. As a pt, you'll go and you'll spend all this money on these certifications, but for whatever reason, no matter how many letters you get after your name, you never feel like you're good enough. Like, at what point. At what point are you going to be good enough? You just have to do it. And, like, you'll find out really quick that you are quite sufficient. You know, you're more. You can do anything, you know? So it's amazing that I don't know why we are kind of driven to doubt ourselves, but I don't doubt myself anymore.

You shouldn't. You guys, watch out for her. She's a freaking rock star. I'm not kidding. Watch out for her. And speaking on that point, Brandi, I think we are taught in school. I think school, not to blame school, but I think school has taught us the more that you actually know, then the better that you're going to be. But better you're going to be doesn't necessarily lead to happiness or fulfillment or financial freedom. It doesn't lead to any of that. And so speaking to your point, more letters behind your name or more education does not give you actually what you truly deserve in life, which is time freedom. Financial freedom, I believe. Right. Time with your family. Like, whatever you actually want, it doesn't give you that. And I think so many people really need to be aware of that. That don't just keep taking courses. Of course, you need to be really educated. But I think there's a point where you have to look in yourself and how can you truly invest in your health? Right. We're doing pelvis size, which is where we work out every day. And because we have to take care of ourselves to have our energy for our patients. Right, Exactly.

And now I'm to the point. I mean, I interviewed a PT on Saturday. I have an admin coming on in a couple of weeks. And so now like there was a little bit of legwork there and there. You know, I'm not going to lie, there was a couple. But compared to the stress that I used to have with seeing two or three patients at a time and like being go, go, go, this is so much better. But now I'm starting to get to that point where I can kind of transition and bring my schedule back. So it was like six weeks that were kind of hard, but not really, not compared to what I was going through.

Yeah. And speaking to that too. Is every single tier so brand new now? Is entering this tier of hiring an admin, hiring a pt and every single tier is there's a different problem. You're always going to have a different, you're always going to have a problem, but it's going to change. And just like Brandi said, if she compares where she was at, where she was not fulfilled, where she wasn't going anywhere, that pain, that's a lot of pain, guys. I was in that same position. That's a lot of pain. When you are a go getter and you are basically trapped in a box and you can't get out because you want to help people so bad and morally it feels so wrong because you can't continue to help this patient because you only have 30 minutes or 15 minutes with them. It just, it eats you. It really does. It eats you up. And so when you're released from the box, AKA starting your own company and you get released and you're like, holy moly. This is a different world. And even though I have problems that I have to solve, still my problems are way better off where, you know, I have control over them compared to when I worked for someone else. Correct. Right? Yeah. It's just so every, like I've been saying basically is every single tier where she's at. And she's actually at, I believe, the hardest stage in business. The first hire she is, she's there and she. And it only took her six weeks to get there, which is crazy. Normally guys, I'm just being realistic here. It normally takes people about a year to two years to get to that spot and Brandi did it in six weeks. It's epic timing. Epic timing. For real.

Well, you know, the bottom line is when somebody tells you that, you know, out of network or cash based place can't work in your town or you know, people aren't going to buy into pelvic P.T. actually, guess what? That situation is just Right for the pick, and so go for it. Um, yeah, that's what I learned. Really?

I love that you said that, because I couldn't tell you how many times a day that when I talk to pelvic health pts, that's literally their first belief that they tell me, kelly, I live in a small town, and no one will pay this amount of money.

I mean, it's just, like gossip in a small town, but you're like, you know, the vagina whisper in the small town. So I had a new patient today, and she was like, yeah, I had a girls weekend, and my friend, you know, whatever her name was, was like, she fixed my vagina, and I don't pee on my stuff anymore. You have to go see her. And so, like, I mean, today during our coaching, I picked up the phone, I converted somebody in seven minutes. I booked them for their appointment, and then I came back on the call. It's just I don't even have to really try anymore because they're just like, you're here, and, like, you're the only one, so let's come see you, you know? So if you're the only person in a small town, man, jump on it.

That's awesome. Guys, listen to Brandi. I mean, you don't need me. Listen to Brandi. She's got great advice. For real. It's amazing.

It happened. It really happened today. I mean, I think you saw me, like, pop over on the phone over here.

I did, yeah. And it's also, I think, too, Brandy's excitement. Guys, do you hear how much her energy is high? If her energy was low, do you think she's making sales calls? No. And so this is going back to pelvic size. This is where you. Why you have to work out. Because she will be. She'll be done dealing with all these patients if she didn't cultivate her own energy, either in the. She does it in the morning or whatever you guys want to do it. But she's got to cultivate her own energy to support herself so that she can give off all the energy, because she's got to have that energy to move the patients forward and progress towards their goal and then also to take on the negative energy that people kind of give you, and they're like, oh, I'm in pain, and all this stuff. That's a lot of energy, guys coming at us every single day.

You know?

So don't you think Brandi, I mean, working out, doesn't it help you?

Oh, yeah. I mean, I can't and that, that was the, that was the kind of the transition for me. It's like, okay, I can't get. I can't move my body. So I do basically every other day. I'll go to yoga one day, and then I'll go to CrossFit the next day. And then if I'm super busy, like, I still got to take a walk. I got to do something. Because. Yeah, you're right. When people are coming to public pt, they're kind of, a lot of times they're. They're having a pretty bad day or pretty bad couple of years or Even the last 40 years have been not great. So, yeah, just being there for them is so important. I mean, it's 7:21. I have my first patient at 8 this morning. And I'm not like this. I'm not faking this. Like, this is actually. But, you know, I hit the barbell this morning, you know, so it's not a problem.

Yeah, no, it's. It's. Self care is what drives your business forward. And if people don't believe that, try not to do it and then see how much energy you have for your patients, and then try to do it and do some self care and then see if you're better. If your business grows, I guarantee you your business will grow once you start actually taking care of yourself. Right. Yeah.

So, yeah, model for what you're trying to convey to other people. You know, if you're, if you don't feel good, then, then what example are they looking up to?

True. I mean, that's, that's. Yeah. Practice what you preach. We say it all the time. Right. Brandi, any advice for someone, you know, maybe that's starting out or someone that's thinking that's been out for a while, and they're just like, hey, I want to start a business, but I'm scared. I don't know if I have all the resources. Like, any advice that you can give someone that wants to make that jump.

I'm gonna be really honest with you. The best thing that ever happened to me was at my old workplace having a little disagreement and deciding that I wasn't going to be treated poorly. And just like turning in my note. I mean, I didn't. I turned in a notice, but I had to leave earlier than that because I wasn't, you know, I was like, I can't be here. This isn't the right vibe for me. So just absolutely. Leaving a workspace that's not serving you and dedicating 100% of your energy to your business. I mean, it's just like fertilizer, right? Like, your time and your energy. Like, where do you want to put those seeds? Where do you want to plant that? Do you want to plan it at your job, where you're at right now? Do you want to invest your time and money and what they're doing, or do you want to do it for your own business? So the fact that I just quit and I started, I mean, I see the difference in growth between, like, what I could have been doing working two or three days a week, and here, 100%. And, like, the dividends are just astronomical. I would have. I. I didn't mean to do that because it was too scary, to be honest. But now that I've done it, I'm like, thank God that happened. Thank God I didn't try to do. You can't live in a divided space like that. Like, honestly, you're going to make probably in an hour what you make in a day at your job. Just leave. Just quit.

I mean, should we do a mic drop now or what? I mean, it's not. Should we do. I think we should do a mic drop? I mean, come on, guys, for real, if that didn't inspire you to quit your job, basically what Brandy's saying, for a lot of you I know that are out there, that are working PRN and then trying to get your own business up, and the longer you actually hang out in that PRN job and try to start your own business, guess what? Doesn't work, you're going to run out of time and your energy because you still have this big negative cloud over here is going to be pulled to that negative cloud. And you cannot just, like brandi said, Give 100% to your own business. And if and when you do that, it is just like a rocket. If you put 100% into it. If you don't, it's stale, it's stagnant, and you lose the momentum, and you're just like, why can't I make it in business? And it's a big, big problem. Right? Right. Yeah. Brandi, I really appreciate having you on. It's been fun. Brandy is part of pelvis, guys, and it's been so fun just to coach her in this time period and just watch her, like, be a freaking rocket. So for those people out there, guys, you better watch out for her, and you better be paying attention to what she's doing, because she's really killing it in the pelvic health space. Brandi, can you drop your email, can you drop also to your website and where they can find you on social media as well?

Absolutely. So my name is Brandi and it's I at the end. So my email address is brandynectpelvikhealth.com@connectpelvic health on Instagram and my website is connect pelvic health.com so that's pretty straightforward.

Perfect. And I will drop it in the show notes guys below so you guys can go and find her like her friend, her all the things. Thanks Brandi so much again for coming on the podcast.

No problem. Thanks for having me. Thank you for getting me out of a contract where I would be just absolutely doing all these things for somebody else instead of my own community. So it's just been literally life changing and I can't thank you enough.

Yeah, well, it's been so fun coaching you so we love it. So thank you so much. If you are ready to change your life, click the link in the show notes to get your ticket to Pelby Biz.

Let's go.