How a Strong Culture Elevates Your Company and Your Blended Family with Jared and Afton Egan

We care about the rules and doing things the right way and doing the right thing. That's part of the culture.

So it creates the boundaries for you.

Yes. Well, and that we, we. Those things are top of mind when we are building up our, our team is. Yeah. We ask them questions about their personal life and relationships in the interview just to kind of see where they're at, not just professionally, but, you know, just as a well rounded human. That is something we're very aware of and in tune. They say. What do they say? They say that 80% of your.

Work life success is from your level of emotional intelligence. And then 20% is based off of your skill set. And you can't teach empathy. You can teach skill. We can get better with that, but you can't teach empathy. And so that's something that we're very aware of when we bring someone into the clinic.

Jared and Afton, thank you so much for being on the Willpower podcast. It is such a treat to have you come back.

It's an honor. Thank you for having us.

Yeah. So listen, this is a powerful episode because we're talking about culture, we're talking about business culture, family culture. And for everyone who's listening, this is a really big conversation because a lot of times we don't even understand culture from a business angle, much less the family angle. And that was the greatest lesson I learned, was the thing that I built at my office, at work, in my medical office, was all about how it helped my family develop and become this special group of people. So let's talk about ERA physical therapy. You've been in business for a year and a half. You guys have been married for four years. You're co owners, you have multiple hats in the business. Tell me about the culture. Tell me what the foundational elements are. Your purpose, your vision, your values.

Yeah. Purpose is to make an impact through every era. Impact.

Era of. Let's dig on that.

Through every era of life.

Okay.

You know, we, we, we try to, you know, we treat all ages. We have pelvic floor specialists, we have a neuro specialist, Orthopedic, Parkinson's. Orthopedic.

Right.

So we, we really try to like anyone. No matter what you're going through, whatever era of life you're in, we want to be there for you.

I love that. So you're helping all the different groups. It kind of reminds me when we worked together in the rural setting and we just saw lots of everything.

That's kind of why I. Yeah, I liked it. I saw everything and so I six month old torticollist, a 98 year old, you know, gate and balance, we do it all.

Okay. So that's the purpose. Values.

Values is impact, implementation, aect. So integrity, mastery, professionalism, accountability, candid care and team. And just like you did, we have a little phrase for each one, you.

Know, dude, that's so cool. Can you just share briefly one of those phrases?

Well, you know, team, we are family.

So it's funny is that I have team in my current company and we are family. So like we all created that at Rise Rehab together and it's fun to see how that value has kind of spread. Spread as we all had a hand in it.

Yeah, right.

That's so cool.

I think you said in the last podcast or one of them R and D is rip off and duplicate or something like that. So most of my stuff I've gotten from you or Brian Wright or whatever, we just try to do it.

I have to stop saying that. By the way. R and D, I used to say, yeah, I do research and development, but really it stands for ripoff and duplicate and people would laugh. I've learned that there are people who legitimately rip off.

Oh.

And so I have people who've ripped me off and I'm like, that's not cool. I've had someone literally tell me like, oh, I'm stealing that from you.

Oh gosh.

And you're like there is so like there's. I heard it best where it's like, you know, with permission we learn from others and. But it's like not as funny as rip off and you know, but so like in that case, yeah, it's not ripping off by any means, but I love that you have those values. Vision.

Vision. Three clinics in three years. So.

And you've been in business for a year and a half and you have one very successful clinic.

Yeah. So we're hoping to open a second one next year. We're trying to find the who. Right. We want. We who is going to be that person who wants to grow with us, who has that same vision, who wants to kind of help us build. We have an amazing team and you know, aspiring like leaders and clinic directors who might maybe take on those clinics. But either way, like we're growth minded company and looking for people who.

Well, you guys don't struggle with hiring as. I mean you're turning down people because they're not the right people. So you're really being intentional about making sure you find the right people. And that goes into brand, you know, the foundational cultural element is your purpose, vision, and values. Brand, as we all know, is the ability to communicate that through our messaging, through our design, our coloring, everything to really help people understand who we are. Afton, this is where you come in on steroids. Your gift is how to take that cultural element and communicate that into a brand. Can you tell a little bit about what you helped build at ERA so that people who are listening are like, can be checking their own brand against their purpose, vision and values?

Yeah. So my background is in interior design and fashion marketing. So I am already a very creative thinker and taking on, you know, creating this business. That was something that was very exciting to me, was to stretch my abilities in, you know, the healthcare sector. So I was very excited. I very much am able to go into a space and put myself in the situation of a provider or a patient. I can imagine the story and I can pull exactly what you're going to need. And that's kind of what. What I did.

Give me an example, because I went into your clinic, I said this on the last episode, but going into your first location was like no experience I've ever had. I felt like I couldn't put words to it, but I felt very intentionally what you were putting out there. So give me just one example of something you put into your brand. Meaning. Let's look at design of your clinic from a perspective first, of what you did from a design perspective that helped communicate the purpose, vision, or values.

Gosh. I mean, even just visually.

There'S a science to. When you walk into a space, your nervous system is going to be much more calm if you are not stressed out and overstimulated by all different things. Messes, smells that maybe don't smell good if it's too warm. So there's very much a science to making a space be fully functional to where someone's going to have a good experience.

I think just visually, structurally, the majority of our branding is all the same color concept. We use the same verbiage, we use the same fonts.

Interesting. What's some verbiage you guys use?

Like, even just in.

Like, our social media stuff, there's a lot of things that all I cater a lot to, like the millennial.

Yes.

Humor. And people really resonate with that. They really like, well, you're younger.

Both of you guys are younger. You're. You're who your. Who's are. Are going to be younger. These are these individuals who are highly committed and driven and. And they're looking for that heart of A company. So you're designing. You're designing that literally with the purpose, vision, and values in mind and in your messaging. I'm glad you brought up your social media because you run the social media part of your page. You have some of the best social media of any PT company I've ever seen. And you're small. Like, you're better than most large. All larger companies. I've never seen a larger physical therapy practice run any social media as good as you guys. So anyone who's listening, go follow ERA Physical Therapy on Instagram. I know for sure. Is there TikTok? Are there any channels that you don't like, put content on? Are you on YouTube and those things?

YouTube, Facebook, yeah.

Oh, okay. You chimed in as partners. That was really cute. Okay, so very good. So we talked a little bit about that culture. How do you guys live your culture at era? And then I'd like to transition this a little bit into the family side of things. But how do you guys live that era?

Yeah, well, you talk about the culture is what it feels like on Sunday night. You know, that. That feeling you get. And so we. We do monthly gatherings. We played pickleball last month, and we were playing pickleball this Saturday morning again because we had so much fun.

We are family. That's your family. That's your value.

Yeah, exactly. Historically, we rotate whose house it's at. And then we do like a potluck or something. We all bring something. So it's not, you know, too much stress on one person to, like, host, you know, and it's normally just chill. We just want to be together. We just like being together.

Yeah.

And we work well together. We help each other. It's. It's really amazing. It's. And we talk about what does it feel like to be a patient. I think I was reading a book and was talking about the airlines. It might have been Simon Sinek. Actually. He was talking about, you go and you say, hey, I need to change my flight. And they say, oh, no, sorry. Too bad your. Your. Your type of ticket doesn't allow for that. Have a nice day.

Right.

And. And. Or you go to another place and you say, I'd like to change my flight. And they say, absolutely. Let me see what I can do. No, I've not seen. I can't. I'm not. Let me call my manager. One second. I'm so sorry. I did everything I could. I really wanted to get you on that flight to me to, you know, to do X, Y or Z. We couldn't do it now. You feel. Yeah, like, I want to fly with this airline again, even though the outcome was the same, you know, so how can we make our patients feel like they matter? Like their experience matters. And from the walk in, what they smell, what they hear, what they see, how they feel. What does it feel like to be a patient? You know, we might not always be able to get the exact time you want, but we're sure gonna try. We'll move things around. We'll do whatever we can. Like, you know, everything. Every single aspect of their care from. From the first call to their discharge. What does it feel like to leave? You know, you get a shirt, you get a picture. You know, we do all these things, and we want to see you again. Come back to see us. We call you again in three months. How are you doing? You know?

Yeah.

What does it feel like to be a patient with us? What does it feel like to be an employee? You're going to get a welcome basket from Afton. You know, typically, we. We try to do, like, a little welcome gift for them.

Well, you guys brought me a welcome, right?

You know, you.

Your.

Your anniversary is going to be celebrated. We want. We care about you and your life. I have weekly connection meetings. We talk about numbers because that's how they measure how well we're living our values. But ultimately, it's like, what's. What's the affinity we have for each other? What's. Is there connection there? How are you doing? You know, if something's not going well, it's. I don't have to, like, come down on someone and hold them accountable. It's what's going on and how can I support you?

Yeah. At the end of the day, it comes down to building humans. I think that's what makes your culture so strong, is that you're committed to the human element of the business and you're not. You know, I think people really mess this up in healthcare, in particular, that by focusing on the human element, they tend to overlook the metrics. You know, no money, no mission, no purpose, no profits.

Yeah.

Like, you have to have both in place, and so you do. You're very big on understanding what profitability looks like. I love how you guys train your people about that. I think the difference is it's not the primary focus. It's a measurement to the focus, which is building human beings. Yeah. And how have you seen that in the company, Afton, from your perspective, like, as someone who's an owner, you're really supporting administratively? A lot of These things. How do you know your employees are connecting to the culture? Like, what signs do you see from them that tell you, you know what, this is working?

Yeah.

I mean, just their overall demeanor, I think.

Yeah, they're. How they interact with each other, how they interact with the patients, how they interact with me. I think there's something special about. Yes, we are husband and wife. We work together. We're on the same team. But at work, I mean, I'm an employee, and I'm one of you guys, and so. And that's how I want it to feel and make sure that that's how it feels. So there's a lot of times that I just get to kind of hang out with the employees because I am one, and they go to Jared for boss things. They don't come to me for that. And it's. Yeah, I think they are very comfortable and that. Very comfortable and grateful for the environment, and that translates to their patient care.

That's so cool. I love how you say that, too. I think that's a powerful reflection of your brand and your culture, that you, as an owner, are an employee in that role. If people understood that concept better, they would be a lot less offended. At work, as owners and leaders, it's like, hey, we're all equals. We're all equals. I think in health care, the problem is usually they put their employees above them almost because they're so scared of them leaving, that they'll cater to them in a way that's not good for the business. But in your case, there's equal quality, and you sense that, you know, you answer the question powerfully because it's like, yeah. One of the reasons, you know, it's great is because you're an employee. You're receiving. You're an experience of the culture, not just a creator of it.

There's two things I look at when I kind of think about measuring this. It's one, how willing they are to do things outside of work.

Okay, so this is how you measure.

That's how I like to measure. Are they. Are they. Not really. I can't. I can't really make it, you know? Or are they like, no, I'm there. Are they planning it? Are they volunteering to be the host that month?

Yeah.

Are they excited for it? Are they talking about it with patience? You know, that's. That's kind of like one of the. One of the signs, the other one that I like, too, is you're very humorous and use humor a lot with. With different things. How willing Are they to, like, joke around and just be, like, themselves?

Silly. Silly or whatever? Yeah.

Like, do I. I mean, candid care is one of our values. And being yourself, right. You. You. Yours was freedom to be yourself.

Yeah.

Are they just able to provide care in a way that feels like they're able to be themselves and give the value that they want to, you know, to patients and show up authentically? And if they feel like, I'm like, okay, Bruce, you know, he's one of our employees, one of our techs. He's. He's really coming out of his shell. You know, he was very quiet at first, and you can just tell, like, now, you know, we're talking smack about pickleball this Saturday.

Well, and he's younger. He's 21.

Yeah.

21. Yeah. And just on. On a break, I was talking to him about, like, his. His dating life. And that was so fun for me, you know, just, Just. I mean, and we're going back and forth and we're talking about Riz and, you know, all the things, but. Makes me feel very old. But I love that. I really do love who we work with, and we really have built a family, but very fun.

This is so cool. Let me ask you this as kind of a probing question, because I've seen this before, where people become so familiar with their team that the culture goes from being family oriented to almost like, to casual. Does that make sense? So how do you navigate that relationship of, hey, we are close and you matter to me and the human element, and we're here to get a job and hit our metrics and you know what I mean, and do correction and training. How do you navigate that?

Well, I think I have time set aside. I have space for each having a success plan. We call them battle plans. Right. Like, this is where our metrics are at. This is where we're going. And if we're all hitting those and we're all happy, like we, you know, like I said, doesn't. They're coming to me to kind of say, this is what didn't go well and this is what I'm doing to fix it. Right. This is what the plan is for this week. So that is on top of mind, and that's how we measure how well we're living our values. So that's. It's all part of it, and it's not this or that.

It's both interesting. So you just make sure that those two things are in check.

Yeah, well.

And we talk about it constantly. If there we have pink Elephants in our monthly meetings. But if there's things that are maybe off on the floor or things that we want to change in that area, I mean, we talk about them. We are very transparent. We talk about it so we can change it. And yeah, maybe if we weren't doing something like as strict as we were the month before, we talk about it and we have a plan and it just feels like there's a basis level of respect and professionalism that everyone on the team already comes with. It just feels like you can't, I don't know, you can't teach that. You can, you know, say, okay, here are the expectations and everything.

But it's like part of our values is integrity, like trust to do the right thing. Like the right thing is by following the handbook as it's written or by, you know, being accountable and you can count on me. All these things we talk about, that's all part of our values. And so, you know, Concetta is one of our PTs who's also kind of becoming like our kind of our compliance officer. Yeah, she's very, she very loves the rules. She's doing our like annual compliance checks right now and just has taken that on, you know, just because she, she enjoys it and it's trying to help free me up a little bit. So like we care about the rules and doing things the right way and doing the right thing of the part of the culture.

So it creates the boundaries for you.

Yes, well, and that we, we. Those things are top of mind when we are building up our, our team is. Yeah, we ask them questions about their personal life and relationships in the interview just to kind of see where they're at, not just professionally, but you know, just as a well rounded human. That is something we're very aware of and in tune. They say. What do they say? They say that 80% of your.

Work life success is from your level of emotional intelligence and then 20% is based off of your skillset and you can't teach, you can teach skill, we can get better with that, but you can't teach empathy. And so that's something that we're very aware of when we bring someone into the clinic and it's a collaborative thing. How did everybody feel? Did they fit in on the floor? Are they a good fit?

That's cool that you're leveraging your values. The way you answered the question, the way I heard that question of how do you filter between that personal without being casual kind of level is that it goes back to your values again. So you have it built into your values and you hire to that. So that sets the stage for you. And it's less about like, you know, controlling the environment for them versus hiring the right people to help you build the right environment so that it's both personal and professional. And that's cool. I think for me as a parent, especially of an adult sons now I've got two sons now in their. And they're grown. Is that they're young adults. It's like the idea of being. For them to work in an environment like that is like the coolest thought. Because this generation is under attack in a way that no other generation has. Social media and cell phones have created it so that companies like yours that actually hire and focus on millennials or gen zers or. Who are they? Are they gen zers? I don't know, like, what am I? I'm a Gen X. Gen X.

Okay.

Or am I a boomer? I don't know. But like, like those two younger generations, they. They need that connection. So they're having a culture that helps them come out of their skin or whatever. What's the phrase? Come out of their shell. Shell. Thank you.

When they.

To have a culture that helps them come out of shell. Like you were saying with some of your employees, it might be the first time they've ever done.

Might be the first time they've even like seen themselves without a shell.

Yeah.

And so since I brought up parenting, let's now shift over to the Eagan home and the culture that you guys have built at home. So you're. You were saying before we hit record that you guys have developed a family purpose.

Yeah.

So first of all, tell me why did you do that? And then let's talk about what the purpose is.

Well, at the three day MBA that Brian Wright hosted, you spoke there and you talked about culture.

Yes.

And that was all familiar to me and something I care deeply about. But you said the purpose of this is so that you can then replicate it in your own home. And you kind of gave. Maybe not directly, but I took it as a challenge to implement that into my own home. Right. And wanted to come up with our own family, especially since we are a blended family. Right.

We have tell everyone your history, like in terms of your blend.

Yeah. So I have three children, she has one children, Ranger has two. Spina bifida, special needs. So we've both been previously married and we have four kids in four different schools and their ages, 7, 9, 10, 12.

Yes.

Yeah. So four kids in four different schools. It's good.

Four different schools. There's other, you know, there's other parents involved.

Co parents and. Yeah. Different.

Yeah.

Different moms. Different. There's different dynamics and.

I don't remember what I was gonna say.

Well, being step parent can be difficult. There's things that you don't see on social media or you don't know about or each dynamic is different. And so having something that unifies you as a family with different values, different. You know, especially when they go to the other house sometimes. Right. Or they go to school. They go. You know, they need something that kind of unifies them and has like lays the framework.

So just like a company, something that would connect people coming from various backgrounds. More various than typical. Right. Like they're coming in like. Because when people be higher, there's different cultures from the homes they come from.

Yeah.

You know, the people might be aligned, but there's other people in their world who aren't gonna necessarily be aligned. So you've got that whole dynamic of trying to create a culture so that they feel connected and unified.

Yeah.

Yeah.

There's a sign in our. We have a loft and it's like the kid area. There's a sign that I got when we were very first married and very intentionally I put it in that area and it just says, come as you are. And that really stuck out to me. And I really wanted it for this concept. I wanted it to really hit home knowing that these kids are going to different places. They are from different DNA. We don't have any like ours kids. There's nothing to unify us other than we are all in the same space sometimes. And really just being very mindful of. They are all so different and we will not parent them all the same. We don't. You can't parent them all the same. But how can we be aligned in all having the same goal? You're all welcome here. You're all different.

But we all have the same goal. And that's what is.

What is.

What is our job as parents. Right. Or as leaders is to make more leaders.

Right.

So we wanted to make sure that they have some sort of system or value base that they can go out and become independent. Yeah. They're set up for success. Whatever they want to do in their lives, we love them, we're going to support them. Whatever that might look like, that's fine. But like, you're going to. You're going to excel and do great and do that thing really well. And so when we got married, actually, we came up with the slogan decisions determine destiny. Because one swipe, one phone call, one whatever it is. Right. Can, you know, one job fair meeting, you changed my entire destiny. Right. And so really can make a massive impact. So we started our little family meeting out with that of talking about that was our slogan and we've talked about that and why that matters and how we're going to create a family purpose that reflects our values. And so I can, I came up with, we kind of came up with the values together. And the values, as you know, I like acronyms is destiny.

Oh, cool.

Right. So discipline, empathy, service, tenacity, integrity, nurture and yield. And so we talk about, you know, faith and spiritual. It kind of covers everything that we really wanted to instill them with. And they helped us come up with the purpose, which is kind of fun. The purpose is to become limitless, not by chance, but by choice. Whoa. Right?

Yeah, we love that because there's also. We preach, you know, accountability and choices and all these things because we're a blended family. Because there are, you know, it would be very, very easy to limit ourselves or have our children grow up and be like, oh, well, I had a really hard time doing this, so I'm not good at that. I had a really hard time in my childhood, so I'm not good at that. We, we don't, we don't subscribe to that. So we are. Yeah. Definitely wanted to preach the aspect of, you know. Yeah, you're in charge of, you know, your decisions determine your destiny. If you want to be successful, you're going to be successful, but you have to put in the work you need to do it.

Yeah.

And it was so cute. They're all different ages and you know, we're all having the same meeting, same conversation, but their little personalities and ages come out in different ways and they're all internalizing this entire concept differently. But we were talking about, yeah, we came up with the Limitless. And then Skyler, our 12 year old, he's like, limitless, let's go like. And he was like really like jazzed about it.

Resonated.

Yeah.

Like aligned with like what they, what all the things that we were talking about and what we were really wanting for them in their life. Right. I can't do that. No, I'm having trouble with it. Right. How can we do it? How? You're putting a limit on yourself. Right. So how do we, how do we do that? Well, I could do this, this and this. And that's been already this last, you know, few weeks We've. Okay, Joelle, you know, is that how we live our values?

Right, so that's how you're living them at home. I asked the question at work. But they're using that, you're using that reference as the frame for coaching your kids, which is the ultimate goal as a parent is to be their coach. Right. So you're coaching them through the values. Is that are we living our values well?

And we're all bought into it. We all came up with it collectively. And I think in the workplace that's also something that's been so special and powerful because we are, yes, we had a company to start with, but we're also growing a company and we're bringing people along in that process. And so they're, they're bought into it as well. So like at home with our kids, when they are involved in, okay, what are our values? What are we all, you know.

We'Re all accountable to each other, the same thing at work because they're, you know, on the front lines doing that with us too, since we're a younger clinic and all those things. So there's that natural bought in, you know, buy in, I guess.

How important was that you mentioned Afton that the. They were co creating it with you and that had something to do with their buy in. How significant was that in both at work and at home? How significant was the co creation phase, part of their buy in?

I think depending on the, I guess the providers that. Are you talking about for work or for at home? Yes.

Okay.

Yes, for our. Just thinking of our specific providers. We asked them point blank when they came in to interview. How did you find us? What are you looking for? Where are they at.

In their career? Are they needing a change or are they wanting to just start? And it's definitely curated to, you know, we have different growth models and they're individual, you know, okay, what you could, you could go down this path as, you know, a partner. You could go down this path where, where do you see yourself fitting in? And so we ask those questions and, and give them a visual in those first initial meetings to go, okay, if you're in era, let's see if there's a place for you, you know, and let's go over these things and we help them visualize that. We help them go because it's already built the culture.

See, in that case, I'm sure like there was a co creation process at the beginning, but it was mostly you two. And then they're coming in and you're helping Them see what's been built, but how they could build themselves in it.

Right. So, yeah, they're going through the process that we built. Yeah.

And with the kids, you actually had them contribute to the creation of the purpose, vision and values to some degree. I'm sure you guided most of it. But do you think that was big for them to buy into your family culture to help create?

Oh, it's, it's been like. Because the first few times we've started to have to correct based off of the values. And so right now it's still kind of new and fresh and fun, but it's esoteric where they don't really understand how their day to day actions are really tying to the values. So when I say, okay, Joelle, was that, you know, was that, you know.

Was that in line with our value?

Yes. You know, we have a saying for each of our values. Okay, does that fonder. That does what you did. Does that, that. No. Okay, so what could you have done better? Right. Or, you know, Skyler, we talked about nurture, taking care of yourself, nurturing yourself and making sure you are taking care of yourself. That was one of the things. He goes to the gym with me every day at 5:00am yeah. And so part of that is, okay, this is how it ties into the value or even to how you dress, how you show up for school. You know, now we're starting to show them how these things really tie in and why they matter and connecting it to the real world and how living these values will help them become limitless. Not by chance, but by choice. And it's their choice and they were a part of that. It's their decisions. Yeah.

And I think specifically because we're a blended family, this is like my favorite part of this whole concept. I have a really hard time as a stepmom. It is not at all what I thought it would be. I was already a mom and in my rose colored glasses, I'm like, okay, well I'm just gonna go from one kid to four and it's like having more kids. Yeah. I'm gonna think I'm gonna way about everyone and it's gonna be fine. That's not how it is. And if someone tells you that they're lying or they're lying to themselves, that's. I can't. I'm not physically capable of feeling the same way about my stepchildren as I do about my son and vice versa. They can't. They don't have that loyalty and, you know, bond with me. So what's been really, really helpful in our situation.

With this concept and having them involved in that. I mean, it kind of gives, it kind of takes the pressure off of me as like, not as a, as a step parent and not like, you're not my parent. Okay, well, you're not, you're not, it's not that you're not following my rules. You're. We made these rules. Yeah, we made these together. Right. And so, and so it, and then it empowers me because I don't, I don't like to be involved in the, like disciplining. I don't, I don't like that at all. And so it's very, it's, it's a natural, you know, thing to have and to be able to say that to where we can have problem solving and like grow and get better. And there's not this building of resentment going like, gosh, like, she's so annoying. Like, you know, or I'm like, why won't he listen to me? And it's not personal. It's. We, we built this together, you know, and so it's okay that we don't come from the same people. And it's okay, you know, because it's.

Not about this organizational dynamic that is like one size fits all. It's about teamwork.

Right.

It's like we as a team are all equals. There's obviously authoritative differences in companies or at home, but when we all co create and agree that this is what we stand for and this is what's best for the group, then it's less about.

Individual, like top down control or discipline and more about group accountability. Because then you're an equal member of the team and you're able. It's so funny, all the business books that are out there that talk about businesses using that as a parallel of how when companies get really successful, it's because the group holds each other accountable and the leaders are the coaches. Like they're the ones who ultimately make some bigger decisions that impact everyone. But they're gonna do it in a way that aligns with what everyone's agreed to for their purpose, vision and values. So I can really see that being a support for you in a very inspiring way. And isn't it an interesting perspective that a work family is also a blended family?

Yeah.

At its core, everyone has a different mom and dad.

Right.

They're all coming in with different expectations, but when they show up to era they can choose family through your values, that's one of your values. And choose to make that a place where they will call it a home, and then they can hold each other accountable as long as there's that culture that's developed. What an interesting thought. As you guys have done that. And I'm honestly, like, I'm kind of having, like, this stroke right now as I'm thinking about all these things. I can't even think of any of the questions for you guys right now. But, like, I'm just, like, sitting in that space of. Of the parallels between the two and how beautiful it is.

Yeah, that. Yeah, that's really interesting too, because we talked before about when. Before we were filming, about just. You were saying how Jared and I, our life is on paper. It's hard, it's a challenge, but we're built for it. And so just going back to that thought of. I'm having that realization right now too. Like, oh, my gosh, you're right. We blended a family at home first, and that was hard. That was a challenge. It still is, but we're very seasoned in that and well versed. And then we blended a family and started a business. And they're separate, but so connected.

Yeah. It's interesting because I remember this happened recently, even, but I've had employees over the years tell me, well, what matters to me is my family. And so I'm sorry that this is getting too hard for me, because what matters is my family, not work. And there's definite truth to that statement. But what I never appreciated about that was they're choosing to delineate as.

Very different and very unvaluable or valuable. Whereas for me, it's like I have for me, at Rise with Jared, I had my family at home that I turned into a team, and I had my team at work that I chose to also be a family. And so that was always really challenging for me. I think what's cool about what you guys are bringing to the table is that.

You live that blended family life 24 7.

Right? Yeah.

You know what I mean? It's all your family. And so your employees get access to something with leaders that they wouldn't get anywhere else because of the fact that you have such strong standards and values and that you are experts. You were built for building blended families. And that's the thing I said at the end of selling Rise Rehab for me was that the best benefit of that experience was that I learned how to take a team at work and turn them into a family so that I could take my family at home and turn them into a team.

Yeah.

And you guys are just bouncing between those dynamics 24 7. So even though there's definitely some complexities, to put that mildly, in the world that you live, what a beautiful thing that it is, that you're experts at it in that no one does it the way that you two do.

Well, if you had to, right? Yeah.

You didn't have to. Well, you didn't have to. I don't know if you had to. Life, you're committed to those values maybe, but you know what I mean, you had a choice.

Well, we're all blended family, right. I mean, when you two people meet, they're not, you know, that's true. Right. It's all blended in that way. Right. And when you have an outward mindset and you're viewing people as people and how we, how we can get through life as a, as a, you know, global team, you know, how do we help people and give, make an impact and give back and accomplish whatever our purpose is. Yeah.

Are you going to say something else in that? I want to chime in to say, you know, taking this concept of we're all a blended family is probably one of the most pivotal thoughts that humanity could make. What if we all saw it like that? I think one of the benefits of religion, you know, especially ones that tie to like a paternal and maternal experience, like, you know, that we're all children of, of God.

Right.

Is that that makes us all siblings and then we're all part of the same eternal family. Right. And I think that's where religion gets it. Right. Really? Well, is this idea of like, we're all related to each other? I think we tend to forget that when it comes to the dynamics of our life because, you know, and I think this is a common one too. I have friends at my age who have kids getting married. I love that you said that we're all blended families. Like when you marry someone else, it's a blended family. And I'm like, oh, yeah, I'm a part of a blended family.

And so my friends who have kids that are getting married, they're going through the. Of other parents who are influencing not just the marriage, but the grandkids now. And like, there's all these like, dramatic things, but the problem lies in the fact they see it as separate. And you know, I have in laws who in the past at least have felt very separated. Like, this is my family, you guys are my in laws. But what if we were all one family? That's a choice. Going back to your value of choosing family.

Yeah, it's all a mindset.

I think boundaries are so powerful and so crucial. And I think there's a lot of stigma and boundaries being maybe overused or a negative thing. And I think.

Right.

Yeah. And that's. I think that even sometimes I can kind of rest on that. And if I'm feeling overwhelmed by the dynamic, I'm not feeling a connection with our group at home. I can just naturally kind of crawl back into my shell and you know, put up a boundary, but use that term and go, okay, well I don't have to do that. It's a boundary. I'm a little triggered. And that's something I think that is important to note that, you know, yes, we are all, you know, a blended family. And not to rest on those terms, but to push through them and use it to better, you know, better your situation.

So that over time the blend, it just drops off.

Right.

And it just becomes family. And it's not the same dynamic. You know, maternal, paternal roles exist in every organization. I've had more than one employee that I felt like was a son or daughter. Right. In a sense, so to speak. But at the end of the day, it's not the same.

Yeah.

And it's true when we become grandparents, that shifts as well. And there's just that dynamic. But I've noticed, I've seen, I think we all have examples of people who have, for example, a divorce friend of mine is super like remarried and they're. And his ex wife is remarried and they're not best friends. They don't vacation together, but they co parent like a boss. And there's love, there's like common connection of love. Like they show up at the kid events and they socialize and how are you? And very in. You know, that's rare. It's very rare.

It is, it is.

But kind of going back to what you guys build at ERA and in the Eagan home is that's what you're building though is this thing called choice. Everyone has to agree to it. So boundaries are important. I think the other thing I want to throw in there is agreements. I feel like in home at work, having personal boundaries is like my personal limits of what I'm the floor of which I won't pass through. Like, these are things I won't tolerate or I just, I need space. Agreements are what you guys built with your culture. We agree that these values matter. We agree that we can hold each other accountable. So it's not just mom, dad, stepmom, stepdad, it's brother, sister, Step sibling. They can all hold each other accountable. I think that creates the binds that last. Right. Can we talk about vision? Like, I know what your vision is. Era, you mentioned beforehand that, like, hey, we all have the same goal. What's the Egan? What's the Egan goal? What's the vision for the family? It doesn't have to be well defined. I'm just curious, what do you guys want?

I mean, our purpose is to become limitless. I think that's part of our vision is we foresee these kids not needing us.

Yeah.

We want them to be independent. Independent leaders is kind of the vision. Right. And the purpose. Right. So. And I don't, I don't think we've really fleshed that out and what that looks like or what that feels like and, you know, because it's so independent to them and what they want to do. But I think if we accomplish our purpose and they become limitless, you know, in their own ways, I think that's, you know, powerful.

Yeah.

And I think it's. For us, we, yeah, we haven't pounded out like, the details of it, but it's more so just understanding that we're a blended family. Understanding where each individual child and adult has come from with seeing different walks of life and what are possible limitations or issues that could come up and kind of just attacking those like preemptively and going, okay, we can see that there's a tendency to maybe be a little dishonest in this area.

Sure.

How can we, you know, how can we attack that right now so that doesn't bleed into. In 10 years in their relationship or they maybe don't listen to, you know, there's, there's a hard time with respect, with, with the boss employee dynamic. You know, I'm very mindful of building little adults that are happy and successful in life. Like when they leave the nest, have we done everything that we could do? They have. Are they perfect? No. Are they gonna do things perfectly? No. But have we taught them? Do they have the lessons and all the tools in their tool belt to go out and cope with life and to still grow and be successful and not have major setbacks. So I think that's so that no.

Matter what comes their way.

Yeah. No matter what. Yeah.

Yeah. And it's again, as you guys talk, I just see that beautiful balance between the home and work where when we're invested in people and their long term success, we want them to be happy. It's like if we, no matter what the vision is articulated to be, we Want our people to be happy. And that's what I heard you guys say. You want them to be independent, which I think is a key factor in that phrase. Independently happy. Like, they aren't codependent. They're not needing something or someone. They are enough. They know they're enough internally, and they're growing and developing imperfectly because that's all of us. And so at work, you do that with your employees. You're at home. I just. Where do I apply to become an employee of era?

You're hired.

Am I hired?

Your family? Yeah, you're already. You're already part of it.

You're a family to me as well. And, like, I'm getting emotional.

Sorry. Stephanie.

On.

I just am so inspired. I'm just so inspired by the life that you choose to live every day. I think as one equal to another, one parent to another parent, one leader to another leader. You know, this work that we do is so challenging. Sometimes it brings us to our knees, doesn't it?

Yeah.

And I have been brought to my knees equally at work and at home. I think that's the thing about being an entrepreneur. It just brings you to your knees. But when you can make those connections and you can make it with people, it becomes so worth it, you know, it's not. It's never easy, but, boy, can it be worth it, you know? So, guys, thank you so much for being on the show. I think this has been a beautiful review of your company. How do people get a hold of you if they want to come, if they're going to be one of the lucky ones and they think they might apply to this, they might qualify for this wonderful company. What do they need to do?

Well, I mean, obviously we're on Instagram. You know, our website, aerophysical therapy.com message us.

You can get a really good idea of how we are from our social media. Yeah, it's quite fun. So.

Or just admin. Physicaltherapy.com. yeah, mail that too. Yeah, yeah.

And I just want to do a shout out to your kids who are going to listen to this. Years later, they're going to be teenagers pulling up this file. I want you to know, while whatever experience you've had of your mom and dad, their core, they are two of the most amazing human beings I've ever known. So please know that you were blessed to have Afton and Jared be the leaders that you got to model behind. And, yeah, guys, thanks for being on the show. I sure appreciate you.

Thank you, thank you.