Why Lance Gross is Betting Big on Virtual Assistants for Ultimate Freedom

Welcome back to the Willpower podcast and our special season of AI versus virtual Assistants. Our guest is Lance Gross and this episode, guys, is amazing. I would have killed to listen to this episode. 10 years ago, Lance just came back from a 10 day Bahamas vacation where he rented a boat with some friends, and after 10 days, he didn't have a single call to return any work he had to do. He's either a wizard or he has mastered something the rest of us want to learn. Spoiler alert. It's both. Lance and his wife own 25 plus locations and a small empire of businesses. And somehow this guy is more relaxed than a koala on Melatonin. We talk about how he scaled his private practice without losing his mind or his spouse, and how he was able to benefit his team with small $8 sonic drink investments that sometimes were the best investments he made. Oh, and his VAs. Not only does he have a small team of VAs, but he's got virtual assistants hiring virtual assistants. So buckle up. We're diving into a masterclass on freedom, chill leadership, and how to build a business that runs while you're on a boat somewhere in the world. Let's roll. What's one thing you wish you would stop doing way sooner in your business?

I'm treating patients like I do that every day. So, like, I probably need to stop doing that as much, and I probably should have stopped doing that a little while back to be hon.

Well, Lance, thank you so much for being a part of the Willpower podcast special season via VAS vs AI. I want you to first just set the table for your audience a little bit here. Tell us about your. Your businesses, you know, the size of your organization, and then I'd love for you to explain afterwards your purpose and path. Like, why did you choose the thing that you're doing right now?

Okay. Oh, thanks for. Thanks for having me first. Good to see you again. So my name is Lance Gross. I'm a physical therapist. My wife's also a physical therapist. We're from North Arkansas. Been a therapist for 28 years. Had my own business that whole time. Have only been in the outpatient business for about seven years. We currently have 24 outpatient locations opening our 25th August 1st. So we're over 25 locations across North Arkansas and one in Southern Missouri. Also own a half owner of a DME company, half owner of an assisted living retirement community, half owner of a residential care facility, half owner of our home care business, half owner of some real commercial real estates and all those things. So yeah.

So that's a lot you have. Before you go into the why. It sounds like you have your private practice with the multiple locations and you're expanding rapidly that you own as the primary owner and then you have partners in all these other businesses.

Right. So my wife and I are the only owners of the therapy business. We're the primary 100 owners of that. And then the other business, I'm going to have a partner in the others. So.

Yeah. And then let me, let me. Before we get into the why of it, I do want people to hear this. Tell me how many business calls you had in that 10 day period.

Oh, when I was. Okay, so as we were talking before this came on, I was, I was actually gone last week on vacation for 10 days and I had zero business calls total 10 days and came back and everything was just still on keel, running smooth.

So yeah, remember, freedom isn't just possible, it's kind of the point. If this episode helped you laugh, learn or at least cancel one meeting, go ahead and hit subscribe, share it with your overworked friend and leave a review. I read every single one, usually while avoiding emails. Want more behind the scenes stuff? Then hit us up on the socials. Now go delegate something and take a nap. You've earned it. Yeah. Guys, Rockstars, are you catching the vibe now of the new season? You heard the first episode last week, that short introduction about the mindset. So now we're talking about results. Do you want that? Rockstars? Then buckle up. Like we're getting into this freedom growth mindset and we're going to talk about the latest trends and everything. But first let's go back to the mindset with Lance. Lance, tell me about your why. Like what was the purpose that got you into this space and why you're doing all these things? What's your driving force behind it?

Well, well that's, that's changed over the years, of course. So you know at first when you're the first sole owner of a business and the sole proprietor and you're the only one ever, then your idea there and remind them in was, you know, to make a good living, to make money or to have your own place so you can be the boss and in charge. As that's evolved now to where I've gotten way more people on my team, my passion now is honestly it's for them to have a great place to work. So like for those people to have a great place to go to work every day that they can be that forever for like A lifetime career that we're setting up a place for them to be able to do that. And that's honestly what I like doing. And it's to that we're getting to that point. I think we're really close to that precipice where people that are on our team, like, feel like this is the home place they're going to be forever, and they're going to stay here and work for our company forever and ever. So. And then now, later on in my career at 54 years old today. Not today, but my birthday is worth a while. Back it up. As we're speaking.

54.

Right.

I'm looking at, you know, not stopping, of course, but winding down to where I'm stepping away. Kind of like I did last week when I was able to. The vacation not had not be the one running the business. The business kind of runs itself. So that's. That's where. That's. I guess that's where. If that makes sense.

Yeah. You have the two sides of it.

I mean, from being the chief cook and bottle washer to now I'm just like, setting up, charting the course.

Yeah. It's amazing to think about how your purpose is twofold, and one of them is deeply personal. The first one is the team, and that. That's a big thing for people listening. And it was a big shift for me was when I realized that the team that I was building was the greatest gift that I could build. And ironically, that's when my freedom and money increased. But I love that you're being really direct, Lance, around this thing called, like, yeah, I'm 54. I don't want to be working crazy hours anymore. So it's the other side of the same coin. And it's your purpose. Your purpose is to live life and love what you're doing and to be able to leave for 10 days and not have all these messages pop up.

Yep. Yes, it was pretty enjoyable on vacation.

Yeah. I'm super jealous. So, listen, I want people to relate to you. Can you share a time where you do. Where you can explain how you can relate and connect to people's strife? Like the pain of building these things, because there a time in your life where you experience that.

Right, Right. So, you know, I'm painting the picture here where I'm, you know, just sitting back with all these businesses doing crazy. I'm doing nothing. Well, that's not really the case. It's never been. This has been the way from the start.

You're hyper entrepreneurial.

Right. So There was the. For 25, 28 years, it was me doing everything. You know, working just around the clock is so. So start early in the morning, six, do notes until midnight, work weekends, try to, you know, fill in the gap. Someone's off, I'm covering. Someone doesn't show up, I'm going to cover this. If someone's sick, I'm. I'm the one. I was it doing everything. So that was the way it was for years and years and years and strife. That was some of the strife and then. Or hardships. Probably the biggest time, I would say, was when we, we made a decision. So our history of our business, we were, we were a contract company for years. I've been contracted therapists with home health agencies, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, whatever. So we had a bunch of staff or team members that we contracted out. And there came a point in time seven years ago now where I was thinking, man, I'm getting close to 50. My business is just all based on these contracts, the whole thing. And if someone else comes in and takes my contracts or someone decides just hire their own therapist, my business is gone overnight. So I said, well, what can I do? So when we decided to go into our just kind of a brick and mortar type private practice setting, so I announced to our staff, our team at our Christmas party, I say, you guys ever thought about having our own clinics? Anybody want their own therapy clinic? And like, they're all like, yeah, let's do that. So we opened five clinics in like four months. So we went from a December meeting to open our first clinic in March. And by I think May or June, we had five clinics open. And at the same time, we were building a house, my wife and I building a house. And our kids were in high school at the time and all kinds of athletic sports. So I might, I had, I had zero hours in every day and zero dollars. Because if you go from a pretty nice, profitable contract business where there's really no overhead whatsoever other than paying salaries, and all of a sudden now you're opening five new practices with buildings and equipment and all those things, and there's no revenue coming because you have no patience yet, it was pretty stressful. Pretty stressful time for me and my wife. If you. I'm a little even keel on things. Like, things don't really upset me too much. And my wife is the same way.

Oh, is she the same way? Because I've always been jealous about how you're, you know, hey, you owe a million dollars. You, you won a million dollars. You're like, cool.

Either one. Right? Same sex. Yeah. And we're the same way. I'm a little more even than she is. She's a little. Yeah, she. She studies me a little more. She's like, hey, you should paint it in here because we're bleeding over here. We should look at this. And I'm like, oh, okay. It'll be okay. It'll stop eventually. Correct.

So it's amazing. I will say, especially having had high schoolers, how difficult that is. In addition, there's, like, a financial and emotional bankruptcy that's occurring there in that journey. And the other things. Rock stars, I want you to hear as Lance is talking is that he's only owned this PT practice for seven years.

Right.

You were in your late 40s when you started, right?

Yeah, I wish. I wish I would have done this when I was 25. Would've been a lot better.

Yeah. So rock stars, no matter where you are, remember this rule. It's not your age, it's the stage. It's not your age, it's a stage. Don't look around, say, oh, I'm too old, or I'm. It's too late for me to get on social media or to figure this crap out. Like, this is. This is legitimately an example. This is why I'm starting the season with Lance. He is an example of what's possible. And I love Lance, that you've. You've put yourself in this position in your. In your stage of life where you're, like, really accelerating and recognizing, like, hey, what do I want? Like, you're not a victim to that piece of it where you're just, like, feeling overwhelmed. So, you know what I would love to know is, like, from that place where you were going through a great deal of strife to where you. And by the way, before we get any further into how you got from there to here, tell people what you do with your time now.

Oh, so during daytime time.

Yeah, like we were talking about. Yeah.

So I treat patients. So I'd still treat patients throughout the week. So this week. Today's Friday, as we're filming this, and it's noonish. Noonish where I'm at. I've already done three evals this morning. I've got three more scheduled this afternoon. It'll make. I'll have 23 evaluations done this week. So I do. I do typically anywhere from 15 to 25 evaluations in the outpatient clinics per week and then everything else. But I like doing that. I enjoy seeing patients. I enjoy Being around. I enjoy being around my team.

Yeah. Do you have to treat?

No, no, I could. I don't have to.

No. See, so rock stars. I want Lance to say that to you because I want you to hear that like treating isn't bad, but there is such a difference between building a company that runs on its own and choosing to go in and Lance and I were talking before that we hit record that like one of the main reasons you're doing this is to really just to show your people that you're willing to walk the walk and talk the talk that you set as the leader. You don't have to, but you choose to.

I do choose to. Yeah. I could. I mean at this point I could stay home every day and, and do something different. But used to, I've always treated so used, you know, four years ago or three or probably three years ago now, I would treat all day and then go home and like manage the business all night. So go home and then like work on books, payroll and all those things. Well, now we have other folks in place that do most of that stuff, so I don't. I have to really do that. I still, obviously I still do some looking at numbers and financials and making sure things are on track, but as far as the day to day operations, I don't really have a whole lot to do with that.

You know, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but as you're talking, I'm hearing Dan Sullivan in my head about who, not how.

Spray book.

Yeah.

How.

How much did that concept play into that transformation of where you were doing everything to where you are now.

Right. So actually read that book first time. I think you gave it to me, to be truthful.

Sure.

Yep. And that's what prompted us to hire our director of operations. They might call her a CEO, whatever, but she's a director of operations. Hired her almost three years ago, I believe now. And that's been huge burden off of myself and off my wife. So just running a day to day operations of everything. She oversees the old fill business from, from hiring, firing, credentialing, payroll. She does all those, oversees all those things. And then there's other people that blow over her team that you know, do actually do those tasks, but she makes sure they're being done. And her and I obviously talk every day. A report at the end of the day, kind of what's. Summation of what's going on, what do I need to. What do I need to address myself? Those things.

Yeah. Rockstars I want you to hear how he's describing what freedom looks like. It's. It's his passion. Going back to your team, Lance, of like, you're really passionate about creating a place where people are so thrilled to get up and go to work, to be a part of things. And that's one of the reasons that you're driven to treat. It's not just because you still like the tree. It's because you like to be with your people and then, you know, but in a way that serves you. But yet Lance is still free and able to take these big breaks if he needs to. And I just, again, that's what a CEO, I always tell people. I think the most important roles that CEOs need to remember that they have is first is visionary, second is cultural leader, and then third is team development. If they can be in that space, they can have ultimate profit and freedom to be able to do what they want. So. So, Lance, let's get into some of these things that you've. I want to ask you some really specific questions for our audience around some of the freedom Helpers that you've had. Can you tell me what is something that you've implemented in your practice that has freed you up outside of hiring people?

Outside of hiring people would just free this up so. Well, hiring people.

People. People free us up. I mean, people that take things off us. So we did put it in systems. Obviously we have systems in place that do things, so we have a teams of people that do different stuff. So just from. In a physical therapy practice, I'm assuming most people watch this or some kind.

Of physical therapist practice owners, cto, tslp, or most of our audience.

Yeah, so. So most everybody understands what I'm talking about. When you're worried about credentialing and revenue cycle management and referrals coming in and marketing and all those things. And if you're, if you're the. A lot of you guys may be sole practice owners. We have your own practice, but you're doing all those things. So we have people that do each one of those things. We have a whole marketing crew that just says takes care of that. We have a whole credentialing crew that takes care of just credentialing. We have a whole team that just takes care of new referrals coming in and insurance author verifications. We have a whole team of people that take care of authorizations. So all each one of these things are done individually and they all report to one person and it comes back.

To this anyway, so the leadership thing you hit kind of hard. It's hard because I said without people to challenge you because I know that people is the main way that you've grown. But it sounds like what you did say it was systems. I heard like you've implemented like some processes and then leadership. So let's talk about systems really quick. Like what do you do you use Google Docs. Like how when you say systems, what does that look like in your company?

So systems are. Well, funny enough, a lot of ours are on paper.

So, so straight up old school paper system.

Literally like right now, here's what we do, here's our outline of what we're going to do and we do that. So it's hard to explain that there's so many. We have, you know, weekly meetings, weekly things people check in. So if you're on a team of, let's say you're on the verification, insurance verification team. Yeah, there was a person that's over that and they oversee the whole thing and those, all those people on that team report to that person. They've got tasks they got to complete and once they're completed, everything's good. If they're not completed, they're marked in red and they report back to her. And if she can't figure it out, then she goes to our director for operations. If she can't get a problem solved, then it comes to me. So it's like three tier thing. Before it comes to me. It probably no Semit ever gets to me. Honestly, that's.

Everything is done, it's already organized in that way. The rock stars. Let me, let me summarize this because Lance is living it so, so well. I'm going to take a step back and give you a little bit of perspective because these, you know, these things that Lance is doing is like gravity and sometimes we get worked up in terms of like, should I use an online training platform? Should I do a paper? Look, you can't deny Lance's results with pen and paper systems in some of, in some of the cases that he's built it out. But here are the things that are universal for anyone who gets totally freed up that Lance is demonstrating that first piece is having accountability meetings. Meetings are a huge part of culture and in those meetings Matt isn't just or sorry, Lance is looking at, looking at the statistics as well as green, yellow, red. And then he's got leadership and then you have layers of leadership so that it's almost protective of you and only comes certain things come to you. So let me ask you this, Lance. What are the things that do come to you? Like, you've got layers of people handling most things. So what are the types of things that you do want to come to you?

Things I want to come to me. Like, if we're seeing a. Obviously any kind of HR issues, which we hardly ever have, those usually come to me quick. Like, this comes down to having to have a crucial conversation with someone that's usually me that has to have that, like the end all be all. If there's someone's not pulling their weight, someone do a thing, you know, they need to be kind of put back on.

I'm guessing they've been coached already to a degree. But you're coming in more like you're not having the first conversation as much as like the last.

Yeah, yeah, right. I'm. Yeah, I'm. Dad's coming home. They don't want me, you know, they want. They don't want to talk to me. So that's me. I'm just. That's that. And anything that's. Anything that's going to be a, like a financial leech or problem, I need to address that. So anything that looks like there's something here that's costing us money more than it's bringing in. So we don't want to make millions of dollars in everything we do, but we want to make at least something. We don't want to lose money on anything we do. So we got to monitor all that. So if we see a profit leak somewhere, I got to figure that out. And that usually comes to me to figure out what's happening with that and.