What would I tell myself 21 years ago?

It has been awhile since I have written a blog post. My eldest daughter was married, and I have a wonderful new son-in-law. My second daughter is a sophomore in college. I have two children left in high school; a junior and a senior.

This is our 21st year leading and running Allied Physical Therapy! Wow! It has been an awesome journey! Where does the time go? I remember singing my first lease at 28 years old thinking for sure I have just put myself into the poor house. I was ambitious, I had a dream, and was full of excitement and fear. Now, here it is 21 years later, and we’re going strong!

Have I figured out the formula to running a great PT office? Nope! But I have learned a lot along the way!

So, what would I tell myself 21 years ago?

• First and foremost: Enjoy the journey, be grateful, and expect that there will be some highs and lows.
  • Put your faith and family first!
  • This is what will sustain you during these highs and lows.
• Create routines and rituals that set boundaries to keep your family and relationships strong.
  • Lunch dates every week with Melissa to connect
  • Annual Summer family vacation
  • Ski trips with son
  • Make holidays wonderful
  • Be at all sporting and school events
• It takes time to build something great.
  • Most of building a great business is sticking with it.
  • Celebrate small gains, progress
• Ask for help.
  • People are generous and want to help
  • Use a coach and a consultant or other professional
• Be simple and clear and consistent with expectations of your team.
  • Get out of the way; trust your team
  • Let people go with honor and dignity
  • When people leave do not take it personally
  • Be appreciative and grateful for their contributions
• Change is exhausting and fatiguing.
  • Communicate consistently and in a rhythmic routine
  • Trust the rhythm and don’t change it
  • Avoid the distraction offered by shiny objects and ideas
• Be kind and appreciative.
  • Kindness and appreciation will get you a long way
• Cash flow and profitability.
  • Have one person that owns the numbers and understands them
  • Good data helps you make better decisions
  • In my case this is not ME
  • Systems and processes and an HR person will help you hold the line
• Remember who you are as a PT practice and stick to it
  • We are a traditional insurance based PT practice

“It will all work out”
               ~ Zaida Marrero

It kinda does.

Don’t catastrophise – simply do your best!

Looking back, the years have flown by. The lessons above are the ones that have mattered most. If I could go back and whisper them to my 28-year-old self, I would. Since I cannot, I am writing them down here —both as a reminder to myself and as encouragement to anyone else building something that matters.