I’m back!  My last blog post was 11/20/21!  I have been on an unintentional sabbatical from my blog. It is good to be back in my favorite coffee shop writing once again.  First, I appreciate all of you taking the time to read this blog.  I hope that you will learn and grow with me in your leadership.   

So, why did I take a break?  The truth…. I was mentally exhausted. I did not realize how fatigued I had become after building was completed on our new campus July of 2021.  Looking back, I realize my expectations of the immediate rewards of opening a new facility were honestly a bit too high out of the gate.  Add to this the stresses of the economic  inflation challenge we are all facing and the resulting tension led me to develop a considerable amount of self doubt in my ability to lead. I truly experienced a crash mentally.

In December of 2021, I made the intentional decision to take a break from my blog and content creation.  To focus on what I am trained to do and that is to treat patients. Go back to the grass roots role I had back in 2005 when I first opened the practice.  It has been a much needed break for me. 

Well, I am now ready to get back to what I love; helping you, my team, and those around me to GROW!  To be inspired and live their potential.  Here is what I learned about what works and what does not work in my current season of life. 

What Works

What Does NOT Work

  • Rhythms are key to progress:
    • Monthly connecting with leaders
    • Weekly review of achievements and upcoming goals
    • Daily exercise
    • Meal prep/planning
    • Monthly all team meeting
    • Quarterly team lunch and connecting
  • Weekly visits to referrals sources
  • Create consistent content 
  • Efficient clinical  tools and processes for our clinicians 
  • Meetings must have an agenda and clarity of decisions
  • Schedule, schedule, schedule is priority 
  • Weekly monitoring of cash flow 
  • Be clear about what I (we) need and expect from the team – because they can’t read your mind
  • Use of a planner creates a sense of calm and focus
  • Slow is fast
  • Progress – not perfection – is the goal
  • Breathe, and be present in the moment
  • Understand that I will always have naysayers….don’t let them influence my convictions and beliefs 
  • The top performers in your practice are the models of what you want to reproduce, and deserve your energy and time
  • Profit is the first priority of my practice – everything else follows 
  • Long or too-frequent meetings
  • In-house wellness services; our core service is physical therapy
  • Building and creating excessive content without it contributing to revenue 
  • Over-leading is not sustainable 
  • Catastrophizing, universalizing, personalizing
  • Being influenced by negative voices 
  • Perfection
  • Quick, fast results 
  • Holding too tightly to people, thoughts and ideals
  • Creating a bunch of Matt Harknesses 



Lastly, any time you make a big step in your practice – such as moving to a new location, or taking on a new team member – it is like starting out with a brand new practice. It requires hard work, focus on your core service, and all hands on deck by your team. 

As my HR manager Sylvia told me when we moved into our new building, “It is going to take us three years to get on solid footing, financially.”  She could not be more correct.  

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