The Business of Allied Health

In Episode 27 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry Nguyen is joined by Craig Hankridge, Founder and Director of ProFeet Podiatry in Melbourne. Craig shares his journey from initially studying occupational therapy to finding his true passion in podiatry, eventually scaling his practice to a multi-site operation with a team of 40 across the span of 11 yearsThey discuss the unique challenges of allied health, focusing heavily on recruitment, preventing the dreaded "five-year burnout" among practitioners, and how to balance professional growth with personal goals. Craig also shares an insightful "Southeast Asia truck" analogy to explain why high patient visit averages (PVA) are actually crucial for patient health literacy, and drops an unpopular truth about why clinic owners need to stop coddling their team and embrace honest, accountable feedback.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: Meeting Craig Hankridge and his path into podiatry.01:48 Early career experiences, working in London, and deciding to start a private practice.02:58 Connecting with co-founder Shane Davis and launching ProFeet Podiatry in Melbourne.04:45 Scaling the clinic to a team of 40: The philosophy of organic, bottom-up growth.06:54 Why allied health practitioners burn out at year five and how Pro Fit combats it. 10:18 The trap of a "catch-all" marketing funnel and the importance of finding your ideal client.13:30 Key metrics for clinic growth: Why rebooking cadence and frequency matter for patient success.15:22 The "Overloaded Truck" analogy: Why cramming all your advice into a new grad’s first assessment fails.17:15 Craig's unpopular clinic lesson: The danger of "coddling" your team instead of holding them accountable.20:14 How to connect with Craig and ProFeet Podiatry.

In Episode 26 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry sits down with Shane "Guna" Gunaratnam, a well-known business coach and successful former clinic owner. Shane shares his unfiltered journey from working as a physiotherapist for a decade to launching, scaling, and ultimately selling a highly profitable clinic—all while navigating a global pandemic. They dive deep into the realities of modern clinic ownership, discussing why the traditional "bootstrap" startup hustle might no longer be the most viable path and exploring the challenging "messy middle" that traps many business owners. Plus, Shane reveals the single most important metric every clinic should track and drops a controversial, unspoken truth about what it actually takes to survive and thrive in private practice today.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction: Meeting Shane "Guna" Gunaratnam00:44 Shane’s clinic ownership journey and partnering with Life Ready01:51 Scaling a physio clinic from startup to profitability during a pandemic02:42 The Life Ready acquisition and why Shane transitioned out03:44 Why a partnership model beats the traditional "bootstrap" method today05:50 The harsh reality of starting a clinic and surviving the "messy middle"07:24 The biggest challenge for clinic owners: Staff recruitment and retention07:41 The #1 metric for success: Net Promoter Score (NPS) vs. Google Reviews10:01 The controversial truth: Why clinical excellence is non-negotiable in private practice13:01 Final thoughts on continuous learning and mastery

In Episode 25 of The Business of Allied Health, host Barry Nguyen sits down with Stephen Lee, Partner at Total Physio Care, a multi-location clinic in Melbourne. Stephen reflects on his 15+ year journey from a new grad under the mentorship of pioneering sports physio Barry Gavens to managing a large, long-tenured team of over 20 practitioners.They dive into the unique benefits of integrating hospital contracts into a private practice, the hard lessons learned from expanding and subsequently downsizing footprints, and the real secrets to achieving a 10+ year staff retention rate. They also touch on their collaboration in developing robust AI tools for clinical workflows.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction to Stephen Lee and his pathway into musculoskeletal physiotherapy[01:42] Early career mentorship and working a hybrid hospital-private practice model[04:42] Developing clinical reasoning and improving referral efficiency with surgeons[05:47] Building a custom hospital software application for notes and billing tracking[07:09] Lessons learned from expanding the clinic footprint and managing overheads[09:28] Secrets to retaining staff for 10+ years and managing a team of 20 physios[10:59] Why communication and personality outrank clinical skills when hiring new grads[12:54] Advice for new practice owners on the initial hustle required for referrals[14:46] Teaser: Upcoming episode on developing AI forms and treatment plans for CliniScribe AI

In this episode of The Business of Allied Health, we sit down with Paul Ness, the Senior Director of Medical Services and Senior Physiotherapist for the ATP Tour. With over 23 years of experience traveling the globe and treating some of the world's greatest tennis players, Paul shares unparalleled insights into the realities of working in elite professional sports. Paul discusses his journey from a local clinic to the Australian Open, the intense pressure of treating top-tier athletes who need results immediately, and why injury prevention programs require deep adaptability. We also dive into the critical lessons private practice teaches you about time management, and why so many sports physiotherapists drastically undervalue their services when working with elite teams. Supported by CliniScribe AI.Subscribe for more interviews with allied health leaders and clinical business insights!Timestamps:[00:00:00] - Introduction and welcoming Paul Ness[00:00:46] - Right place, right time: How Paul transitioned from a local clinic to the ATP Tour[00:02:51] - Being "put under the microscope" by players who need immediate results[00:03:59] - Building trust quickly with top players (Federer, Nadal, Djokovic)[00:05:55] - Why you should treat a 75-year-old patient the same as a professional athlete[00:07:07] - The nuance of injury prevention programs and adapting to unique athletic bodies[00:09:42] - Force plates and strength testing: Where tennis currently stands[00:11:12] - Crucial lessons private practice teaches you that elite sport doesn't[00:13:25] - Why sports physiotherapists severely undervalue their worth and how to determine your salary[00:17:57] - The unglamorous reality of elite sports: 11-hour days, windowless rooms, and travel fatigue[00:21:47] - How to connect with Paul and what it takes to join the ATP Tour team

In this episode of The Business of Allied Health, we are joined by Jordan Gauder, Founder and CEO of Gen Physio, a rapidly growing nationwide provider of in-home allied health services. Jordan shares his incredibly unfiltered and authentic journey of scaling his business, transitioning from a clinical founder to a true CEO, and the hard financial lessons he had to learn along the way.From an embarrassing $55,000 superannuation oversight to fund a custom Range Rover in his twenties, to later trading his luxury car for a Toyota Corolla to support his team during tough NDIS pricing changes, Jordan holds nothing back. We discuss the critical importance of tracking Gross Profit Margins, why being "busy" doesn't always equal profitability, and the mindset shift required to successfully lead a scaling healthcare organization. Supported by CliniScribe AI.Subscribe for more interviews with allied health leaders and clinical business insights!Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction and welcoming Jordan Gauder01:10 - Discovering physiotherapy and early career path03:07 - Identifying the gap in the market for in-home care and starting Gen Physio06:53 - Scaling to $2M revenue and understanding profit vs. volume09:09 - The Range Rover lesson: A $55,000 cash flow wake-up call14:13 - Why Gross Profit Margin is the critical metric for clinic owners15:52 - Making the hard mindset shift from Clinician to CEO19:20 - Navigating NDIS pricing challenges and downsizing to a Corolla21:58 - Future goals and how to connect with Jordan24:35 - Final thoughts on transparency and removing ego in leadership