Let’s be honest—none of us became pediatric therapists because we dreamed of wrestling with payroll, chasing down insurance claims, or designing the perfect Instagram post. We chose this path because we’re wired to care, and energized by the possibility of helping kids reach their potential.
Or at least that’s why I became a peadiatric physio (or pedi PT if you prefer).
As pediatric therapists we are uniquely wired for compassion. Which means we naturally pour our hearts into helping children and families, and when the systems we find ourselves working in don’t align with that, many of us dream about starting our own clinics where we get to make the rules.
And when we do, it’s amazing…
Until it’s not.
When therapists step into business ownership, that same deep empathy that makes us excellent clinicians, can make it challenging to set boundaries, prioritize sustainability, and keep our clinics financially healthy.
How do we find the balance between doing what we love - all the heart, warmth and compassion - with being a succesful business owner - assertive, analytical, competitive?
This is exactly what Kelsey Baas and I get into in this interview. And I have to say, I had a few good chuckles when Kelsey was telling me her story, because it could have been my story. Bending over backwards to accomodate everyones schedules, saying “yes” even when it meant stealing time from your own family - not to mention the pro bono kids (you know what I’m talking about).
Compassion is our superpower, but when it comes to running a business, it can also be our Achilles’ heel.
Kelsey’s runs Compleo, a thriving pediatric clinic in Texas employing 20 clinicians across multiple disciplines (PT, OT, mental health, lactation, dietetics, etc.). Her story is not one of overnight success. It’s about a lot of grit and missteps, sustained by a vision for a clinic that not only provided compelete care, serving the whole family (that’s where the name comes from), but also attracted and retained exeptional clinicians.
And she’s doing it!
In this interview we dig into how Kelsey grew from taking on too many free clients and not paying herself, to running a financially stable clinic with amazing staff and a flexible work schedule that still gives her time to be a mom.
It was such a great conversation and I highly recommend you listen to the whole thing, but my favorite advice was a counterintuitive gem!
Don’t spend time, energy and money trying to get better at the stuff you’re bad at, do the stuff you love and outsource the rest.
This isn’t just a productivity hack; it’s a mindset shift that frees you to focus on your strengths and passions - which is why you wanted to start your own clinic in the first place right? You’ll move further, faster by investing in support for your weak spots and doubling down on the areas that light you up.
I love this!
(side note: think TMR - practice the easy stuff first 😉)
Here’s some other great strategies Kelsey shared:
Set and honor your boundaries—for your time, your staff, and your services.
Map out your ideal week
Time block
Delegate scheduling
Track your finances closely—know your break-even point, your cost per patient (not what you bill per patient), and what you need to thrive. When you do this, you can make decisions that allow you to give generously—without risking your clinic’s future.
Understand the difference between revenue and profit
Track your expenses obssesively
Put your own oxygen mask on first - if your clinic is not making money, you’re not going to be able to sustain the pro-bono work you want to offer.
Seek mentorship and support early—you can’t be an expert at everything. Invest in help where you need it, so you can focus on what you do best.
If you’re nodding along, but still feeling like you’d just love someone to just take your hand and lead you gently through the steps to starting or growing your clinic into a thriving business that is as sustainable as it is compassionate, then I get you! You’re definitely going to want to come hang out with me and a bunch of other clinic owners in June as we work through implementing this stuff in real time, but in the meantime here’s some take-aways from Kelsey’s interview that you can action today:
Invest in yourself first
Kelsey’s biggest regret was not hiring a business coach earlier, but she also gives some great advice about courses you can take to make sure you’ve got the basics under control. For example, practical courses or downloadable checklists on legal setup, documentation systems, and taxes
Track One Metric This Month
Revenue, cost per patient, no-shows—pick one. Building knowledg around your financial metrics, and the true cost of treating each patient makes every other decison easier and is the key to long term sustainability.Build Your Village
Being the boss can be lonely. No matter how much you love your staff, and they love you, they are no longer your peers. You are the one carrying the weight of your clinic, navigating challenges and making the hard decisions. Having other pediatric clinic owners to bounce ideas off isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the secret sauce that fuels creativity, resilience, and growth. Don’t go it alone - invest in your peer-to-peer relationships.
Embrace your compassion, it’s is your secret weapon
Compassion is what naturally drives you to invest in your families and your staff’s well-being so you see better outcomes and higher satisfaction. Just make sure to share some of that compassion with yourself!
Compassion is not a double edge sword - it’s a competitive advantage.
If integrating compassion with clear financial strategies and boundaries (so that your care for others doesn’t come at the expense of your own sustainability) is something you want to get better at, then you might want to join Kelsey and I for a 7-week Biz Accelerator starting in June, packed with practical business skills, mentorship, and the kind of community support that will energize you.
We’re going to walk you through
Setting boundaries without guilt
Hiring clinicians who share your vision
Building systems so your clinic runs without you
This isn’t about becoming a CEO. It’s about creating a practice that fuels your passion and pays the bills.
Sign up HERE if you want to join us.
Mindy Silva (Believer in messy, joyful collaboration.)
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