What does it take to have the best brand presence at the largest physical therapy event in the country?

Recorded live at CSM, Will Humphreys sits down with Michelle and Dave from High Bar Physical Therapy, a company that has quietly built one of the most distinctive, people-first cultures in the PT industry. From sparkly orange bomber jackets to a booth that radiates energy, High Bar isn't just different for the sake of it. They're different on purpose.

In this episode, Michelle and Dave break down the four core values that run through every hire, every clinic, and every patient interaction — and share why culture is the last true differentiator in a commoditized healthcare industry.

Whether you're a new grad trying to find your tribe, a practice owner wondering why growth feels flat, or a clinic director trying to prevent burnout on your team — this conversation will change the way you think about your practice.

What you'll learn:

• Why High Bar chose orange, and what color psychology has to do with patient experience
• The four values that every High Bar clinician can recite by heart
• Why "grow forward" is not the same as "get bigger"
• How to build roadmaps (not rule books) for your team
• Why burnout is an employer problem, not a generational one
• What it means to lead the way when everyone else is playing it safe

Connect with High Bar Physical Therapy:

• Website: highbarhealth.com
• Student Affiliations & Professional Development: reach out via their website

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a PT student or clinic owner who needs to hear it. The tide rises for all of us when we lead with love.

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In this episode of the Will Power Podcast, Will sits down with Stephanie Wagers to dive deep into why mentorship is the lifeblood of a successful practice. Stephanie shares her fascinating journey, from a sociology professor who steered her toward OT to working with coaching experts like Greg Todd to scale her impact.

If you’ve ever felt like your clinical skills are 10/10 but your patient engagement is lagging, this episode is for you. Stephanie breaks down the "soft skills" that aren't taught in school but are essential for survival in the rehab world.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

• Defining Mentorship: Moving beyond clinical tips to focus on "building into others" and ensuring the next generation of therapists is equipped to lead.
• The "Caring Conversation" Shift: Why reframing "difficult" talks as "caring" ones changes the dynamic with parents and patients, leading to better compliance and fewer "no-shows."
• The Parent Engagement Framework: How Stephanie turned her doctoral research into a program that helps clinics across the country decrease burnout and increase arrival rates.
• Roleplay is King: Why Stephanie is the "Roleplay Queen" and how constant drilling helps therapists handle everything from messy clinic meltdowns to skeptical parents.
• Scaling the Connection: How to use digital courses and community feedback to mentor staff across multiple locations without losing the personal touch.

Connect with Stephanie:

• Website: ctd-learn.com
• Social Handles:
  • IG https://www.instagram.com/ctdlearningcenter/?hl=en
  • FB https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.wagers.3
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-wagers-997b6359/
  • YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@StephanieWagers
• Podcast: Connect the Dots Learning Center
  • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ezaez6Gt5uFbgbCApXO20?si=4cd54fb455d9457d
  • Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/connect-the-dots/id1590852103

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
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Are you a private practice owner hitting a growth ceiling? Many PT entrepreneurs find themselves "trapped" by the very business they built, buried in spreadsheets, compliance, and billing, leaving little time for the clinical passion that started it all.

In this live episode from APTA CSM, Will Humphreys sits down with Bobby Curtis and Casey Russell. They dive deep into the "Brand of Brands" philosophy, explaining how practice owners can leverage the resources of a national powerhouse while maintaining the local identity and community relationships that make their clinics special.

Whether you are a new grad looking for a leadership path or a seasoned owner looking for an exit strategy that preserves your legacy, this conversation is a masterclass in balancing purpose and profit.

Key Takeaways:

• The "Brand of Brands" Strategy: Why maintaining your local identity is more effective than "white-washing" clinics with a national logo.
• Bandwidth Reclamation: How offloading back-office tasks (billing, HR, compliance) allows owners to return to community relations and high-level leadership.
• Quality Before Quantity: Why mastering clinical dosing and movement patterns is the fastest way to drive long-term profitability.
• The Scoreboard Mentality: Using metrics not as a "money grab," but as a report card for patient care and clinical outcomes.
• Internal Impact: The shift from being a technician to being a mentor who empowers the next generation of PT leaders.

Connect with Our Guest:

Casey Russell

• LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseyrusselldpt/
• IG: @caseyrusselldpt
• Website: https://www.prnpt.com/careers

Bobby Curtis

• LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-curtis-pt-dpt-scs-cscs-rkc-575aaa82/
• IG: @bobbycutis_scs
• Website: http://prnpt.com/

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

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Are you a high-achiever stuck in constant “fight or flight”? From running a business to managing a household, today’s leaders operate under relentless pressure. In this episode of the Will Power Project, host Will Humphreys sits down with Amber Humphrey—Occupational Therapist, Reiki practitioner, and owner of Open Door Pediatric Therapy—live from Growth Code.

Amber shares her journey from severe burnout to healing through nervous system regulation. She explains the science of the vagus nerve, how teams “borrow” a leader’s emotional state through co-regulation, and simple 30-second tools to shift from stress to clarity.

Key Takeaways

• The Four Pillars of Dysregulation: Understand how stress manifests as Fight, Flight, Freeze, or Fawn (people-pleasing) and how to recognize these in your leadership style.
• The Vagus Nerve: Learn why this "wandering nerve" is the secret to resilience and how to improve your "vagal tone" just like a muscle.
• Co-Regulation: Why your employees and children mirror your internal state—and how being a regulated leader creates a regulated team.
• Ancient Wisdom vs. Western Medicine: Exploring the intersection of somatic healing, Reiki, and the physiological evidence supporting "woo-woo" practices.
• The "I Am" Power: Why your words are "spells" and how changing your internal narrative can physically shift your health.

Quick Regulation Tools

• The 4-7-8 Breath: Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8 to signal safety to the brain.
• The Diver’s Reflex: Using cold water or an ice pack on the chest to instantly lower a racing heart rate.
• Vagal Eye Movements: Looking to the far left or right for 30 seconds to trigger a reflexive yawn (a sign of down-regulation).
• Butterfly Tapping: A bilateral stimulation technique to integrate the left and right hemispheres of the brain during high stress.
• Humming/Voo Breathing: Stimulating the vocal cords to vibrate the Vagus nerve and clear "blockages."

Connect with Amber Humphrey

Open Door Pediatric Therapy
Website: www.opendoorpt.com
Instagram/Facebook: @opendoorpt

Light Beyond The Ashes
Instagram/TikTok: @lightbeyondtheashes
YouTube: Light Beyond The Ashes

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

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Live from day two of the Growth Code Conference, host Will Humphreys sits down with Scott Booher, the Chief Human Resources Consultant at Wellness Works Management Partners. Known as the "HR Guru," Scott pulls back the curtain on what it takes to scale a therapy practice without losing your mind—or your culture.

In this episode, Scott shares the raw origin story of the conference and why the "connection theme" is the secret sauce that keeps 40% of their audience new each year. They dive deep into the often-dreaded world of HR, exploring how Scott helps practice owners reclaim their time by outsourcing everything from recruiting and payroll to the "difficult conversations" of terminations. If you are a business owner feeling bogged down by $25-an-hour tasks, Scott’s "Go-Giver" approach is the roadmap you need to get back into your Zone of Genius.

Key Takeaways

• Stop Doing "$25-an-Hour" Jobs As an owner, your time is your most valuable asset. If you are handling payroll, basic admin, or initial screenings, you are stalling your company’s growth. Identify your Zone of Genius and delegate the rest to experts.
• The "Network is Your Net Worth" Rule Conferences like Growth Code aren't just for information; they are for transformation through connection. Meaningful relationships with peers and mentors provide the emotional and professional support needed to survive the "loneliness" of business ownership.
• Human Relationships Over Human Resources Scott reframes HR from a corporate "compliance department" to a brand-building tool. Whether you are hiring or firing, every interaction is an opportunity to protect and project your company’s culture and reputation.
• Protect the Brand During Terminations Letting someone go doesn't have to be a bridge-burning event. By using a professional third party (like a fractional HR consultant), you can handle terminations with empathy and finality, often leaving the former employee with a positive impression of the company.
• The "Go-Giver" Business Model The success of Scott and Brandon’s conference—and their consulting firm—is rooted in radical generosity. By giving away value and focusing on the success of their clients first, they have built a community that "begs" to work with them.

Did this episode help you identify a "$25 job" you need to delegate? We want to hear from you! Share your suggestions for future guests or topics you want us to cover.

About the Host & Sponsor

• Will Humphreys: Speaker, coach, and founder of the Will Power Podcast. https://www.virtualrockstar.com/will
• Rockstar Virtual Assistant: Scale your practice and reclaim your time with the industry’s leading VA service for rehab owners. Visit https://www.virtualrockstar.com/ to learn more.
• Scott Booher: Chief Human Resources Consultant at Wellness Works Management Partners. Visit https://www.wellnessworksmp.com/ to learn more.

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.

Episode Summary

Are you leaving money on the table because of "fear-based" billing? Live from the Growth Code Conference, host Will Humphreys sits down with the industry’s foremost expert on reimbursement and compliance, Rick Gawenda, President of Gawenda Seminars & Consulting, Inc.

In this episode, Rick strips away the fluff to discuss the massive regulatory shifts coming to Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy. From the looming 2027 Speech Therapy CPT code overhaul to the "when, not if" reality of audits, Rick explains how to protect your license while ethically maximizing your revenue. If you’ve ever worried about a government shutdown affecting telehealth or felt guilty about your profit margins, this conversation is your roadmap to financial clarity and clinical peace of mind.

Key Takeaways

• 35 Years of Expertise -Rick shares his journey from physical therapist to a leading consultant and legal expert witness. He discusses his role in helping therapists stay out of "legal jail" and keep their licenses secure.
• The Hard Truth About Rehab Margins - Why the therapy business is tougher than the restaurant industry. Rick explains how inflation has risen 43% since 2010, while many payers are actually paying less than they did 15 years ago.
• Documentation & The "When" of Audits - Rick previews his Growth Code sessions, focusing on high-level documentation from eval to discharge.
• Breaking News: 2027 Speech Therapy Changes - Rick reveals (within NDA limits) the massive shift coming for SLPs: CPT code 92507 is being deleted in 2027 and replaced by 10 new timed units. This will fundamentally change how pediatric speech therapy is reimbursed.
• The "Top 5" Strategy - Feeling overwhelmed by 200 different insurance carriers? Rick explains the Pareto Principle of billing: Focus on the 5–7 payers that make up 85% of your volume to stay 100% compliant.
• The "Over-Documentation" Trap - Why new grads often under-bill but over-document, and how extra "fluff" in your notes can actually be used against you in court.
• When Does Therapy Actually Begin? A game-changing tip for providers: Therapy starts the moment you greet the patient in the waiting room. Rick explains how to capture those "lost" minutes of assessment and education as billable time.
• Financial Transparency & Staff Retention - How sharing metrics and "Tuesday Huddles" creates a culture of leadership. Rick and Will discuss the true cost of an employee (30–35% above salary) and how to explain this to staff to align goals.

Connect with Rick Gawenda

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gawendaseminarsandconsulting/
• Gawenda Seminars & Consulting Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/gawendaseminars
• Twitter at: https://twitter.com/gawendaseminars - @gawendaseminars
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gscconsulting/ - @gscconsulting

About the Host & Sponsor

• Will Humphreys: Speaker, coach, and founder of the Will Power Podcast. https://www.virtualrockstar.com/will
• Rockstar Virtual Assistant: Scale your practice and reclaim your time with the i

Send us Fan Mail

Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.

In this powerhouse episode of the Will Power Project, Will sits down with long-time collaborator and industry leader Nathan Shields (Founder of the Private Practice Owners Club). Nathan has navigated the entire entrepreneurial lifecycle—from grinding out paper notes at 4:00 AM in a single clinic to scaling, selling, and now coaching hundreds of other owners.

The conversation centers on a pivotal moment in Nathan's recent career: having to fill two hours of "dead air" at a high-stakes workshop with zero preparation. He reveals how decades of "business ownership tuition" allowed him to facilitate a masterclass off the cuff, proving that your past struggles are actually a well of wisdom waiting to be tapped.

In this episode, we break down:

• The "Technician’s Trap": Why being a great therapist is often the biggest hurdle to becoming a great business owner.
• The Price of Tuition: Reflecting on the "millions" lost to inefficiency and why hiring a coach is cheaper than letting life teach you the hard way.
• Judgment vs. Effort: Relearning your value as your business grows from $1M to $3M and beyond.
• The Courage to Confront: Why your growth velocity is directly proportional to your ability to have hard conversations.
• A Message from the Future: What a 90-year-old version of yourself would say about your current business stress (Spoiler: It involves more grace and more moisturizer).

Connect with Nathan Shields

• Podcast: Private Practice Owners Club (Over 350 episodes of industry-leading content).
• Community: Join the Private Practice Owners Club Facebook Group.
• Fractional CFO Program: Reach out to Nathan directly at nathan@ppoclub.com to learn about the Profit Intelligence Program and plug the revenue leaks in your practice.
• Upcoming Event: Join the PPO Club Conference in San Antonio, October 15th–17th, 2026.

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.

What happens when a high-stakes investment banker swaps Wall Street trading floors for the waiting rooms of a pediatric therapy clinic? In this episode, live from the Growth Code Conference, Will Humphreys sits down with Adnan Bhanpuri, co-owner of Treehouse Pediatric Therapy.

Adnan shares a masterclass in "indirect impact"—how non-clinical leadership, insurance negotiations, and operational excellence create the "bespoke" experience families need when they are at their most vulnerable. If you’ve ever wondered how to align your administrative team with your clinical mission, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Corporate Pivot: Why Adnan left the world of structured credit (think The Big Short) to find a more "human" ROI in pediatric rehab.
• The "Broadway" Analogy: Understanding the vital role of non-clinical staff as the stagehands that make the clinical "performance" possible.
• Following the Pain: How Treehouse evolved from a speech-only clinic to a multidisciplinary powerhouse (ABA, OT, PT, and Social Work) by simply listening to parent frustrations.
• The "Pura Vida" Leadership Style: Using a Growth Mindset to navigate the "Byzantine" rules of insurance and the stresses of business ownership.
• Operational Empathy: Why getting an insurance contract right or a schedule fixed is actually an act of love for the families you serve.

If you are a practice owner looking to bridge the gap between your administrative staff and your clinical mission, or if you're looking for inspiration on how to scale a "bespoke" family experience, this episode is for you.

Send us Fan Mail

Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.