Jeremy Bradford went from working in a traditional physical therapy clinic to creating his own strength training and rehab-focused gym. In this interview segment, he details the challenges of starting out, balancing physical therapy with strength coaching, and the strategies that allowed him to pivot into entrepreneurship. Here is a summary of his journey and the lessons he learned along the way.

A Gradual Shift from Physical Therapy to Strength Training

Jeremy did not jump straight into his new business venture. Instead, he made a gradual transition by reducing his hours at the clinic where he worked. Initially, he cut back to 30 hours per week and began working with clients in the evenings at a local gym. He leaned on relationships built during his earlier career, reaching out to a mentor who helped him set up a space to train clients in a building he owned. Jeremy’s decision to start small with just a squat rack and some weights allowed him to dip his toes into the entrepreneurial waters without making a large initial commitment.

The big leap came during a family vacation when he realized he was ready to fully commit to his new path. Although leaving a stable clinic job was emotionally difficult for him, especially given his established reputation with local doctors and patients, he decided to embrace the uncertainty and leave his comfort zone. By August 2021, he made the decision to go all in and pursue his gym business full-time.

The Importance of Relationships

Jeremy quickly learned that the relationships he had built over the years played a critical role in his early success. His mentor helped bring in clients as his gym space started to grow. He also worked with existing clients, building up a roster of about 15. Jeremy found success by offering one-on-one sessions and, eventually, began experimenting with group training to maximize his time.

A key insight Jeremy shared was the importance of pricing. Initially, he felt nervous about charging $100 per session, unsure if his clients would be willing to pay. However, this pricing structure proved effective, and Jeremy began to increase his rates over time. He eventually shifted to a flat-rate pricing model, which allowed him to avoid income fluctuations due to missed sessions. This also created more predictable revenue, as clients paid for monthly access rather than individual sessions.

Integrating Physical Therapy with Strength Coaching

As a licensed physical therapist, Jeremy continued to integrate physical therapy into his gym business. However, his primary focus was strength coaching, with physical therapy as an additional offering. He acknowledges that there are gray areas where strength training overlaps with physical therapy. For example, when working with older clients with conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Jeremy would use manual techniques to help clients move more effectively. His goal has always been to help people get stronger and return to normal function, whatever that approach looked like for each individual. While he still provides physical therapy in certain cases, now it is integrated into the broader training experience.

The Business Model

In the beginning, physical therapy served as a tool to bring in clients who would later transition to strength training. This was a challenge, though, because the two demographics did not overlap as much as he hoped they would. PT patients had a low barrier to entry thanks to low co-pays and deductibles. Jeremy explained that traditional insurance-based physical therapy reimbursement rates were not high and required a high volume of patients to turn a profit. This was a stark contrast to strength coaching, where those clients were willing to pay more for one-on-one sessions.

Jeremy’s story highlights the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, especially when trying to balance multiple facets of a business. While he has experienced growth, there are still challenges to overcome, particularly when it comes to marketing and converting PT patients into gym members. However, his approach—fostering relationships, offering flexible pricing, and distinguishing between physical therapy and strength coaching—has set a solid foundation for his business moving forward.

Through his experience, Jeremy also emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and not being afraid to take risks. By leveraging his background in physical therapy and his passion for strength training, he has created a niche business that blends both fields while focusing on helping people improve their physical health in the long term.

This material was recently covered in the Business of Coaching Workshop, a series designed to help coaches grow their businesses by mastering key principles like trust, pricing, and delivering value. Each session dives into actionable strategies to build better client relationships and drive success. Want to take your coaching practice to the next level? Join us for the next workshop—it’s free.