Kristin Sykes - Founder of Sports PT Lab and the Art of Healing through Human Connection
Apr 18, 2024
Alimond Studio
Embark on an uplifting journey into the heart of physical therapy with Kristin Sykes, the enterprising spirit behind Sports PT Lab. Our conversation peels back the layers of Kristin's professional odyssey, capturing the essence of her leap from a modest gym corner to a flourishing standalone clinic. The episode uncovers the intimate bond between physical therapists and their clients, the kind that's forged through shared trials and triumphs. Kristin's story is a beacon of inspiration for anyone with a spark for helping others rediscover their physical potential, whether it's crossing a marathon finish line or simply enjoying a pain-free walk in the park.
Navigating the entrepreneurial seas can be a tempest of challenges and victories, and this episode serves as a compass for aspiring business owners. Hear first-hand how Kristin harnessed her passion for physical therapy and transformed it into a bastion of healing and hope, all while carving out a life that cherishes time with loved ones and personal values. Let this be your call to action, a reminder that the most arduous tasks often pave the path to the most rewarding destinations. Kristin's invaluable insights and words of encouragement are a powerful testimony that, with determination and heart, the entrepreneurial dream is within arm's reach.
Embark on an uplifting journey into the heart of physical therapy with Kristin Sykes, the enterprising spirit behind Sports PT Lab. Our conversation peels back the layers of Kristin's professional odyssey, capturing the essence of her leap from a modest gym corner to a flourishing standalone clinic. The episode uncovers the intimate bond between physical therapists and their clients, the kind that's forged through shared trials and triumphs. Kristin's story is a beacon of inspiration for anyone with a spark for helping others rediscover their physical potential, whether it's crossing a marathon finish line or simply enjoying a pain-free walk in the park.
Navigating the entrepreneurial seas can be a tempest of challenges and victories, and this episode serves as a compass for aspiring business owners. Hear first-hand how Kristin harnessed her passion for physical therapy and transformed it into a bastion of healing and hope, all while carving out a life that cherishes time with loved ones and personal values. Let this be your call to action, a reminder that the most arduous tasks often pave the path to the most rewarding destinations. Kristin's invaluable insights and words of encouragement are a powerful testimony that, with determination and heart, the entrepreneurial dream is within arm's reach.
Speaker 1:
My name is Kristen Sykes and I have a physical therapy practice in Falls Church and it's called Sports PT Lab, and we work with athletes and active adults that are trying to get back to living an active lifestyle, play sports, help them navigate through complex scenarios to get back to the higher level activities. And how long have you guys been in business? I've been in business since 2018. And I just recently, in the last year, added another physical therapist to the team and we've moved into our own standalone space. Congratulations, thank you. So that's been really good. I started out in a gym, so, on this podcast, kayvon Adobaki, who owns Functional Fitness VA, I worked out of his gym starting out, and we had another massage therapy practice in-house there as well, so it's a great starting point as far as like, we all share clients and like help keep everyone healthy and strong and feeling good, so we still refer people back and forth, which is great.
Speaker 2:
You have a good standing relationship. Yeah, yeah. What got you into physical therapy?
Speaker 1:
I originally I've always wanted to do something in healthcare and in college I started working, volunteering and working in physical therapy settings. So I worked at a hospital and like an outpatient rehab center and that was like my exposure to physical therapy and realized like okay, I can see myself doing this. Pts really get to like form a bond with their clients and that aspect really appealed to me because a lot of times in healthcare and medicine doctors they're just rushed right. They can only spend like a short amount of time with people. Spend like a short amount of time with people and I know even they would say like it's hard to like live up to the quality of care that you want to provide. So thankfully, like with my setting, I've been able to maintain like the high quality with one-on-one sessions and like spending a whole hour with someone so that they really feel cared for and they can really express like what's going on in their life so that can like best help them.
Speaker 2:
Absolutely yeah. It's that one-on-one time and really getting to know what they need and what they need to do is essential, I'm sure. What do you find most rewarding about?
Speaker 1:
what you do, definitely getting to know people, their story and also helping them get back to those activities Like I'll get thank yous where someone's like I wouldn't have been able to do that Ironman or that marathon without your help and those kind of things. Marathon without your help and those kind of things. Making it to college, playing a college sport, overcoming high school injuries, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:
Is there a particular person that has a story that has stood out to you?
Speaker 1:
I have so many, so many that actually it's hard to pick just one honestly Like someone that had a really amazing comeback from an injury.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I mean, I had someone this is like recent where they just ran the Boston Marathon on Monday but they originally came to me a few years ago with some things that they felt like they couldn't overcome, like muscle cramping, like these weird setbacks that were preventing them from being able to do the endurance type activities, and that one that person is doing awesome, so, um, that's like super rewarding I was gonna say how did that feel to see them.
Speaker 1:
It feels good yeah, I mean, it's not just me that helps them too, like usually there's a team of individuals involved, um, but being able to be like a piece of the puzzle is really rewarding. An essential piece of the puzzle. Hopefully.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, what kind of marketing and advertising strategies do you guys use to get people in?
Speaker 1:
I like to use a few different like streams mostly because, like in past, like practices, I've worked in marketing and bringing people in can be really stressful, so I didn't want to like rely on one stream. So definitely, word of mouth is huge, right, like if you have a successful outcome, then you're going to tell your family and your friends, so just making sure to care for the person that's in front of you well, and they're going to tell, they're going to tell everyone around them. But also to like Google searching is key, having a presence in your area. And then like social media too, but I tend to not rely as heavily on that. I can do better, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
It's always. Yeah, it's a tricky thing sometimes, right?
Speaker 1:
And then the power of relationship too. So, like gym owners, keeping their clients healthy, so having contacts in your local area where they can reach out to you and they know that they can trust you with their clients to make sure they have a good process.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, what advice would you give to somebody wanting to get into this industry? You've graduated from college. They're looking to get into physical therapy. What advice do you have for?
Speaker 1:
them Definitely volunteer, like get into a place where you can see what it's like day to day. There are so many different settings too. So even if you don't want to do like a similar setting to what I'm doing, which is more like outpatient, like working through, like more like the chronic overuse injuries or maybe like post-surgery, there's also like acute care settings where you're post surgery. There's also like acute care settings where you're maybe in a nursing home or like a hospital or that kind of thing. So there's lots of different avenues that PT can take.
Speaker 2:
So yeah, yeah, I know how important it's been for our family. My son's gone through physical therapy with his hamstring, and my 82 year old mother is now walking without a walker and without her cane because of the physical therapy.
Speaker 1:
Yeah.
Speaker 2:
Doing those simple movements to regain muscle and get back up on her feet have been so helpful.
Speaker 1:
Definitely yeah. Maintaining independence, that's huge. Yeah, yeah, absolutely Balance training, all that stuff.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, and were you an athlete yourself?
Speaker 1:
I was in high school but not in college. But I have maintained a pretty high level of activity since then. I still run. I did a half marathon actually a couple of months ago in Zion, utah. Oh, yeah, yeah, I've been there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, what a beautiful place. What a beautiful place, what a beautiful place for a half marathon.
Speaker 1:
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, highly recommend it.
Speaker 1:
It was gorgeous. Yeah, even if it was painful, you're just like thankful to be in such a beautiful place.
Speaker 2:
Beautiful place. Yeah, we've been once and I would like to go back for sure. Yeah, we loved it there. Did you do angels landing by chance? I did not, we did the Narrows.
Speaker 1:
Oh, awesome and we had family do Angels Landing?
Speaker 2:
I was a little scared of Angels Landing.
Speaker 1:
Did you?
Speaker 2:
do it and you liked it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, you have to get a permit now, which is a little tricky, I kind of remember hearing that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah.
Speaker 1:
But yeah, it is scary. It was scarier this time because I've done it before and because there were less people. So, like the last time it was so crowded before the permits, you're more focused on, like navigating the chains, because it's single track Right and not, you know, bumping into someone.
Speaker 2:
Some of my family members went. My brother took his daughter. He was like three points of contact each time. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1:
If I had kids up on there I think I would be very nervous. But for yourself, like as long as you're holding on, you're fine, but it's a spectacular experience. It is Absolutely yeah really stunning, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:
So you mentioned that you brought you just recently brought somebody on to your business and that you guys have a new space.
Speaker 1:
Where do yeah, like right now it's mostly like optimizing, like getting both of us so we're, you know, at full capacity and hopefully expanding, maybe adding another therapist. That would be a goal. At the moment I would like to just keep the one location, so for now, like just making the best out of the current space.
Speaker 2:
Yeah. What challenges do you have in your business and how do you overcome them?
Speaker 1:
I think you know at different times as you grow like you need input from other professionals, right. So like legal help or bookkeeping or having a good accountant, those are key relationships to have and I'm thankful to have resources in those areas. But definitely as far as like business owners like a stress point, those can be some really scary places. So absolutely yeah, like having those contacts like when you need to ask a pretty serious question. Financial question or lawyer question having those people on hand, yeah, exactly, and someone you trust too, versus just anybody.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah. What is going well in the business now.
Speaker 1:
I feel like I've been really grateful with having James on board, like he does share a similar mindset to me as far as like how we care for people and like the high quality of wanting, like the one on one care and also with athletics and that kind of thing, so that's going really well. So I'm thankful to have another team member that really shares like that similar same passion yeah.
Speaker 1:
Cause that's something where, like, if you don't have it, you can't necessarily teach someone to be that like passionate and caring about things, so I'm just grateful that I've been able to have him thrilled to have him on board. I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 2:
Um, what do you guys do for community outreach? Do you guys do any type of community events to get your business out there?
Speaker 1:
We do a few. So, like in the past, um, like, functional fitness hosts community events, like they'll do different strength challenges and that kind of thing, and usually I'll be a part of that, either like supporting or cheering people on or, um, they're participating, and um, there's also, like in Falls Church itself, there's a Tenor Hill music festival and, um, they always have a tent. It's a relaxation village and so I'm there and, uh, there's always a massage therapist there, um, and some sort of like functional fitness is usually there. So, um, that's one way we support the community. Um, but yeah, definitely could, could do more, but um, like in small ways Sounds like you guys are doing great.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, yeah. Is there any last parting words you would like to leave us with today About owning your own business, any the ups and downs with it? Would you do it all over again?
Speaker 1:
Well, I think if you're considering opening a business, it really it's worth the cost as far as, like, it is a lot of work to do it and to start initially, but you can carve out for yourself like time freedom to spend with family and friends and not necessarily be so reliant on, like the nine to five work week, so you have more freedom to maybe spend time with those like key people in your life over the holidays and like different special events, that kind of thing. So if you're considering it, I think it's well worth the sacrifice to open a business So-.
Speaker 1:
And the effort getting there.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, it is possible. So it's possible, we can do hard things.
Speaker 1:
Absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:
Well, thank you for coming in today, Kristen. It was a pleasure to have you. Thank you for having me.