Reclaiming Your Hue: A Podcast for Women Rediscovering Themselves in Motherhood & Entrepreneurship

Ep. 95 with Michelle Wall | Founder, Moms In Motion PT

• Kelly Kirk • Season 1 • Episode 95

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From Laid Off To Launching

Getting laid off right after having a baby feels like the floor disappears under you. For Michelle, it became the moment she stopped waiting for the “right” job and started building the kind of work that could actually support motherhood.

We talk through how she launched a low-overhead mobile physical therapy practice during COVID, why in-home care made sense financially, and how she eventually narrowed into pelvic floor physical therapy, postpartum recovery, and birth prep. Along the way, she shares what no one tells you about growing a service-based business: the systems that keep you from burning out, the automations that protect your focus, and the surprising truth that an admin team can be one of the strongest revenue drivers because it improves follow-up, scheduling, and client experience.

We also get honest about scaling: the emotional whiplash of stepping back from patient care, the leadership leap of training clinicians from the ground up, and the hard lessons of hiring, culture fit, and letting someone go when it’s not working. Woven through it all is the intersection of faith, family life, and the daily work of becoming a gentler, more present mom while still building something meaningful.

If you’re a mom entrepreneur, a healthcare provider, or anyone trying to grow a sustainable business without sacrificing your home life, you’ll leave with clear next steps and a lot of permission to build differently. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review. What system or support would change your life right now?

Resources Mentioned:


Connect with Michelle:

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

  • Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

Get Connected/Follow:

Credits:

  • Editor: Joseph Kirk
  • Music: Kristofer Tanke 


Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue! 

Welcome And How We Met

Kelly

Welcome everybody to Reclaiming Your Hue, where we are dedicated to empowering women to embrace and amplify their inherent brilliance. Our mission is to inspire mothers and entrepreneurs to unlock their full potential and radiate their true selves. I'm your host, Kelly Kirk, and each week my goal is to bring to you glorious guests as well as solo episodes. So let's dive in. Good morning, Michelle.

Michelle Wall

Good morning. So thanks so much for having me.

Kelly

You're so welcome. Are you excited? I'm really excited to be here. Me too. And it's so nice to see you in person again. So you're glowing. Oh my gosh. Okay, so let's dive in. Perfect. I would love for you to share how it is that you and I got connected. Could you share that with the listeners?

Michelle Wall

Because this is fun. Yeah. So I first um heard Michelle Haggerty's episode a little while ago, and I was immediately intrigued. And uh then listened to more episodes. And I love this. I've known Michelle for years, and we were actually, I mean, we got connected and then we were jointly interviewed on a different podcast three years ago because we both serve moms in home with our practices. And so someone was like, oh, that'd be really cool to have you guys together. Um, so that was a really fun experience. And then um, I've just been following uh Michelle's newsletter for a long time, and um, she has had the podcast on her newsletter, like, hey, listen to this episode. And I was like, Oh, I'll definitely listen to that and listened and um just loved what you're doing here, and thank you. Um, heard also um how to mom. I know Nikki and Stephanie as well, and so I was like, Oh, I think I need to get connected to this lady.

Kelly

Yeah, it it's I just love the power of the network. You know what I mean? And what I mean by the network is like there is truly a network for moms who are entrepreneurs, and it's something that I am starting to like full-fledged see the longer this podcast goes on. And also honor the people who have made the connections, whether it was like consciously they made that or some like unconsciously in Michelle's case, like she just she broadcasted that on her newsletter. And then here's somebody else who's like, ah, I fit that mold. I love this, and I love how the stories are being shared too. And so thank you. I love it. And there's so many other women who have been on this podcast that are sort of in this like this realm of health, wellness, holistic approaches to supporting moms and also moms who are entrepreneurs. Yeah, which is really crazy.

Michelle Wall

I feel like here in the Twin Cities, you know, like it's like, oh, there's so many people, but then the circles start to kind of get small. Um just keep I keep like running into similar people in various ways in different places and really cool.

Kelly

Why do you think why do you think you keep running into the same people? I would love to hear your take on this.

Michelle Wall

Yeah, I mean, I think part of it is just like you said, like I'm in a very like health and wellness kind of sphere and very much in the birth world, even though we don't attend births. We connect with a lot of people naturally in our practice um that are doing birthy things. We work with pregnant women um and we get referrals from perinatal chiropractors, doulas, midwives. So a lot of people that are working with pregnant women. Um, and then of course, a huge part of our practice is women in postpartum. And I think again, a lot of those same people are following up and then saying, like, hey, I think this would be a good resource for you in your life.

Kelly

Yes, I love it. Well, I think that this is a nice opportune moment to share with the listeners what came first for you. Was it entrepreneurship or was it motherhood?

COVID Motherhood And Job Loss

Michelle Wall

Yeah, so this is actually an interesting question for me because um I come from a very entrepreneurial family. Um, and my dad is a dentist and owns his own practice, and my brother's a contractor and owns his own business. Um, and when I was in high school, I started my own swim lesson business and taught swim lessons for six summers. So, like I was an entrepreneur back there, obviously doing like a very different thing, but there are a lot of ties to what I was doing, um, to what I'm doing now. Um, and obviously there was a big pause in entrepreneurship while I was in PT school and um getting into my career. Um, and then um I learned about insurance and kind of saw the headaches behind the scenes with my dad. And I was like, you know what? I actually don't think because there was like a little bug in me of like, oh, do I want to own my own clinic someday? And then I was like, absolutely not. That sounds terrible. Um, but fast forward a few years into my career as a physical therapist and I became a mom and um my world literally flipped upside down um during COVID. Um my first daughter was born March 1st, 2020. Um and uh it was a really interesting and challenging time to become a mom. Um, and I think you at that time it was like I took all of the normal challenges and they just amplified because all the support was taken away. I felt like I couldn't see my family and any um like support that I was going to have was like no longer like I'm not seeing anybody, I'm not going anywhere, we're not doing anything. Um, and just kind of felt like I was navigating that like entrance into motherhood alone. Um my daughter ended up having an infection that um at eight days old and had to be hospitalized for 12 days. So by the time we got out of the hospital, it was locked down statewide, um, which is just really terrible. And she felt like way more fragile than just like, oh, I have a newborn baby. It was like, oh, I have a sick baby. And obviously she was like well by the time we left, but it just felt really scary and unknown with like what was gonna happen. And so I ended up extending my leave out of caution, and then I never ended up going back to my position because they were making cuts by that time, and they ended up closing down that clinic. So I was left as a new mom also with no job, and so um it allowed me to be home longer with my daughter, which I was super grateful for, and it was actually a really fun summer and felt a lot of joy, but also I just kind of felt like this tug of like I worked so hard for my degree, and I absolutely love being a physical therapist and making a difference in people's lives. Um, and I knew at that point, ever since I was home with her more, I was like, I don't want to go back to a full-time position. Um, but and my husband and I had talked before we even had kids about like me staying home part-time if possible. Um, and then that was just my goal then. And no one was hiring at that time because everyone was getting laid off and closing down clinics and whatnot because of COVID. Or being furloughed. Yeah, exactly. So I was kind of like, well, I had kind of heard about this idea of mobile physical therapy in the past, and I was like, well, I don't have anything to lose at this point, honestly. And so um I was like, I'll just start small. My mother-in-law watched my daughter one day a week, and then we got a gal from our church to watch her one day a week. So I had like two days where I could like work on stuff um and get things going. Um, and I did some math and I figured as a solopreneur, I don't have much overhead since I'm doing this mobile thing. Um, I could make almost as much working two days myself that I was working four days at the clinic. And so I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna try this out, you know. Again, not much to lose. So um got my ducks in a row and started my LLC in September of 2020. Um, and I was like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna be a business owner, you know, I'm gonna try this out. And again, it wasn't my first rodeo at business ownership, but very different field, very different realm, and just a lot harder in the big bad world, you know, than teaching swim lessons.

Kelly

I love that you said that. Yes, yes. I wanna I let's go back to that moment in time during your maternity leave. The reason I want to step into that space, one, been there. I have been there in terms of this evaluation that you do of spending time with your newborn. What does that mean in the context of the future? What does it mean for the present? I should say, let me just step back. What does it mean for the present? And how does that play into the future? This evaluation that happens is critical. And I mean it in the sense of like this can be sort of the decision period of what direction we go, if we're gonna go back to work, if we're gonna stay at home, if we're going to make a decision to start a business. It's interesting. If if I reflect on the other women who have been on the podcast, and I'd have to like go through the Rolodex of individuals who have been on thus far and go, how many of them had this evaluation that happened during it during maternity leave? I'm with you. This was me. Like, I literally did that evaluation pre-maternity leave. It was happening already. And then the moment that she arrived, I was like, oh, that just solidified exactly what I was thinking. It was crazy. It was absolutely crazy. I want you to talk us through this.

Michelle Wall

Is that I actually had no evaluation going on during maternity leave because I was just planning to go back to my job. I loved my job. I was having thoughts of like, how am I going to do this job? Because at the time I was living in Richfield and I was working in downtown Minneapolis, and my day started at 7 a.m. And so I had to be like too ramp A, run through the skyway and get to my first my first patient was at seven. And so I was getting up at like 4:30 in the morning to work out and read my Bible before I would go to work. And I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do that with this baby that I'm getting up in the night for.

Kelly

Yeah.

Michelle Wall

Um, and so, but that was really my questioning was like, am I going to be able to do this? Or like how sustainable is this? And we had really struggled to find a daycare provider that was gonna work out time-wise with me working so early. And my husband and my hours like differed. So, like, we're like, okay, well, he could like drop her off and then I could pick her up. But like sometimes it was a struggle to get out of downtown Minneapolis. Um, and so that was more of my like processing during maternity leave because I had no idea I was gonna lose my job. So then I extended my leave with no, I probably should have thought like I might be losing my job, but I just didn't. I was just like, oh yeah, I'll extend. And my supervisor was super gracious, of course, because he was like, of course we don't want you back because we don't have work for you. But um, he was like, when do you want to come back? And I was like, Well, I want to like balance company needs and like my needs. So like I was thinking maybe I could take like an extra month. And he was like, Okay, well, that's gonna be like the fourth of July. So why don't we just do the end of July? And I was like, Great. I was like, oh, he's like working with me here. And then like two weeks before, I was like, hey, there's been a lot of changes. I think I need to know what's the protocol, like as I come back. And he was like, actually, do you have some time to talk on the phone? And I was like, oh, absolutely. And then he was basically like, You're fired. And I was like, I'm sorry, what? And I was, I was just like, I literally kept repeating, I was like, What is what does this mean? Like, am I furloughed? Am I like what's happening? And he just kept repeating the words, I don't have a position for you. And I was like, I heard you tell me what this means. And I was just like, I had no idea that's the conversation I was walking into. And so I was just like so frustrated and I felt really betrayed because I know that I technically wasn't on maternity leave anymore, but it felt like I had a baby and now I'm being punished for it. Um, because I was the first one let go. But like reflecting back, I was also the last one hired at that clinic. So it did make sense, but just like it felt really icky and like wrong that I was being let go. Um, and just the way that it all went down, I then I was like, I'm contacting HR. Like this is not going well. Um and my one of my colleagues ended up like taking all my pictures down and grabbing everything from my desk, and she brought them to my house. And I gave her my iPad and she turned it back in for me. So I never even like went back. And I had these big plans on leave. I was like, Oh, I'm gonna bring my baby to show all my coworkers, it's gonna be great. Um, so just like everything I was expecting to happen. I mean, that was the case with everybody, right? During COVID, like no one knew what was gonna happen and didn't like everyone's expectations fell through, but um, my world just like completely changed because of becoming a mom. And then also this like job change and shift, and I was like, okay, but I never really considered just like not working. Um, I I just knew PT was like part of my future, and like since starting entrepreneurship, I've questioned whether I want to be doing this or if I want to be at home with my kids. Um, but I have gotten my business to a place where I have been able to scale back and be home with them a lot more, which was the original intention, and then it grew, and then um, and now I'm having to like take myself more out of the business to work on the business and have less client-facing time. Yeah. But um, yeah, so I guess my my um I don't remember what you called it, but like questioning period or that like evaluation, yes, that came actually afterwards. And so I found out like mid-July that I didn't have a job to go back to. So then I was like, all right, what now? You know? Um, and so it wasn't even in my head until then of like, should I try to pursue entrepreneurship and like starting my own thing? It wasn't again, I had gotten connected to a company like two years prior that did mobile PT, um, but they weren't in Minnesota. And so I at that time like briefly considered, like, okay, what would it look like if I joined their team and kind of started the Minnesota like chapter, if you will. They were mostly operating on the coasts, but had like some people scattered through the country. And I was like, oh, maybe I could like start this out. So I like talked to them pretty extensively, and then I was just kind of like, ah, I don't feel ready for that like step to get out of the clinic because then you basically become a solopreneur. Um, like you're working for them, they give you resources, but you were a contractor for them and you're basically on your own. And I was like, ah, still like too early in my career. I don't feel ready for that. Um, so then I actually went back to them and called them when I found out I lost my job and I was like, okay, let's explore this again, you know? And um, then they got back to me and said they had restructured some things and ended up they weren't like hiring outside of their two main hubs on the coasts. And I was like, okay, well, that's not an option. But I think I like learned enough through talking with them that I was like, I think I could do this and like figure some things out. And it turns out I had no idea what I was doing, but like had enough pieces to like start to put together the puzzle a little bit of like what what I was doing and how to make things work.

Kelly

Do you know that the thought that's coming to mind for me right now is let me let me put this in a question format. You had mentioned earlier on that you came from an entrepreneurial family, right? Your first it was watching your father as a dentist operate his dental practice and your brother as well, which you had you noted on here, and we had some extensive conversations about this um when we had coffee, yeah, as well. Do you feel like you just innately have this entrepreneurial bone in you? Because most people, most people, a vast percentage of the population would come up to that point that you were talking about, Michelle, and go, I'll just find a nine to five.

Starting Mobile PT With Low Overhead

Michelle Wall

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I I do think there's something about seeing it happen and watching people build from scratch. Um, and so my dad, I mean, he he went into practice with his dad when he finished uh dental school and didn't really know it at the time, but my grandpa was in a ton of debt. Um, and then he actually passed away, I think three years into my dad being in business with him. So my dad accumulated not like starting from ground zero, but from sub-zero. Like, yes, he had a functioning dental office and had patients, but like he was like, now I'm in a lot of debt and need to dig myself out of debt. And I watched him do that and like totally thrive. And like it did take a lot of sacrifice from our family and time, but he ended up building a new office and like 10 times the business. Um, and so I saw like, hey, he put in a lot of work, but like he he got a lot of coaching along the way and figured it out and like he did it. And my brother built from the ground up. He graduated college and bought equipment and started with like small projects that like weren't really his bread and butter. He was doing a lot of um fixing of doors and like installing doors, pulling bushes, and like where he really wanted to be was like remodels and doing custom bathrooms and kitchens and um retaining walls and decks. And he did, he grew to that point and now he actually rebranded recently and he is doing his business is now called luxury remodeling, and he's only doing remodeling, and you know, just watching him again grow kind of from the ground to to that was just really inspiring. Um, and I do think there's something about just knowing entrepreneurial other entrepreneurs and having them like so close that it wasn't like, oh, I feel like a bother. Like we talk about business a lot, the three of us. Um, and so I knew I had resources um to like go to. Um, but yeah, I think that most people would not, I agree, would not have been like, oh, maybe I should start my own thing. They would have been like, I really need to look further for other jobs. Like maybe I should work in a hospital or a nursing home or you know, wherever they do have open jobs until things settle back down and I'll get another job at a clinic. Um that just wasn't where my head went.

Kelly

Yeah. All right. In that moment as well, what were the conversations that were ensuing between you and your husband? The reason I think the reason that this is important is to help the listeners understand that there is a strategy. Yeah, right. There's a process, there's a strategy. And going into entrepreneurship strategy has to be in place. And you can't you can, but the likelihood of actually going into it with like either no savings or not having some like loan option in place is gonna be really tough. Yeah. Okay, so let's talk through this as well.

Michelle Wall

So I was in a really blessed position uh from starting, even though I was losing my job. My husband had a full-time job with good health insurance benefits. And although that's not the end all be all, when you have a kid, that starts to matter more. Yes. Um, and just, you know, even going through like the pregnancy and things, um, we found out he was actually gonna lose his job. I was due in March, and we found out in November that his job was gonna end in April. Um, and so he had a few months to like figure out another plan and ended up finding a job in it was either in January or February and was going to April of 2020. So like yes, in November of 21 or in 2019. Yes. He found out that he was going to lose his job in April of 2020. So like a month after we had this kid.

Kelly

It's almost like these businesses knew something was coming around the corner. We're not gonna go down.

Michelle Wall

We're not gonna go to the Reddit. He did end up finding another job and was able to start, um, but then had to delay his start date. He was supposed to start um when we were still in the hospital with my daughter. Um, so that was like a crazy time too. Like we had her, we go to the hospital, and then he delays his start, and then we got out of the hospital, I think, on a Saturday, and then he started on Monday, this new job. Um, but it was um a job where he was able to work at home, which he was never able to work at home in his previous role. So I feel like that kind of played in too, because like I got to see him more being home during leave, and then he was able to be more helpful, just like little times he'd take um to hold the baby or teach a diaper or whatever. And then um fast forward to like, okay, I think I'm gonna try this thing. Um again, I didn't feel like I had much to lose, but we didn't really have much to lose as a family either because it wasn't a lot of overhead. I already, my mom had given me a treatment table for my birthday one year in PT school, just so I could like practice stuff. So I literally already had a table and I already had a computer. And so I was like, well, I have a backpack, like I don't really need a whole lot else just to get started. And like, of course, I've accumulated different tools and things along the way, but like I had the basics, I had a vehicle. I like that's really all that I needed to get started. And I was like, um, I'm gonna have to pour like a little bit of money into marketing at some point, but I was like, I have time right now. So, you know, I went and started networking and um I did hire a business coach pretty early on. Um, and that was super helpful to get things like all set up. I had a friend who is into website design, and so like he helped me set up my website originally. Um, and then my coach helped with like setting up email automation and just like different pieces of marketing and um nurturing that I had no idea what I was doing. Um, and so like just getting those pieces was like as much as I needed to kind of get going. Um, but yeah, my husband was very supportive of like, hey, I know you worked really hard to get this degree and you love what you do. So if this is an avenue that's gonna allow you to do what you love and still be home a lot, um, that was good for him.

Kelly

So look at you now too. Yeah. The the listeners don't know where your business is at right now, but I do. And so it'll be fun to have them have that unfold as the interview continues. You have talked in the last minute or so a lot about uh systems and the importance of systems, and also let's loop in support, your village that can look like a business coach, that can look like disposal support, that can look like family, extended family. And so I I want to sit here for a moment in the systems and was it in having the conversations with your business coach that you learned early on that that is pretty critical at the foundation of a business?

Systems That Prevent Burnout

Michelle Wall

Yes, I think systems are huge and they become more important when if you if you decide to grow beyond yourself. Um and so like in healthcare, there's a lot of different um areas where like you can just work on your own, whether you're a health coach or um a doula or even midwives like have practices where they're mainly the sole provider. Um, but then as soon as you grow, whether you hire your first admin or another clinician, um, systems become so crucial because it just helps with streamlining everything, communication, efficiency. And so after I hired my first admin, yeah, I think most, especially like PTs, OTs, um, like when they're running their own business, go through this. Like, what would I even have an admin do if I hired an admin? Like, it sounds like this nice idea. And now, like, I do not know what I would do without my admin team. And they I just have they have so much more capacity because they're not out there treating to be doing all of the behind the scenes work. And that looks like phone calls, following up with emails, checking our fax system and doing all the little um tasky things, I guess you could say, like in our system. So we have a lot of automations that we've built out in our um CRM. And so we have different things that we'll tag people with once they book with us, and then they get an email series, or um, we'll ask for Google reviews. We have an automation that goes out that asks people a couple different ways of texting, of like asking them to write us a Google review. And like those little things have grown, like in the last two years, those have really developed for me in those type of systems. I feel like even I hired my first admin in August of 2023. Um, and so it's been two and a half years-ish since I've had her, and now I have two part-time admins, and um, the business just looks so different than when it did when I was the one answering all the phone calls. And you know, I was I was really starting to get burnt out at that point. And I was like, I don't know if I want to do this anymore. And the more people I talk to, they're like, just hire an admin, you will not regret it. And I was like, I can't believe I waited so long to do that. Because I actually hired another therapist before I hired an admin. And like, I feel like I got really conflicting advice from a lot of different like business coaches and just different groups. People would say, like, oh, you can kind of do either one. And my stance is like, absolutely hire the admin first, always, because they're gonna take all the little things off your plate so that you can adequately train your person and like have that time and just like not be doing those other things. And then you're not, you're still the point person because you're the owner, but like you don't you don't have to field all of the stuff. And so, like when I had this other therapist, like it was everything was coming back to me with like scheduling and questions and everything. And like now I can point them towards the admins. And so, like, my email isn't even um like patient-facing on our website anymore. I have the admin email. It's like they field all the stuff, which has just been so crucial for me because like they'll forward me anything that they're like, hey, if you want to take a look at this, but then I don't my email is so full already, I don't need a lot of these other things filling it up unless they're like, oh, this needs Michelle's attention. And then they send it to me and I'm like, Oh, great, thank you.

Kelly

You know, what's interesting too is I'm sure that you have like systems within the systems too, right? So you have part of your system is I've hired on an admin, I've got my part-time admins, right? Plural admins, and and then I have my physical therapists as well. And then there's also the system within that system, especially for the admin, right? Like all of the automations and the the tasky things that are like I think about that as it pertains to our real estate business and just the extensions of us, and then the extensions of that like transaction coordinator and all of the stuff that they do that is uh pertinent to our business continuing to grow, like Google Reviews, yeah, right? Like it isn't the end all be all, but is it important to spotlight and highlight that people uh have enjoyed your services? Right, absolutely, yes, absolutely, yeah. But like, do I want to be doing that? No, our transaction coordinator has offered that as a part of their cost. Cool, do it. Yeah, the system within the system. Totally, yeah. Okay, follow-up question to the scaling of the business. So 2020, I want to create a timeline here for the listeners. 2020 is when you started your business, and then you hired on your first PT. Um additional PT, I should say.

Michelle Wall

Let me see here. Uh, it was in 2023. Okay. And I believe okay, so my admin, I lied. My admin was hired in 2024. Okay. I hired my clinician in 2023. Okay. Um, the first one. And then I hired my admin in 2024. So about an a year apart.

Kelly

Okay. Yeah.

Michelle Wall

Oh, I don't know where you lied in there, but I think I said I hired my first admin in 2023. Oh, okay. Gotcha. It's okay.

Kelly

The dates were getting mixed up. It's all good. Okay, so I want to create this timeline for the listeners because it was a period of time where you were doing a lot of this stuff, and as stuff continued to grow, there is a breaking point, right? And for you, I think the word burnout was mentioned. Like I felt like I was going to burn out if I continued to go the direction that it was going. And so I want that to be sort of the flag for the listeners that if they are even remotely close like to that point, it's time. And it was probably time like a month or so ago, depending on where you're like businesses, yeah. Or even longer. Yeah. And so let that be a sign that if you're listening right now and you are starting to feel that feeling of like irritation, aggravation, I don't have enough time. This is like all of that is true signs of pointing you towards hiring out. Totally.

Michelle Wall

When I think that those things take more of a toll on you than you maybe realize, and that I think, especially in in my world of like PT, that there's this mindset of like, oh, if I hire an admin, they're not making me money. I'm just paying out. But the reality of it is they're taking so much off your plate that they're making you a healthier person and have more capacity to be able to maybe go out and market or whatever that might look like in your field. But then also, um, I think I'd failed to realize, like I I had heard people say it, but I didn't like actually connect the dots until it was happening in real time that they make me so much more money because they have like their job is to do the calls. Like I would do the calls at night after my kid went to bed because that was the only time that I had to call because I was treating during the day. And I would try to like call people during naptime or whatever, but then I felt like I was constantly working all the time. And I was like, I did this so that I could be home part-time with my kid, but now I feel like I'm not even like paying attention to my kid because I'm trying to manage these phone calls. And it just got to be to a point where I was like, What am I doing? And then when I hired the admin, I was like, that's her main job is to do these calls. And then I feel like it just took like this huge weight off of me. And she was able to call so many more people than I was, and like I said, like ended up making us so much more money in the long run because they're doing the scheduling and have time for these 20 to 30 minute intake calls where people have questions and they're telling them about our process and how we work as a practice. And it just like, I can't tell you how much help, how helpful it is to hire an admin. And I know that looks different in different fields, but like there's always some helper role that you can hire and that it's it's worth it.

Kelly

So when women start their businesses, obviously you're doing most of it yourself, uh right out the gate, right? Unless you are completely blessed with like an immense amount of like funds on the front end, you're doing most of the stuff yourself. So, in your circumstance, Michelle, you got into physical therapy because there was a love, there was a desire, there was a motivation, and your business has now transitioned to a point where you're not doing that part of which you loved so much. You have literally your head, you have switched hats, as I like to say. So your your hat is no longer I'm physically doing it. I'm backing out. Yes, right, but like you are at this point now where the hat is starting to transition. What does that do to you internally?

Michelle Wall

Yeah.

Kelly

And talk the listeners through what are some of the pros and cons of what you're experiencing right now. Yeah with that that reverse the the hat change.

Michelle Wall

Yeah. So I really kind of wrestled with that because, like you said, like I'm super passionate about treating. I absolutely love it. I love the like interpersonal personal relationships that I get to build with my clients. And like I am energized on days where I treat. Um, and I love, I love working with people. And I I like it's so PT is so rewarding. And I think especially pelvic PT is so rewarding because we're helping people with like the foundational pieces of their life, um, peeing, pooping, and sex. And like that is just like like what is more, you know, like what's more foundational than those things? Like we need those functions to work. And so it is so gratifying when I I get a walk into someone's house and say, How are you doing this week? And they're like, I went to my martial arts class and I didn't pee my pants even one time. You know, like that's just so exciting. And or like, hey, I had sex with my husband for the first time, and we were able to do it. And it's like, wow, how amazing! Like, that's awesome. So it's just so fun to get to be part of that experience. Or like in our birth prep, um, it's so fun to get to hear the birth story and hear like, hey, that breathing thing you taught me was really helpful. Um, you know, like I so like I knew I would miss that piece of it. Um, but the way that I've structured um my mentorship, I feel like I'm still very much a part of it. Um and I actually have a really big passion for teaching as well. And so this has kind of fulfilled a different role with teaching. Um, that I'm like I'm mentoring my clinicians and I have um I'm my uh third clinician starts on Monday of this week, um, who has zero pelvic health experience. Um, so I like have trained this will be my third from the ground up. Um, and so that is also really exciting for me because I'm like, hey, I'm like training one more person who knows these things and can help these women. And one of my business coaches along the way um had always says, like, when you hire out and you step back, you help more people because the more people you add to your team, the more people they see and you know, the trickle effect. Um, but you can't do that effectively if you're treating all the time yourself because you don't have the time to pour into your team. And so um I'm really specific with like how I do my onboarding and how we do our training program. And um, I've actually hired two occupational therapists because they have a really similar scope of practice and can do all of the same things that we do as PTs in the in the field of public health. Um, and so that's been a fun thing as well, like to be able to, because I don't I don't know anyone else there might be, but I don't know anyone else in the Twin Cities who hires OTs in a public health role. Um so that feels like a fun little piece of my business too, that I get to to train them and teach them like how to be a great public therapist from a different background. And we get to collaborate with that too, and they have really great insights um from layer backgrounds and stuff too. So um I think that they're and I'm not completely out of patient treatment yet. I've like really cut down my caseload. Um, I think when I'm fully out of it, there'll be like a little part that's like, oh, that feels kind of sad. Um, and I don't know for what period of time that's gonna, like, I don't know how long I'll be out of patient care. Um, but my plan is um I'm pregnant with my third baby right now. Um and so um at the end of June, um my plan is to like have phased out um all of my current clients and pass them along to my team um and then not come back to patient care um for a season. And I don't know how long that season is gonna last.

Kelly

But for for the listeners, you may have heard me at the beginning of our interview say she's glowing, and now you get why. And then I giggled afterwards. I don't have much of a poker face either. So if people like had seen me, they would have known you know what I mean. But so um I I love how you answered that question, and to kind of wrap this up and put a pin in this part of the interview, can you just give scope of what your business looks like as of today? Like all all of like where you're at for hiring and what the what the future looks like in the next few months before baby number three comes.

Hiring Admins And Scaling Smart

Michelle Wall

Yeah. Um, so I've my my dream since I kind of started hiring, so I guess as of like 2023, was um I would like to have a therapist in every corner of the metro so that when people come in from any like close-ish suburb to the twin cities, that we can say, yes, we service your area in person. And so it's been kind of scattered. I had my first clinician was in the northwest, my second one, um, and then I actually had to let her go, which I'm not sure if we'll get to that um in this or not. But um then I hired someone for the Southwest Metro, um, and then someone for the Northeast. So they were on at the same time, and then she had to leave um for family reasons, and so I'm still looking to rehire in that space. Uh the person who's starting on Monday is gonna be the Southeast Metro. Um, and then I have interviews right now for someone in the Northeast Metro. And so we'll see if any of those end up working out before baby comes. I feel like I'm now on like a little bit of a crunch timeline for our training program, um, but uh still open to starting someone and getting them onboarded before baby. So um, and then as I mentioned earlier, I have two part-time patient care coordinators. Yes. Okay. Woof dah.

Kelly

I am I love hearing how you have scaled what has been important for you to piece in so that the business can continue to grow at the magnitude that you would love for it to do. And where it's sitting right now, like that's that's so cool. So we can actually let's take this opportunity to talk a little bit about hiring, firing, the interview process. We don't have to spend a ton of time here, but it is a part of when your business gets to the point of scaling, you also have to think about hiring, what the hiring process looks like, how do you bring somebody on board, the onboarding, and if you need to let somebody go.

Michelle Wall

Yeah, so take it away. One of my business coaches always says um that hiring your first clinician is a bigger, or if you're going to hire another clinician, is a bigger decision than the decision to start your practice in the first place. And I never understood that until I did it. And once I did it, I was like, wow, that was a lot more than I expected. And even my dad was like, oh yeah, um, managing people is just such a challenge. And I was like, what's so challenging? You know, like people are people, you know. But um, as a straight A student and like conscientious, responsible person, I just expected people did what you told them when you told them how to do their job. And that is not the case. I've learned. And um, so I am really careful now. Um uh my hiring process looks a lot different than it used to, and I have different priorities when I'm hiring than I did before. Um, and I think part of that is I learned a lot from my first hire. Um, and then I think part of it too is just different coaching that I've gotten along the way too, about what onboarding should look like in a practice like this and or what it could look like. Cause I don't think I did a great job onboarding my first therapist. Um, but she was experienced in the field and I just kind of figured we did the same thing. Um turns out we didn't at all. And I absorbed all her patience when I had to let her go and learned a lot after that. After, like, oh, did you guys do this thing? And it was like, no. And I was like, oh, interesting. I thought she was doing that, you know. Um, and another coach um always says, be slow to hire, quick to fire. Um, and I wish I had listened to that advice. Um, and so the clinician that I hired first, um, we kind of butted heads, honestly, from the get-go. Um, and I was like trying so hard to make it work and just kept kind of telling myself, like, she's a good clinician, she's a good clinician, even if we don't see eye to eye on everything. Um, but it was really hard because I knew she was out there representing my business and my name. Um, and it just was not a good fit. And um, she was on for 13 months, and I always tell people honestly, it was probably eight months too long. Um I Started like having issues pretty early. And I was talking to my dad, and I started really questioning myself. Like, maybe I'm not cut out to be a boss. Maybe I'm not good at this. And then I felt like honestly, the emotional toll that it was taking on me was like really impacting my personal life. And I was like, I don't know if this is something that I want to continue on with. So I like contemplated quitting altogether. Um, but I would just, it just really, really took a toll on me. And eventually I got the strength gumption. I don't know. I was like, okay, I'm gonna let her go. Actually, there was a uh we did her annual review review, and that was the last straw. Um, she very much belittled me in the review, and I was like, that's it. You can't work for me anymore. So um I fired her the next meeting that we had, and I think I sweated like 100 gallons of sweat that day beforehand, and I went to my acupuncture appointment afterwards and just like I can't tell you the amount of like relief and freedom I felt after that. And like I still was in a crisis. Like, now what am I gonna do? Because I have my own caseload and now I've got her caseload, and now what do I do? Do I just let people go and say, like, hey, you gotta find someone else, or do I take them all on? So yeah, I ended up taking most of them on, but um it was it was still really challenging, but I just felt so much better, like emotionally.

Kelly

Yeah.

Michelle Wall

Um, so I'd say I guess my advice is like if you have someone on your team that is like rubbing you the wrong way or just like not feeling like it's working, then it's time to move on.

Kelly

Oh, I love it. Okay, so one of one of the episodes that's coming to mind, and um, I don't know the exact episode number or when it aired, but it is somebody who I said, I want to introduce you to this person. It's Alex Marsuela. She has so she's a she has a transaction coordinator business that this fits into the real estate world, right? Her company is the one that we use for transaction coordination, right? So, like I'll give you just a quick example and then we'll dive into exactly why I'm bringing this up. So she has hired on transaction coordinators that literally facilitate creating the paperwork, listing agreements, buying agreements, getting that sent out electronically. They are like they cross t's dot i's, they're meticulous about it, which is like that is a reflection of Alex and how she started the business. Meticulous, right? Probably an A plus student. And if I haven't connected the two of you, I will be sure to do that after we wrap up this interview because I'm like, oh my gosh, these two are so similar. But something that she the reason that I bring this up, Michelle, is because Alex talked very much about this in her interview about the hiring, firing, kind of similar to what you said, what your what your business coach like be slow to hire, quick to fire. And the thing that stuck out to me that she shared was like, I needed to get real about what my core values were for my business and hire based off of that. What does that look like for you and your business, Michelle?

Stepping Back From Patient Care

Michelle Wall

Yeah, so I have seven core values. Um, and those really do matter to me a lot um in the hiring process. Um, but one thing that is hard because I technically can't hire off of it, but um, faith is so foundational to my life and to how I literally do everything in my life that I value having people of faith in my practice. I have hired people without that as well. Um, but like I've seen a really big difference in those that share that commonality and our team really thrives when we all share that foundation. Um, but it does make it tricky because we're like we're not in a faith space. And so like we can't technically hire off of whether or not you share a certain religion or whatever. Um, so that has been kind of an interesting thing to navigate as I'm looking for people. And it's um yeah, it's just, you know, you got to be creative because you can't outright ask any questions, but you can you can learn a lot about people just in an interview and just through chatting. Um, of like, what do you like to do for fun? And like a lot of times people will then open up and share about, oh, we're really involved in our church, or you know, whatever that might look like for them. Um, another thing that um is really important to me is that I have it very clear and blatant on my bio and on my website that I'm a Christian and that being a follower of Jesus is a really big deal to me. And so I tend to draw a lot of people similar to me in that space, whether it is clinicians or actually a lot of patients will come seek us out particular to see us because we share that. Um, and it's incredible. I have some fellow clinicians right now that share in that too. Um, and so I've had people request, like, hey, can I work with this person or whatever? When we had people who maybe didn't necessarily share that in their bio because that is a foundational piece to them. Um, and so again, that I don't like like hire only off of that and um not like a discrimination type of a thing, but like that value does play into our culture as a company. Um, and again, I don't really need someone who's um necessarily shares all the same beliefs, but knows that that is important to me and is gonna be part of part of the conversation of of the culture.

Kelly

What has faith looked like for you personally? I know that obviously it's there, yeah, but let's talk a little bit more about this. And then I want to start to weave in motherhood.

Michelle Wall

Yeah. Well, I will in this question by itself. Um so uh as a believer um in Jesus, I think that we're called uh to a certain standard of living. And um for for me in my life, that looks like having the disciplines to read my Bible and to pray. Um, and it has it has looked different in the season of motherhood than maybe it used to, but I feel like I've grown a lot in my faith through motherhood. Um, and I've done a couple studies with some friends on motherhood and what what are we called to as mothers in the faith. And um, so that's really grown me. I have a friend who always says, like, oh, I didn't think I was selfish when I was single. And then I got married, and I thought, like, oh, I'm like a little bit selfish, and then I had kids, and I think, oh, I'm really selfish, you know, because um just so much changes in your life when you have kids, and you really do have to sacrifice and to um just make a lot of shifts and changes when you're a mom. And um, that's really grown and stretched me to just not be able to do every little thing that comes to my mind, um, whether it's time or just logistics, um, just you know, even comfort, like giving up my like I don't want to get up off the couch to get you a band-aid right now, but I will because I'm your mom and I love you and like I'm gonna serve you in that way. Oh my gosh, I feel like you're in my head sometimes.

Kelly

I literally think the same thing. I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm so cozy comfortable right now. The last thing that I want to do is like that request that you just asked of me. But I'm your mom. Yes, and I this is my role. Yeah, it's a it's my fundamental role in duty. Yeah. Yeah. I love that you mentioned that as followers of Jesus, that we it does require a standard of living for us, and for those who are listening right now, that like that may not be a part of your like evaluate what is your standard of living when it comes to business, when it comes to um how you show up in your household as well. And I would say no matter how you cut the rug, like if you are or if you are not a follower of Jesus, this isn't a proclamation to do so. It is going, just evaluate because if you even just go, I just want to lead with a little bit more love, that word love is a pretty integral part of standard of living for us as Christians. Yeah. Or Jesus followers. Yeah. Because I think Christian can be kind of a blanket statement. Yes. And a lot of people think, oh, I see Christians doing this, and then they're at church and like so. I think Jesus follower is a little bit more of a fine-tune.

Michelle Wall

Yeah, I would agree. What did you say? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I I like that, like even leading with a little bit more love and um in business too, but especially in motherhood, um, I've been really challenged to be gentle uh with my kids. And I feel like I have a really natural inclination to like respond really quick when I'm frustrated or irritated or like just the littlest thing happens. And I did this gentleness challenge with a couple of friends um the last couple of weeks, actually. And it was very much a challenge. Um, there's like different kind of set goals for each day, and I'm like, man, I am not the gentle mom that I want to be. And she talks a lot about like what you want your kids to think of you when they're like older, and like my kids aren't maybe old enough um to like express those things now. Um probably my older one is um of like if I asked, like, hey, what words would you use to describe mommy? You know, like I don't want angry or like you know, those things to like come up when they're when they're older. And um, I want I want them to think that I was loving and gentle and patient with them and that the little thing, I don't sweat the little things, you know, like and I feel like I've grown a ton in that. Like I used to like get kind of upset when there was a spill. I'd be like, ah, you know, like, oh, we gotta clean this up. And now I'm like, okay, do you need a towel? You know, like you can go clean that up and just like trying not to overreact. And obviously, certain things feel like bigger things in the moment. Um, yeah, but I've just really grown in that. But I think that if we look at the Bible and Jesus' example, like he was always gentle, except in things that were like righteously wrong, you know, he's like flipping over tables in the temple. Yes. Um, like most like he like that's when I think of like, oh, if I like came like face to face with Jesus when he was here, I think he had that like gentle, loving presence. And like I want to emanate that as a mom. So good.

Kelly

Provide context for the listeners. You are baby number three is coming, and how old are your two others?

Michelle Wall

Yeah, so I have two daughters. Um, one just turned six and one just turned four. Okay.

Kelly

Look at you. Oh my gosh. Let's weave in motherhood. Yeah. Because I always love talking about the intersection of motherhood and how we're operating our businesses. And that can include uh high highs, low lows. So I want to provide context for the listeners of like what has this looked like for you in the last six years because you had your first and then it was the business started shortly after that.

Hiring Mistakes And Letting Go

Michelle Wall

Well, I think one really pivotal moment that was both and for motherhood and for the business was in January of 2021. I had a miscarriage. Um, and that was really critical because um I was on vacation in Florida with my husband's family when it happened. And so I was away from my medical team, and then I'm like calling the nurse line and trying to figure out like what to do, and then it was like very apparent that this is what was happening. Um, and then I had to get on a plane and wrestle my 10-month-old all the way home. Um, and it was just a really not great experience. Um, and then once I got home, you know, I'm getting messages or a message on my chart from the nurse reeling from the doctor, it was probably nothing that you did take a few cycles before trying again. And that was like, that was it. And I think it was like my own research, and my mom, who's a nurse, was like, if you don't stop bleeding in like seven days, you should probably go get checked, you know. But I don't even think my doctor said that to me. All she said was like, wait a little bit before trying again. And I being in the medical system as a PT, like I don't know what I expected in that moment, but I somehow expected more. And that like really lit something inside of me of like women's care is not where it should be. Um, and I know I'm not in that particular space, but that like really um started my passion for pelvic health because actually at before that I wasn't in pelvic. I was just like, I'll treat kind of whatever in home. Like, and I was I really always liked treating like hip pain, low back pain, um, which I think is interesting because that really ties into a lot of pelvic stuff. Totally. Um, but I like that wasn't my focus, and I actually ended up rebranding. So my business started as Wellworks PT, and now I've rebranded to mom's emotion PT. So I feel like it says a lot more about who we are and what we do. Um, and so that was like a really pivotal experience for me. And again, both like being a mom and experience that loss was really, really hard, but it has allowed me to have more empathy and compassion because it's so prevalent. And I think it's even more prevalent than they say in the statistics, because I think a lot of miscarriages are missed or really early on, and women don't know. Um, but like, you know, they say like one in three um or one in four um pregnancies end in a miscarriage, and I've just been able to walk alongside. I had a miscarriage, and then my sister had a miscarriage, and then my sister-in-law had a miscarriage, and then my other sister-in-law had a late miscarriage. Um, we just had like a lot of loss in like a fairly brief amount of time, and um, another friend in my friend group, and then a recent mom that goes to our homeschool co-op um had a miscarriage, and I just feel like I've been able to be that person in my own life and like personal relationships, but then also in the business too. Like I've had clients who have gone through loss, and it just brings a really different perspective when someone's pregnant after having a loss, because with then my second daughter, that pregnancy was a really different experience. I didn't feel really connected to her. I wasn't like super excited. I like couldn't let myself get there because I did with my first and that baby that we lost, you know, like I had no qualms. I was just like, we're having another baby, you know? And we had just told my husband's family while we were in Florida that we were having this baby, and then we lost the baby a couple of days later. It was just like, yeah, so many emotions, a roller coaster. And then um, with my daughter, I just like I remember she came out and I like felt so um what's the word? Relieved. Relieved, but just like I astonished, like, oh, she's real. Like I didn't, I didn't recognize that like a real baby was I was about to meet, like just because I think I didn't let myself get attached in the same way that I was just like, wow, she's here, she's alive. You know, like I just like couldn't believe it, got his good.

Kelly

What do you think he was trying to tell you through all of this?

Michelle Wall

I mean, I think he just puts a lot of different experiences in our life to to show us he's in control no matter what, that we can trust him, that he's got a plan. And there's a lot of emotions I think that come with loss that you can feel guilty that you lost the baby and feel like maybe it's your fault in some way, or you can feel guilty if you don't feel as sad as you should. You know, like there's just like so many different emotions. And I think that he is good and you we can trust him um no matter what, even when it's not easy. In fact, I think that it's not gonna be easy. And um, I'm also reading a book right now um in the hands of a tender loving God, and it it's this woman who's gone through like immense hardship. She has terminal cancer, and her son has experienced a lot of um medical issues, and they've just been through like trial after trial after trial, and it's like it's a devotional. And she talks about how we can't learn the same things in the highs um that we do in the lows, and we can't depend on God in the same ways when we're when everything's going well. Um we can thank him, we can praise him, but like the like the gravity of like who he is and how he loves us is just more apparent in in the hard times, in the struggles, in the struggle, in the valleys.

Kelly

I wanna I wanna do a parallel here to like failures in business and the valleys that we experience. Valleys can happen both personally and professionally and the importance of them. How do you want to talk through this? I want to talk about it because I think that there's parallels here.

Michelle Wall

Yeah. Um I mean, I think kind of going back to when I had to let go my employee, like that was a huge valley for me. Like I said, it was taking a toll on my personal life, starting to really like affect my emotions and how I was showing up for my family. Like I I felt like a bad mom in that time because I was so stressed. I feel like I couldn't be the mom I wanted to be. And then I feel like I wasn't as good of a friend in that period of time either, because I just didn't have capacity to show up in those ways. And so I think that things in business can can be a value in business, but then can also like roll over into personal life as well. Um, and I mean, we haven't had any like significant valleys in business in terms of um all our clients dried up, or you know, like, you know, we're gonna maybe have to make cuts or shut down or something like that. Um, but just in terms of um the culture um has been in big valleys in the past. And like I said, we're in a a really good place right now with my team and people are jiving and people trust each other and we accept responsibilities when we make mistakes. Um, but it can be really hard, I think, um, to experience those challenges, whether it is um or if like business is really a hard, hard time, you know. And even when I had that other clinician, um, she um constantly wanted to be paid more too. And I was trying to help her see like, oh, if you do X, Y, Z, like you're gonna make more because you're gonna have more patients on your caseload. And she just wanted more and more patient. And I was like, this is not sustainable for me. Oh, so it's just like so taxing. Um, and I think that that you should pay attention to those things um when you're starting to feel like we talked about earlier, like taxed or burnt out. Um, like maybe it's a sign that you need more support, or maybe it's a sign that who is on your team right now is not a good fit.

Kelly

If you could do it all over again, would you do it differently?

Michelle Wall

I mean, if I did it over, I don't know that I would have learned a lot of those lessons that I learned with my first clinician and probably would have made a lot of the same mistakes with whoever else came along. And so maybe it wouldn't have been the same person, maybe we wouldn't have butted heads as much. But um I'm a way better boss because of it. Um, and have learned so much about what it looks like to manage people and how to set expectations from the get-go instead of trying to like catch up and like say, like, hey, I want you doing this thing, but maybe I wasn't super clear about it before. So like now I'm very upfront on like this is what we're looking at, this is your expectation, this is what um we're measuring. Um, and so there's no surprises, there's no like confusion or um yeah, like they didn't they didn't know, like they know from the from the get go. And um, I don't know that I just would have been, you know. Led down the same path or worked with the same coaches. I have one particular coach that was like so pivotal for systems specifically. I know we talked a lot about systems earlier, and um, I actually use her software still, and that's just been such a huge growth point for me. And she was actually the one. I had worked with multiple business coaches along the way, and she was the one that gave me confidence of like I can hire an admin and I will know how to help them succeed. Um, and I just don't know had I not had some of those other experiences, if I would have been in that place.

Kelly

I love it so much.

Michelle Wall

If I could take some of the stress away from that period of time, I would.

Kelly

But so that was just a question that came to me. And I don't think I've actually asked that of anybody else on the podcast, maybe in a different way, but I'm I'm looking at my books because there's uh it was actually Simon Sinek that I was watching another podcast that he was on. He was he was the guest on somebody else's podcast, and they were talking about the challenges that sh that we just go through in life, right? And I I'm pretty sure that the host had asked a similar question to Simon, like if you could do it all over again. And he's like, No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't have I wouldn't have learned. I mean, do I want to have those feelings in those dark moments? Absolutely not. However, it has helped me in the most amazing ways grow personally, professionally, learn from the air quote failures, right? Perceived failures that we have internally or um outside failures to others who are watching and keeping a close eye on us. It's a part of the process. And I I think for the listeners to understand whether you're day one of your business, year two of your business, year five of your business, having the failures is important. This is a concept that is very challenging for me as somebody who is a people pleaser, who wants to have things happen a specific way, but now being in this entrepreneurial world going sometimes the way that we want it to happen versus the way that it actually happens isn't gonna look the same. Totally. And you just have to get a grip on that and trust in your God. Yep, and or trust in the process or have faith, whatever faith means to you. But understanding that failure is just it's it's gonna happen. Totally. And how quickly you can move through that is also important too.

Michelle Wall

Well, there's a verse that says, uh, like a man can plan his own way, but the Lord directs his steps. And I've come back to that verse so many times and just thanked God, like, hey, I know that I have a lot of plans and thank you that you're sovereign and that your plans are higher than my plans, and your ways are higher than my ways, because I wouldn't be where I'm at today, even if things went according to my plan, you know, like life would just look really different. And so I'm really thankful for the ways that he's grown me and challenged me and not allowed things to go according to my plan because his ways are better, and sometimes we don't see that, and sometimes we won't see that till we get to heaven. Um, but but sometimes we really can see that and like, oh, you know, that that's really good that that happened that way instead of the way that I wanted it to happen. Yeah. Yeah.

Kelly

How do you feel you are currently in this moment today harmonizing motherhood and entrepreneurship?

Michelle Wall

I think what does that look like for you? Yeah. Yeah. I think um for me, the balance is really been key. Um, I went through a period of time where I was working four days a week seeing clients and then like working every night, every rest time, every time that I like wasn't with my kids, and then trying to be present with my kids when I was with them. But they were going to daycare at the time, and I feel like I didn't wasn't really seeing them, and that just that balance wasn't there. And um I just feel like I've had more of a tug to be home with my kids more in this season, and so especially adding another kid to the mix, um, that's why I'm hoping to like truly I've been saying I wanted to like back out of patient care for over a year now, it just hasn't happened for various reasons. Um but I think this will finally be like a actual time where I'm actually able to back out because I have that like perfect excuse of like, okay, I'm I'm going on leave and I'm not seeing patients. And then I think it'll be easier to not return to patients if they're already that's not part of my rhythm. Um and so I think I've been able to be a lot more present with my kids when I am home with them. I actually I homeschool my um six-year-old. Um, she's in kindergarten this year.

Kelly

It's like you were in my head. I wrote a note down and was like, we need to come back to the homeschool and homeschool co-op that you had mentioned if others caught it. Yeah.

Michelle Wall

Um, and so we try to do school three days a week, and then I'm working two days a week in the business. And um we do a homeschool co-op that meets every other Monday. Um, and that's been really great for me as a mom to just rub shoulders with other homeschooling moms, and um, those have become some of my closest friends, and uh it's good for my kids too to also get an environment where they're in a classroom setting and having to listen to the teacher and figure out how to follow the rules and whatnot, that looks just really different than being in our home. Um, but I think it's really because of my team that I've been able to be in that place because um, especially my admin team, because I think if I was still trying to balance a lot of those tasks and phone calls and things, that I would be so distracted because even so I can be distracted because I'm still the owner and things end up eventually coming back to me when people don't know the answers to things. Totally. Um, and so I'll be in the middle of school and get a text that's like, oh, I need to like, I need to take care of this real quick, be right back. And um, but it's those smaller interruptions versus like feeling like I'm just not present.

Kelly

What was like a a tipping point for you in transitioning from daycare to homeschooling?

Michelle Wall

Yeah. So we didn't go straight to it. We actually did a a step. Um, so we we took our kids out of daycare January of 2024. Um, and it just was a point um because I had hired that other clinician that I was actually back down um in my treating days. And so, and my mother-in-law from the get-go, like I mentioned, um, has watched our kids one day a week on Thursdays. Um, and so then we were paying for full-time daycare and sending our kids to maybe three days a week. And we were like, this is just maybe not the wisest. And it it was like, on one hand, it was like, oh, this is really great because I have the flexibility to like work on a Friday or work an extra day or whatever. But then I also lacked boundaries because I could do that, and so then I would just like send them for a half day and go see a couple clients or whatever. And so that was just kind of a balancing act at that point. But then it got to a point where it was just like, this doesn't make sense to be paying this much, and we really crunched the numbers and we were like, what if we could find a nanny that can come one day a week and then your mom watches the kids on Thursdays? And if we need someone else to fill in, we can do that and pay them, and we'd still be paying less in in that way than in daycare. And so um, there's a gal that is homeschooled from our church that ended up watching our kids, and then now she's taking college classes, so her sister is watching our kids on Tuesdays, and um, so really not a lot changed from that because she's still watching them on Tuesdays, and now I'm just again, I have the boundaries where like I don't have child care, and so I'm home with them Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And in the times we're like coming up with my new therapist starting on Monday. Um, I have more commitment hours to do the training, and so I've got some friends that are filling in and watching my kids on those days. But for the most part, I'm home Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and that just feels really good in this season.

Kelly

Well, I love that it was able to work out that you could be here on a Thursday too. I was like, so I interview on Thursdays and you're like, okay, that sounds good. So I'm glad. I'm glad that it worked out. So you you know the name of this podcast is called Reclaiming Your Hue, H-U-E. If you're a first-time listener, um, I'll give you a nutshell version of what that means and why behind it. I started this podcast because I was in a position where I was like, I how are other women doing this? I was about to have Maddie, my daughter, and going I don't know if I knew you had a Maddie. Madeline. I have a Madeline. We my do we talk about the baby? My oldest is Madeline. Yes, Madeline Maddie for short.

Michelle Wall

And um, how do you spell? Um, we do M-A-D-E-L-Y-N and M M-A-D-D-I-E.

Kelly

Oh my gosh, it's the same. I love it. That's so cool. God, it's good. Okay, so the podcast came to fruition because I'm like, oh my gosh, this is so challenging. How are other women doing it? I felt like I felt different. And I came across to post on Instagram. I'm rolling my eyes because everything happens on Instagram as of right now. And it was the explaining the concept of flamingos. Mom flamingos, when they have their babies, they lose all of their coloring and they turn a whitish, like light pink color. And then they start to like that coloring starts to come back. We don't need to go into the scientific terms of this, like you can do your due diligence and look that up. And I was like, that is exactly how I feel. Like, I feel like I don't have much color right now, and how do I like? And so that is where I named the podcast. I'm like, other women have to be feeling like this. And there is periods where you start to regain some of that color back. And so my question to you is what hue do you feel like you're in right now?

Michelle Wall

Oh wow.

Kelly

I'll go first. Okay. I feel like I am, I love like the light, you can see there's so much like light blushy pink color, and I love that. And I would say we're probably right here. Or uh for the listeners right now, I'm kind of like finding pinkish hues around my office, and I'm like, yeah, I feel like it's like it's growing so much, and the podcast has a lot to do with it. Meeting other women has so much to do with it. Yeah, and it's just it fills my cup in such a profound way. All right, your turn.

Michelle Wall

I have not thought about this before. Um, we're a little off the cuff, but I do think I'm in a period where the hue is bright. Um that's wonderful. Yeah, I think that, like I mentioned, just starting out motherhood was so challenging, having it be right during COVID. And um, I was the first of my friend group to have any kids. And so I was actually pretty, pretty distraught for a while because they were all like working a little bit or not working at all, or doing online school and having the time of their lives. They were doing TikTok and like scrolling and making videos and just like having a blast. And I was over here like, these are the hardest days of my life. I am having no extra fun, like we and my daughter was just a pretty challenging sleeper at the beginning. She never went to bed before like 11 p.m. So I was just like drained and getting up multiple times in the night. So, like, my husband and I were just like so drained. And then we were at the hospital, and like no one sleeps at the hospital because there's all the sounds and the beeping and the lights, fluorescent lights. It's horrible. And she wouldn't sleep there. The only way that she would sleep is if one of us had our pinky in her mouth um in the crib, or she would sleep on me in the recliner. And so we did a lot of that at the hospital. But so I was like, I was very white at that time, you know. I feel like a lot of the color had really drained, and I was like, I was still joyful because I loved being a mom. Uh and like I feel like that I I was like destined to be a mom. Like I've always loved babies and like loved babysitting, and like even when I was little, I my mom always like quotes me that I said, like, I want to hold the babies, I want to feed the babies, I love the babies. Um and I always really have, and so having my own was really, really special. Um, but I was I was really having a hard time. Um, and then I feel like coming out of that, even just having it be summertime then, like was just a little bit of like more color coming in, just being able to like get outside and go on walks um in nice weather. Um, and then like slowly I began to like our church was online for like a really long time, and then eventually we started um coming back to church. And um, my college friends and I actually continued to meet during COVID. We would meet at like parking lots and we would set up our camp chairs six, six feet away from each other, and I'd be like breastfeeding in the middle of a parking lot. But um, it was challenging that they none of them understood the the challenges that I was going through as a mom, but then also during COVID, and um then I feel like one by one everyone like started having a kid and they all like in some way apologized to me um and said, like, or maybe not exactly apology, but just like, hey, I didn't realize what you were going through, and I wish I had been a better friend, um, type of thing. And yeah, um, but like now I just feel like in such a different season than a f a beginning mom. Um, now that my kids are like a little older and I know I'm about to go back into like newborn, and so there's a little bit of like jitters of like, okay, what's this gonna look like? What is this baby gonna be like? Um, but I also just have a lot of peace about it. Um, and I'm really excited to kind of re-enter into that stage. And I've watched a lot of my friends have lots of kids and like they start over each time and they're doing well. So um, I don't know if that really answered the Hugh question, but it totally did.

Miscarriage And A New Mission

Kelly

It it totally did. It's funny, I was that friend. I of like all of my college girlfriends, interestingly enough, they they had always said, like, I was gonna be the first one to get married, and because I had been in a long-term relationship all throughout college, and then after college too, and they're like, She's gonna be the first one to get married, she's gonna be the first one to get have kids. And it was the reverse. Oh, I was the last one to get married, and the last one to have kids. And I'll never forget, because we still consistently have like a group thread of our group, our core group of gals that we either live together or we play basketball together. And I was like, hey, I finally have joined the group. I feel like I'm a little late to the game. And I'll never forget one of my girlfriends, Jess. Um she's she's now married, so it's Jess Schneider, but I still have her as Jess W. She was like, Kelly, you're not late to the game. You're it's there's no like beginning. Like you're you're here. Yeah, and it's wonderful and it's amazing, and you're gonna love it. And I was like, that was just exactly what I needed. But I do remember going to like that group and being like, I understand now, like I my gosh, how selfish I was, or just like the selfish thoughts that I had, like, oh wait a minute, like we don't get to hang out, or like, why can't she have this like shot with me? Or like this is like so long ago, you're getting a completely different version of who I was. Like the transition has just been so amazing, and like when I say God is good, God is good and how profound He has been in my life, especially since having a child. Yeah, especially be you know, like having a family unit, it's incredible. Yeah, but I feel that like I feel what you're talking about with like that friend group and how they came to you and they like almost were like I didn't know. Sorry, yeah. So we have covered a lot of ground, Michelle, and I am just so grateful to have you share your story. I think it's we're ready to start landing the plane. So I would love first to kind of put a pin in so that our listeners understand exactly like how they could refer business to you, right? Your niche, we already know, but I want like you've talked about it, but let's recap niche and then the area that like areas that you specifically support in.

Michelle Wall

Yeah. Um, so we're a mobile public florotherapy practice. Um, so all of our treatment is in our clients' homes. We do offer virtual um care for people who are outside of our driving radius, which right now is southwest and southeast metro. Um, so basically everything um basically south of 494, actually. I mean, we'll go actually a little bit north of that. Um we treat some in so South Minneapolis and St. Paul. Um, and then I'm hoping to hire that like northeast section. Um what is that what does that area cover then for you? So that would be like Roseville, Shoreview, White Bear Lake, um, St. Paul. Okay. Okay, gotcha. Possibly over into like Woodbury, Maplewood kind of area too. Yeah.

Kelly

Yeah, you're really expanding. Yeah. That's uh that's a a huge area to cover too. So um, it'll be amazing once you have that person hired and just to be able to have that additional support and um clients on board as well. Since since my husband and I are in business together, we're in real estate, I'm I am starting to ask and collect data and ask this particular question. And it's it's very like personal to your space. Okay, so what is the favorite room in your house and why?

Michelle Wall

My favorite room. Yeah, yeah.

Kelly

Everyone's got a favorite room or favorite space in their house. Yeah. And I'm always curious, and um I'll I'll tell you how this kind of came to fruition and and maybe it'll help. We were visiting with friends of ours at their place and we were all congregating in the kitchen. There were so many, I mean, the place was like probably 3,500, 4,000 square feet, and we're in this kitchen area. And I was like, isn't it so funny that we like do this, that we just congregate in the kitchen? And the the wife was like, Yeah, I mean, the kitchen is my personal favorite space because we get to do this, like we get to have the round table. This is how it is with our family, it's where connection and where like conversation really happens, plus it's where the food is. Yeah, but yeah, she went even deeper into like this is just where connection and conversation happens, especially with our family.

Michelle Wall

Well, yeah, it's interesting. I was thinking about the kitchen, but like I don't actually like my kitchen, it's like nothing special, it doesn't look good. But I think I would probably have to say that because of what happens in the kitchen. And um, like I mentioned, my my friends from college, we all still get together and we rotate who hosts. And um, in my old house, I actually loved my kitchen um for the actual like kitchen itself, but there was a wall between where the kitchen was and then where the dining space was. Yeah. And then it was just a doorway into our living room. And now our current kitchen, there's a counter, and then the eating space is directly across so we can like converse and see everybody, and then it flows straight into our living room. And I love that living room. We have a vaulted ceiling in there, and um, and we've got a sectional couch and another couch, so that's like a really cozy gathering space, but at most gatherings start in the kitchen and then we move towards that living space. Um, and so I think I'd probably have to say that, even though like physically it's not my favorite in the house, like I dream of the day where we can do a renovation and make it prettier. Yeah. Um, but just the the life that happens in the kitchen is really beautiful. And I love when my kids are eating and I'm cooking and they're asking questions or we're all giggling about something, you know, like just a lot of life happens in the kitchen.

Kelly

I love it. Kitchen has been a a common response. Yeah. Um a few outliers here and there, but it it just always feels like it comes back to the kitchen. Yeah. Okay. What's a uh favorite book you're currently obsessing over and why?

Homeschooling Hue Check And Wrap Up

Michelle Wall

I am not a reader. Um I have listened to some audiobooks. Um I do a lot of podcasts, but I'm really not a reader. Um I have to basically be on vacation. I love to read on vacation. I think because reading is just not a thing I feel like it's a this sounds so bad. It's like a good use of my time. Like I feel like guilty for reading if I'm like reading for pleasure, you know, if it's like, oh, I'm reading a business book or something. But if I'm just like reading for pleasure, it feels like like binging a show, and I don't, I don't really watch much like TV anymore either. I'm just like, oh, I don't have time for this. It doesn't feel like a good use of my time. Um, so with reading, I don't really sit down and read. But my husband and I did go on vacation um back in January, and I read um Big Dumb Eyes by Nate Brighetzzi, and he's a comedian and he's hilarious, and just the way he writes is really funny because he hates reading himself. So the way that he writes is really, really great. And so that was really fun for me to read. Um and then I don't know that I'd say like I'm obsessed, but my sister recommended a book called Um The Oh no, I'm gonna get the title wrong. Um The Storied Life of AJ Fickri. And um, it's just a novel, um, but it's like very twisty, turny, like unexpected type stuff. Um, and so that was really fun, fun for me to really love it.

Kelly

Podcast, you can you could share if you have like a favorite podcast that you're tuning into, or um like I know that there's that can that can fall in that question as well.

Michelle Wall

Yeah. I mean, as far as business goes, I I love listening to the Pelvic PT Rising podcast. Um it's just it's a mix of clinical and business pearls and opinions, and they're really fun to listen to. Um and then just in terms of entertainment, I love listening to the Net Positive podcast by John Christ. They're just give me some good laughs during my commute.

Kelly

I have referenced, um, not on air. I have referenced some of the things that he has mentioned on his podcast that I was like, interesting. Oh, he is just he is comic relief. He is he seriously is really funny. Well, that's really cool. So we have that in common as well. Oh my gosh, I love him. Michelle, this has been such a pleasure. Can you um can you share with us how our listeners can get connected to you?

Michelle Wall

Yeah, so our website, if you're interested in working with us, is moms inmotionpt.com. Um, and then you can find us on Instagram. I used to be really active on Instagram and hope to be more active coming up, but um it's moms.in dot motion dot pt. Beautiful. Yeah. Anywhere else that I can add or you want to just keep it to those? Um, I think I sent you my LinkedIn, but it's like got a bunch of mumbo jumbo numbers and things in there. But that's right. Um, so especially if you're interested um in working for us in any capacity, um, LinkedIn is a great avenue. But um otherwise, our website, um, there's a contact form on there if you're not wanting to work as a patient but have questions or just want to get in contact with us.

Kelly

I loved this interview. This was really so much fun, and thank you for dropping some pearls. I love that you used that and just immense amount of information for our listeners to be able to take and hold on to and move forward, especially as it pertains to scaling their business. So I hope at one point there's somebody who's been listening that reaches out to you and just goes, Michelle, I need your help. So I hope you have a great rest of the day and thank you. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Michelle Wall

Thank you so much for having me. It's been a really fun time.

Kelly

Have a great day.

Michelle Wall

You too.

Kelly

Thanks for listening. And if you enjoyed this episode and know of any inspiring mamas who are powerhouse entrepreneurs, please help connect them with myself and the show. It would mean so much if you would help spread this message, mission, and vision for other mompreneurs. It takes 30 seconds to rate and review, then share this episode with your friends. Until the next episode, cheers to reclaiming your hue.

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Kelly Kirk

Host