Freedom by Design

Freedom by Design

por Jamey Schrier
Temporada 1
Ready for More Freedom? Watch All Episodes Now!| Jamey Schrier
Trailer
Welcome to Freedom by Design with Dr. Jamey Schrier. Freedom by Design is a podcast series where Dr. Jamey Schrier sits down with practice owners, coaches, and experts to share simple, proven ideas that help health practice owners spend less time putting out fires and more time building a practice they actually enjoy. Each season brings new conversations packed with practical ways to improve your business, increase your income, and create more freedom in your daily life, without working more hours to get there. If you're ready to work smarter instead of harder, this series is for you. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new season as it drops. ******** I’m Dr. Jamey Schrier, a former physical therapist and practice owner turned business coach, author, and unapologetic freedom junkie. Freedom by Design brings together independent thinkers, entrepreneurs, creators, and innovators who are challenging the rules and designing life on their own terms. You’ll hear from people across healthcare, business, and beyond who are building companies, movements, and ideas that give them more freedom — and help others do the same. If you’re tired of following someone else’s playbook and ready to create your own version of success, this show will change how you think about work, leadership, and what freedom really means. Freedom doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built by design.
Kerri Bailey – Overwhelm, Control, Loneliness | Business Starts Changing When You Stop Doing It All
Most practice owners do not stay stuck because they lack knowledge. They stay stuck because they stay involved in everything far longer than they should. In this conversation, we break down what actually keeps owners in the day-to-day, why letting go feels risky even when you know it is necessary, and how control quietly turns into overload. You will hear how identity, responsibility, and habits all play a role in keeping you in the center of the business. More importantly, this episode walks through what begins to change when you step out of the role of doer and start thinking like an owner. This is where the business starts to shift from something you manage to something that can actually run. Episode breakdown 00:03:01 - The loneliness that can come with ownership 00:03:47 - How overwhelm starts to isolate the owner 00:04:14 - Why loss of control becomes such a strong fear 00:08:48 - The challenge of growing a leadership team for the first time 00:17:15 - How guilt keeps owners pulled back into the business If the pressure of ownership, control, or loneliness feels familiar in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Kerri and her work at Practice Freedom U here.
Will Humphreys – Delegation, Time, Bottleneck | Buy Back Your Time Without Breaking Your Business
Hiring help does not automatically create freedom. Many owners bring on people, delegate tasks, and still find themselves pulled back into every decision. This episode breaks down why that happens and where delegation starts to fall apart. We get into the difference between assigning tasks and truly delegating responsibility, what has to change in how you lead, and why structure matters more than effort. You will hear how unclear expectations, weak systems, and inconsistent follow-through keep owners stuck in the middle, and how to build support that actually holds. Episode breakdown 00:03:23 - Why owners can default back into doing everything as they scale 00:07:57 - The role of virtual assistants in a growing business 00:16:42 - Learning what to delegate 00:17:20 - The uncertainty around what should be handed off 00:19:13 - Why delegation can fail when expectations are unclear If delegation, time pressure, or being the bottleneck is still limiting your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Will and Virtual Rockstar here.
Brent Stutzman – Marketing, Brand, AI Shift | Why Marketing Gets Heavier as Your Practice Grows
At a certain point, more demand does not create more freedom. It creates more pressure. In this episode, we break down why marketing starts to feel heavier as your practice grows, even when you are doing more of the right things. You will hear what has changed in today’s landscape, why relying on tactics alone stops working, and why consistency and trust matter more than ever. This conversation also challenges the idea that marketing is something you can turn on and off, and shows how reputation and relationships compound over time. 00:01:51 - The importance of growing a brand 00:02:19 - Why CRM visibility matters for practice owners 00:03:06 - SEO, Google, and AI search engines 00:05:08 - How marketing opportunities can grow through relationships 00:13:12 - Tracking referral activity through the CRM 00:25:00 - Dashboards, leads, emails, and the owner’s visibility into marketing numbers If your marketing, brand, or AI strategy feels scattered as the practice grows, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Brent and TheraSaaS Intake & Marketing CRM here.
Joe Marcoux – Sales Mindset & Communication | Why Great Practice Owners Still Struggle to Sell
Do you think of yourself as a salesperson? Most practice owners don’t, which is exactly why sales conversations can start to feel uncomfortable. In this episode, we break down why good people struggle when it comes to money conversations and how hesitation shows up in subtle ways. You will hear why patients often leave unclear or unconvinced, and how communication, not pressure, is what actually drives decisions. This conversation reframes sales as clarity, not persuasion, and shows how better conversations lead to better outcomes for both the patient and the business. Episode breakdown 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:28 - The sales challenges practice owners often experience 00:05:09 - Why rapport building needs intention 00:14:47 - Using better questions to help people feel heard 00:14:54 - Why emotion matters in buying decisions 00:19:07 - The moment of recommending a plan after the evaluation If sales conversations, patient commitment, or communication around recommendations feels inconsistent in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Joe and The SOS Dojo here.
Zac Cohen – Cash-Based, Sales, Leadership | The Truth About Building a Cash-Based Practice
Building a cash-based practice sounds appealing, but it is not as simple as removing insurance. This episode breaks down what most owners underestimate when they move toward a cash model and where things tend to break down. We get into the level of communication required, how expectations need to change, and why confidence in your value becomes critical. You will also hear why some transitions fail and what actually needs to be in place to make a cash-based model work long-term. Episode breakdown 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:38 - Zac’s experience and the owner’s role in creating a stronger model 00:02:34 - Delivering at a higher level and improving the patient experience 00:10:44 - Understanding the worries, pain, and emotional side of the patient problem 00:15:01 - Turning what the owner does into SOPs 00:16:25 - The role of sales in a cash-based model 00:19:29 - Getting clear on patient pain and challenges If cash-based growth, sales, leadership, or owner dependency is showing up in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Zac and Cohen Health and Performance here.
Josh Grover – Revenue Cycle & Leaks | What Looks Like a Growth Problem May Be a Revenue Leak
Is growth really what’s holding the practice back? Sometimes the bigger issue is not demand. It’s whether the business can collect, track, and keep what it already earned. In this episode, we break down where revenue quietly leaks inside a practice and why most owners miss it. You will hear how gaps in patient responsibility, billing workflows, and operations compound over time. This conversation shows why volume cannot fix what is broken underneath and why capturing what you already earn is often the fastest path to improving your numbers. Episode breakdown 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:46 - Bringing billing in-house and teaching teams how to manage it 00:05:24 - How patient responsibility can affect cash flow 00:07:22 - Looking for patterns in denials and payments 00:12:34 - Why owners may feel bad collecting patient responsibility 00:18:45 - Why volume can hurt the clinic when collections are weak If billing gaps, collections, cash flow, or revenue leaks are creating stress in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Prompt Therapy Solutions here.
Nate Hendrikse – Financial Clarity | Clean Numbers Change How You Lead
When the numbers are unclear, every decision becomes reactive. In this episode, we break down why financial clarity is not just about accounting, but about leadership and decision-making. You will hear what most owners are not tracking, why unclear data leads to hesitation, and how clean, consistent numbers allow you to make stronger decisions with more confidence. This conversation focuses on visibility and how better numbers change the way you lead. Episode breakdown 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:00 - Cash flow and confident decisions 00:05:07 - Financial numbers, KPIs, and the story behind the results 00:09:28 - Negative profit, negative cash flow, and understanding what happened 00:12:27 - Profit and loss as a core financial report 00:14:52 - Emotional decision-making around money If your numbers, cash flow, or financial decisions feel unclear, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Nate and Navigator Bookkeeping here.
Jason Wambold – Compensation & Ownership Thinking | Most Compensation Plans Create the Wrong Behavior
Compensation plans are not just about paying people. They shape behavior across your entire team, whether you intend it or not. In this episode, we break down the most common mistakes owners make when designing pay structures. You will hear why misaligned incentives lead to frustration and inconsistent performance, and how clearer expectations create accountability. This conversation challenges the idea that compensation is just a financial decision and shows how it directly impacts culture and results. Episode breakdown 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:47 - Productivity, ownership thinking, and eliminating confusion 00:02:54 - Salary plus incentive models 00:08:15 - Thinking through the economics of care 00:08:49 - Reimbursement pressure and the cost of education 00:20:00 - Revenue-based thinking and provider awareness If compensation, productivity, reimbursement, or ownership thinking is creating tension in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Jason’s work at Prompt Compensation here.
Temporada 2
Cash-Based vs. Insurance-Based Practice: What Actually Wins with Dr. Karen Litzy
Is the cash-based model actually better, or are practice owners just trading one set of problems for another? That question kicks off this conversation with Karen Litzy, owner of Karen Litzy Physical Therapy and longtime host of Healthy, Wealthy, and Smart. Karen has spent years mentoring practice owners through this exact debate, and she does not land where you would expect. In this episode, you will learn why the cash-based versus insurance-based argument is often too simplistic, what patient population actually determines which model can work, and why an owner in Ohio and West Virginia is running 50 clinics on insurance with 300 happy, profitable employees while plenty of cash-based practices quietly struggle. This episode is for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and mental health practice owners who are wrestling with which business model is right for them, and for anyone hiring 1099 versus W-2 team members and trying to get the structure right. If this episode challenged how you think about your own business model, subscribe for more conversations like this one, drop a comment with which model you run and why, and share this with a practice owner who is stuck debating the same thing. Episode breakdown 00:00 – Opening Hook 00:09 – Guest Introduction: Karen Litzy 01:54 – Is Cash-Based Really the Better Model 06:36 – The Skills No One Talks About 10:56 – The Elephant in the Room: Selling Without Insurance 19:49 – What Actually Separates Winners From Losers 28:43 – Why Rest Isn't Optional for Owners 31:09 – Business Is an Inside Job 31:58 – A Perspective Shift for Owners Stuck Between Models 36:04 – Give Energy, Take Energy 36:34 – Where to Find Karen Litzy 37:27 – Closing Thoughts If billing gaps, collections, cash flow, or revenue leaks are creating stress in your practice, schedule a conversation with Jamey here. You can learn more about Karen's work here.
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