The Operator Trap – A Common CEO Struggle
Many healthcare CEOs, especially in the physical therapy space, find themselves stuck in the operator trap. While they might be earning a decent income and growing their business, their bank accounts don’t match their efforts. Why? Because they’re doing too much themselves and not focusing on what truly matters to scale. In this blog, we’ll break down why so many healthcare business owners stay broke and how a select few are able to create the freedom, wealth, and lifestyle they desire.
1. The Operator Trap: Why More Work Doesn’t Mean More Money
One of the most common issues that healthcare CEOs face is the operator trap—the idea that doing more work leads to more success. The truth? Doing more of what you’re already good at can actually keep you stuck.
Ben and Jordan’s Story:
A recent client they worked with was a visionary, a great clinician with tons of ideas. However, he was constantly distracted by “shiny objects” and spent most of his time coming up with new ideas instead of implementing the tough work required to scale his business. This is a classic case of what happens when you’re focused on what’s comfortable instead of what will move your business forward.
2. Why Being Comfortable is Killing Your Business
As a business owner, you’re supposed to be focusing on building your team and creating systems, not just treating patients. In the early stages, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day work that feels familiar and comfortable—like treating patients or handling client concerns directly. However, this behavior keeps you stuck in the freelancer mentality.
The Shift from Operator to CEO:
To truly scale, you need to move from being an operator (someone who works in the business) to being a CEO (someone who works on the business). This shift involves delegating the tasks that you’re good at and focusing on the areas of your business that need development, such as systems, processes, and team leadership.
3. Why Some CEOs Grow, and Others Stay Stuck
The key difference between successful CEOs and those who stay stuck is the ability to embrace discomfort. Ben shares his story of being a PT with just 18 months of patient care experience while running a seven-figure cash practice. He learned to delegate and focus on leadership, not patient care.
It’s important to recognize that most successful CEOs are not necessarily the best at what they do. Instead, they excel at identifying what needs to be done, learning those skills, and delegating once systems are in place. As a healthcare business owner, your job is not to be the best clinician; it’s to be the best at building a team that works well together to provide great care.
4. Breaking Free from the Comfort Zone: Delegate What You’re Good At
Here’s a hard truth: the things you’re best at can become the biggest bottleneck in your business. If you’re not careful, the very skills that make you successful as a clinician can keep your business from growing.
The CEO’s Role: As a CEO, your job is to get out of the way and let your team take over the tasks that you’re good at. Instead, you should focus on the parts of your business that need improvement, such as marketing, operations, or team management.
Delegation: You can’t delegate something you haven’t mastered yourself. Before handing off tasks, make sure you’ve created a system, built a standard, and documented how things should be done. Only then can you trust your team to manage it effectively.
5. The Data-Driven Shift: Stop Making Emotional Decisions
When first starting a business, it’s easy to rely on gut feelings and intuition. However, as your business grows, emotional decision-making can hold you back.
The Importance of Data:
Track the numbers that matter most—such as phone call conversion rates, initial evaluation conversion rates, and average visits per plan of care. These key metrics will show you where your bottlenecks are, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.
Example: Instead of pouring more money into marketing, if you’re not tracking your metrics, you might mistakenly think you need more leads. The truth could be that your patients are only sticking around for a few visits, so you need to improve retention first.
6. The Freedom Framework: How to Scale With Profit and Purpose
Scaling a healthcare business requires more than just hard work—it requires strategic planning, systems, and the right mindset.
Profit First: Prioritize building a profitable business by setting clear financial goals and managing your cash flow effectively.
Delegate Wisely: You need to know when and how to delegate. Don’t hire just to offload tasks—hire to build systems that sustain growth. Ben stresses that your first hires should be for leadership roles, not to handle tasks you haven’t yet mastered.
Systematize Everything: Build out systems for marketing, sales, client intake, and operations. Once you’ve mastered a process, delegate its management to someone else on your team.
7. Why You Need to Focus on Your Profit Margin
Many healthcare CEOs fail to scale because they neglect their profit margins. As Ben shares, you need to create a system that ensures you’re not just growing your revenue but also growing your profits. For example, charging $120 per visit may seem like enough, but if you want to scale, you’ll need to increase your rates and work on retaining clients longer.
Step Into Your CEO Role
Being a successful CEO isn’t just about running a business—it’s about creating systems, delegating effectively, and focusing on what truly drives growth. Avoid the operator trap by learning to do what’s uncomfortable, leveraging data to make decisions, and building a business that works without you.
To scale successfully and achieve true freedom, you need to master delegation and focus on systems that allow your business to thrive without you being the bottleneck. And most importantly, remember that real freedom comes from the person you become while building your business, not just the business itself.
If you found value in this post, share it with other healthcare business owners who are ready to break out of the operator trap and start scaling with profit and purpose. If you have any questions or need more guidance on building your healthcare business, reach out to us. Let’s grow together!
Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Financial Future
Building wealth as a cash PT isn’t about working harder or earning more—it’s about working smarter. By investing in yourself, understanding how to manage your money, and leveraging your income, you can start building wealth even if you have significant student loan debt.
Start small, be strategic, and most importantly, believe in your potential. With the right mindset and strategies, you can break free from the cycle of debt and start creating the life of financial freedom you deserve.
If you found value in this post, share it with fellow PTs who are struggling with student loan debt and wealth building. If you have any questions or need advice on your financial journey, feel free to reach out. Let’s build wealth together!
Watch and Listen to the Full Video
For a deeper dive into a cash physical therapists’ journeys, make sure to listen to the full video: Why Most Healthcare CEOs Stay Broke And What The Successful Do Differently
About Author:
Although the company eventually failed, it provided Jordan with invaluable learning experiences. He became passionate about designing world-class patient experiences and building efficient marketing & sales funnels for cash physical therapists. Utilizing this expertise, Jordan became the CMO of a well-known physical therapy media company, and consulted for and built marketing funnels for some of the top physical therapy business coaches.
Eventually growing tired of the typical agency and consulting grind, Jordan, alongside Max Zirbel, founded Clinical Marketer. They infused it with the hands-on support and mentorship that they benefited from in their initial venture. The company was a success from the start, aiding clinics in scaling to 6 and 7 figures in revenue. During its first launch, Jordan and his team met Dr. Ben Bagge, whom they later partnered with after helping him grow his business from $200K/year to over $1M/year in three years.
