Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Nikki Berner.
Hi Dr. Berner, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
The decision to start my own practice did not happen overnight. In fact, from idea conception to my doors being open took about 16 months. I was working in a different specialty of physical therapy and kept feeling a push for change and growth. I had been looking for areas of growth in that job for several years, however, each perceived opportunity kept coming to a dead end. I couldn’t help but feel like I was being pulled towards something else- something bigger. I felt a strong desire to focus on Women’s Health pelvic health specifically, and saw an opportunity to apply my current clinical skillset to another underserved population. I saw a huge gap in the treatment model in my local community and felt that I had an opportunity to serve the women of my community and help change the narrative on Women’s Health.
After sitting with the idea for months, taking courses, listening to podcasts, speaking to various mentors, I began taking the next steps into learning about entrepreneurship. I wanted to be sure that I understood what I was getting into, and I took time to soul search and understand the “why” behind my desire to start my own practice. It was important to me to define what I wanted this business to look like for me and my family, as well as my patients. I knew that I was in a unique position to strategically create a business model that balanced work and family life better than my current position.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is there ever a smooth road when starting your own business? One of my biggest struggles was/is the sense of perfectionism. I tend to get caught up feeling that everything has to be perfect on the first try. I wanted my clinic to be perfect, paperwork, handouts, logo, everything to be perfect, and looking back, that is not where the beauty lies or where the growth happens. The beauty lies in the growth it took to get perfect. I had to learn and accept that things need to be refined over time and that is okay. I also now know that people don’t care if things aren’t perfect; they care whether or not you can help them.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the owner and founder of The Fem Method Pelvic Health. We help women find lasting relief to pelvic pain, pre- and post-natal issues, sexual dysfunction, urinary and bowel conditions to optimize their pelvic health through all phases of life. I am a board-certified, licensed, practicing physical therapist with extensive clinical experience in a variety of settings, such as pediatric neuro-rehab, adult home health, and chronic pain management.
Aside from my clinical experience, my personal experience with pelvic health issues as well as being a collegiate athlete gives me a different set of lenses for finding the “why” behind musculoskeletal problems. We specialize in creating a treatment plan based on return to function and helping women return to activities that they stopped participating in because of their symptoms. Pelvic floor physical therapy is MORE than just Kegals and we believe in treating the entire person in a wholistic and functional way. We offer a variety of services from labor/birth prep to pre/post op hysterectomy programs to painful period programs. Many of these programs can be done both in person and virtually to allow for more access to care.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe taking the leap to leave a full-time (secure)job and go all in on your business is one of the biggest risks a person can take. I’m not naturally a very risk-averse person because I do understand that making moves in business will always have some sort of risk associated with it. Taking risks will always feel a bit uncomfortable and nerve-wracking but I allow myself to sit in those feelings and decide if the feeling is based in fear or if it is actually dangerous and too risky. I try to break down a decision by determining what would happen if the outcome doesn’t go the way I want, and that can help give a clearer picture. Any decision that we make can go many different ways so we can spend time overanalyzing each one or we can look at it from a fear vs danger position and move forward. In my opinion, risk is one of those things that we have to learn to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefemmethod.com/
- Instagram: @thefemmethod
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefemmethodpt
Image Credits
Nikki Caviness Photography
