Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Frater.
Leslie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I opened FIT in September 2013 after I had already been a physical therapist for around 15 years. I had always dreamed of opening up my own place, but I had two small children at home and was scared to take such a big risk. That all changed when in May of 2013, when my husband suffered a heart attack at the age of 44. He thankfully made a full recovery but he really encouraged me to pursue my dreams of opening up my own place because life doesn’t have any guarantees and he didn’t want me to put off my dreams for too long and then risk, never having the courage to really go after them. I am so grateful for that because I have never been so happy in my career. I really wanted to offer a service to customers where quality care was a priority and our therapists had an opportunity to take their time and spend individualized time with each client. We never double book our clients and physical therapists with either doctoral degrees or masters degrees are the only ones treating the patients.
Physical therapy is so important for so many people. It is sometimes the only thing that helps to prevent surgery for some folks or it can help some people avoid or get off of certain medications. It can aid in recovery from surgery, decrease work related injuries or help new Moms or post-partum women have less pain. We can reduce the chance of elderly patients falling and improve their chance of living independently in their own homes. I just feel so grateful that I can serve my community in that little way and I’m so happy to say that the business has really taken off and we have thankfully gotten a lot of positive feedback from our clients. We now employee five physical therapists, one massage therapist/yoga and Pilates instructor and 1 office manager.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was definitely a huge learning experience for sure. I had a pretty good grasp on how to be a good physical therapist but I was new to everything that goes into running a business. I didn’t know anything about commercial leases, how to create a website or really just how to get organized with the daily operations. There were a lot of things that I just had to figure out as I went because money was very tight in the beginning but I also realized pretty quickly, that it was a good idea to get solid advice from a local attorney and help from a great accountant in order to make sure that I was on the right track. I was blessed to have some amazing folks agree to come work with me, which I still say has been a total God send and I appreciate them all very much. I also feel blessed that we have gotten such wonderful feedback and good word of mouth from current and former clients as well as local physicians which has really helped the business to continue to grow more each year. I’m still learning new things about how to be a good business woman and we of course, continue to face new challenges and new opportunities as we grow but I enjoy and embrace change even though, it can be stressful at times. I still have a lot of pride that we have been able to accomplish so much in these first five years.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about FIT Physical Therapy – what should we know?
We are an outpatient physical therapy clinic. We treat patients with a variety of challenges including pre or postsurgical rehabilitation, neck and back injuries, chronic pain, balance and dizziness issues, sports related injuries, work injuries and women’s health issues including special concerns for female athletes, prenatal or postpartum clients, clients with urinary incontinence or other pelvic floor dysfunctions or clients with osteoporosis. We treat all age groups ranging from young children to elderly adults and we love them all. I think that we are known for going the extra mile for our clients. We have gone to clients gyms or amenity centers to help them come up with a good exercise program that they can continue with once they are done with PT. We can order equipment for clients, go and check out their work stations or talk to family members, doctors or athletic trainers that are also involved in our clients care in order to make sure that our patients are getting the best care possible.
We also offer individualized massage, yoga and Pilates for former or current clients at a very reasonable price so that, when you are done with physical therapy, you can continue to work on your health goals knowing that you are in a facility that cares about your well being. We have wellness screens and injury prevention programs in place in order to help clients assess their movement patterns achieve their fitness or sports goals while reducing the risk for injury. We have a passion for helping patients of all different levels and specialized needs to achieve their health and fitness goals. Each of our physical therapists have either a masters or a doctorate degree in physical therapy and we all stay up to date on all of the latest scientific research, so you know that when you’re a client here, you are getting advise from someone who is highly trained in what they do. We believe that leads to less chance for future injury and it maximizes the benefit that you get from each and every visit.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Passion for what we are doing here. We have a unique chance to make an impact on somebody’s life here and that feels amazing. I also think that it helps to be tenacious and driven. I try to always stay true to my vision for what I wanted this to be and I don’t ever give up on that. Some days, I’ve been tired and have felt confused about where to turn for some problems that have popped up but I have never even considered giving up. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by some really wonderful and positive people and that really helps. I always tell my patients to always keep trying and to never give up on themselves so, I try to follow that advice for myself as well.
Pricing:
- Package prices range between $97 and $65/ visit depending on how many visits you purchase ahead of time
- Pilates/ Yoga/ and massage rates for current or former physical therapy clients are $15 for 1/2 hours sessions or $30 for 1 hour sessions
Contact Info:
- Address: 279 W Main St.
Suite 114 - Website: www.iamfitpt.com
- Phone: 214-494-4643
- Email: info@iamfitpt.com
- Instagram: @iamfitptfrisco
- Facebook: @iamfitpt
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=fit+physical+therapy&find_loc=Frisco%2C+TX&ns=1
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
