Today we’d like to introduce you to Marina Lakhmanchuk.
Marina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
If you would have asked me 15 years ago if I saw myself starting a company, I would have laughed and said, “That’s crazy!” After high school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life or if college was even for me. Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly the studious type or top of my graduating class at Plano Senior High. So instead, I enrolled in a few classes at Collin County Community College and started working for a staffing company.
For two years, life was great! I was young, having a blast and not worried about the future – I had plenty of time. But then a close friend died suddenly, and it was a wake-up call. It made me seriously think about where I was going and how I wanted others to remember me. You only get one life, and I wanted to make a difference with mine. I decided I wanted to do something in medicine and transferred to Texas Women’s University.
For the first time, I enjoyed school and learning – I even made the Dean’s List! I was finally doing something that spoke to me. My mother helped me research and apply to PT schools, and the University of Texas at San Antonio was the first to contact me for an interview in the spring of 2007. I was one of 400 applicants, and I remember spending four grueling hours in a room with four other applicants interviewing. It felt like going before a firing squad! We were asked question after question and pitted against one another.
Just before my birthday in May, I got the call I was accepted. I had to take 18 credit hours that summer to finish in time, but I was on my way. I worked as a PT technician over the holidays and breaks during school and became a physical therapist with a large healthcare system in Dallas. I then accepted a position as the director of rehabilitation for a skilled nursing facility but resigned after only one year when my father was diagnosed with cancer. I needed more flexibility in my schedule and started doing contract therapy.
In time, I became the director of a home health agency and was completely out of my element! The learning curve was steep. I often worked with staffing agencies and began to see, as a therapist and business, where there were gaps. It was a stressful time; much of my time was spent meeting with agencies to improve the quality of service, and I missed patient care. So I decided after four years to return to contract work.
It didn’t take long for past colleagues to start reaching out. They were exhausted, overworked and curious about where I landed. I was making a lot of referrals, and it made me think, “Maybe this is something I should consider doing – I’ve seen both sides.” So I went for it. I started my own staffing company, and for a year I worked out of my house until I finally built a base of about 50 therapists.
Has it been a smooth road?
My family is the epitome of the American Dream. My mother was working at a brick factory in Belarus, and my father was managing a bar in 1989 when we left for the United States through a visa lottery. My parents exchanged their established lives in the USSR for what could be packed into two suitcases and the hope for a better life.
I was five, my brother was 11, and none of us spoke any English. The voyage took four months, and we lived out of one-bedroom apartments long enough for my parents to work odd jobs and save enough money to make it to the next stop. Through the help of sponsors, we started our life in America in a small apartment in Richardson, TX.
My mother worked in a grocery store bakery and would take on three or four additional jobs just to make ends meet. She went to school at night to become a pharmacy technician and later a tax preparer. She consistently worked to further her education with the goal of providing for her family.
My father was a truck driver, which meant he was rarely at home when I was young. He had an entrepreneurial spirit and heart and never let the fear of failure hold him back. I believe the fundamentals my parents instilled in me – of hard work and fearless dedication – that laid the foundation for my success.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Ultra Therapy Solutions – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Ultra Therapy staffs physical, occupational and speech therapists across North Texas. We have approximately 125 therapists on staff who span as far north as Dennison/ Sherman, as far south as Waco, as far west as Argyle and as far east as the Louisiana line. Ultra Therapy specialized in geriatric care in home health and assisted living facilities, and we are starting to expand into hospitals and outpatient facilities.
Our aim is always simple: to consistently provide top-notch therapy for our patients while giving them the quality care and respect they deserve. Therapy is not merely a job to us; it’s a lifestyle. We are appreciative for the opportunity to work with some of the most well-respected home health agencies in Texas, something we don’t take lightly.
When a home health agency puts trust in us to take care of their patients, the best way we can show them our level of gratitude is by methodically demonstrating love, support, and encouragement to the patient – which is precisely what we strive to do on a daily basis. Ultra has an eagerness to be known for its diligence, honesty, trustworthiness, and loyalty. In short, we want to be known for our authenticity.
What are you most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others?
We are more than just a network of therapists – we are advocate and allies. Nearly every therapist has come to us word-of-mouth. We provide quality care across a broad geographic territory, but more than that, Ultra Therapy is known for superior communication and partnership with clients.
I have an amazing staff that works tirelessly. My family and friends have been there supporting me through all the ups and downs. And I have clients who have become family. I wouldn’t have made it this far without any of them.
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
Hindsight is always 20/20, but life wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if we didn’t stumble a little! I don’t have regrets or a lot that I would go back and redo. I never imagined I would be running a successful company someday – one I built!
I’m proud of that 20-year-old girl who didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life. But there are some things I’ve realized about myself and as a woman. The first is that I was very naive when I first started this business. I believed people wouldn’t waste time going into business with me unless they were serious and genuine.
Boy, was I wrong! I had to find a balance between being a compassionate, ethical leader with standing up for myself and this business because sadly, there are people who will take advantage of you – especially as a young woman. The second is that it’s ok to let go a little.
I’m headstrong – as soon as I put my mind to something, I make a plan and stick to it. I’ve made a career in an evolving field, where there is a lot of risks and the potential for great reward. In the absence of certainty, I have to trust my instincts, my staff and what I’ve built. I’ve had to learn to find comfort in the chaos.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4514 Cole Ave Ste 600 Dallas TX 75205
- Website: www.ultratherapysolutions.com
- Phone: 214-699-1296
- Email: Recruiter@ultratherapysolutions.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ultratherapysolutions
Image Credit:
Ashleigh Orchid Photography
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