What Does a Physical Therapist Business Coach Actually Do?
Most PT clinic owners hit a ceiling they can't explain. The practice is busy. Revenue looks fine. But the margin is thin, the owner is treating 30 patients a week, and “running the business” happens after hours — if it happens at all.
A physical therapist business coach helps you fix that. Not with a generic program borrowed from a business book, but with a system built specifically for how PT practices work, how they grow, and how they get stuck.
Sturdy McKee's approach is built on two things developed across six clinics and two decades:
The Critical 7 Metrics
Seven leading indicators that predict what's about to happen in your practice before it shows up in revenue. Most owners track two numbers. The ones who scale track seven.
Learn more →The 6-Hour CEO™ Framework
A set of weekly disciplines, decision filters, and leadership habits that give you total clarity on your business in six focused hours per week.
Learn more →Most PT business coaches never actually ran a PT business.
He's been where you are. Literally.
Sturdy founded San Francisco Sport and Spine Physical Therapy as a newly-licensed PT who had no idea how to run a business. He figured it out — often the hard way — scaled to six locations, and sold them all. The frameworks he teaches were tested in a real PT clinic, under real pressure, with real payroll on the line.
He works with you directly.
No associates. No pre-recorded courses. No cookie-cutter program. When you work with Sturdy, you get Sturdy — on every call, every review, every decision. He reads your numbers, challenges your assumptions, and helps you see what you can't see when you're inside the building.
He doesn't cut his way to your profitability.
The first thing most consultants do is slash expenses, including people. That's not coaching — that's accounting. Sturdy's approach is to find the revenue you're already leaving on the table (most clinics have $10,000+ per month sitting unused), build systems that protect your margin, and help you grow your way to a stronger business.
In Their Own Words
After working with Sturdy I did around 800 fewer visits. BUT… my profit margin almost doubled going from 7% to 13% and I made $20,000 more in profit. So, if you want to talk about profound I would say that certainly qualifies!
Marc Stewart
Johns Creek Physical Therapy
I feel very fortunate to have Sturdy in my corner. Times are tough with profit margins shrinking and regulations increasing. The 6-Hour CEO™ program has a systematic and comprehensive approach to building and supporting the growth of my business.
Garrett Akahoshi
Peak Physical Therapy
When I opened my practice in 2017, I found Sturdy online. Through weekly coaching calls, he helped me get crystal clear on exactly what I wanted my practice to look like and built out the systems to get there. I'm now adding two team members and preparing to open a second location.
Stephen Peaden
Restore Physical Therapy | Panama City, FL
Is This Right for Your Practice?
About Working With a Physical Therapist Business Coach
What does a physical therapist business coach do?
A physical therapist business coach helps PT practice owners build the systems, habits, and clarity needed to run a profitable, scalable practice without being trapped inside it. Sturdy works 1-on-1 with owners to identify their Critical 7 Metrics, build operational systems, develop leadership skills, and transition from clinician to CEO.
What makes Sturdy different from other PT business coaches?
Sturdy is a licensed physical therapist who actually built and sold six PT clinics over 20+ years in San Francisco. The frameworks he teaches — the 6-Hour CEO™ and the Critical 7 Metrics — weren't borrowed from business school. They were built in the trenches of a real healthcare business and refined with 100+ coaching clients. He works with you directly, not through associates or templates.
Who is this for?
PT practice owners with teams of at least 2–3 people generating $500K or more annually. Owners who are tired of being the most important person in every room — and are ready to change that. If you're a solo practitioner just starting out, Sturdy may not be the right fit right now.
How quickly do clients see results?
Most clients find measurable improvements within the first 30–60 days. One client doubled their profit margin (7%→13%) and made $20,000 more in profit while seeing 800 fewer visits. Another reduced their cost per new patient by 40% and doubled their conversion rate by month two. Results depend on your starting point and how quickly you implement.
Ready to Find What Your Practice Is Leaving on the Table?
Book a discovery call. Sturdy will look at your numbers, tell you what he sees, and give you something real — whether you work together or not.
30 minutes · No credit card · Real insights, guaranteed
Book a Free Discovery Call →