Today we’d like to introduce you to Meredith Franczyk.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Meredith. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story starts out with a car ride with my father at the age of 17. It was the summer before my freshman year of college and I was trying to decide on a major. I was science-minded and I knew that I wanted to go into either a scientific or healthcare role. My father started telling me about this profession that was on the rise called physical therapy.
After I did more research on the field I thought it was a great match for my personality and my educational strengths. Five years later I graduated with a Masters in Physical Therapy. I started my career thinking I wanted to go to the rehabilitation side of physical therapy but learned outpatient physical therapy was the area that best suited me. My first consistent job was at a hospital-based outpatient clinic in Chicago. After about 2 years I decided to try contract physical therapy, which meant I worked for a company that placed me in clinics that needed extra help.
At the time, the demand for physical therapists was high so this allowed me to try different settings and have more flexibility. I was fortunate to work at some of the large hospitals in the Chicago area learning from some amazing physical therapists and getting to know some of the top doctors in Chicago. I also worked as travel physical therapist for a short time, which gave me the opportunity to live on one of the beaches in California. I had spent my 20’s learning my strengths and weaknesses and as I was approaching 30 I really started thinking about what I wanted to do for the rest of my career.
After the first few years of working I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to have my own practice someday and now I needed to start preparing for that moment. I was lucky to work for and manage a small private practice. It helped me understand what it takes to grow a business and the challenges that are ahead. One of the connections I made through my last job introduced me to the person that I know share space through. This opportunity made it feasible to start my own practice and now I have great people to collaborate with and learn from.
I have been open for almost 4 months and in that time I have slowly been growing my business the way I want. I’m constantly learning and making mistakes, but at the end of the day, it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
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?
I think most people would agree that starting any business has its challenges. I have been a physical therapist for over fifteen years so I am fairly confident in my physical therapy skills. Everything else, unfortunately, has been a challenge. I have had to learn how to develop a website, self-market, engage in different types of social media and accounting. Without saying I have made mistakes in all of those areas.
I continue to improve my skills, but it is a constant struggle to not be proficient in those areas. I am fortunate to have many friends that offer different skills to assist me in growing my business. I am also lucky that the actual service that I offer has not had any obstacles and most people would never know that I how hard I have to work on everything else. With the obstacles that I have conquered, it has brought feelings of achievement that I have not felt in years.
Please tell us about Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago.
Dynamic Physical Therapy Chicago is a concierge-style physical therapy clinic that focuses on one-on-one care. We specialize in all orthopedic dysfunctions with an emphasis in sports rehabilitation that includes hands-on care and personalized programs to ensure the highest quality of treatment. Each 60-minute session will include manual treatment, therapeutic exercise, return to sports training, patient education and behavioral-modification strategies with a highly experienced physical therapist.
What sets us apart from other physical therapy clinics is that we offer individualized care, which means there will be no techs or aides assisting in the treatment session. We also provide 60-minute sessions, which gives us the adequate amount of time to properly assess, treat and make modifications for each individual’s needs, We are passionate about our profession and committed to providing high-quality, individualized physical therapy in Chicago for a complete return to everyday function and sport.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is a family trip we took to Florida when I was 10. We spent 2.5 days driving from Chicago to Florida with a stop in the Smoky Mountains. The part of that trip that is the most vivid is the actual car ride. Who knew that being crammed in the back of a Cadillac with your siblings would end up being one of my favorite memories.
I still can remember what travel games we played, the food we ate and the songs on the mixed tapes that my parents played. To this day every time I hear The Moody Blues “Your Widest Dreams” I go back to the memory of that trip. I’m lucky that so many of my positive childhood memories are filled with family.
Contact Info:
- Address: 409 W Huron Street Floor 3 Chicago, IL 60654
- Website: http://www.dynamic-pt.com
- Phone: 312-778-6455
- Email: meredith@dynamic-pt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dynamicptchicago/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dynamicptchicago/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DynamicPTChi
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dynamic-physical-therapy-chicago-chicago-2
- Other: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104079364724673540352
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