Thriving Practice with Tracy Cherpeski

From Isolation to Innovation: Building Healthcare Practices Through Community Support - A Special Snack Episode, EP 191

In this intimate snack episode, Miranda interviews Tracy about the power of community in healthcare practice management. Tracy shares why she believes the traditional approach of "going it alone" leads to burnout and how a community of practice model provides both practical business support and crucial emotional backing for healthcare entrepreneurs.

Key Highlights

The difference between community of practice and traditional networking - it's about taking off your masks and being raw

How isolation and solitude plague healthcare business owners, even those with great teams

The three-pronged challenge: full-time practitioner + practice owner + chief strategist roles

A real client story: discovering thousands in monthly losses due to double-billing text reminders

Why solo providers need creative business solutions while multi-provider practices need leadership focus

The value of 360-degree feedback systems for practice owners

How community support creates a sense of limitless possibility

Memorable Quotes

"When we feel as humans supported, we feel pretty limitless, like we can do anything."

"The blessing and curse of being a practice owner who's also a practitioner is pretty much working full time providing healthcare services and then the full time job as the practice owner."

"You get to take off your masks and just be yourself and be raw and talk about the hard stuff with other people who get it."

This episode reinforces why the Thriving Practice Community exists - to ensure healthcare providers have the support, systems, and community they need to build sustainable, thriving practices without sacrificing their well-being.

Miranda’s Bio:

Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.

Tracy’s Bio:

Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.

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Why 82% of Physical Therapists Quit - And How One Doctor Created the Solution Featuring Dr. Sarah Crawford, EP 190

Episode Overview

Dr. Sarah Crawford, DPT, shares how she's revolutionizing healthcare delivery through Anchor Wellness Center - an innovative collaborative model that brings independent practitioners together under one roof. With 98% patient retention and 30% year-over-year growth for member practices, Sarah's approach proves that excellent care and profitable business aren't mutually exclusive.

Key Highlights

The Healthcare Crisis: Only 18% of licensed physical therapists actually work in clinics due to system burnout and barriers to quality care

The Collaborative Advantage: Shared overhead, unified systems, and peer accountability create better outcomes for both providers and patients

Breaking the Poverty Mindset: Healthcare providers must value their expertise and charge accordingly - "if you don't make money, you have an incredibly expensive hobby"

The Entrepreneurship Reality: Building a practice will "crack you wide open" - embrace the vulnerability as essential growth

Systems vs. Solo Practice: Creating scalable businesses that can operate without the founder, not just "expensive lifestyle businesses"

Memorable Quotes

"The biggest barrier to healthcare is continuity of care - patients get bounced from provider to provider with too much time and space between them."

"Political correctness doesn't work in healthcare because it doesn't help people get better. If someone's had ineffective care, let them know it."

"Entrepreneurship cracks you wide open - all your vulnerabilities and insecurities are right at the forefront. You can surround yourself with people who help you grow, or you can resist it."

"You can't help anybody authentically if you haven't done your own work first."

"Love the hell out of people, including yourself. Sit into your own power and recognize that your zone of genius is a gift to the world."

Closing Thoughts

Sarah's model represents the future of healthcare - provider-centered care that actually centers the patient. By removing administrative burdens and creating true collaboration between practitioners, she's proving that the answer to our healthcare crisis isn't more regulations or bigger systems - it's empowering excellent providers to do what they do best. Her message is clear: bet on yourself, value your expertise, and don't apologize for building something profitable that genuinely serves people.

Bio:

Dr. Sarah Crawford, DPT, COMT, earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Miami in 2011. With over 14 years of experience in physical therapy and healthcare administration, she has served as office manager, clinical director, and partner for several independent practices before founding Anchor Wellness Center and Wave Physical Therapy and Pilates in 2019.

Dr. Crawford specializes in orthopedic manual therapy, chronic pain management, and Pilates-based rehabilitation. She was the first physical therapist certified in Trigger Point Dry Needling in Ohio and brings extensive training in neurological rehabilitation. Her comprehensive approach integrates neuromuscular, fascial, and musculoskeletal systems to optimize patient outcomes.

Driven by the recognition that traditional healthcare is reactive and fragmented, Dr. Crawford created the Anchor Wellness Center to support local healthcare entrepreneurs in a collaborative environment that ultimately improves patient care through true integration of services.

Find Dr. Sarah:

Website

Instagram

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Building a Practice That Runs Without You Featuring Dr. Ruth Mannschreck, EP 189

When Dr. Ruth Mannschreck faced a life-changing situation that forced her to compress five full days of dentistry into just two and a half days, she discovered something remarkable: the systems that gave her life back were the exact same ones that made her practice incredibly valuable to potential buyers. In this episode, Ruth shares her five-step framework for transforming from a "cave dweller" practice owner who's involved in everything to a leader who's built a self-propelling business. We dive deep into creating intentional culture, the art of delegation beyond clinical tasks, and why the best time to start planning your exit is right now – whether you plan to sell in two years or twenty.

Episode Highlights

The "handpiece rule"that transformed Ruth's delegation approach: If you don't need your license or specialized tools to do it, you shouldn't be doing it
Culture as competitive advantage: How to turn vague core values into specific, observable behaviors your team can demonstrate and celebrate
The "showtime" principlefor creating consistent patient experiences, even when team members are having personal challenges
Why "harmony" beats "balance": Understanding work-life integration as a dynamic dance rather than a static state
Systems thinking for small practices: How to create communication flows that eliminate silos and keep everyone informed
The psychology of millennial and Gen Z team management: Moving from "I know, so I'll tell you" leadership to outcome-focused delegation
Exit planning as daily practice: Why building a sellable business improves your current quality of life and protects your team's future
Differentiation beyond revenue: The multiple factors that make practices attractive to buyers, regardless of size

Memorable Quotes

"If you don't need a handpiece and you don't need your dental license to do it, you're not allowed to do it."

"I call them cave dwellers where we're off on our own and we cling to each other when we go to conventions every year, because we need to speak with someone, an adult, another person who's in the leadership role."

"No one wants to buy your job. If you are part of everything in running your business, you're selling them a job and that's not what they're looking for."

"Balance means you're static and I don't want people to be static. Harmony is one way, and then two measures later, it's in a whole different key, but it's still balanced."

"Pick one thing that makes your heart sing, that you are amazing at, that people come to you for, stick to that one thing that you do, and then surround yourself with experts to do all the other things."

"Start like today. Today's a good day to get your business ready to sell. Tomorrow, in 10 years, whatever it is, because you'll be a happier business owner when you're not doing everything yourself."

Resources Mentioned

Free Resource: Visit workfewerhours.com for Ruth's checklist on building systems that give you your life back

Whether you're drowning in daily operations or already thinking about your exit strategy, this conversation offers a roadmap for building a practice that serves you instead of consuming you. The best part? Every step toward freedom is also a step toward creating something truly valuable – for you, your team, and your future buyers.

Bio:

Dr. Ruth Mannschreck, DDS is a business strategist who helps small business owners transform their practices into businesses they can step away from – and eventually sell. Drawing from her experience on both sides of buying and selling businesses, Ruth specializes in systems design, team building, and creating client experiences that work without the owner's constant involvement. She guides business owners from "business as usual" to "business designed for YOU," focusing on fewer working hours, stronger teams, and exit-ready operations. Ruth hosts the Team Led Business Success Podcast and has successfully built and sold her own dental practice using the systematic approach she now teaches.

Find Dr. Ruth:

Website

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The 'Too Busy' Trap: Breaking Free from Practice Management Overwhelm – A Special Snack Episode, EP 188

Episode Overview

In this candid snack episode, Miranda Dorta turns the microphone around to interview Tracy Cherpeski about her specialized consulting approach for healthcare practice owners. This unscripted conversation reveals the genuine dynamic between the hosts while exploring the unique challenges facing healthcare providers who own their practices. Tracy shares insights on identifying scalability readiness, overcoming time management struggles, and the evolution from one-on-one consulting to building the Thriving Practice Community.

Key Highlights

The Business Acumen Gap: Healthcare providers often lack the business training needed to successfully operate their practices, despite their extensive clinical expertise
The "Too Busy" Pattern: Practice owners frequently get caught in cycles of handling tasks that could be delegated to practice managers or administrative staff
Scalability Assessment: Practices need solid operational foundations—including clinical, front office, and back office operations manuals—before they're ready to scale
Community-Driven Support: The Thriving Practice Community was launched to create a peer ecosystem where healthcare providers can crowdsource business solutions and build a social safety net
Delegation Dynamics: Many practice owners hesitate to delegate not from a need for control, but from concern about overwhelming their already busy teams

Memorable Quotes

"In all the places for people to be struggling in their business, healthcare just really should not be one of them. It shouldn't be so hard."

"You provider owners are wearing two full time professional hats, maybe even kind of like a third one if you separate strategy from leadership."

"Just because you can doesn't mean that you should. Unless your entire staff is down with some stomach virus, you're not going to be doing your blood draws—your team is going to be doing that because that's what they're really good at."

"If we can smooth over the strategic aspect of it, the leadership aspect of it, the operational side and get it running like a well-oiled machine, then life is so much better and easier on the clinical side and outside of work."

"We wanted to take the focus off of me as the provider and build an ecosystem that's truly supportive, that creates that social safety net for people."

Miranda’s Bio:

Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.

Tracy’s Bio:

Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.

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Practice Freedom U Website

Culture is Not a Workshop: How You Show Up Every Moment Matters Featuring Jennifer Raams, EP 187

Episode Overview

Jennifer Raams, coach with Practice Freedom U, joins Tracy to discuss the critical role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in healthcare practice management. This conversation explores how self-awareness, stress management, and intentional leadership create thriving practices where both providers and patients flourish.

Key Highlights

The Inner Game of Practice Management

Stressed practitioners create stressed practices - it shows up in patient interactions, team dynamics, and business performance

The importance of moving from reactive to responsive leadership through self-awareness

How clinical excellence skills can become business liabilities without proper emotional regulation

The Flourishing Zone Framework

Green zone: flourishing state where leaders show up intentionally

Red zone: defensive/attack mode that damages relationships and decision-making

Frozen zone: low energy state that leads to stagnation and burnout

Goal: Spend 80% of time in the green zone using practical tools and awareness

Leadership as Nervous System Regulation

Culture isn't built through workshops - it's created through how you show up moment by moment

The power of presence: being able to "read the room" and respond appropriately to team needs

Switching between clinical and business "hats" to maintain appropriate focus

Practical EQ Tools

Two key questions for fear-based thinking: "Where do I choose to put my attention?" and "Where do I have influence?"

The power of curiosity over defensiveness in difficult situations

Simple physical shifts (changing hands, standing/sitting) to interrupt triggered states

Memorable Quotes

"If you're not okay, your business is going to suffer, period."

"Culture is not a workshop - it's how you show up every single moment."

"The biggest stress contributor is when you feel you have no control and no influence."

"We only have this second. What am I choosing intentionally to do now about it?"

"When your people are flourishing, your business is thriving. There's no way around it."

"Every skill, every behavior is learned - it's a skill you can learn and also unlearn."

Key Takeaways

Start with self-awareness: Recognize your triggers, stress levels, and default responses before trying to manage others
Invest early in leadership development: Building culture, systems, and leadership teams takes time - don't wait until you're scaling
Focus on what you can control: When overwhelmed, return to the basics of where you put your attention and where you have influence
Make coaching a priority: Having a confidential sounding board accelerates growth and prevents costly mistakes
Think beyond the clinical hat: Practice owners must develop the ability to shift between provider and CEO mindsets

This episode emphasizes that sustainable practice success requires more than clinical expertise - it demands emotional intelligence, intentional leadership, and the courage to invest in personal development alongside business growth.

Bio:

Jennifer Raams is an entrepreneur and business coach who arrived in Hawaii with just a suitcase, a physical therapy diploma, and $2,000, ultimately building a thriving PT business that empowers leaders to scale with purpose. As a coach with Practice Freedom U, she specializes in leadership development, strategic growth, and succession planning. With 20 years of COO experience scaling a multi-clinic practice and leading high-performing teams, Jennifer helps practice owners gain clarity, confidence, and the tools to build thriving, sustainable businesses that leave a lasting impact.

Find Jennifer:

Jennifer’s Website

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The $100K Blind Spot: Why Male Patients Are Quietly Leaving Your Practice, EP 186

Episode Overview

During Mental Health Awareness Month and Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, we explore a critical business issue affecting healthcare practices nationwide. Male patients with undiagnosed PTSD and mental health challenges are creating hidden operational costs, revenue losses, and staff frustration—all while walking out feeling unheard and unlikely to return. This episode breaks down the business case for recognizing how men's mental health decline presents differently and provides actionable strategies to turn this challenge into a competitive advantage.

Note: We approach this topic from a business and operational perspective, deferring to clinical mental health professionals for diagnosis and treatment guidance.

Key Highlights

The Hidden Financial Impact: Unrecognized men's mental health issues cost practices through incomplete care cycles, staff burnout, reputation damage, and missed referral opportunities
Why Traditional Approaches Fail: Current assessment tools and communication strategies were developed primarily for women, creating systematic blind spots for male presentations
Different Presentation Patterns: Men with PTSD show anger instead of sadness, risk-taking behaviors, work performance swings, and physical symptoms rather than traditional emotional indicators
The Competitive Advantage: Practices that adapt first will capture a significantly underserved market segment and become go-to providers for entire families
Strategic Implementation: Small, targeted modifications create maximum impact—environmental changes, communication training, enhanced screening, and referral network development
Measurement Matters: Track engagement rates, referral completion, patient satisfaction by gender, and reputation metrics to ensure sustainable change
Leadership Opportunity: Position your practice as a leader in comprehensive mental wellness during awareness months

Memorable Quotes

"You're looking at undiagnosed PTSD and mental health decline in men, and it's creating a cascade of operational problems that are costing you significantly."

"Your practice was designed around assessment tools and communication strategies developed primarily for women. This isn't anyone's fault—it's just the historical reality of healthcare development. But it's creating a systematic blind spot."

"The practices that thrive in the next decade are going to be the ones that can adapt their operations to meet patients where they are, not where we think they should be."

"Every patient who feels unheard, misunderstood, or inadequately treated represents lost revenue, missed opportunities, and potential reputation damage."

"Thriving practices aren't built on good intentions—they're built on strategic systems that deliver consistent results for both patients and providers."

Action Items for Listeners

✓ Assess your current intake forms for gender-neutral mental health screening ✓ Train staff to ask functional impact questions rather than emotional state questions ✓ Evaluate your waiting room environment and reading materials ✓ Build relationships with mental health providers specializing in men's mental health ✓ Implement tracking systems for male patient engagement and satisfaction ✓ Start with one strategic modification that aligns with your current resources

This episode is part of the Thriving Practice podcast series, focused on helping healthcare provider-owners build sustainable, profitable practices through strategic operations and leadership development.

Tracy’s Bio:

Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.

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Subtract Before You Multiply: Your Growth Roadmap Essentials – A Special Snack Episode, EP 185

Episode Overview

In this candid snack episode, Miranda Dorta puts Tracy Cherpeski in the interview seat to explore the essential roadmap from where healthcare practice owners are now to where they want to be. This unscripted conversation dives deep into the systems, strategies, and team-building approaches that create sustainable practice growth. Whether you're taking your first growth step or navigating complex expansion challenges, this episode provides the clarity and confidence needed to move forward strategically.

Key Highlights

Subtract Before You Multiply- Essential pre-growth evaluation to identify systems that won't scale and operational bottlenecks that need addressing
Capacity Assessment- How to determine if your current systems can "rinse and repeat" with minimal intervention before expanding
Sustainable Growth Rates- Understanding the difference between rapid growth (which sometimes just happens) and sustainable 30% year-over-year growth
Values-Driven Decision Making- Distinguishing between growth opportunities that align with core values versus those that simply increase revenue
The WAIT Method- Strategic pausing using the acronym "Why Am I Talking?" to ensure thoughtful leadership decisions
Culture as Foundation- How practice culture extends far beyond pizza parties to include conflict resolution, team unity during challenges, and shared vision alignment

Memorable Quotes

"You need to subtract before you multiply. If you don't take care of your problems, they're gonna grow with you."

"The key is if the systems you have in place can basically rinse, repeat, with minimal intervention, you're probably in a really good place to expand."

"We call it a shiny object and we call that the SOS - the shiny object syndrome."

"Culture isn't a workshop that you attend. If you're the head of practice and you're the practice owner, you set the tone."

"When you come together for a common goal, which would be the vision and mission of the practice, when you have your team on board, that's everything. That really is everything."

Miranda’s Bio:

Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.

Tracy’s Bio:

Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.

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Marketing by the Numbers: Why Data Beats Gut Instinct Every Time Featuring Justin Strong, EP 184

Episode Overview

In this refreshing conversation, Justin Strong from Room 118 challenges everything you think you know about marketing. Moving away from the "throw spaghetti at the wall" approach that's given marketing a bad reputation, Justin advocates for a scientific, data-driven methodology that treats marketing like clinical diagnostics - complete with "x-rays" before making recommendations.

Drawing from his analysis of over 4,000 dental practices through the Dental Marketing Index, Justin reveals why traditional marketing approaches often fail and how practice owners can make informed decisions based on hard data rather than gut feelings or sales pitches.

Key Topics Discussed

The Marketing Trust Problem: Why marketing has earned its bad reputation and how to identify high-integrity marketers who prioritize results over profits
The Dental Marketing Index: A comprehensive analysis of 4,000+ practices that reveals what actually correlates with success vs. what agencies typically sell
Market Diagnostics: Why every marketing decision should start with understanding your local market demographics, competition, and patient behavior patterns
The "Near Me" Revolution: How patient behavior has fundamentally shifted, with "dentist near me" becoming the most searched term and average patient lifetime dropping from 14-17 years to under 5 years
The Sales Gap: Why great marketing often fails due to poor follow-through - missing online schedulers, unreturned calls, and inadequate patient experience systems
Competition as Innovation Driver: How high-density markets like DC create exceptional patient experiences through competitive pressure
The Science of Marketing: Moving from creative guesswork to measurable, forecastable strategies based on data analysis

Memorable Quotes

"Marketing's job should be to tell you, is this possible in your local market? If so, where is our best opportunity for success? And then it should give practical recommendations based on that."

"It's sort of like a patient walked in and said, I have a tooth. Therefore, I need you to pull this tooth. And your response is going to be, why don't we take a look at the tooth? How about that x-ray first?"

"All a brand is is the small bit of space you occupy in your patients' minds. What do they think when they think of your brand?"

"If you think they're doing it, they've been doing it for a while." (on data privacy and corporate surveillance)

"There is a way to reduce complexity... hire good people to solve problems. If you understand where you want to go as a practice owner... recognize what the challenges are you must overcome, and hire good people to solve those problems."

The Bottom Line

Marketing doesn't have to be a guessing game. When approached scientifically - with proper market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and data-driven decision making - it becomes a powerful tool for practice growth. The key is finding marketers who prioritize your success over their service offerings and who can provide the objective "map" you need to navigate from where you are to where you want to go.

Bio:

Justin Strong is the Founder and CEO of Room 118, Inc., a dental research and marketing agency focused on data-driven practice growth. With 25 years of experience in marketing and strategy, he's led multi-billion-dollar initiatives at Verizon Enterprise Solutions and McCann. Recognizing the gap in evidence-based dental marketing, Justin pioneered the Dental Marketing Index, analyzing 4,000+ practices to identify what actually drives results. He specializes in helping practice owners move from random marketing tactics to predictable, high-ROI strategies using Fortune 500-level data insights applied to local dental marketing.

Find Justin:

Website

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