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From Fear to Full-Time: The Power of Imperfect Action in Starting Your PT Practice

Cristina Jesurun, PT

In this episode of DPT to CEO: The Podcast Interview Series, I’m chatting with Cristina Jesurun, a physical therapist and the founder of Dancer’s Choice PT. She works with dancers to help them get out of pain and back to performing at their best — and her story is such a good one.


After years working in outpatient ortho (and then part-time in someone else’s cash-based practice), Cristina realized she was still feeling stuck. The schedule wasn’t hers, the pay wasn’t cutting it, and something was missing.


That all started to shift when she stopped waiting for the “perfect time” and decided to just go for it.


Cristina shares the mindset changes that helped her build her own solo practice — like how she went from offering discounted weekend sessions to fully booked business owner in just 6 months with the help of DPT to CEO. Cristina’s story is a reminder that taking messy, imperfect action now is always better than waiting for some magical right time that doesn’t exist. Let's dive in!



What we're covering:


Can you tell us a little about you and what led you to start your own practice?


Cristina: I’ve been working in outpatient orthopedics since I graduated from PT school, and it was always really challenging. As we all know, there’s the whole issue of productivity—billing enough units, seeing so many people at once, sometimes two or three at a time, and constantly splitting your attention. I really hated it. I would cry because I didn’t feel like I could give good enough patient care. I wasn’t allowed to, even when it was clear that some people really needed one-on-one sessions. I couldn’t always make that happen, and it was really sad.


You also have to treat a certain way and include specific treatments in your plan at the big-box PT clinics, and some of those things I just don’t buy into. I always hated that. But I was lucky enough in school to be part of a clinic where we did treat patients one-on-one, which was fantastic. That kind of care was always the dream—but then you get out of school and everyone says, “That’s never going to happen.”


But it did. I started working for someone else in their private practice where I got to see patients one-on-one. I worked part-time there for a long time and even got to see dancers, which was amazing. I hadn’t mentioned it yet, but my niche is professional and pre-professional dancers. I treat everyone from teenagers to adults who are really into dance—any kind of dance: ballet, modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, pole, aerial, all of it.


What really inspired me to go out on my own came down to this:

One was a Saturday afternoon when I was taking a dance class. Three people I knew in class were performing that night, and after class, they came up to me asking for help. In about 15 minutes, I helped all three of them—just quick, simple fixes to keep them performing. And in that moment, I thought, this is really needed.


You’ve tried a lot of different things this past year—what’s that been like?


Cristina: I kind of went with the mindset that you just have to try something—you have to start, even if you don’t have a full plan. So I just started. I talked to the person I was planning to rent a dance studio space from, shared my idea with her, and then asked, “When do you have availability?”


At the time, I thought I was going to try doing something like three hours straight of 30-minute sessions—just back-to-back clients. Honestly, I think I initially planned on five hours, which is ridiculous looking back. But anyway, she told me which Sundays were open, and I said, “I’ll take them all.” I signed up to rent every one of those available Sundays. She was super supportive, and the rental rate was really generous, which helped a lot.


So that’s how I started. I figured I’d work every weekend. I didn’t think it would get fully booked, and I assumed it wouldn’t be that hard. But it did get hard. It was tough to plan around, especially not knowing whether someone might try to book last minute. Eventually, I decided to scale it back. I cut down to offering sessions on two Sundays a month—one Sunday at one studio and another Sunday at a different studio. That way, I had two Sundays off each month to actually work on my business.


I’ll be honest—this kind of leap isn’t really in my nature. So I made it a small jump. I started with these little, discounted sessions as a way to test the waters. It felt manageable, like just dipping a toe in.


Normally, I like to plan everything out. I want it to be perfect, and I get scared that if it’s not perfect, it won’t go well or people won’t respond the way I hope. So I just took little steps as I felt comfortable, but I made myself take a step each time. You were always reminding me, “Cristina, every time I talk to you, you're telling me about people who just want to give you their money.” And I wasn’t even realizing it—I was so caught up in the challenges and the imperfections. You’d say, “Hey, by the way, it’s actually going pretty well—in case you hadn’t noticed.” And I really hadn’t.


That’s why having the DPT to CEO roadmap was so helpful. You were able to show me, “Yes, these are the things on the map. You’re hitting the milestones. You’re heading in the right direction. This is how it’s supposed to go. You’re doing great.” That was huge for me—because otherwise, I would’ve just been stuck in my own head, alone in worry and doubt.


Morgan: Yeah, it sounds like having a plan—and having check-in points along the way—has been really helpful for you. You've kept building your courage and confidence by taking small steps, even when it meant pushing yourself to just get started and try something new.


Throughout 2024, you kept taking bigger and bigger steps—from initially renting out the space, to signing up for the live course, then joining the coaching program, changing locations, letting go of all your side jobs, and finally committing to a new space. Each move felt a little bigger than the last, and with every step, it seemed like your confidence grew right along with it.


*Struggling to take the leap? Here's how to know you're ready to start your cash based practice.


What was it like finally leaving your part-time job and going all in on your business? How did that end up helping you?


Cristina: I think that even after I started the coaching program, I still hadn’t fully committed. I remember we had this conversation where you were like, “So, probably you’re going to want to think about that—probably eventually.” You kept gently pushing it. Even when I said something like, “Maybe October,” I don’t know if I aligned the date with when the coaching program was going to end or if I just randomly picked it. But in my head, it felt like, “Since you’re making me quit my job…”—even though you weren’t actually making me quit, that’s just how it felt at the time.


Eventually, I started to realize that my other job—through a corporation where I went to people’s homes—was really impeding my ability to schedule my own clients. Same with my main job, where I was working four to five hours a day, Monday through Friday. Both were taking up chunks of time in my schedule, plus drive time, and they were paying me less per hour than I would’ve made working for myself. It became an opportunity cost.


By the time I got closer to that jumping-off point, it became really clear: the longer I stayed, the more I was delaying my actual success. You can’t preload your success before you leave, but you can definitely delay it by hanging on too long. I couldn’t really build what I wanted while still being chained to those other gigs—I just didn’t have the time.


Driving 20 minutes to someone’s house, being there an hour, then driving another 20 minutes to the next thing—that’s almost two hours to make way less than I could be making on my own. And then waiting around to be scheduled by these companies, not knowing if I’d be available—it made it hard to commit to my own clients. I’d find myself saying, “I’d love to see you Thursday, but I have to wait and see if this other company needs me,” and that just felt gross. Like, asking a loyal client to wait around for me because I was prioritizing someone else’s schedule—that never sat right. That was kind of how everything finally clicked for me.


Morgan: Yeah, we just got to a point where it became really clear—on a lot of levels—that you were ready for a change. Like, if you were going to keep growing this business, something had to shift.


If a therapist was thinking about leaving their job and needed to talk to their boss, what would you tell them?


Cristina: Previously, when I was working at a big box clinic—before I transitioned to a private practice—I actually tried to go part-time, and they wouldn’t allow it. So, I left altogether and started working part-time for someone else in their clinic. That part-time setup meant I had to supplement my income with another job and by teaching Pilates and doing massage on the weekends—both of which I’m licensed to do. If I had been able to do something like that earlier, it might’ve worked out better.


But looking back, if that interim private practice job hadn’t existed and I was just trying to go from big box to something else, I don’t think going part-time would’ve worked for me. I was always so overwhelmed by notes and would spend so much time outside of work trying to catch up. That would’ve made things really challenging. That said, going part-time can be a valid option when you're talking to an employer.


As for the last job I left, I kept it really simple. I said, “I appreciate the time I’ve spent here and I’ve enjoyed working for this business, but I’ve decided to go all in on working for myself.” That was some guidance I got from you, and it was so helpful. Making it about a choice you're making for yourself—not about someone else—is the key. Instead of saying, “I don’t want to work here anymore,” you just keep it focused on you: this is what’s right for you, this is how you’ll be most fulfilled and productive. No one can really argue with that. I mean, they could—but they’d be wrong.


Morgan: Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense—like, you can’t really argue with someone when they’re saying, “This just feels right for me.” And I think that also ties into something I talked about with Marcela (another DPT to CEO student) on one of our earlier episodes—just learning to trust yourself. As you move through this journey and open new chapters or try new things, people are going to have opinions. Some might share them, some might not—but either way, their opinions don’t determine whether something is right for you. You’re the only one who truly knows that. And I think you owe it to yourself to learn how to trust your own voice and your own judgment.


*Learn more about trusting yourself and having confidence in your decisions as a business owner in our previous interview with Dr. Marcela Donat, PT.


How have you made yourself a part of the community you’re serving?


Cristina: I was already taking dance classes pretty regularly, because as a PT, I really try to do what I say—I don’t want to be the “do as I say, not as I do” kind of provider. So I was going to class somewhat consistently, but as I started leaning more into this direction with my work, I became a very regular attendee. I was going to two different studios, both on opposite sides of town. And Austin has this big, tight-knit yet overlapping dance community—people I’ve known for over 20 years, and people I’ve only just met.


These studios offer multiple classes, host several companies, and there's a huge freelance dancer population here, meaning most dancers are working with multiple companies—so there’s a ton of crossover. I started going to see more dance performances too. At first, it was just to support dancers I’d already treated, from professional companies to teenage drill teams. But then I just kept going—to stay involved and stay visible.


I’d talk to people after the shows—not in a “that’s my patient” kind of way, but just casually: “Hey, how are you feeling?” And often, the dancer I’m talking to would be like, “This is my PT—she’s amazing!” And then the other dancers would want to know more.


I also started announcing my dancer sessions at the end of class. At the end of every class, people usually share about upcoming performances, and I’d chime in: “Hey, I’m offering discounted dancer sessions if you’re interested.” It was consistent. And now, it’s at the point where I walk into class and people are like, “Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re here—I keep meaning to text you!” Or someone will whisper mid-class, “Are you still doing dancer sessions?” and I’ll say, “Yes—I’m actually making an announcement after class.”


Today, I announced a Spring Break special after class, and two people came up right away: “Okay, it’s time. I keep hearing you talk about this. How do I book?”


That’s really how it works. When you keep showing up, people get to know you, they trust what you do, and they see how the people you’ve helped are feeling. Eventually, they’ll say, “You know, I was just thinking about you—I’m so glad you’re here because I keep forgetting to reach out.”

And that’s human nature, right? I’m the same way—if I don’t see someone’s face or act on something in the moment, I’ll forget. So I just make it easy for people—by being there.


Morgan: Yeah, that’s really beautiful, Cristina. It’s so cool what you’ve been able to do. I think it goes a long way when you build a business to serve a community you’re actually a part of yourself. You approach it by showing first that you genuinely care. You keep immersing yourself in that community because, honestly, you want to dance too—you want to exercise, get out of the house, and do something. It even starts with filling your own cup in a way.


*Learn about the importance of building know, like, and trust with your target community at the blog post here.


What’s it been like having full control over your time now that you run your own business?


Cristina: So it’s especially tricky because in October I was driving all over — going to people’s homes, seeing clients at a dance studio, renting space for massage here and there. It was kind of all over the place. Then when I got an office, I thought, “Okay, will there still be days where I go to the studio or see that one person way out on the east side of town?” Sure, maybe. But then I’d think, “Wait, what if this other patient, who I’m asking to come to the office, can only come on the day I planned to go out east?” So I’d reschedule. And then, oh no, what if…?


Just this week, I had a day where I went east side, then to my office on the west side, then back east side again. And I was like, “We will never do that again.” It’s just too much. But it’s still hard to have the courage to say no. I catch myself thinking, “What if the person just decides not to come back because it’s too complicated?” I think that’s what I’m afraid of — that it’ll feel too complex for people and they’ll give up.


But what actually happens is I say, “Of course I can do that,” and by the end of the day, I’m stuck in traffic with terrible road rage, starving because I didn’t pack enough food. It’s not great. So yeah, these are the challenges. I’m still figuring it out.


Also, there’s a big chunk of time in the morning when I’m awake that I really need to maximize for productivity, and then a big chunk of time at night that I need to maximize by sleeping well. I’m working on improving my sleep schedule to support the business I want.


So I’m thinking a lot about what my ideal daily schedule looks like — like, when I work, when I sleep, when I work out, when I go to dance class, and all of that. Because if I don’t get those things right — if I don’t go to bed on time — then I can’t wake up on time, which means I might skip working out or eating or showering or meditating or journaling. One thing has to give because there just isn’t enough time.


So sometimes it’s like, “Okay, this week I’m really committed to working out,” and then oops — I skip breakfast. Or, “This week I’m committed to meditating every day,” but then I don’t work out at all. I’m exaggerating a little, but you get the idea.


If something’s going to change, I have to change. Nothing will change if I don’t. But on the flip side, I’m also learning to give myself grace. This is a new system — I’m not going to get it perfect right away, and that’s okay. The important part is to keep trying and keep moving toward what I want to achieve. So that’s where I’m at.


Morgan: Yeah, I think ultimately it’s never really going to end. Once you start a business, you’re kind of always going to be in this ongoing state of trying and figuring things out. But as long as you keep trying and put in some effort most days, most weeks, most of the year, you’re going to get to where you want to go.


*Learn more about the time and task management as a business owner at the blog post here.


You mentioned an audiobook—what were some of your biggest takeaways from that?


Cristina: So she (Brené Brown - The Gifts of Imperfection) talks a lot about courage, compassion, and connection. She discusses habits and addictions we use to numb ourselves from feeling scary emotions, and how that numbing actually dulls all our feelings. When we do have moments of feeling anxious, scared, or whatever, if we can connect with someone—which takes courage and compassion for ourselves—we can build our ability to have compassion for others.


That’s not a super concise thought, but it’s a big part of what the book covers.


Another concept she talks about is wholehearted living—really being yourself, laughing, dancing, and singing without worrying about what other people think. There’s a lot about how fear of others’ opinions makes us shrink or try to be a certain way to control how they see us, even though we don’t actually have control over that.


What are your top 3 pieces of advice for someone just getting started as a business owner?


Cristina: Start now. You can get an LLC and earn nothing in it, and it will be ready on day one when you’re ready to start making money. So just go for it. And if you have a big box clinic job with a good paycheck, pay for your LLC now—don’t put it off. That’s smart. When you have steady income is the best time to pay for those things.


I’m also pretty frugal and do my research, but for some reason, I didn’t think about that before—I kept trying to save money and wait. So just start now. Done is better than perfect. No one’s going to notice if it’s perfect anyway. In fact, some might even spot the “perfect” stuff and say, “Did you notice this?” You really don’t want that kind of scrutiny.


Done gets you one step closer to where you want to be.


Also, circling back to Brené Brown’s book, she talks about perfectionism, overwork, and overthinking as a way we numb ourselves. To fight the fear of “What if it’s not perfect? What if people don’t like it? What if it’s ugly? What if they think I’m charging too much?”—sometimes we just keep working on it, trying to soften the edges and perfect it. But that’s really just avoidance.

I agree, that was me too.


So don’t let perfection get in the way of progress.


And third, pick someone to work with as your guide—someone you vibe with, someone you really like. I did a different mentorship before this, and it wasn’t about building my own business, but I just didn’t vibe with the mentor. I kept paying and kept going even though it didn’t feel right.

But the second I met you, I was like, “I love her, she’s great, we work really well together.” Even if Morgan isn’t the right person for you, find someone who is. You’re great and everyone should have that.


Lastly, don’t think getting a coach or asking for help is dumb or weak. Don’t tell yourself you have to do it all alone. It’s hard. What we’re doing is not easy. So invest in yourself—it’s totally worth it.


How to contact Cristina:

*Instagram: @drcristinajdpt


Listen to this episode on my podcast!

DPT to CEO: The Podcast

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