How Reading 52 Books Helped Me Lose 25+ lbs and Make $250k+ in My Business
- Morgan Meese, PT
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
This story has been sitting in the back of my mind for a long time, because it captures something I wish more clinicians understood earlier in their journey: transformation is rarely dramatic in the moment, but it becomes undeniable when small actions are repeated long enough.
In a single year, I lost more than 35 pounds, read 52 books, ran over 500 miles, and helped grow our business beyond $250k in revenue. On the surface, those outcomes look unrelated. In reality, they all came from the same foundation: clear daily standards, applied consistently, without waiting to feel inspired.
I’m Morgan Meese, a physical therapist and business coach. I spend my time helping clinicians build freedom-based businesses through cash pay physical therapy, telehealth physical therapy, and hybrid service models. That work sits at the intersection of physical therapy entrepreneurship, niche marketing, and practical digital marketing.
The throughline in all this is capacity. When you deliberately train your capacity to follow through, both your personal life and your business begin to expand.
Large outcomes were built on ordinary days
At the beginning of the year, I set four measurable targets:
lose 25 pounds
read 52 books
run 500 miles
generate $250k in business revenue
By the end of the year, each one had been exceeded. But those numbers were never the focus on any given day. The only thing that mattered was whether I met the standard I had set for that specific date.
Most days were unremarkable:
track my nutrition honestly
read for a short block of time
complete the planned miles, even slowly
move one meaningful business task forward
None of these actions felt impressive in isolation. In fact, they often felt mundane. But repeated almost daily, they created momentum that eventually produced outsized results.
This is the same pattern I see when clinicians start a cash based practice. Sustainable growth in cash based physical therapy rarely comes from bursts of extreme effort. It comes from predictable weekly structure. A clear example of that rhythm is outlined in this weekly CEO routine for cash-based PT businesses, where consistency replaces urgency.
If this idea of small daily standards and long-term capacity building resonates with you — especially as a clinician or practice owner — this is exactly what we work on inside DPT to CEO.
Inside the program, we don’t just teach business strategy. We help you build the habits, systems, and confidence that let you grow your practice without burning out. If you want support creating consistency in your life and your business, we’d love to help you step into that next level of leadership.
Systems outperform motivation
For years, I felt disconnected from my own body. I had tried different nutrition strategies, but nothing lasted because each approach depended on willpower.
Instead of searching for the perfect diet, I made one neutral commitment: record everything I ate without judgment. Nothing was restricted. Nothing was labeled good or bad. The only requirement was accuracy.
That simple act of tracking created awareness. Awareness created better decisions. Over time, I layered in protein targets, then fiber, then hydration. Because the starting habit was small and emotionally neutral, it was easy to repeat even on stressful days.
Building cash pay physical therapy works the same way. You do not need an elaborate funnel or polished brand identity to begin. You need small actions you can execute consistently.
This is particularly relevant for the ADHD entrepreneur. Waiting for clarity or ideal conditions often becomes a sophisticated form of procrastination. Simple, repeatable structure reduces the mental load of starting. I expand on that idea in how to run a business with ADHD and get stuff done.
Running created self-trust
My only rule for running was to complete the distance I had planned. Pace was irrelevant. Walking was acceptable. Skipping was not.
Every finished run reinforced a single identity statement: I follow through.
That identity shift matters more than any individual workout. When clinicians begin to start a cash based practice, uncertainty is unavoidable.
Confidence grows when you repeatedly demonstrate to yourself that you can execute the plan you created.
Reading in small increments compounds quickly
Reading 52 books sounds excessive until you understand the daily requirement. Most days involved five to ten minutes of reading, often supplemented by audiobooks during walks.
On busy days, I reduced the time instead of abandoning the habit. Two minutes still counted.
Because the streak never broke, the total continued to rise.
This principle directly mirrors effective digital marketing. A useful, consistent post each week will outperform a perfect post you publish once and then disappear. For clinicians applying niche marketing to reach specific patient populations, steady visibility builds trust far more reliably than occasional intensity.
Delay your need for immediate feedback
One mindset adjustment unlocked almost everything else:
What I do this month shows up in my results next month.
Not tomorrow. Not next week. Next month.
I stopped asking whether the habit was “working yet” and started asking whether I had met the standard for the day.
Did I run?
Did I track my nutrition?
Did I read?
Did I advance the business, even slightly?
This patience is essential when you are developing cash based physical therapy or expanding telehealth physical therapy services. Consistent niche marketing and thoughtful digital marketing accumulate influence long before they produce obvious returns.
Clarity about your long-term direction makes that patience easier to sustain. Before these habits solidified, I spent time defining a clear future vision. If you need a practical framework for that process, how to create a vision board that actually works provides a structured approach.
Reduce the task, not the standard
On difficult days, the habit was scaled down but never removed.
A slow jog instead of a fast one.
A few pages instead of a chapter.
Imperfect tracking instead of none.
That preserved the pattern, which preserved the identity.
This approach is particularly powerful for entrepreneurs who often struggle with all-or-nothing cycles. Consistency is built from repeatable actions, not heroic efforts.
Personal discipline expanded business capacity
As these personal habits became automatic, my professional capacity increased alongside them.
I could manage more conversations, make decisions with less hesitation, and lead a growing team without feeling overwhelmed. That translated into more students, new programs, and significant revenue growth.
The same progression appears when clinicians build cash based physical therapy practices. When they learn to lead themselves first, their businesses expand more smoothly and with less volatility.
No external rescue is coming
There is never a perfect time to begin.
You do not need another certification before you start a cash based practice. You need a decision to act daily, regardless of mood or motivation.
Motivation is unpredictable. Systems are dependable.
If you maintain simple daily standards for a full year, both your personal life and your business trajectory will look radically different.
The anchors that sustained progress
Fewer goals, deeper commitment.
A small number of clearly defined targets simplified decision-making and increased follow-through.
Measurement of consistency, not emotion.
Miles, books, nutrition, and business actions were tracked. Visible progress reinforced continued effort.
Proximity to higher expectations.
Coaching and community raised the baseline of what felt normal.
Lead yourself before you lead anything else
Whether your objective is better health or a thriving cash pay physical therapy business, the underlying process is identical.
Establish daily standards that are easy to repeat. Execute them whether or not you feel inspired.
Continue long enough for compounding to take effect.
You do not need ideal conditions. You need reliable action.
Train your capacity through ordinary days. When you consistently lead yourself, your business, your confidence, and your impact all expand to match that standard.
If you’re a physical therapist or clinician who wants more capacity, more clarity, and more confidence — in both your life and your business — you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Inside DPT to CEO, we help you translate this same “daily standards” mindset into a clear, sustainable plan for growing a cash-based practice. You’ll get coaching, structure, and community so you can lead yourself first and build a business that actually supports the life you want.
If you’re ready to stop starting and stopping — and actually commit to your growth this year — we’d love to have you inside.
Listen to this episode on my podcast!
