Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jack Wong, Founder of Next Level Physical Therapy, located in Houston, TX, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The People We Help Include...

-Busy women and moms with surgical scars who want to look healthier, feel more energized and be able to play with their kids all day WITHOUT being bothered by pain or stiffness caused by scar tissue.

-Adults With Chronic Pain
Who wants to reduce pain without medications, injections, or surgery so they can have the energy for work AND play…

-Adult Athletes
Who wants to be able to compete at a high level, whether it's the next round of golf, weekly run, or pick-up game with your buddies over the weekend.

-Active Grandparents
Who wants to avoid surgery and play with the grandkids without constant pain and stiffness in your joints.

-Health Conscious Men And Women
Who want to keep their bodies healthy and strong by being active, so they avoid "deadly" threats like Arthritis, Heart Disease, Stroke, and Joint Pain.

-Adults Preparing For Shoulder, Knee, Or Hip Replacement Surgery
Who knows that preparation is KEY to the success of joint replacement surgery and wants to get the best results and make their lives easier post-surgery.

Tell us about yourself

I was inspired to start my business by my grandmother. She had always been an active individual, and then she lost her balance one day, fell, and hurt herself. While taking her to doctor's appointments for recovery, I realized that the healthcare system is upside down and that the goal is not to help people regain what they lost but rather to accept the circumstances of what happened.

She was told over and over again that this happened because of her age. I don't think that is an acceptable answer. People shouldn't just be considered too old to live their life. I opened Next Level Physical Therapy as a place to help aging adults move better and age stronger because you are never too old to live your life. We help people over the age of 40 get active, stay mobile, and remain independent so that they can enjoy some of the best years of their lives. We don't believe that anything is impossible. You are never too old to chase your dreams.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is changing people's lives. In most cases, Next Level Physical Therapy is not the first place people go for treatment. They have almost always been to other doctors or even physical therapy facilities that have simply told them they are "just getting old" or "it's just part of aging." Just like my grandmother, they have been told nothing can be done.

We have treated thousands of individuals that come to us having heard these things and now believe that they are a "lost cause." In almost every one of these cases, we have been able to get them out of pain, mobile and active, and back to doing the things that they love.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Managing expectations. The hardest thing about being a business owner is setting and managing expectations for everyone around you. Whether that is customers, employees, vendors, and even personal relationships. The role of a business owner comes with a lot of demands on your time, focus, and abilities. When talking to customers, it is important to be able to accurately communicate strong enough expectations to give them confidence in taking the next step with you. But you also don't want to over-promise on things you can't guarantee. You have to set expectations for employees that challenge them without setting them up for failure. In your personal life, you have to make sure that your friends and family know that they can count on you but that they can't expect all of your time and focus.

Above all else, you have to manage expectations for yourself. If you can't set reasonable expectations for yourself, how can you possibly do that for others?

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don't be afraid to fail. You are going to make mistakes, you are going to have missteps, and you are going to overestimate yourself. That's just part of the process. As long as you learn from those mistakes and take precautions to not repeat them, then you will always get better.
  2. Build systems. "You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." If you build solid systems and learn to never deviate but rather iterate, you will always have a safety net that will keep you from losing everything.
  3. You can't do it alone. When it comes to the day-to-day side of building a business, there is nothing stopping it from being a solo venture. But you can't live the life of an entrepreneur in isolation. Find peers and like-minded individuals to meet with on a regular basis to share what you are doing and what you are learning. Find a mastermind group, a local chamber of commerce, or an industry-based collective to be a part of. There is a wealth of knowledge to learn from if you just reach out.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Just go for it. Entrepreneurship and building a business are not for everyone, but if you truly know why you want to do this and you have the will and the drive to get it done, then just do it. Don't wait for someone else to tell you to do it or for the conditions to be perfect. No one is going to give you the green light, and nothing is ever perfect. Just go for it because you will learn as you go. The only person stopping you is you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://nextlevelpthouston.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NextLevelPhysicalTherapyINC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextlevelpthouston/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-level-pt/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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