Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Travis.
Hi Jacob, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
On December 23, 2024, I was unexpectedly let go from my previous position as a staff physical therapist at another private physical therapy practice in Nashville. The subsequent month after the firing felt like the deepest valley I had been in my entire life. In the midst of that struggle, my heart was captured by God. He walked with me every day, and as I allowed myself to feel His love and listened to his guidance, I came to realize He needed that door to close to open a door that He knew I would not open myself, and that door was starting my own business.
I was hesitant when the idea was first planted in my thoughts, I was very aware of the risks, the time commitment, and the fact that I did not have any experience in starting, let alone successfully running a business. As scary as it was, God shed a light on the foundation He had built for me to be able to do this- the most important part of that foundation being the people He had put in my life that He would be speaking through. As I told the people closest to me what had happened, one after another, they brought up the idea of me starting my own. After multiple conversations with some amazingly supportive friends and family, I knew I had to at least give it a shot. So on January 31, 2025, my LLC became official and PT with JT was off and running.
Within 2 weeks of launching the business, I got connected with a gym owner out in Franklin that agreed to let me rent space in her gym to treat a few patients, connected to other business owners that offered amazing advice, connected with a PT clinic that needed a PRN therapist so I could make supplemental income, and connected with patients both in-state and out-of-state that eagerly referred their friends and family to me. So while I’m technically a solopreneur, this business would not be close to where it’s at without the people God put in my life supporting me.
The most recent connection was with a chiropractor in East Nashville, whom I became friends with and who eventually offered me a room in the clinic he was opening. This prompted my move out of my parents’ house in Nolensville where I’d been living for an apartment about 10 minutes away from the clinic. So instead of commuting all around Franklin and Nashville, I’m now seeing all of my patients out of state-of-the-art clinic alongside a trusted friend who is on a similar journey as me.
I still have much to learn and plenty of areas of growth, but I am so blessed with a strong faith in God to continue lighting the path for me to steward the gift He has given me in this business and spread His Kingdom.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Ha! Absolutely not!
I have faced many external and internal struggles throughout the past year- many of those struggles rooted in the fact that I truly had no idea what I was doing. I lived in daily confusion about what the purpose of my business was, what I was supposed to be doing, what the next best step was, who to ask for help, you name it, I probably experienced it.
The internal struggles stemmed from questioning if I had what it took to actually run a successful business. There would be weeks when I would only see 1-2 patients, I wasn’t getting any new leads despite all of my marketing efforts, and I would just feel mentally defeated from the constant internal battle. I thought about how easy it would be to just quit and find a stable job as a staff physical therapist somewhere. I can’t tell you exactly what stopped me from quitting but my heart is telling me it was God giving me the strength to keep going when I did not have enough strength myself.
The external struggles were numerous from spending half of my work day in my car commuting between clinics and patients’ houses, personal injuries I suffered from shoulder dislocations to throwing out my back, trying to figure out the financial side of the business (thank God for my new CPA!), and many other little things that I’m sure are common experiences for many new business owners. In a weird way though, I’m grateful for all of the struggles I’ve gone through because they have all made me stronger, taught me important lessons, and solidified my faith that no struggle is too big for God.
I know there are plenty more obstacles in my path but I feel better equipped to handle them after experiencing what I have so far and seeing that none of them broke me.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
PT with JT is a hybrid private physical therapy practice. Hybrid, meaning I offer both in-person physical therapy to the Nashville community as well as online strength coaching to people who can’t see me in person.
I believe every person has the right to a medical provider that will create space to get to know them from both a medical and personal standpoint. This time to get to know each patient is the missing piece in many traditional PT clinics because it fosters a strong therapeutic alliance that results in open communication and allows me as the provider to create a truly personalized treatment program that fits their body, their goals, and their lifestyle.
Many of my patients live very active lifestyles, specifically as runners and weightlifters. The reason I connect with this population is because that’s who I am- I love to push my body to its limits but I want to do it in a way that is sustainable. So instead of telling an injured runner to just stop running, I treat my patients the way I would want to be treated- as an athlete who wants to continue competing. With thorough evaluations of their medical history and current movement patterns, individualized training programs that blend rehab and performance, I can show them a way to train that allows them to stay active while not aggravating their injuries.
Something that is unique about my brand is that it’s rooted in education. I am a firm believer that knowledge is power, so one of the missions of my business is to educate as many people as I can about their bodies and the evidence-backed strategies to take care of their bodies in a way that allows them to perform at their highest potential. To achieve that mission, I am very active on social media (Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube) because it allows me to create funny educational videos that engage viewers of all backgrounds to get them interested in learning more about their bodies. If you search “PT with JT” on any of those platforms, you’ll see what I’m talking about.
While I love creating content, the thing I am most proud of within my business are the relationships I have built with my in-person and virtual patients. I’ve come to learn that one of the most precious gifts God has given us is the ability to connect with other people on a deeper level. I want my business to be a shining example of that gift and show all of my patients the magic that can happen when they feel connected to their medical provider or strength coach.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Books:
-The Bible 🙂
-Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer
-Anatomy of a Runner by Jay Dicharry
-Spirit-Led Business Journal by Karen Coffey
Podcasts:
-The P.T. Entrepreneur Podcast
-PT Private Practice
-The Leader’s Cut with Preston Morrison
Pricing:
- Connection Call – Free
- 60-min In-person Evaluation – $175
- Training Programs – variable depending on need
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ptwithjt.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pt_with_jt/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ptwithjt8881
