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Life and Work with Dr. Sarah Ceschin

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Sarah Ceschin.

Dr. Ceschin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey started with going to graduate school to obtain my doctorate in physical therapy at University of Wisconsin Madison. The program was grueling, and I had no idea which area of physical therapy I wanted to focus on, as I loved every single class and sincerely enjoyed working in all of the disciplines. Knowing I didn’t want to stay in the Midwest, I quickly packed my bags and moved to Boulder Colorado with my now fiancé, Chris. We both love the outdoors (hiking, climbing, camping, running, biking, etc.). Colorado seemed to be the best fit for our lifestyle – and it has exceeded our expectations.

My career started out working in a nursing home near Denver since that is the only setting to hire new PT graduates and at the time I really loved working with the geriatric population (what am I kidding – I still do). However, the strict demands of insurance companies and productivity left me discouraged. I didn’t enter this field to do paperwork – I want to give people high-quality care and help them restore pain-free movement towards a happier, higher quality of life. So – I left, and I joined the outpatient orthopedic world so I could live my passion of working with the active population near Boulder.

I spent the next 1-2 years working for outpatient clinics near the Boulder area. I absolutely LOVED the physical therapy I was doing; however, I again was discouraged by the lack of quality care and insurance demands. Side bar – I was also let go from my first outpatient job and as a new grad is terribly difficult to stomach. Your confidence is low to begin with, and that experience made me feel even more self-conscious about myself as a practitioner and as a human. In fact, for a brief moment I considered switching careers – because my experiences so far were not at all what I had imagined. That said – I have the most amazing support system in my family, my fiancé, and my friends. They helped me realize that physical therapy is my passion, and I was really good at it. Don’t give up. Your dream will never happen if you wait for someone else to create it – you must take matters into your own hands.

So my hands grabbed my computer and typed “PT jobs in Boulder, CO” into indeed.com. I found a small chiropractic office looking for an independent physical therapy contractor to assist in treating the high level athletes of their community. I knew nothing about business, but what the heck I’ve got nothing to lose. This opportunity taught me a TON, and I am still learning as I go. Side bar – PT school does not have a business class, discussion, or component to its curriculum. I didn’t even know what “LLC” stood for. So I had to learn everything starting from the bottom.

Its been an incredible experience. My whole life, I’ve been judged by my small, petite stature and treated as though I was not as good, not as strong, and not as tough as others. Being a woman doesn’t help either. However, I live every day to overcome this – and being a businesswoman has given me SO much self-confidence – both as a practitioner and as a person. AND – the best part – I finally am living my dream. I have created a business – no a space – that is able to provide people the high quality and affordable healthcare they want and deserve. I learn something new everyday either from my patients or my colleagues, and I meet some of the most incredible humans. Even though I am still growing personally and professionally, I love this path that my career has taken and I look forward to the battles and the successes ahead.

If you would have asked me one year ago “where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I would have NEVER said – running my own business, because of the way I felt about myself. Never did I feel good enough, smart enough, strong enough to handle such an endeavor – BUT – with the help of my support system and some REALLY good motivational books, I took the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken in my life. And I am SO happy that I did. Whoever said it first was right – “You must build your own dreams; otherwise, someone else will hire you to build theirs.”

Has it been a smooth road?
A smooth road? Not at all, and I don’t anticipate it being smooth anytime soon.

Never stop fighting, never stop believing in yourself, and never EVER think that you can’t.

Follow your own path, but don’t be afraid to ask questions and gain knowledge from the direction of other people’s paths. It is important to be humble and curious but also independent and confident. I work super hard everyday to stick up for myself and remember that my voice is just as loud and important as everyone else’s. Despite what others may tell you – their dream is not yours. You have your own wishes and goals, and they are so very valid.

I also struggle with knowing my value and worth. To this day, I still give away free treatment or discounted sessions because at the end of the day, my passion is to help people. BUT – at the end of the day you are also making a living for yourself and you have value in the services you provide. You have a skill or knowledge that others don’t have, so don’t sell your self short.

Lastly, I continue to struggle with balancing work and life. Starting your own business means no set schedule. Especially in the beginning. My brain never stopped, and I found myself on my computer until the very second I’d try to go to bed every night, every week, for months. Growth takes time, and you must be patient. Sending that email at 9:00 pm or 5:00 am is not going to make a difference in the long run. Give yourself moments to yourself – stay healthy, keep your relationships strong, and rest. All of these things will affect your business too because YOU are the one running it. The energy you put into your work won’t be sustainable because YOU need energy first.

ALSO – take vacations. I used to think spending hours at a coffee shop working on my Facebook was not “work,” and that I didn’t deserve a vacation. Refer to the paragraph above – vacations are good for the soul and for recharging your energy. The energy you need to grow your dreams.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Boulder Sports Physiotherapy – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am a physical therapist. My business is geared towards the athletic and active populations through sports medicine and orthopedic interventions; however, I treat a wide range of diagnoses and ailments that don’t always fall under the general category of “sports.” I specialize in running injuries, climbing injuries, and musculoskeletal and neurological issues. On top of my manual services and expertise in functional movement, I perform dry needling, running analyses and bike fitting for the recreational athlete.

What am I most proud of when it comes to my business? Well, it is a cash based practice that allows for long treatment sessions and one-on-one attention from a Doctor of Physical Therapy. Most clinics offer shortened 30-40 min appointments and you don’t always work with the same therapist or even a specialized therapist at each visit. Boulder Sports Physiotherapy offers 45-60 minute sessions at minimum and the entire time is spent on hands on treatment with exercises to help patients understand the way their body should move that prevents injury and pain. I take time out of my schedule to follow up with patients via phone or email to see how things are going, and I offer a lot of flexibility in my schedule to accommodate my patients. My organization also focuses a lot on community outreach. I started a Monday evening run club for women which provides a safe environment for nightly runs in a group, allows others to meet new friends, and creates an opportunity for ladies to ask questions about their bodies and how to be strong runners! We organize monthly events where we spend the second half of the evening learning about common injuries, good exercises/stretches for runners, and understanding things like nutrition or pelvic floor health as this differs amongst our male counterparts and is rarely talked about!

Lastly, I have partnered with Stryd – a company that makes power meters for runners which improves training quality and performance. With Stryd and my patients, I collect and analyze the data with the hopes of improving the knowledge of PTs for rehabilitating running injuries while also recognizing the signs of potential injury in runners! One of my values is collaboration and interdisciplinary care, which as an independent practitioner sets me apart from others.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Books:
“Women Don’t Ask” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever – a book about the struggles women face because they don’t ask for what they need, want or deserve at home or work while showing women how they can develop this crucial skill.

“The Year of No Nonsense” by Meredith Atwood. I am still reading this book, but it has really hit home on how you can’t please everyone, sometimes you have to say no, and how you can get over your struggles and get your shit together.

I love spending time on google scholar and researching physical therapy or sport-related articles – because I am a HUGE nerd.

I follow other PTs and personal trainers on Instagram because everyone has their own way of doing exercises or looking at injury which I find incredibly helpful and fascinating!

I’m also a huge music geek and find enjoyment in listening to music, watching music videos, or watching documentaries on Netflix. Because sometimes you need things in your life that are simply “for fun.”

OH – and Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation is my spirit animal. I’ve laughed a lot and learned a lot from that show.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Just my logo/business name picture: photo credit is Steven Kelly

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