Exploring Life & Business with Dr. Amy Novotny of PABR Institute

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Amy Novotny. 

Hi Dr. Novotny, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I started in the healthcare world by getting my doctorate in physical therapy in 2009. I worked as a physical therapist for 5 years before beginning to develop the PABR® method. It started slowly while I was taking some courses and learning to think about the physical body differently. I was also training to qualify for the Boston Marathon in early 2014 and while I was running 8 miles on the treadmill in less than an hour, I begin to play with my body position and breathing mechanics. When I felt all the chronic runners’ aches or tightness leave my body, I knew I was onto something. I got of the treadmill after 8 miles and it didn’t even feel like I had run. I stopped, stretching, scraping, and foam rolling. The next marathon I ran, I dropped 7 min off my best marathon time with no other training changes. Later that year, I ran another marathon and dropped another 7 min off my best time and accomplished a 3:19 marathon time. I began developing a process to help others and implemented it when I could. I soon began helping people out of joint replacement surgeries, back surgeries, neck surgeries, ACL, and rotator cuff surgeries. I was then hired to travel around the world with a renowned photographer to coach him on this process and help him avoid a rotator cuff surgery and a knee replacement surgery. After traveling from the Arctic to the Antarctic with him and his partner and keeping him from having those surgeries, I started my own business. Soon I was attending events around the country helping business owners and entrepreneurs as well as speaking on stages. I converted to all virtual coaching in 2020 and continued to speak on stages and help clients all over the world. I now offer one-on-one coaching as well as live and video group courses. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been a bumpy ride. I had to figure out how to start a business and run one since I had no business training or background. After a year of being in business, I learned the importance of having a bookkeeper. Then I learned about branding and why that’s so important. With covid shutting down my in-person office in March 2020, I had to convert to all virtual. I had to build the business from the ground up all over again. There were other instances where people tried to take advantage of me and my technique to use it for their gains so I had to set boundaries. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Each client’s experience is different. Some experience relief from their body pain and can cancel their joint replacement surgeries, back or neck surgeries, and ACL or rotator cuff surgeries. Others find relief from their chronic non-surgical pains in various areas of their bodies. Still yet, other clients alleviate stress, anxiety, panic, and insomnia as they work through prior traumas. We even work with professional athletes or business owners who want to improve their focus, attention, performance, strength, and mobility. The common denominator in all of the above scenarios is our clients learn to calm down their fight or flight nervous system to alleviate these conditions that are impacting their lives and activities. We use a method over Zoom called the PABR® method. It is unique and most clients are those who have exhausted other health and wellness options. We work hard to provide a naturalistic holistic approach to controlling the nervous system and our health. So many clients rejoice in the peace and freedom they regained in their bodies by doing the work themselves. It’s empowering to them to control their own health and body state. We offer one-on-one coaching sessions, live group coaching sessions, and video-only coaching sessions. 

We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
I think risk-taking is a part of life and is necessary to test your boundaries and potential. It leads to a lot of learning and growth. Risk-taking has been a huge part of my life. Deciding to travel around the world for 6 months with a photographer and his partner while giving up my job, house, and life was a big upheaval. Then returning and deciding not to go back to my old job but instead to sell my house and start a business with no training was another big risk. Even pivoting from in-person to virtual challenged me in many ways since the skepticism of this process working virtually was enormous. I learned a lot about myself and the world through all these risks and I will continue to take the leap when faced with the next risk. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pabrinstitute.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anovotn/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dramynovotny/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/amynovotnyaz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrAmyNovotny