Life & Work with Sam Fischer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Fischer.

Hi Sam, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Began as an undergraduate unpaid intern at a PT clinic to satisfy my credit load. Obtained certification in Pedorthics (study of foot/ankle biomechanics, orthotic fabrication, and shoe modification) and managed a performance shoe fitting and orthotic fabrication department of a busy outpatient orthopedic clinic in Rhode Island.

Went back to obtain Doctorate in Physical Therapy and worked in a variety of settings, including outpatient ortho, home health care, and hospital-based acute care. Moved to Colorado in 2015 and worked primarily in outpatient ortho. Came to the realization that many clinics just weren’t treating or operating in a way that I felt was 100% focused on individual patient outcomes. Many treatment plans were cookie-cutter, everyone got the same exercises or treatment.

After a fairly severe injury (broken hip) in 2017 I decided to start taking steps to figure out the logistics of opening a clinic. In 2018 I quit my full-time job and went on a cross-country mountain bike tour with my younger brother to clear my head and strategize steps for opening. Was able to find a small space in 2018 and opened doors in 2019 officially. Have grown slowly and consistently, rely on word of mouth mainly.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Haha, not even remotely close to being smooth. As it turns out most landlords won’t rent to you if you don’t have a business history or a lot of money or funding. I didn’t have either. Crashed at a family member’s house during the first 6 months or so because I couldn’t afford 2 rent.

When I finally found a space my address on the lease was incorrect so all of my contracts with insurance (medicare, BCBC, united health, etc) were set up incorrectly which delayed opening. Covid hit shortly after opening as well and I was shut down for a total of 12 weeks that year with initial closure and loss of clients as well as exposures and quarantine requirements.

Figuring out the PPP program was a nightmare and I didn’t qualify for almost anything because I hadn’t technically been taking a salary yet and they based payments on payroll numbers. There was a time in there that I had decided to shut down permanently because financially it was rough. After quickly job searching it turned out no one was hiring, so my only option was to keep going. Glad I did now.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think the big thing is my experience with foot orthotics, shoe fit, function, and advanced lower extremity biomechanics. PT school doesn’t typically go into too much detail with the foot, which is crazy to me. I had the privilege of working with and learning from some of the top human biomechanics minds in the nation and have been able to apply those to my practice. Foot/ankle rehab in the sense of PT is a niche that doesn’t seem to be filled.

People may know the foot structurally but not so much about how changing it affects up-chain mechanics. All too often I see over-corrective orthotics or orthotics that are thinking of a static foot vs a dynamic moving foot. These are then paired with incorrect footwear and usually cause more issues than solving them. Maybe their foot feels better but then the knee or hip suddenly starts hurting.

Usually, less is more when working on foot/ankle mechanics. I think this is a massive area that is underserved in Fort Collins currently. Yes, some people make orthotics and fit shoes, but putting it all together with the person as a whole is a big area that can be improved upon.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Honestly, I don’t view myself as a risk-taker, but my actions probably speak otherwise. On two occasions now I’ve quit jobs to ride a bike across the country. The second almost one year to the day after breaking a hip mountain biking. Moved to Colorado with no job set in place. Left a stable clinical position to start a business with no knowledge of how to do that and no funding to make it happen. I

feel like taking risks to make you figure it out. Once you commit, there’s no way back and you grow a lot as you power through those decisions. I think it is that little nagging voice in the back of your head that says two things. First, “this is probably a bad idea, you are comfortable where you’re at, don’t do it.” second, “what if you can pull it off?” I think it’s the “what if” that keeps me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: choicecitypt.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choicecitypt/