Episode Summary

Are you leaving money on the table because of "fear-based" billing? Live from the Growth Code Conference, host Will Humphreys sits down with the industry’s foremost expert on reimbursement and compliance, Rick Gawenda, President of Gawenda Seminars & Consulting, Inc.

In this episode, Rick strips away the fluff to discuss the massive regulatory shifts coming to Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy. From the looming 2027 Speech Therapy CPT code overhaul to the "when, not if" reality of audits, Rick explains how to protect your license while ethically maximizing your revenue. If you’ve ever worried about a government shutdown affecting telehealth or felt guilty about your profit margins, this conversation is your roadmap to financial clarity and clinical peace of mind.

Key Takeaways

• 35 Years of Expertise -Rick shares his journey from physical therapist to a leading consultant and legal expert witness. He discusses his role in helping therapists stay out of "legal jail" and keep their licenses secure.
• The Hard Truth About Rehab Margins - Why the therapy business is tougher than the restaurant industry. Rick explains how inflation has risen 43% since 2010, while many payers are actually paying less than they did 15 years ago.
• Documentation & The "When" of Audits - Rick previews his Growth Code sessions, focusing on high-level documentation from eval to discharge.
• Breaking News: 2027 Speech Therapy Changes - Rick reveals (within NDA limits) the massive shift coming for SLPs: CPT code 92507 is being deleted in 2027 and replaced by 10 new timed units. This will fundamentally change how pediatric speech therapy is reimbursed.
• The "Top 5" Strategy - Feeling overwhelmed by 200 different insurance carriers? Rick explains the Pareto Principle of billing: Focus on the 5–7 payers that make up 85% of your volume to stay 100% compliant.
• The "Over-Documentation" Trap - Why new grads often under-bill but over-document, and how extra "fluff" in your notes can actually be used against you in court.
• When Does Therapy Actually Begin? A game-changing tip for providers: Therapy starts the moment you greet the patient in the waiting room. Rick explains how to capture those "lost" minutes of assessment and education as billable time.
• Financial Transparency & Staff Retention - How sharing metrics and "Tuesday Huddles" creates a culture of leadership. Rick and Will discuss the true cost of an employee (30–35% above salary) and how to explain this to staff to align goals.

Connect with Rick Gawenda

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gawendaseminarsandconsulting/
• Gawenda Seminars & Consulting Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/gawendaseminars
• Twitter at: https://twitter.com/gawendaseminars - @gawendaseminars
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gscconsulting/ - @gscconsulting

About the Host & Sponsor

• Will Humphreys: Speaker, coach, and founder of the Will Power Podcast. https://www.virtualrockstar.com/will
• Rockstar Virtual Assistant: Scale your practice and reclaim your time with the i

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
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In this powerhouse episode of the Will Power Project, Will sits down with long-time collaborator and industry leader Nathan Shields (Founder of the Private Practice Owners Club). Nathan has navigated the entire entrepreneurial lifecycle—from grinding out paper notes at 4:00 AM in a single clinic to scaling, selling, and now coaching hundreds of other owners.

The conversation centers on a pivotal moment in Nathan's recent career: having to fill two hours of "dead air" at a high-stakes workshop with zero preparation. He reveals how decades of "business ownership tuition" allowed him to facilitate a masterclass off the cuff, proving that your past struggles are actually a well of wisdom waiting to be tapped.

In this episode, we break down:

• The "Technician’s Trap": Why being a great therapist is often the biggest hurdle to becoming a great business owner.
• The Price of Tuition: Reflecting on the "millions" lost to inefficiency and why hiring a coach is cheaper than letting life teach you the hard way.
• Judgment vs. Effort: Relearning your value as your business grows from $1M to $3M and beyond.
• The Courage to Confront: Why your growth velocity is directly proportional to your ability to have hard conversations.
• A Message from the Future: What a 90-year-old version of yourself would say about your current business stress (Spoiler: It involves more grace and more moisturizer).

Connect with Nathan Shields

• Podcast: Private Practice Owners Club (Over 350 episodes of industry-leading content).
• Community: Join the Private Practice Owners Club Facebook Group.
• Fractional CFO Program: Reach out to Nathan directly at nathan@ppoclub.com to learn about the Profit Intelligence Program and plug the revenue leaks in your practice.
• Upcoming Event: Join the PPO Club Conference in San Antonio, October 15th–17th, 2026.

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.

What happens when a high-stakes investment banker swaps Wall Street trading floors for the waiting rooms of a pediatric therapy clinic? In this episode, live from the Growth Code Conference, Will Humphreys sits down with Adnan Bhanpuri, co-owner of Treehouse Pediatric Therapy.

Adnan shares a masterclass in "indirect impact"—how non-clinical leadership, insurance negotiations, and operational excellence create the "bespoke" experience families need when they are at their most vulnerable. If you’ve ever wondered how to align your administrative team with your clinical mission, this conversation is for you.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Corporate Pivot: Why Adnan left the world of structured credit (think The Big Short) to find a more "human" ROI in pediatric rehab.
• The "Broadway" Analogy: Understanding the vital role of non-clinical staff as the stagehands that make the clinical "performance" possible.
• Following the Pain: How Treehouse evolved from a speech-only clinic to a multidisciplinary powerhouse (ABA, OT, PT, and Social Work) by simply listening to parent frustrations.
• The "Pura Vida" Leadership Style: Using a Growth Mindset to navigate the "Byzantine" rules of insurance and the stresses of business ownership.
• Operational Empathy: Why getting an insurance contract right or a schedule fixed is actually an act of love for the families you serve.

If you are a practice owner looking to bridge the gap between your administrative staff and your clinical mission, or if you're looking for inspiration on how to scale a "bespoke" family experience, this episode is for you.

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Virtual Rockstars specialize in helping support or replace all non-clinical roles.
Learn how a Virtual Rockstar can help scale your physical therapy practice.

Subscribe here to our completely free Stress-Free PT Newsletter for your weekly dose of joy.