Ep.394: What Your Credit Card Fees Aren't Telling You

In this episode of Physical Therapy Private Practice: Secrets of the Top 10%, Brian Gallagher, PT, explores how AI and today's economic shifts are reshaping the landscape of physical therapy private practice. Fresh from APTA PPS 2025, Brian dives into the challenges facing owners — inflation, staffing, reimbursement, and the widening affordability gap — and how new technologies, outsourcing, and AI-driven systems are helping practices adapt and thrive. You'll learn how to recognize "The Great Disconnect" between Wall Street's booming AI economy and the real economy on Main Street — and what top 10% practice owners are doing right now to stay profitable, scalable, and resilient in 2026.

Hiring shouldn't feel like a revolving door. In this episode, Brian Gallagher reveals why so many PT practices struggle to keep great people — and how the most successful clinics retain loyal, productive, high-performing teams. Learn how to replace "task training" with a performance-driven culture built on purpose, clear structure, and meaningful accountability. When your staff understands their role, feels valued, and sees a future with your organization, retention becomes the norm — not the challenge. If you want to stop burnout, stop turnover, and start building a team that sticks… this episode is your blueprint.  

In this episode, Brian Gallagher sits down with Tom Cooley, founder of Go Card Connect, to uncover what's really behind the credit card fees PT owners pay every month. Tom has spent over a decade working exclusively in the physical therapy space, helping private practice owners understand where their processing costs come from, how to spot hidden fees, and what to look for in their merchant statements. Together, they reveal how small, unnoticed charges can add up to thousands each year—and how a simple merchant audit can uncover quick savings without disrupting your EMR or billing system.  

What if your practice was the Costco of physical therapy — the place everyone trusts, loves, and gladly keeps coming back to? This week, Brian Gallagher breaks down how one of the most successful businesses in America creates loyal members, delivers consistent value, and scales with efficiency — and how YOU can apply the same proven strategies inside your private practice. Learn how to elevate patient experience, hire stronger performers, and build a culture that people never want to leave.

Brian Gallagher sits down with Sean Healy, Founder and President of Accounted4 LLC, based in Philadelphia, PA, to unpack the financial side of running a physical therapy private practice. Together, they explore the difference between profit and cash flow, the power of KPIs, and why maintaining data integrity leads to smarter business decisions. They also discuss today's economic challenges, creative financial strategies, and how the evolving landscape of accounting can help practice owners adapt, grow, and recognize their true value. 🔹 Schedule a free QuickBooks Analysis with the Accounted4 team here: 👉 Book Your 30-Minute Call 🔹 Or learn how MEG can help you scale your systems, billing, and operations: 👉 Book a MEG Discovery Call

Most private practice owners aren't being held back by their competition — they're being held back by fear. In this week's episode, Brian unpacks the two types of mistakes that quietly sabotage your success: The Conscious Mistake: When you overanalyze and delay decisions until opportunity passes. The Invisible Mistake: When you make choices on autopilot, using old ideas that no longer fit your current situation. You'll learn how to recognize both, how to stop "slow-rolling" your decisions, and how to confidently act like a CEO — without letting fear of mistakes stall your progress.

This episode is all about shifting how you think as a practice owner. You're not just a clinician anymore — you're the doctor of your business. It's time to diagnose your practice the same way you would a patient: identify the symptoms, run the right tests, and apply the cure. We'll cover how to measure what truly matters, manage by statistics instead of personality, and fix the two biggest problems holding most owners back — slow growth and lack of new patients. If your goal is to lead smarter, grow stronger, and finally hit that 15% profit mark, this conversation is for you.

As a PT private practice owner, one of the biggest challenges you'll face isn't just reimbursement cuts or competition—it's uninspired staff. In this episode, Brian breaks down how practice owners can re-ignite motivation in their teams by starting with themselves, communicating effectively, and turning negative energy into productive engagement. From diffusing anger to addressing unexpressed resentment, and from empowering individuals to building a culture everyone wants to be part of, you'll discover the practical leadership tools you need to deal with uninspired staff—and prevent it from spreading in your practice.  

Are you tired of balance sheets, P&Ls, and financial jargon that never seem to match what's really happening in your practice? In this episode, Brian explains why true success as a PT private practice owner comes from confidence in your leadership role—not accounting reports. You'll learn how to focus on the right numbers, create a culture that retains staff and patients, and build quality systems that naturally drive growth. If you've ever felt overwhelmed or unsure in your role as the owner, this conversation will give you the clarity you need to lead with confidence.  

In this week's episode, Brian Gallagher takes you behind the scenes of Division 4 — the Production Division to reveal the systems that separate winning PT practices from the rest. From his own story of late-night patient notes in 2002 to scaling his business by millions and founding MEG, Brian shares the mindset, policies, and investments that fuel lasting success.