by Barry Nguyen
Running an allied health clinic is a business — but most of the real lessons are never shared publicly. Behind every clinic are decisions about hiring, pricing, growth, and risk. This series captures honest, unscripted conversations with practitioners actually running clinics — from first-time owners to multi-site operators. No scripts. No polished talking points. Just what it’s really like. This series is hosted and supported by CliniScribe AI.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
3/30/2026
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July 11, 2026
<p>What happens when a pediatric physio transitions from a solo mobile provider to a multi-clinic owner, to a policy advocate, an AHPRA board member, and finally a health-tech startup founder? </p><p><br></p><p>In Episode 17 of The Business of Allied Health, I’m joined by Carolyn O’Mahoney, a true multi-hyphenate in the allied health space. Carolyn shares her incredible journey—starting a clinic simply to afford her PD while raising a family as a defense spouse, and ultimately scaling it to 28 staff members across three locations. </p><p><br></p><p>But her most valuable insights come from her MBA and policy work. Carolyn unpacks the hard data she collected during the NDIS rollout, revealing how the shift to NDIS funding initially decimated clinic profit margins—and how she used her clinic's data to advocate for the entire profession, leading to the approval of billable non-face-to-face time.</p><p><br></p><p>We dive deep into:</p><p>* Scaling from Scratch – Building a 28-staff practice starting with just two clients a week in a 3-hour window.</p><p>* The NDIS Data Reality – The "alarmingly huge" profit erosion that clinics faced early on, and how she helped change the policy.</p><p>* Exit Strategies – Why she sold to a corporate entity, and the crucial lesson she learned about clinical founders vs. business operators.</p><p>* The AHPRA Reality – Demystifying the notification process from a board member's perspective (and the #1 thing that saves practitioners).</p><p>* Wait Once – Her new venture solving the massive "rescheduling revenue leak" that costs clinics hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.</p><p><br></p><p>If you’re a clinic owner navigating the complexities of NDIS funding, team utilization, or looking to understand the real levers of clinic profitability, you cannot miss this episode.</p><p><br></p><p>Also streaming now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!</p><p><br></p><p>Supported by CliniScribe AI</p><p><br></p><p>**Timestamps:**</p><p>[00:00:09] Carolyn's journey: From pediatric neuro physio to AHPRA and startups</p><p>[00:04:40] Starting a mobile clinic as a defense spouse with 3 hours a week</p><p>[00:06:47] Scaling to 28 staff and surviving the transition to NDIS</p><p>[00:08:28] Advocacy: How Carolyn's data helped increase the NDIS hourly rate</p><p>[00:10:49] Selling her practice to a corporate and pursuing an MBA</p><p>[00:14:13] The biggest lesson for clinicians exiting their business</p><p>[00:15:37] The most critical metric for clinic survival (Utilization)</p><p>[00:19:37] Inside AHPRA: The true purpose of the board and how to avoid trouble</p><p>[00:22:38] Why she built Wait Once: Solving the massive cost of schedule gaps</p><p>[00:26:36] Wait Once integrations and future plans</p>
July 3, 2026
<p>Do you need a massive loan and a fancy fit-out to start a successful private practice? Not at all. </p><p><br></p><p>In Episode 16 of The Business of Allied Health, I sit down with Ben Herde, founder of Grand Slam Physio. Ben and his wife Belinda initially built their clinic as a "lean startup" on the mezzanine floor of an indoor tennis center. Their goal? To create a business that supported their lifestyle of traveling on the professional tennis circuit (including the WTA and 2016 Rio Olympics). </p><p><br></p><p>Today, they run highly successful, purpose-built clinics in the Geelong and Torquay region. We unpack exactly how they transitioned from a humble space into a thriving regional business.</p><p><br></p><p>We dive deep into:</p><p>* The Lean Startup – How starting with cheap rent and a minimal setup allowed them to take calculated risks early on.</p><p>* Spousal Co-Founders – The strict "25-minute commute" boundary they use to separate the business from their marriage and family life.</p><p>* Niche Domination – How leaning into their deep expertise in tennis physiotherapy drove massive organic growth.</p><p>* Referrer Management – The simple, consistent communication strategies that built their local network (and how they use CliniScribe AI to automate it).</p><p>* The "P" Word – Why profit isn't a dirty word in healthcare, and how it enables better patient care, facility upgrades, and staff retention.</p><p><br></p><p>If you’re a clinic owner looking to build a business that serves your lifestyle rather than consuming it, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.</p><p><br></p><p>Also streaming now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!</p><p><br></p><p>Supported by CliniScribe AI</p><p><br></p><p>**Timestamps:**</p><p>[00:00:00] Introduction & the impact of mentorship</p><p>[00:00:40] The accidental origins of Grand Slam Physio</p><p>[00:01:34] Rules for running a business with your spouse</p><p>[00:02:55] Leveraging a specific niche (Tennis) to grow organically</p><p>[00:03:39] The lean startup approach: Starting on a mezzanine floor</p><p>[00:04:24] Overcoming early growth challenges and local competition</p><p>[00:05:29] "Clinical excellence drives commercial success" & managing referrers</p><p>[00:07:12] Why profit is the ultimate enabler in healthcare</p><p>[00:08:08] The most important lesson for new clinic owners</p>
June 27, 2026
<p>Supported by CliniScribe AIIn this episode of the Business of Allied Health series, we sit down with Professor Mark Merolli, an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne, physiotherapist, and digital health pioneer. Mark shares his unique "polymath" career journey, starting as a traditional sports physiotherapist before a pivotal stint in London during the Global Financial Crisis exposed him to the broader worlds of technology, finance, and management consulting. Recognizing the untapped potential of tech in healthcare early on, he pivoted to pursue a PhD in health informatics long before "digital health" became an industry buzzword.The discussion unpacks how allied health professionals can build diverse, non-traditional careers that prevent clinical burnout and foster continuous growth. Mark details his hands-on education in practice management as a clinic director, his return to academia, and his patient, 18-year strategy to launch a micro-clinic inside his local gym. He also shares his insights on balancing multiple ventures—from running a clinic and mentoring his first hire, to developing a venture-funded wearable health startup, to teaching the next generation of clinicians. For any clinic owner or practitioner looking to diversify their career, Mark's perspective on utilizing automation, planting long-term seeds, and learning from industries outside of healthcare is a masterclass in career design.Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to Professor Mark Merolli and his early career in sports physio02:22 - The "London Story": Networking outside of healthcare during the Global Financial Crisis03:55 - Pivoting to digital health and pursuing a PhD in health informatics05:19 - Learning practice management and business operations as a clinic director06:23 - Balancing academia, clinical practice, and a digital health startup07:18 - Planting the seed: The 18-year conversation to open a micro-clinic in a gym10:32 - Hiring strategies: Managing entrepreneurial clinicians vs. loyal team members12:56 - Mentorship and the value of informal networks in business14:00 - The "polymath" approach: Diversifying your career to avoid clinical burnout15:16 - Final words of wisdom: Embrace technology, automate systems, and feed your soul</p>
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Running an allied health clinic is a business — but most of the real lessons are never shared publicly.
Behind every clinic are decisions about hiring, pricing, growth, and risk.
This series captures honest, unscripted conversations with practitioners actually running clinics — from first-time owners to multi-site operators.
No scripts. No polished talking points. Just what it’s really like.
This series is hosted and supported by CliniScribe AI.
This podcast updates daily.
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