Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Morgan Rodriguez, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT.
Hi Dr. Morgan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Long Beach, CA and moved to Dripping Springs, TX right before my sophomore year of high school. I spent my time in high school studying, swimming, and riding horses. I went on to Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY where I competed in Division III swimming and majored in Biology and English on a pre-med track. After a few years, I realized medical school wasn’t the next step for me and I decided to graduate early. I didn’t have a plan, but with some nudging from my dad I decided to apply to physical therapy school and spent the next year working as a personal trainer.
I graduated from Texas State University with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2021. I got my first PT job at a local outpatient orthopedics clinic that specialized in treating active adults, runners, and weightlifters. I went on to pursue post-doctoral training while working full-time and completed a fellowship in orthopedic manual therapy in 2023.
In 2022, I got a call from Fred Sassani, the owner of Bodies By Design gym in Pflugerville, TX and my brother-in-law as of a couple months ago. He was looking for a physical therapist to offer services in his gym and I jumped at the opportunity to start OPAL Movement Therapy, which is a cash-based orthopedic performance clinic that offers physical therapy, injury prevention, and performance services. It grew from sessions on the turf to a small 10″ x 12″ private treatment room to now sharing a 5,000 square foot facility with Bodies By Design and massage therapist Rebecca Alcava.
I currently manage a team of 3 including two other Doctors of Physical Therapy and an administrative assistant. I recently got married to my favorite human and we spend our time running our respective businesses, exercising, traveling, and spending time with family. I am incredibly grateful for my health, family, and the community I get to work with every day.
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?
OPAL turns 4 this year and it has been an amazing journey so far. I went to physical therapy school because I loved exercise and I wanted to help people. In one of my last classes of the program, a guest lecturer came in and spoke about how he started his own business as a physical therapist. I remember thinking, “Wow, how did he even do this? Where did he start?”
In PT school, they teach you how to become a generalist physical therapist so that you can be proficient in different settings from hospital-based rehab to sports and pelvic floor therapy. It’s up to you to specialize and seek expert-level training beyond the doctoral level. It’s also up to you to learn how to evolve from being a clinician to a business owner if that is the path you choose.
The hardest part of this road so far has been the huge learning curve of how to run a business, manage a team, and lead a brand.
Early on in my entrepreneurial journey, a mentor asked me if I knew about the Rule of Threes. I said, “Like in the thoracic spine?” For my anatomy nerds, you might be familiar with this. He meant a different Rule of Threes. He said, “When it comes to business, 1/3 of the time it will be absolutely amazing. 1/3 of time it will just be okay. And 1/3 of time it will be absolutely horrible and hard. Just know that anytime you’re in 1 of the 3, it won’t be long before you’re in the next one.”
It is so true! I can experience all 3 in 1 day–or half a day sometimes.
The good news is that all of my struggles as a physical therapist and business owner have been huge lessons learned. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) If you want to feel bad about yourself, hire an HR consultant. It’ll be rough but you’ll be so glad you did.
2) When’s the best time to get a good CPA? Yesterday.
3) What is the most painful task you can do as a business owner that yields the most ROI? Updating your Standard Operating Procedure manual.
Cheers to more lessons learned and a lot of growth as a human, business owner, and PT in the coming years!
As you know, we’re big fans of OPAL Movement Therapy . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At OPAL, our mission is to empower others to move with confidence, freedom, and joy.
Our youngest client is 12 years old and our oldest client is 97 years old. We specialize in meeting people where they are at and guiding them on how to reach their health and movement goals. We work with motivated clients who want to reduce pain, prevent injuries, and improve their performance from daily life to marathons to longevity.
We offer in-person orthopedic physical therapy in Pflugerville, TX, remote movement coaching, digital courses, and free community workshops and webinars.
We love sharing our knowledge and building long-term relationships with our clients, local community, and online community!
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
We have numerous supporters that have played a huge role in OPAL’s success and continue to help us grow and develop as a brand. There are so many more people who deserve to be on this list, but I want to acknowledge those who have been there from the very beginning:
My husband Julio Rodriguez Monagas, encouraged me from Day 1 to start my own business. He led by example and launched a successful real-estate business that allowed him to quit his job as a physical therapist and be a realtor full-time. He has been incredibly patient with me as I’ve navigated balancing entrepreneurship and my personal life.
My brother-in-law Fred Sassani trusted me to come into his gym of 20+ years and build a physical therapy clinic from the ground up. He continues to share in our successes and challenges and I am blessed to build OPAL alongside his gym community.
My dear friend and gym manager Martha Glasgow, has always had my back. She is steadfast, always eager to lend a hand, and just fun to be around. We share early mornings and late nights and lots of laughs together.
Last but not least, thank you to all of my incredible clients who took a chance on me and my baby business. You are truly the reason OPAL has grown and you motivate me everyday to find ways to serve our community and the physical therapy profession better.
Pricing:
- Our evaluations are $299. After the evaluation, rates vary depending on if you purchase single sessions or a package/membership. Each session ranges from $219-$299 depending on what works best for you and your treatment plan. We accept credit cards, cash, check, or FSA/HSA. We provide receipts for all visits so if you have out-of-network PT coverage you may be eligible for some reimbursement depending on your specific insurance plan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.opalmovementtherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opalmovementtherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opalmovementtherapy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OPALMovementTherapy
Image Credits
Kade Fresco
