No Appointment Necessary

HMDG: The Untold Story | Healthcare Businesses and The Female Touch

Overview Most people see the success story of a business. Very few see what it actually costs to build one. In this episode, Michael sits down with HMDG co-founder and his fiancée, Hannah, to talk honestly about what building HMDG actually looked like behind the scenes. Not the polished LinkedIn version. The real version. From having almost no money and wondering how they were going to pay bills, through to building and selling one of the best-known healthcare marketing businesses in the UK, this episode breaks down the stress, burnout, scaling problems, health scares and emotional pressure that came with it. They also talk about building a business together as a couple, leadership, female founders in healthcare, selling the company, and why entrepreneurship often feels far less glamorous than people imagine. Show Notes  • How HMDG actually started  • Going from broke to building a million-pound business  • Burnout, stress and health problems from scaling  • Working together as a couple  • Leadership, team culture and managing people  • Selling the company and the reality behind exits  • Female founders and being underestimated in healthcare  • Why business ownership can feel isolating  • The emotional pressure of entrepreneurship What You’ll Learn  • What building a healthcare business really looks like  • Why growth often creates more stress, not less  • The hidden emotional cost of entrepreneurship  • Why systems become critical as businesses scale  • What selling a business actually involves  • How leadership changes as companies grow  • Why luck plays a bigger role than people admit Who This Episode Is For  • Clinic owners and healthcare founders  • Entrepreneurs building service businesses  • Couples working together in business  • Healthcare professionals considering starting a company  • Anyone struggling with stress, burnout or scaling problems Guest Details Hannah Humphries – Co-Founder & Managing Director, HMDG Originally trained as a physiotherapist, Hannah co-founded HMDG and helped grow it into one of the UK’s leading healthcare marketing businesses. Visit https://hmdg.co.uk [https://hmdg.co.uk/] for further information.    Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]

The Revenue Leakage Most Clinics Never Track - With Jared at Coherent Healthcare

Overview Part honest conversation, part industry insight, this episode explores one of the most misunderstood topics in healthcare: sales. Most clinics think they have a marketing problem. In reality, many have a follow-up problem. Enquiries come in through forms, phone calls, WhatsApp, social media, and email, but too often nobody really knows what happens next. Patients drift away, systems miss them, and clinics lose revenue without ever spotting where the leakage is happening. In this episode, Michael sits down with Jared Aron, founder of Coherent, to talk about why sales should not be a dirty word in healthcare. They unpack patient drop-off, recall, reactivation, lead conversion, poor PMS data, and the hidden cost of clunky clinic systems. They also touch on how better visibility tools like the HMDG Capacity Engine (https://capacity.hmdg.co.uk/ [https://capacity.hmdg.co.uk/]) and Retention Engine (https://retention.hmdg.co.uk/ [https://retention.hmdg.co.uk/]) can help clinics actually understand what’s going on beneath the surface. Show Notes *   Why sales is misunderstood in healthcare *  Jared’s background in clinics and healthcare technology *  The idea of patient leakage and where clinics lose people *  Why PMS data is often inaccurate or misleading *  The gap between medical records and customer records *  Why many clinics stop following up too early *  How better follow-up improves lead conversion and recall *  What healthy inquiry-to-booking conversion can look like *  Why poor booking systems create friction and lost revenue *  How irrelevant automation trains patients to ignore clinics *  Why timing, channel, and relevance matter in patient communication *  The real ROI of better follow-up What You’ll Learn * Why sales in healthcare is really about better follow-up *  How clinics lose patients without realising it *  Why PMS retention figures can be misleading *  What stronger lead handling actually looks like *  Why consistency matters as much as speed *  How reactivation varies across different services *  Why poor systems reduce bookings *  How better communication can improve conversion *  Why tools like the Capacity Engine (https://capacity.hmdg.co.uk/ [https://capacity.hmdg.co.uk/]) and Retention Engine (https://retention.hmdg.co.uk [https://retention.hmdg.co.uk/]) help you understand performance properly *  Why ROI includes both revenue gained and time saved Who This Episode Is For * Private practice owners who feel they are losing patients *  MSK clinic owners looking to improve conversion and recall *  Healthcare businesses frustrated by poor systems and messy data *  Practice owners who want growth without being overly salesy *  Marketing and growth teams working with clinics Guest Details Jared Aron - Founder, Coherent With a background in clinic leadership, medical devices, and healthcare technology. After seeing how difficult it was for clinics to manage patient drop-off, retention, and recall with existing systems, he founded Coherent to help practices improve revenue by fixing leakage across the patient journey. Visit https://hmdg.co.uk [https://hmdg.co.uk/] for further information.    Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]

Clinic Benchmarking Live with Flex Physio

Overview Part industry analysis, part honest conversation, and a clear reality check for clinic owners who want to know where they actually stand. Most clinics don’t know what the average physio appointment costs in their region. They don’t know what a good rebooking rate looks like. They don’t know whether their marketing spend, utilisation, or team structure is healthy compared to the rest of the industry. In this episode, Michael sits down with Alex Kyriacou, co-owner of Flex Physiotherapy, to walk through the results of the Private Practice Barometer, one of the largest benchmarking surveys ever conducted in the MSK industry. Using data from hundreds of clinics, they compare Flex Physio’s numbers against national benchmarks. From pricing and retention to staffing models, technology, marketing costs, and owner wellbeing, the conversation explores what “normal” actually looks like in private practice. Show Notes * Why the Private Practice Barometer was created *  How Flex Physio grew from satellite clinics to a 13-person practice *  Typical physio pricing across the UK and how Flex compares *  Why raising prices doesn’t necessarily reduce patient demand *  Admin support, staffing models, and clinician productivity *  PAYE vs contractor clinicians and the impact on culture *  Utilisation rates: what a healthy diary actually looks like *  DNA rates and systems that reduce missed appointments *  Rebooking rates and the role of patient trust *  Technology in modern clinics: ultrasound, shockwave, and force plates *  Understanding patient acquisition cost and marketing spend *  Why many clinics lack financial visibility *  Scaling vs staying small, and the reality of clinic growth What You’ll Learn * Why most clinic owners don’t know their true performance benchmarks *  How pricing compares across different UK regions *  Why raising prices often improves retention *  The systems that reduce DNAs and improve rebooking *  What a healthy utilisation rate actually looks like *  How admin support affects clinician productivity *  Why contractor models can limit long-term growth *  The relationship between clinic size and owner happiness *  How technology can increase pricing power and retention *  Why understanding patient acquisition cost matters Who This Episode Is For * Private practice owners who want to benchmark their clinic properly *  MSK clinicians thinking about starting or scaling a practice *  Clinic owners unsure whether their numbers are “good” or “bad” *  Healthcare businesses trying to improve profitability *  Practice owners who want clearer strategic decisions Guest Details Alex Kyriacou - Co-Owner, Flex Physiotherapy Alex is a physiotherapist and co-owner of Flex Physiotherapy in Burgess Hill, Sussex. After joining as an associate in 2019, he became part of the leadership team alongside founders Matt Prout and Kieran Barnard. Flex has grown from small satellite clinics into a multidisciplinary practice with a rehabilitation gym, diagnostics, and a team of more than a dozen staff. Alongside running the clinic, Alex continues to work full-time in the NHS, giving him a unique perspective on both public and private healthcare systems. Visit https://hmdg.co.uk [https://hmdg.co.uk/] for further information.    Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]

The Patient’s Take: Trust, WhatsApp and Modern Patient Relationships

Overview Most clinics obsess over clinical quality. Very few audit the experience around it. In this episode, Michael sits down with Heather, a former agency owner, now AI advisor, and long-term MSK patient, to get an outsider’s perspective on private practice. From first phone calls to follow-up WhatsApp, pricing strategy to practitioner branding, this is an honest look at what patients actually notice. They explore why “great clinicians” aren’t enough, how small operational details drive referrals, what women in leadership experience differently, and where AI genuinely adds value, without damaging trust. This is a conversation about business fundamentals, patient psychology, and the uncomfortable truths clinic owners need to hear. Show Notes * Why patient experience starts before the first appointment * Missed calls, slow callbacks, and operational blind spots * Clean rooms, clear communication, and the details patients actually notice * Why referrals are worth more than retention * The brand vs the practitioner: who do patients stay loyal to? * Boutique clinics vs bigger models, and why women often choose differently * Pricing in a tighter economy: value vs sensitivity * Why most people don’t understand what physios actually do * The opportunity for clinics to replace the lost “family GP” role * Accountants, metrics, and why messy numbers kill leverage * Business coaches, snake oil, and the danger of generic advice * AI in clinics: where it saves time, where it creates risk * Why AI fluency must start with the owner What You’ll Learn * Why clinical excellence alone doesn’t guarantee growth * How operational friction quietly kills referrals * Why patients care more about experience than expertise * The difference between price resistance and value resistance * How to think about clinic pricing in uncertain economic times * Why most clinic owners treat the business like a bank account * What good financial visibility actually looks like * How to evaluate advisors, consultants, and coaches properly * Where AI genuinely improves efficiency, and where it erodes trust * Why authenticity still wins in an automated world Who This Episode Is For * Clinic owners who want honest external feedback * MSK practitioners serious about improving patient experience * Leaders thinking about pricing and positioning * Clinics exploring AI tools but unsure where to start * Female clinic owners navigating leadership and growth * Business-minded clinicians who know “being good” isn’t enough Not For * Owners who believe clinical skill alone drives growth * Clinics unwilling to review their operations honestly * People expecting AI to solve structural business problems * Leaders who don’t want their assumptions challenged Guest Details Heather. Founder, The AI Edit Heather built and sold a UK marketing and PR agency before leading a group of agencies and, more recently, launching The AI Edit, a consultancy focused on helping leaders think clearly about AI and implement it responsibly. With 25 years in business leadership and a long history as a private MSK patient, she brings a rare dual perspective: commercial operator and healthcare consumer. Her work now focuses on AI fluency, risk awareness, and practical implementation, without hype. Visit https://hmdg.co.uk [https://hmdg.co.uk/] for further information.    Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]

If Money Fixed Clinics, We’d All Be Fine

Overview Most clinic owners don’t burn out because they’re “bad at business.” They burn out because they’re carrying too much, in an industry that rarely admits how hard it is. In this episode of No Appointment Necessary, Michael sits down with Jo Turner, a physiotherapist of 30 years, clinic owner, and founder of Mehab. To talk about the side of private practice that rarely gets airtime: identity, pressure, perfectionism, and the quiet emotional weight of running a clinic. They unpack why better metrics don’t automatically create happier owners, why clinic owners often operate like isolated islands, and how well-being support can improve performance as a byproduct, not the goal. It’s an honest conversation about the “messy middle” of clinic growth, the myths around money and success, and what it really takes to stay in the profession without losing yourself. Show Notes * Jo’s shift from clinic owner to clinician coach (and why it happened during COVID) * Why better metrics don’t automatically mean happier clinic owners * The “messy middle” of clinic growth: stress, money pressure, and isolation * Perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the fear of being seen struggling * Toxic comparison in the profession, and how it impacts confidence * Practical takeaways: identity, boundaries, doing less, and decision filters that calm the noise What You’ll Learn * Why improving wellbeing often improves performance without chasing performance * How perfectionism and comparison create chronic stress in clinic owners * Why “more money” doesn’t fix emotional exhaustion * What the “messy middle” looks like, and why so many clinics get stuck there * How to spot when growth is costing you more than it’s giving back * Why clinic ownership can change how people see you overnight * How to rebuild identity outside the clinician role * Why doing less can create better outcomes for both patient and clinician * Simple filters for decision-making: does it make you happy? does it move the needle? Who This Episode Is For * Clinic owners who feel stressed, isolated, or quietly overwhelmed * Physios questioning whether they can stay in the profession long-term * Clinicians who feel like they “should be coping better” * Practice managers supporting burnt-out owners or teams * Anyone tired of hustle-content and keen on a more sustainable view of success Not For * People looking for “10 hacks to scale your clinic fast” * Anyone who thinks wellbeing is fluffy or irrelevant to performance * Listeners expecting quick fixes instead of real reflection * Clinicians who only want tactics, not mindset, identity, and behaviour change Guest Details Jo Turner - Physiotherapist, Clinic Owner & Founder, Mehab Jo Turner is a UK physiotherapist of 30 years and owner of two clinics in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. Just before COVID, she trained as a life coach, a shift that became the foundation for Mehab, her coaching organisation focused on supporting clinician wellbeing. Jo provides one-to-one coaching, group coaching, and courses designed specifically for clinicians and clinic owners, helping people feel safe, regain perspective, and rebuild a sustainable relationship with work, identity, and performance. Visit https://hmdg.co.uk [https://hmdg.co.uk/] for further information.    Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app]