The Cash-Based Practice Podcast

Jarod Carter

Gathering input from many successful cash-based practice owners, this podcast covers all components of starting or transitioning into the out-of-network/private-pay business model for your private practice. Though the host, Jarod Carter PT, DPT, MTC, and many interviewees are physical therapists, this information is applicable to most healthcare, fitness, and wellness-related businesses looking to decrease reliance on 3rd party payors, and increase cash-based revenue streams. We cover a huge number of topics including: practice transition strategies, 3rd party payor contract legalities, Medicare rules and legalities in the cash-based model, referral source diversification, online marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, optimal website design, blogging, Youtube and video marketing, networking skills and strategies, the vital cash-based mindset, phone conversations and conversions, scheduling, discharge marketing, administrative training, low overhead systems and automation, private-pay wellness/fitness/prevention programs, and everything else that involves the self-pay practice model, how it differs from the traditional insurance-based model, and what you need to do to be successful with this low-stress, rewarding type of private practice.

  1. CBP 307: Cash Practice Admins that crush it – Interview Musts to find yours

    6H AGO

    CBP 307: Cash Practice Admins that crush it – Interview Musts to find yours

    Most practice owners think hiring problems begin after the employee starts. Usually, they begin during the interview. Because the wrong admin can sound amazing in a conversation. They can be friendly, confident, experienced, and still end up becoming one of the biggest operational headaches in your business. That's especially true in a Cash-Based practice. This model requires a very different type of front desk team member than most traditional Insurance-Based clinics are used to hiring… The communication responsibilities are way higher. The ownership level must be higher. The ability to follow scripts, handle feedback, and help guide patients through a sales process matters far more than most owners realize. If your interview process doesn't identify those qualities and skills, you'll pay for it later through poor conversions, operational chaos, and a schedule that has way more gaps than it should have. And if you're interested in my recruiting, hiring, and interviewing system that automates the filtering out of bad candidates who might otherwise talk their way into your business, check out "The Automated Talent Attraction and Hiring System" What You'll Learn in This Episode How to identify the characteristics that matter most before hiring Why many experienced medical receptionists fail in cash-based practices The biggest interview mistakes most practice owners make How to ask questions that expose red flags quickly Why coachability matters more than experience How to use AI to generate the best interview questions to identify the best fit for a specific role you're trying to fill How to determine if you are ready for full-time administrative help USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    10 min
  2. CBP 306: The Leap of Faith - When & How to Go from Side-Hustle to Full Time Cash Practice

    MAY 2

    CBP 306: The Leap of Faith - When & How to Go from Side-Hustle to Full Time Cash Practice

    Most practice owners who start their practice as a side hustle, don't struggle because it's not a good model/approach. They struggle because it when it really starts working, and they don't know when they can safely stop splitting their time, cast away the employment safety net, and do a cannonball into full-time practice ownership. (I used to be a springboard diver so I'm always pumped when I can make a diving reference) In this episode, you'll hear a real conversation inside my Mastermind with a practice owner who hit her first five-figure month while still only working part-time in her side hustle. We walk through the deciding factors and numbers to look at to help make the decision of: when it's time to let go of the side job and go all in? And as a wonderful bonus in this episode, two other Mastermind members share their story of starting out, in very difficult circumstances, and give added advice and inspiration I think everyone out there should hear. P.S. If this conversation and the advice and support this practice owner received resonates with you, I've got something special for you this weekend…  If you want real-time coaching, support, and feedback from me and a group of Cash-Based practice owners who are building and growing alongside you, click here to join the Cash-Based Practice Mastermind. Upon checkout, use the promo code Mastermind50 to get 50% off your first month. (promo ends Monday night!) What You'll Learn in This Episode How to know if your side hustle is ready to become your full-time practice Why revenue alone is not the only number that matters How to evaluate the real risk of leaving your side job Why staying part-time can become the thing holding you back What other practice owners experienced after finally going all in USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: CASH-BASED PRACTICE MASTERMIND

    15 min
  3. CBP 305: The Post-Discharge Follow System that Reactivates Patients and Earns Google Reviews

    APR 25

    CBP 305: The Post-Discharge Follow System that Reactivates Patients and Earns Google Reviews

    If you don't have at least a 6-12 month follow-up system for patients after discharge, you're leaving a lot of money on the table. Most practices either don't follow up at all, or they send one message a few weeks later that says something like, "Just checking in to see how you're doing." The intention is good, but the message is too easy to ignore. It doesn't remind the patient what they accomplished, it doesn't ask a specific question that commands a response, and it doesn't create a clear path back onto the schedule if they need help again. That's what this episode is about. I'm walking through the exact post-discharge follow-up system we use in my own clinic to stay in front of patients for more than a year after they finish care. It's simple, repeatable, handled by staff, and it helps us reactivate patients almost every week. What You'll Learn in This Episode The 13-month follow-up structure we use after discharge How to write follow-up texts that actually get responses What to say when patients reply that they are still doing great What to say when patients have lost progress and need to come back in How to avoid follow-up automation mistakes when patients return to the schedule USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: CASH-BASED PRACTICE MASTERMIND

    9 min
  4. CBP 304: AI to Skyrocket your Social & Save Time, But Keep a Human Touch

    APR 18

    CBP 304: AI to Skyrocket your Social & Save Time, But Keep a Human Touch

    If you use social media in your practice and it takes a lot of time and/or doesn't generate many actual patients, then this episode is for you. The appeal of AI is obvious for this delima: it can save time, speed up content creation, and help you get more mileage out of what you already produce.  But there is also a real risk here, and it is one a lot of practice owners are starting to run into. When AI is used too heavily or too lazily, your content starts to feel generic, impersonal, non-human, and easy to ignore. That is what this episode is really about. It is not about whether AI is good or bad. It is about how to use it in a way that makes your marketing more efficient without stripping out the human quality that actually builds trust and gets people to pick up the phone or DM your practice.  What You'll Learn in This Episode Why fully AI-generated social media content often underperforms How to use AI to save time without losing authenticity How a few simple videos can become weeks of useful content What still needs to stay human if you want social media to actually generate patients USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    11 min
  5. CBP 303: How to Manage Staff Without Overwhelming Them (While Still Getting Results)

    MAR 29

    CBP 303: How to Manage Staff Without Overwhelming Them (While Still Getting Results)

    Most practice owners don't just struggle with hiring these days...   They struggle with what happens after hiring. Because once someone is in the role, a new tension shows up if you're not a seasoned manager/CEO: Am I asking too much? Am I not being clear enough? Am I giving too much constructive criticism… or not enough? And underneath all of that is a bigger fear: "If I push too hard, I might lose them." This episode tackles that exact problem. Not from theory. From a real scenario inside one of my coaching calls, where a practice owner is trying to manage a part-time admin and isn't sure if the issue is workload, communication, or competency. What You'll Learn in This Episode How to determine whether your employee is overloaded—or underperforming Why a lot feedback fails to instill your desired change (even when it's accurate) How to give feedback in a way that actually gets implemented A simple weekly meeting structure that eliminates constant micromanaging How to decide when to train more vs. when to replace USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    11 min
  6. CBP 302: How to Stop Feeling 'Icky' About Sales in Your Practice

    MAR 22

    CBP 302: How to Stop Feeling 'Icky' About Sales in Your Practice

    If the word sales makes you—or your staff—feel uncomfortable… You are not alone. It's one of the most common mental barriers in cash-based practice. Clinicians feel it. Admins feel it. Receptionists feel it. And unfortunately, that discomfort quietly crushes growth. Because if you don't feel good about selling, you won't do it well. And if you don't do it well, fewer people say yes. Fewer people stay on schedule. And more people drift away before they get the help they actually need. That's what this episode is about. Not cheesy persuasion. Not manipulative scripts. Not becoming someone you're not. This is about reframing sales for what it actually is in a Cash-Based practice: Helping people make the decision that is best for them. P.S. This episode comes from my in-network / partially in-network Forum group, which is a 12-month program for practice owners who want to drop low-paying contracts and/or simply increase their cash-pay revenue at the lowest possible risk. We're about to begin enrolling the next cohort, and if that sounds like something you'd want to explore, you can email me at jarod@drjarodcarter.com to learn more. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why discomfort with sales is one of the biggest hidden barriers to success in the Cash-Pay model How to reframe selling so it feels ethical, clear, and aligned with patient care The mindset shift that helps clinicians and admins stop resisting sales conversations Why "selling to serve" is the only frame that matters How to talk to your staff when they feel weird, hesitant, or resistant about selling USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    9 min
  7. CBP 301: How to Fill Gaps in Your Schedule Fast

    MAR 15

    CBP 301: How to Fill Gaps in Your Schedule Fast

    When the schedule softens, most practice owners do the same thing. They panic. They think, "I need more leads." They start chasing brand-new people. But that's usually not the fastest move. Because when you need results quickly, the smartest question isn't: "How do I get more strangers to find me?" It's: What's the lowest-hanging fruit to get the result I want? That's what this episode is about. You'll hear me coaching a practice owner who was in the middle of a slowdown while also making a major transition out of network and dropping a big payer. And instead of reaching for the most complicated solution, we focused on the fastest one. Not more noise. Not more random tactics. Just a better filter for making decisions when the pressure is on. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why "what's the lowest-hanging fruit?" is one of the best questions you can ask when revenue dips Why reactivating past patients is often faster and easier than chasing brand-new leads How to use calls, texts, and email together when you need to fill gaps quickly Why one follow-up attempt is almost never enough How to think more strategically when your practice hits a slowdown USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    14 min
  8. CBP 300 - The State of Cash-Based Practice in 2026: What's Working, What's Failing, What's Next

    MAR 6

    CBP 300 - The State of Cash-Based Practice in 2026: What's Working, What's Failing, What's Next

    Episode 300 feels like a good time to zoom out. I started this podcast back in 2014. It was the first podcast on this topic of Cash-Based practice. Since then, I've had a front-row seat to startup clinics, multi-location operators, practice owners who were barely hanging on, and practice owners who were absolutely crushing it. And when you watch enough practices long enough, patterns become impossible to ignore. Some things keep working. Some things quietly stop working. Some new opportunities show up fast. And some threats build slowly until they start crushing the people who weren't paying attention. That's what this episode is about. Not one tactic. Not one trend. A high-level scan of the Cash-Based practice industry in 2026 and what's likely to happen in the near and distant future. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why niche positioning matters more than ever in a crowded Cash-Based market. Why the human element is becoming more valuable as AI-generated marketing spreads. How operational excellence has overtaken marketing as the real differentiator. What is quietly failing in tech, hiring, and leadership. How AI search is changing the way patients find clinics, and what you can do now to get AI to suggest your clinic over others. What parts of healthcare are most vulnerable to AI and robotics, and what will stand the test of time… Listen to find out which side your practice currently sits. USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    43 min
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4.9
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About

Gathering input from many successful cash-based practice owners, this podcast covers all components of starting or transitioning into the out-of-network/private-pay business model for your private practice. Though the host, Jarod Carter PT, DPT, MTC, and many interviewees are physical therapists, this information is applicable to most healthcare, fitness, and wellness-related businesses looking to decrease reliance on 3rd party payors, and increase cash-based revenue streams. We cover a huge number of topics including: practice transition strategies, 3rd party payor contract legalities, Medicare rules and legalities in the cash-based model, referral source diversification, online marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, optimal website design, blogging, Youtube and video marketing, networking skills and strategies, the vital cash-based mindset, phone conversations and conversions, scheduling, discharge marketing, administrative training, low overhead systems and automation, private-pay wellness/fitness/prevention programs, and everything else that involves the self-pay practice model, how it differs from the traditional insurance-based model, and what you need to do to be successful with this low-stress, rewarding type of private practice.

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