Overview Pilates is either a nice add-on you never quite monetise, or it becomes the engine room of your clinic. In this episode, Michael speaks with Lowry O’Mahony (Max Physio & Pilates, and Maxona) about how she integrated Pilates so tightly into a multi-site MSK business that it now generates roughly half of revenue, stabilises cashflow, and creates a workforce pipeline when physio hiring gets tight. They get into where Pilates fits in the patient pathway, how to make it recurring with...

Most clinic owners think they’re networking. Jonathan Shearer explains why they’re wrong. In this episode of No Appointment Necessary, Michael speaks with Jonathan Shearer, podiatrist and founder of Footsteps Clinic, about what networking actually looks like when it works. Not letters to GPs. Not one-off events. Not vague “being visible”. They unpack why networking fails for most clinics, how trust is built through consistency and inconvenience, and why transactional thinking kills long-term ...

Overview Most clinic owners fantasise about scaling. Rhys Carter actually did it. In this episode of No Appointment Necessary, Michael speaks with Rhys Carter, co-founder of Carter & George, about how a bored physio in Dubai, a conversation with Jamie George and an overbuilt first clinic turned into one of the fastest-growing MSK groups in the UK. They cover the early mistakes, the “celebrity effect”, the point Rhys had to stop treating, and why data, people and unit economics became the ...

Overview Most people in MSK talk about “community” like it’s a slogan. Jack Chew actually built one. In this episode of No Appointment Necessary, Michael sits down with Jack, founder of Physio Matters, co-creator of Therapy Live and clinic owner at Choose Health, for a blunt conversation about the realities MSK keeps avoiding. They start with the Timperley Trundle, a walking group that accidentally became a public health intervention, then dig into AI, business ethics, evidence, over-servici...

Overview: From Clinic Owner to Marketing Consultant: Mark Reid on What Really Sinks MSK Clinics Mark Reid used to run a physio clinic. Now he works inside one of the UK’s biggest MSK marketing agencies. In this episode, Michael Schumacher and Mark tear into the uncomfortable truths of the industry: bad advice, guru nonsense, sunk-cost fallacy, flawed pricing, chasing “perfect patients”, social media guilt, and why most clinics don’t measure a single thing properly. Show Notes: Most people in...

OverviewMost clinic owners try to grow by “doing more physio.” Patrick didn’t. He built a full ecosystem. He took over a strip club, turned it into a medical clinic, built a second site, hired 18 staff, and created a brand so strong that patients now enter his business at multiple points of the ladder. Physio. Pilates. PT. Massage. All under one roof. All feeding each other. In this episode, Michael (fighting a heroic case of man flu) talks with Patrick from Move Physio about scaling, culture...

OverviewThis one is chaos, honesty and a masterclass in how a small clinic becomes a serious force. Emily from LR Podiatry joins Michael for a conversation that swings from musical theatre to burnout to rebuilding a clinic from the ground up. If you’ve ever felt like you’re winging it, drowning, or one bad month away from packing it in, this episode will hit home. Emily talks openly about walking away from London, moving home, joining her mum’s tiny single-chair practice, and the moment every...

Overview: There has been more noise about MSK acquisitions in the last two years than in the previous twenty. Most clinicians still misunderstand what M&A actually is, what private equity is, and why so many clinics are suddenly being bought. In this episode, Michael Schumacher speaks with Claire and Yoni, co-CEOs of Kinetico Health, one of the most active buyers in the sector. They talk openly about acquisitions, valuations, culture, patient care, competition, and the long-term future o...

OverviewMost clinic owners talk about taking risks. Andy actually did it. He bought a declining osteopathy clinic, rebuilt it from the inside out, then opened a second business across the road with no plan, no sleep, a newborn child and a stomach ulcer. Now he runs one of the most interesting blended MSK + strength clinics in the South West. In this episode, Michael Schumacher sits down with Andy to unpack the real story: the messy acquisition, the resistance from inherited staff, the Notion ...

Overview: Podiatry is one of the most misunderstood professions in MSK. Nick Knight joins Michael Schumacher to talk honestly about why podiatry struggles with visibility, why the public still thinks pods cut toenails, and what needs to change. They cover tech, orthotics, FHPs, bad marketing, inter-professional politics and why podiatry is actually one of the most exciting parts of MSK when done properly. Show Notes: If you asked the average patient what podiatrists do, most would say “cut to...

Overview: Neuro physio is not MSK with a different label. It is a different universe entirely. In this episode, Michael Schumacher talks with Adam Poulter, founder of Foundations Physio, about the realities of running a neuro clinic, why staying clinical actually strengthens a business, the truth about neuro pricing, and why innovation means more than buying shiny tech. Show Notes: Neuro physiotherapy looks glamorous from the outside: higher fees, long-term patients, stable caseloads, and no...

Overview:Everyone talks about buying clinics like it’s a cheat code to success. The reality is debt, staff friction, culture clashes and years of delayed payoff. In this episode, Michael Schumacher sits down with Leeds-based clinic owner Ove Indergaard to break down the truth behind MSK acquisitions and what really happens after completion. Show Notes:On social media, clinic M&A looks glamorous. In practice, it’s risk, spreadsheets, hard conversations and short-term pain disguised as grow...

Overview: Clinics keep saying there is a “shortage” of MSK clinicians. There usually is not. In this episode, Michael Schumacher and Laura Gilham from Recruit Therapists pull apart why most clinics struggle to hire, what good recruiters actually do, and why culture and personality matter more than another certificate on a CV. Show Notes: In private MSK, recruitment gets treated like a cost and an afterthought. Clinics throw a lazy advert on PhysioBob or Indeed, complain that “there are no phy...

Overview: When HMDG sold, most people assumed it was a simple acquisition. It wasn’t. Michael Schumacher sits down with new owner Ben Marcilhacy to talk openly about buying an agency, why he walked away from building a clinic group, and what he’s learned from seeing hundreds of MSK businesses up close. They cover culture, integrity, corporate creep, data, patient experience, and why MSK is changing faster than most clinics realise. Show Notes: Ben originally spent months travelling the UK ...

Overview: Clinic builds normally take years to get momentum. Jack did it in 18 months. In this episode, Michael Schumacher talks with Jack Winyard, founder of Winchester Physio and Health, about how he went from zero patients to a fully booked clinic, a six-person team, and now a second location. No hacks. No luck narratives. Just doing the right things properly. Show Notes: Most new clinics limp along for years. Jack did the opposite. In only 18 months, Winchester Physio and Health went from...

Overview: Michael Schumacher sits down with Katie Knapton, Chair of Physio First, for a blunt conversation about private practice, resistance to innovation, bad incentives, and why clinics still struggle with business basics. They get into AI, video consults, practice standards, PMI negotiations, and the brutal reality of running clinics in 2025. No fluff. No polite industry theatre. Show Notes: Most interviews with professional bodies are polite, filtered, and pointless. This one isn’t. Mic...