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From Staff PT to Pickleball Physio: The Power of an Abundance Mindset w/ Dennis Aguila

Dennis Aguila, PT

In this episode of the DPT to CEO Interview Series, I’m chatting with Dennis Aguila, PT, one of our DPT to CEO business coaching program grads and the owner of Aguila Pickleball Physio in Orlando, FL. Dennis has built an incredible practice helping pickleball players stay on the court without relying on meds, surgery, or taking unnecessary time off.


During this episode, We get into what pushed him to finally make the leap into business ownership, how he checks the vibe with potential patients, and the mindset shifts that helped him push past fear and scarcity. If you're sitting on the edge, wondering if you can actually do this… this episode is for you.



What we're covering:


Dennis, can you share a bit more about your background and what led you to where you are today?


Dennis: I’ve been a PT for 37 years. I was kind of just cruising through life and my career, working in all different areas—sports med, SNFs, home health, and more recently, acute care. Before I met Morgan, I was in a pretty bad car accident. I ended up with a concussion, a rotator cuff tear that needed surgery, and some herniated discs. The recovery was long, and eventually, I lost my acute care job because of it. That left me in this place of, “What now?”


The truth is, I’d been on autopilot for a while. I didn’t really know what I wanted, and I wasn’t finding much joy or fulfillment as an acute care therapist. The more I reflected on it, the more I realized I felt like a glorified air traffic controller—just directing patients: “You’re going to SNF,” “You’re going home,” “You’re heading to outpatient.” There wasn’t a lot of real connection or impact.


Finding this niche as a cash-based PT completely shifted things for me. It immediately pulled me in. Looking back, I can say I finally found my true passion, my joy, my happiness—doing what I love in the way I want to do it. I get to treat patients how I believe they should be treated, using what I like to call my own particular set of skills—kind of like Liam Neeson in Taken, you know?


I hadn’t really had the chance to fully use those skills until now, and I love it. Helping patients improve quickly, hearing their wins—like getting back to pickleball or climbing the ranks in tournaments, playing without pain in their knees or elbows—it’s incredibly fulfilling. I’m finally feeling that sense of purpose and self-actualization I didn’t even know I was missing.


That’s been my journey so far. It’s still evolving, still growing—I call it sprouting, with my client base. I’m still doing some home health, using my mobile PT background, but I really love being out in the community, playing with and supporting other pickleballers. My confidence has grown so much, and that’s because of everything you and Sam have taught me.


Morgan: Thank you for sharing that, Dennis. I know it’s not easy to sum up everything from the past year—or even the last couple of years—because honestly, it’s felt like both a really long time and a really short one. You've done so much in that span. I know we’ve talked at length about where you were at the end of 2023—just in life in general and everything you were going through. And then starting your business... it really sounds like something just clicked for you.


What was the turning point that made you decide to take the leap into business ownership?


Dennis: When I got the news that I was being terminated, I felt like I was seen as damaged goods. It hit me hard—I felt rejected. My first instinct was to spiral into a place of self-pity. But being a person of faith, I reminded myself that I wasn’t alone. Two Bible verses came to mind that really grounded me. One was Jeremiah 29:11—“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The other was Matthew 21:22, which says, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” That combination of faith, mindset, and manifesting helped renew something in me.


I thought I had confidence in myself and in my skills—but this experience forced me to go deeper. I had to figure out who I really was. Before I joined you, Morgan, I was going to counseling—partly because of the concussion, but also because my neurologist told me I’d likely struggle with depression and anxiety. At first, I was skeptical. I didn’t think I needed it. But my counselor encouraged me to get quiet, reflect, and really get to know myself again. She asked if I could get away, and I said, “Well, I have a brother up in Tennessee.” So I went up to a mountaintop near Chattanooga with a journal, like she suggested, and just started writing. That’s when the voice inside me asked, What do you want to do? What makes you happy?


And Morgan—wow. I found the answer. I’m happy doing what I’m doing now.


Morgan: I think that’s such a powerful story to share, because a lot of people listening are in a really similar place in their lives. Their situation might look totally different, but they’re probably feeling a lot like you did about a year ago—stuck, or like something outside of their control has completely shifted their path. And when that happens, it really does come down to two choices. Like you said, you can spiral into self-pity and negativity, or you can choose to take action—even if you’re not totally sure what that action looks like yet.


You can give yourself permission to slow down, get to know yourself, and figure out what you actually want. Because honestly, that is the only real choice if you want to move forward. If you go down the negative route, you’re not really living your life anymore—it’s just happening to you. But you do have the power to shift into the driver’s seat, explore what’s possible, and take yourself on a new adventure. It all starts with deciding to be an active participant in your own life, and I think your story captures that perfectly.


*Have you hit that turning point in your healthcare career? Learn if you're truly ready to dive into cash based practice ownership at the blog post here.


How do you go about making sure a potential patient is the right fit for your practice?


Dennis: With this new awareness of my emotional side, I’ve noticed a shift in my energy. People can sense that I’m open, that I’m receptive, and that I genuinely know how to listen. And when that happens, something clicks—they start opening up, too. They feel safe to relate and share with me. Because of everything I’ve been through—the rotator cuff injury, herniated discs, the concussion, even a hip replacement—I really get what some of these clients, especially my older pickleball players, are going through. And they feel that. There’s this vibrational or energetic match happening, and it’s drawn in the right kind of people—the ones I’m best able to help.


I’ve been leaning into that more, learning how to open up to even more types of clients. And when it comes to sales and marketing, I’m starting to recognize who’s a good fit and who’s probably not. Some people, I know I won’t be able to close the sale, and that’s okay—I just move on. But others, I know I need to spend more time listening and connecting. It’s a learning process, but I’m getting better at reading those cues and knowing where to focus my energy.


Morgan: Yeah, so it sounds like you really use vibes in all your conversations—like, you’re constantly tuning into energy, whether you're talking to patients or just connecting with people in general. And you also give off a really welcoming energy yourself, which makes you approachable and available for people who are seeking care. It’s clear that you put a lot of effort into being a safe space, so people know they can come to you and ask for help.


The other thing you and I have talked about a lot—and for everyone listening, we cover this a ton in the program—is how important it is to check the vibe when you're interacting with a potential patient. When you're still in that early phase of chatting with someone or figuring out if it's a fit, making sure the energy is aligned is huge. It matters not just for sales, but also for delivering high-quality care. Because honestly, if the vibe is off—if it feels weird or misaligned—it’s probably not going to be a great experience for either you or the patient.


What books have had the biggest impact on you over the past year—and why?


Dennis: You had me start with Profit First, and then a few sales books, which really opened the door for me. But one of the books that’s been incredibly helpful lately is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. Another one I really loved—and I actually shared it with Sam—is Change Your Paradigm, Change Your Life by Bob Proctor. Both books really focus on mindset, and that’s been a huge shift for me. They’ve helped me realize how important it is to change where your mind is set if you want to truly manifest success and abundance. It’s about coming from a place of belief—believing that yes, your business will succeed, that there’s more than enough opportunity out there for you.


I grew up hearing that old saying, “Money is the root of all evil,” so I had some hesitation around seeking prosperity. But now I see it differently—there’s so much abundance just waiting for you to claim it. And even biblically, there are verses that affirm this—that God wants us to prosper and have a successful future.


*Learn more about the importance of shifting your mindset as a business owner at the blog post here.


What would you say to someone who’s feeling stuck in a scarcity mindset?


Dennis: I really feel for you—I've been there. And being married to someone who also has a scarcity mindset, it’s been a journey on both sides. What had to change for me was learning to truly believe that I am good enough, that I do deserve success. That mindset shift—flipping that internal switch—was huge. And just knowing you're not alone in this is powerful. There’s abundance all around us, but we have to believe it’s there and allow ourselves to receive it. That change in mindset is what allows us to actually manifest success. I wish I could say it more eloquently, but honestly… that’s it. That’s the truth.


Morgan: No, I think that all makes total sense. It sounds like the takeaway here is, first—you have to make the conscious choice to believe in abundance. It really does start with that intentional decision. And then, the second part is putting in the work to back it up.


Can you talk about your experience with fear of rejection and how mindset work helped you move through it?


Dennis: Yeah, fear of rejection is something that’s really followed me for a long time—even back when I was a teenager, just trying to ask girls out. Rejection would hit me hard. And when I started out on my own in this business, those same feelings came up again. Trying to “sell” myself as a PT didn’t feel natural, and it definitely wasn’t working. I wasn’t getting clients, and that just tanked my confidence. People weren’t buying in, and I started to doubt myself. But something you told me, Morgan, really stuck—it was the idea that I’m not selling physical therapy, I’m selling transformations and results. I even put that on a business card. I just kept repeating it to myself over and over until it became part of how I show up. Because it’s true—I am good at what I do. I do get results. I do create transformations. And the more I saw that happening, the more my confidence grew. But it didn’t happen overnight.


There were dark days when I was still hurting, not feeling strong, and not great at pickleball. It took time, competition, lots of reading and studying—and bringing in two amazing coaches. That accountability and encouragement from both you and Sam made all the difference. There were definitely moments where I thought, Maybe I should just quit and get a job again. But you both kept pushing me to move forward, to keep going. And now? The results are happening.


Morgan: Yeah, I think there are two big takeaways from what you shared. One—and this is something I love talking about—is that when a lot of PTs or clinicians first get into business, there’s this phrase that gets thrown around a lot: “I need to learn how to sell myself.” And I’ve never liked that. It’s always rubbed me the wrong way, because like you were saying, it’s not really about you as a person.


In any service-based business, it’s not Dennis selling Dennis, or Morgan selling Morgan—it’s about selling a solution to a problem. When you frame it as “selling yourself,” it puts this huge amount of pressure on you, like you have to constantly defend your value or prove your worth. So when someone says no—or ghosts you—it feels really personal, like a direct hit to your self-worth. And that’s just a hard, unsustainable place to operate from. But when you learn how to shift that mindset, to realize you’re not selling yourself—you’re selling a service, a result, a transformation—it changes everything. For me, that perspective feels so much better in my body. It allows me to keep healthy boundaries and remember that my self-worth is separate from whether or not someone buys what I’m offering.


*Learn why marketing and selling PT will get you zero clients at the blog post here.


For someone thinking about starting their own practice, what’s the one piece of advice you’d want them to hear?


Dennis: Ask yourself: What is it that truly makes me happy? What actually brings me joy? And the answer can’t be based on what other people think of you—it has to come from within. To really get to that answer, you almost have to pull away for a bit. Step back from social media, from outside noise, even from well-meaning family members telling you what you should be doing. That decision has to come from your heart and your own inner knowing. And once you find it, don’t be afraid. Step out in faith and believe in yourself. Know that you are good enough, that you will be successful—and yes, seek good counsel along the way.


Morgan: Totally—and it sounds like what you’re really encouraging people to do is give themselves the time and space to think. To slow down, tune out the noise, and actually reflect. And more importantly, to give themselves permission to trust their own decision-making. You don’t need everyone else’s approval to move forward. You just need that quiet moment of clarity where you decide, This is what I want, and then trust yourself enough to go for it.


What would you say to a new practice owner asking, “How do I even begin finding my own clients?”


Dennis: It really comes back to finding your niche—figuring out what you’re truly passionate about, what brings you joy, and then fully leaning into that. For me, that’s been the pickleball community. I started off as a beginner, not all that great at it, but I kept showing up. And what I found was this incredibly welcoming community that embraced me—and I think that’s true in so many spaces. Once you find your niche, you’ll also find a community that not only welcomes you but needs you and your expertise. As movement specialists, we’re the go-to professionals who can help people excel in their sport or activity. We’re the problem-solvers. We’re the ones who provide real solutions, real transformations, and real results.


Morgan: I totally agree with you—finding something you genuinely enjoy is such an important first step. When you’re doing something you love, it becomes so much easier to immerse yourself in the community around it, connect with people, and build real relationships. And at the same time, it takes some bravery to fully embrace who you are and recognize the value of the knowledge and experience you bring to the table. Just because something feels second nature to you doesn’t mean everyone else knows it—there’s so much you can offer that others truly need. It will feel scary at first, and it’ll definitely take practice, but putting yourself out there is the thing that moves you forward. It’s how you start gaining traction and building the business you want.


How to contact Dennis:


Listen to this episode on my podcast!

DPT to CEO: The Podcast

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