To run a successful health clinic demands focus, responsibility, and self-discipline. When the opportunity came knocking for Ari Marsden to launch Marsden Health, he did not start with the advantage of having years backed up in managerial experience. A trained sports therapist, he certainly understood the clinic environment well – yet running the entire operation (while simultaneously working with clients as a sports therapist) would prove a new challenge for him entirely. Since taking over as boss, Ari has thrived working with increased responsibility, and in this blog, we will be speaking with him to discover how he has been getting on juggling so many of his duties, and what he believes are the secrets to running a successful and effective physiotherapy and sports injury clinic.
Meet Ari Marsden – Owner of Marsden Health and Sports Therapist
Q: You wear two hats as a therapist and as the clinic owner. How do those roles influence each other?
Ari: I think what’s important for me is being with everyone as part of the team. We are a tight-knit community at Marsden Health and working as a sports therapist helps to keep me at the heart of our philosophy for client-focused care. I enjoy meeting new people, and I am constantly learning as a sports therapist through conversations with individual clients. I believe the more I can improve as a sports therapist, then the more efficient I can become as a health clinic owner. Our success relies on communication and feedback, and there is no better way for me to understand our clients than through working with them directly.
Q: What vision did you have when starting or taking over Marsden Health? Has it evolved?
Ari: We follow a holistic approach that considers the mental and physical sides of recovery to be connected. My vision has always been to support clients using treatment that covers multipledisciplinary fields. Since the beginning, our team has grown to include a physiotherapist, an S&C coach, a holistic health and nutrition coach and a psychotherapist, and our rapid progress (and many positive reviews) suggests that our wide-ranging approach to therapy is working. It is amazing that we have been able to improve so many people’s lives by using our particular methods of treatment.
Q: What’s been the biggest lesson from building a team and growing a space like this?
Ari: How to be a manager. Before being a manager, all I knew about management was how not to be a manager. I have worked under some terrible bosses, but now I am grateful that I can use my experience of their mistakes to help build a positive team here at Marsden Health. As the owner, I understand that maintaining a good relationship with clients depends on having happy practitioners. An important duty in management is to ensure the mood is good, and I trust my instincts so far in having chosen the right people for the job. There is very little hierarchy between us, and I feel like we are a team united and extremely happy working together.
Q: As a sports therapist, how do you stay grounded in care while running the bigger picture?
Ari: The duty of care I inherit through working as a sports therapist is something that will never leave me. Of course, admin can often be overwhelming (and learning to manage my time has certainly been challenging), but I am always willing to put in the extra hours if it means my clients will all be seen to and treated properly. I will find the time, because admin always comes second to our main focus which is to be here for our clients. It also helps that I have an amazing team willing to do likewise and always lend a hand where necessary.
Q: What makes you proudest when you look around the clinic today?
Ari: The reviews and praise we receive from our clients. As I have said, the workload can often be heavy and the days sometimes long, but I stay motivated because of the visible progress we are making. The clinic has changed so much since I started working here 5 years ago. We have a multidisciplinary team and happy clients. This is what I set out to achieve and we are helping people to improve their lives. Their appreciation means everything to us as we dedicate so much time to helping them and being a part of their journey. It feels incredible to see the growing success of our efforts.
Q: What kind of culture have you tried to build here, and how do you protect that?
Ari: Our culture at Marsden Health is to make the sometimes-difficult experience of recovery feel as comfortable as it can be. We are a family, and this is our home – and we hope to extend that feeling of warmth to all our clients who visit. To protect that, our team all needs to be on the same page and really working together. It is my belief that an easy-going, communicative and friendly environment will result in better recovery for our clients.
Q: When clients come to Marsden Health what do you hope they feel — beyond just “helped”?
Ari: Listened to and appreciated. Recovery can often be difficult, particularly when you feel like your body is working against you and there doesn’t seem to be a way out. When you are being ignored or your pain underestimated, then it can then start to feel like the entire world is working against you. At Marsden Health, we go beyond just recovery by aiming to soothe the anxieties and stresses that can often surround recovery. Our approach is holistic but also human as we understand that pain can be extremely isolating if you have nobody to talk to. We have tried to create an environment where clients feel at ease in conversation and are treated seriously. We take our time to listen because being respected can help with the mental side of recovery (which will in turn help with the physical).
Leave a Reply