Part 2 of my list of specific, cheap and easy ways physical therapy students, or students in any field can explore entrepreneurship:

[You can read Part 1 here]

6. Read. Reading on leadership, relationship building and specifically entrepreneurship is crucial. This is how you learn from those who have travelled this path already. Good books in these areas:

*There are also some great online resources for entrepreneurial content/insight:

7. Identify and follow entrepreneurs who are on fire. Who better to observe, communicate and learn from than those who have been successfully in the trenches that you want to be in. It's very easy today to gain insight and access to those who have successfully met the entrepreneurial challenge within the rehab/sports performance industry. Here are some folks that are doing a particularly impressive job and I am constantly learning from:

8. Look for pain points or holes. Entrepreneurs who make it to the kick-ass/rock star level tend to be those who identified a pain point or a hole in their community. Eventually they found a way to solve the pain point or fill the hole for their community and off they went! As a student you should always be scanning for pain points or holes that you can solve/fill for your community.

9. Find your foxhole friends. Successful entrepreneurship isn't a solo journey. You will need help; good help and help that you can trust. You should always be on the lookout for those you respect and trust if you decide to take the entrepreneurial journey.

10. Plan to start learning when you graduate. Anyone who has become a successful entrepreneur in the sports medicine, rehab or strength & conditioning/performance space has one thing in common: their already impressive thirst and drive for learning gets ratcheted up after they complete curriculum-based learning. Consider curriculum-based learning as your time to learn how to learn. Being on top of the evidence and trends within your industry will boost your credibility as a thought leader and is something that your entrepreneurial community will expect from you.

take home

“Exploring entrepreneurship" is something I should've done more of as a student. Notice that I didn't mention anything about selling a service or product. As a student or fresh professional considering the entrepreneurial journey, you'll want to build a strong foundation for that journey before you worry about what you'll be selling. These ideas and suggestions are some of the things that I've learned to be important along my path so far. 

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Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS spent 6 seasons as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and is the founder of TD Athletes Edge.  He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy DiFrancesco

Tim DiFrancesco, PT, DPT spent 6 seasons as the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and is the founder of TD Athletes Edge. He is nationally renowned for his evidence-based and scientific approach to fitness, training, nutrition, and recovery for athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

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