This week’s spotlight is on Beverly Theodore, PTA, a non-clinical physical therapist assistant who is Co-Founder of Meraki Fit!
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What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?
Beverly Theodore, PTA — Co-Founder of Meraki Fit
Where are you located?
Austin, TX.
Where did you go to PTA school, and what year did you graduate?
Austin Community College, 2016.
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What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?
When I finished PTA school, I worked at a large continuing care retirement community in Austin. I thrive working in the senior care space.
I started as a full-time PTA and grew into the role of Rehab Director and Clinic Director at a few senior living communities in Austin.
In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?
The main areas included:
- Outpatient orthopedics
- Neuro rehab
- Home care
- Skilled nursing facilities
What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?
I greatly enjoyed the 1:1 care with seniors, the camaraderie and learning opportunities with my team of therapists, and the vision to improve patient functional outcomes.
I did not enjoy the productivity measures set in place. In my experience, productivity measures lead to burnout and do not help achieve long-term success for patients, employees, or the business itself.
What else have you done since then, prior to your current role?
I have not always been clinical in my career. I started my career as a professional dancer. I danced in shows in Las Vegas and Austin. Then, I became a Pilates instructor. From there, I wanted to learn and do more, so I became a licensed PTA.
When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?
I decided to do something non-clinical because I’ve always wanted to build a business and provide high quality fitness on a global level.
What are you doing these days?
I’m currently the Co-Founder of a tech fitness startup called Meraki Fit. I’ve been in my role full time since April 2024.
Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?
I’m solely non-clinical.
How did you find your co-founder?
I found my co-founder through my network of friends. We’ve known each other for the past six years.
Where did you get the idea for your business?
Taking on business operational roles in the past has helped me immensely with my current role.
I ran operations for an in-home fitness company, and I was a clinic director for two different rehab companies in Austin. I also ran my own online and in-person Pilates company part time for the past five years.
I wanted to create a scalable fitness business. After some brainstorming sessions, my co-founder and I decided to build a tech startup.
What is your business, and what types of products or services do you offer?
We offer online fitness for teams. We’re currently focusing on high school athletic teams who need strength and conditioning programs for both the off and on-season.
Our proprietary algorithm creates a new workout every time a team does a workout together. Meraki Fit is a space for teams to continue training to maintain their competitive edge while providing social connections.
How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?
It’s been a bittersweet reaction. Most people understand and support my career goals. However, they have said they’re going to miss me in patient care.
What’s a typical day or week in the life like for you? What types of tasks and responsibilities fill your time?
A typical day includes sales and marketing meetings and development, content development, customer follow-up, and investor outreach.
What are some of the rewards of your role? What are the biggest challenges?
I love that I have a direct impact on building something valuable for athletes and those interested in movement.
There are a lot of challenges, however. One challenge is taking on so many different roles in the beginning stages of a startup.
How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?
Often therapists overlook, or do not realize, how we develop sales and marketing skills from our first interaction with a patient.
We educate patients on the value prop of therapy, we grow our business and focus on retention while building caseloads, and we develop strong communication skills during our constant daily interactions with patients.
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What type of person do you think would do well in your co-founder role?
People who are flexible, enjoy change, and are okay with taking calculated risks do well building a startup.
Do you work remotely or onsite?
Did you read any books, take any courses, or do anything special overall to get you where you are today?
Books that I read include:
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook by Peter Kazanjy
- Traction by Gabriel Weinberg and Justin Mares
What is a typical career path for someone in your co-founder role?
Being a co-founder of a tech startup is not easy; however, it’s rewarding.
Everyone’s path is different. Often, co-founders who have an operations background will become CEO or Head of Operations for a company.
What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?
My aspiration is to build a company that reaches millions of individuals.
My goal is for people to rethink how they approach fitness now that, as a society, we are more educated on the science of movement.
Do you have any special advice for others who want to follow in your footsteps?
My advice for others who want to follow the entrepreneurial route is to talk to as many people as you can in the space you want to build, and take time to find the right co-founder.
I recommend having a co-founder vs. going solo. The startup journey can be daunting and the experience is 100 times better when you can share the work and be there for each other when you’re having a tough day.
I also recommend finding someone who has a different skill set than your own. This is immensely helpful with the delegation of roles and how together you can achieve more.
