This week’s spotlight is on Corey Hiben, OTR, a non-clinical occupational therapist who is the Founder of ChiroX Marketing!
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What is your full name, title, and company name for your current, primary role?
Corey Hiben — Founder of ChiroX Marketing
What additional roles do you currently have?
Host of The Health Business Builder Show (formerly The Health Hustle).
Founder and Host of The Health Hustlers networking group.
Where are you located?
Austin, Texas.
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Where did you go to OT school, and what year did you graduate?
I earned my master’s in occupational therapy from St. Ambrose University in 2017. Prior to that, I earned a bachelor’s in kinesiology and exercise science from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2011.
What did you do when you first finished school, and for how long?
I worked as a hand therapist and occupational therapist at NovaCare Rehabilitation for about three and a half years (2017-2021).
In what setting(s) did you work, and what types of patients did you treat?
I worked in outpatient rehabilitation, specializing in hand therapy. I treated a variety of patients, including athletes, musicians, and professionals recovering from hand injuries and musculoskeletal conditions.
What did you enjoy about your early roles? What didn’t you enjoy?
I enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of therapy, helping people regain function, and seeing tangible improvements in their quality of life. However, I felt limited in my ability to scale my impact.
The structured healthcare system made me feel like a cog in the wheel, and I didn’t have the autonomy I wanted over my career.
What else have you done since then, prior to your current role?
Before starting my business, I worked as a personal trainer at LA Fitness and a camp counselor at the YMCA. Those experiences reinforced my passion for health, coaching, and personal development.
When and why did you decide to do something non-clinical?
In 2021, I hit a breaking point with burnout. I wanted to help people in the health industry but realized that direct patient care wasn’t the best route for me.
I saw a huge need for marketing support among health entrepreneurs and knew I could make a greater impact by helping them grow their businesses.
What are you doing these days?
I run ChiroX Marketing, a marketing agency for health entrepreneurs. I help chiropractors generate leads and grow their practice.
I also host The Health Business Builder Show, where I interview successful health business owners about their journeys. In addition, I founded The Health Hustlers, a networking community that connects health entrepreneurs in Austin, Texas.
Are you still treating patients, or are you solely non-clinical?
I’m 100% non-clinical now.
What do you wish you would’ve known before going into this founder role?
I wish I had known how crucial networking is. Business success isn’t just about skill—it’s about relationships, trust, and being in the right circles.
Did you get any special certifications or training along the way to help you get into your current role?
I’m a certified Webflow Expert and completed certifications in HTML, JavaScript, and Responsive Web Design. My clinical background in problem solving and patient education also transferred well into branding and marketing.
How did you find your job? Did you apply or find it through a connection?
I created my own role by recognizing a problem in the market and building a business around it.
When did you start your business?
2021.
Where did you get the idea for your business?
I saw that many health professionals struggled with branding, website design, and marketing. I knew I could help them stand out and attract more of their ideal clients.
What is your business, and what types of products or services do you offer?
My agency focuses on lead generation and conversion, with a structured, tiered approach. Most of my business comes from LinkedIn, and I use tools like Notion and Airtable to automate follow-ups and pipeline tracking.
How have people reacted to you leaving patient care?
Most have been supportive, especially those who understand my bigger mission. Some clinicians are curious about how I made the transition and how they can do something similar.
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:
6-7am – Creative work (writing, brainstorming)
7-11am – Deep work (client projects, branding & website design)
11am-1pm – Exercise, lunch, walk
1-5pm – Meetings (clients, networking, podcast recordings)
5-7pm – More work (usually with less caffeine)
7-10pm – Planning, reading, and unwinding
What are some of the rewards of your founder role? What are the biggest challenges?
Rewards:
- Helping health entrepreneurs grow their businesses
- Freedom to work on my own terms
- Connecting with inspiring people
Challenges:
- Running a business solo means wearing many hats
- Keeping up with constantly evolving marketing trends
- Balancing work with personal life
How did your clinical background prepare you for this role? Which skills transferred?
Problem solving, communication, and educating clients are all skills that transferred well. Just like in therapy, I take a customized approach to helping clients achieve their business goals.
Roughly speaking, how are the hours and pay compared to patient care?
The hours are more flexible but longer, and the pay has the potential to be much higher than in patient care.
What type of person do you think would do well in your founder role?
Someone who is:
- Creative and strategic
- Detail-oriented yet adaptable
- Strong at networking and building relationships
- Self-motivated and comfortable with uncertainty
Ready to launch your own non-clinical career?
Plus, you’ll get early access to curated non-clinical job listings and a bonus lesson on AI!
Do you work remotely or onsite?
I work remotely but frequently attend in-person networking events.
Does your organization hire PT, OT, or SLP professionals into non-clinical roles? If so, what type of roles?
It does if they have marketing skills!
Did you read any books, take any courses, or do anything special overall to get you where you are today?
Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
What is a typical career path for someone in your founder role?
Start as a freelancer or consultant.
Build a portfolio and network.
Scale into a full-fledged agency or consulting business.
What is next for you? What are your high-level career aspirations?
My focus right now is scaling ChiroX Marketing to $100k/month while maintaining freedom and impact.
What would you recommend to someone who is considering going into a founder role like yours? Do you have any special words of wisdom for the readers?
Start before you feel ready. The learning happens through action, not theory.
What would you like to change most in your profession, and why? How would you propose doing so?
In the health industry, most clinicians are trained to be excellent practitioners but receive little to no education on business, branding, and marketing. This lack of business knowledge often leads to incredible professionals struggling to attract clients, differentiate themselves, or scale their impact.
I’d love to see business education integrated into health professional programs, so clinicians have the tools to succeed beyond just patient care. To make this happen, I’d propose more collaboration between business leaders and health educators, mentorship programs, and accessible online resources specifically tailored to health entrepreneurs.
What career advice would you give yourself that you wish you had during school?
Don’t wait for permission… start building something now.
In school, I was so focused on following the traditional career path that I didn’t consider alternative ways to make an impact. I’d tell my younger self to start experimenting with side projects, learning digital skills, and networking outside of the clinical world earlier.
The sooner you explore different avenues, the faster you find what truly excites you.
What would you teach to today’s graduate students in your profession, if you had the opportunity?
I’d teach a course on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship for health professionals. It would cover:
- How to define your unique value in the health industry
- Building a personal brand and online presence
- The fundamentals of marketing (SEO, social media, email marketing)
- The basics of sales and communication
- How to create additional revenue streams beyond direct patient care
Do you have any special advice for others who want to follow in your footsteps?
Business, branding, and marketing—things that aren’t covered in traditional OT/PT programs but are essential for career flexibility.
