In this episode of Tales from the Pros, Michael Georgiou and Eric Lawrence sit down with Andrew Cherry, COO of Movement for Life, to explore how innovation actually works inside a legacy healthcare organization.

Andrew shares how COVID, clinician burnout, and access challenges forced Movement for Life to rethink traditional physical therapy delivery and why waiting on off-the-shelf solutions was no longer enough. The conversation dives into the cultural, operational, and leadership shifts required to build EverFlex, a custom platform designed to improve patient access, support clinicians, and create measurable business impact.

From change management and internal buy-in to AI’s role in reducing decision errors without replacing human care, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to lead through uncertainty and why patient experience, not revenue alone, became the guiding metric.

Whether you’re a healthcare leader, operator, or founder navigating innovation in a regulated or legacy industry, this episode delivers practical insight into building technology that scales without losing the human element.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• Why Movement for Life chose to build instead of buy healthcare software

• How COVID accelerated telehealth and exposed its limits in physical therapy

• The real challenge of change management inside large organizations

• Why AI should enhance clinicians, not replace them

• How EverFlex generated meaningful ROI in a low-margin industry

• What “PT vigilantes” really means and why ownership mattered

• How patient experience became the driver of sustainable growth

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
  
  
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
  
  
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

💡 Key Takeaways

• Innovation in healthcare requires cultural and leadership alignment, not just technology

• Solving patient access and clinician burnout must happen together

• AI is most valuable as a decision-support tool, not an automation shortcut

• Building custom software can reduce tech sprawl and improve operational efficiency

• Patient trust and engagement increase when technology feels human

• Measured ROI matters, especially in time-for-money industries like physical therapy

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Physical therapy innovation at scale

• Telehealth and remote therapy monitoring post-COVID

• Change management in healthcare organizations

• AI’s role in clinical decision-making

• Patient access, affordability, and experience

• EverFlex’s impact on clinics and clinicians

• Leadership mindset shifts required to innovate

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Andrew Cherry and Movement for Life

03:19 Technology gaps in physical therapy

06:45 COVID, telehealth, and access challenges

09:10 Patient experience vs revenue growth

12:39 Culture shifts and internal product ownership

16:02 Change management and leadership buy-in

20:35 Fear, innovation, and starting the work

26:22 AI’s role in enhancing, not replacing clinicians

32:42 EverFlex ROI and clinic impact

37:30 Where to find Movement for Life and EverFlex

In this episode of Tales from the Pros, Michael Georgiou and Eric Lawrence break down what software automation really means for growing businesses and how to know when an organization is actually ready for it. Moving beyond buzzwords, they share real-world examples of companies that automated successfully and others that wasted time and budget by doing it too early or without a plan.

Drawing from years of hands-on experience, they discuss the warning signs that manual processes are slowing teams down, why disconnected systems create operational chaos, and how automation should support people rather than replace them. The episode also introduces a practical automation readiness playbook to help leaders audit operations, define ROI, and start small with high-impact pilots.

If you are scaling a business or struggling with inefficiencies, this conversation will help you determine where automation fits, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to approach it strategically with clarity and confidence.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• How to tell if your business is truly ready for automation
• The difference between automation and AI and why it matters
• Common operational red flags that signal inefficiency
• Why disconnected tools slow growth and increase costs
• How to audit workflows and identify high-impact automation opportunities
• The importance of starting small with pilot automation projects
• How automation improves compliance, scalability, and competitiveness
• Why automation should empower teams, not replace them

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts

• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros

🗂 Topics We Cover

• What smart, practical automation looks like in real businesses
• Signs manual processes are costing time and money
• How operational growth can outpace systems and teams
• Why auditing workflows is the first step to automation readiness
• How to define ROI before investing in automation
• Common automation roadblocks and how to overcome them
• The role of leadership and team input in automation decisions
• Why automation is essential to remain competitive

💡 Key Takeaways

• Manual, repetitive work is a strong signal that automation may be needed
• Automation must align with business goals, not trends or hype
• Disconnected systems create inefficiency, errors, and frustration
• Starting small with high-impact pilots reduces risk and improves ROI
• Automation frees teams from low-value busywork
• AI and automation are related but not the same
• A clear audit and roadmap prevent wasted investment
• Strategic automation strengthens long-term scalability and resilience

⏱️ Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Practical Automation
• 02:22 Signs Your Business Is Ready for Automation
• 05:22 When Growth Outpaces Operations
• 07:53 Disconnected Systems and Tool Overload
• 10:36 Losing Competitive Advantage
• 12:30 The Automation Readiness Playbook
• 15:41 Involving Teams in Automation Decisions
• 18:12 Starting Small With High-Impact Pilots
• 20:35 Real-World Automation Case Studies
• 23:06 Common Automation Roadblocks
• 26:48 Automation vs AI Explained
• 30:25 Final Takeaways and Closing Thoughts

In this episode of Tales from the Pros, Michael Georgiou and Eric Lawrence open up about the hidden challenges that quietly derail SaaS startups. These issues often go unnoticed until it is too late, and they rarely have anything to do with funding or technology. Instead, the real problems show up in planning, leadership, market understanding, and the founder’s mindset.

Drawing from real stories and years of working closely with founders, they talk about why a strong business model matters, how emotional resilience shapes decision making, and why continuous innovation is a non-negotiable part of building a lasting SaaS product.

If you are building or growing a SaaS startup, this conversation will help you recognize the early signs, avoid common traps, and build with more clarity and confidence.

🎯 Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss

• The real reasons SaaS startups fail behind the scenes
• Why planning and direction matter more than a “unique idea”
• Market validation that actually reflects user demand
• How mindset and emotional resilience shape every decision
• Why branding and differentiation influence traction
• The role of leadership in keeping teams aligned and motivated
• How continuous innovation keeps your product alive

🎧 Listen and Subscribe

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6QkUtrcNllUkqtq1fjlwnZ
  
  
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tales-from-the-pros/id1371067192
  
  
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Imaginovation/podcasts
  
  
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/talesfromthepros
  
  

🗂 Topics We Cover

• Why planning and clarity decide how fast startups grow
• What real market validation looks like and why feedback matters
• The emotional side of being a founder and staying resilient
• How branding shapes trust and early adoption
• What a sustainable SaaS business model includes
• How leadership influences team culture and progress
• Why innovation can never stop after launch

💡 Takeaways

• Poor planning and unclear direction quietly kill SaaS startups.
• Founders need a strong, realistic mindset to get through challenges.
• Market validation must come before building, not after.
• Emotional resilience helps founders make better long-term decisions.
• Good branding and differentiation help a product stand out.
• A sustainable business model is essential for long-term success.
• Leadership shapes team motivation, culture, and productivity.
• Continuous innovation keeps your product relevant and competitive.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Silent Killers of SaaS Startups
02:56 The Importance of Planning and Mindset
05:57 Understanding Market Validation and User Feedback
08:56 Navigating Challenges and Emotional Resilience
11:55 The Role of Branding and Differentiation
14:48 Building a Sustainable Business Model
17:38 Leadership and Team Dynamics
20:37 Continuous Innovation and Adaptation
23:55 Conclusion and Key Takeaways