This blog is going to be different than any other blog that we have posted since Made 2 Move or Prime has existed. The purpose of this blog is to introduce the merger of these two companies and give y'all a unique, behind-the-scenes look into what went into this merger decision and Hannah + Elliot's perspective on the merger. It was emotional to write and I hope you get a sense for how much we both truly care about the Charleston community. Thank you for indulging us.
-- Elliot
Hannah’s Perspective on the Merger:
Most people know that I’ve been obsessed with Made 2 Move as soon as I heard about it during PT school. I’d been a groupie for years when I officially joined the team in 2020. Since then, I have absolutely loved every second of working for M2M. I feel an extreme sense of loyalty and pride to this team and I’ll be forever grateful to have been given this opportunity. But, enough about me.
I remember when Elliot decided to go all in and create Prime Performance Rehab. It was during quarantine of 2020, so we had some time on our hands. After his time spent with Move Strong Physical Therapy and of course, after hanging out with me too much (yes I’m taking some credit here) - Elliot knew he didn’t want to work in a typical clinic. Just like me, he wasn’t going to settle for anything else as a physical therapist and health professional.
Elliot decided to “burn the ships” and build his own cash based PT practice in Charleston. Fast forward about a year later, we’re sitting at my birthday dinner at Jack of Cups (our favorite restaurant) and Elliot says, “What if Prime and Made 2 Move merged?” We laughed it off… then a few seconds later, we realized it actually wasn’t that crazy.
A few weeks later, I brought the question to the Made 2 Move team. Apparently they were already considering it. We said we’d start thinking about it and that it would be a future thing, maybe in a couple years. Definitely not now - we were too busy.
But… the more I thought about it, the more I realized - we have to do this now! It would only get harder logistically the more our businesses grew. We needed to hire, we wanted to grow, we wanted more locations, and it just so happened that Elliot had the same goals in mind. We decided to start the process.
Yves told both Elliot and me to write a pro’s and con’s list - he wanted us to be absolutely sure that this is what we both wanted before we joined forces.
My pro’s list took up the whole whiteboard. More locations, more brainpower, more community presence, more knowledge and diverse experiences, new perspectives, and now we have a bigger team - which means we get to see more patients and do more of the things we love.
Why would we split up our power and grow two separate, almost identical businesses, when we could join forces and do this thing together?
My only con: now that I’d thought about it so much, I was going to be upset if it didn’t work out. I was too pumped for the opportunity!!!
Thankfully, we all felt the same way. Let’s join forces and work together to create an even bigger impact. We got the ball rolling and started the process. It’s been a wild past few months as we transitioned, rebranded, hired, and adapted to get ready for this merger and we’ve been SO READY to share this news with everyone!
I cannot say how proud I am of everything Elliot has done and created with Prime Performance Rehab. Elliot is an amazing clinician and has built an awesome business that empowers our community and shows people that they are strong, resilient, and adaptable. Maybe that’s why I just had to see if he would share it with us. He ALSO just hired another amazing clinician, Rachel Heller, who we’re so excited to bring onto the team.
I am incredibly proud to be a part of Made 2 Move. I have felt an extreme sense of loyalty to this company since day one and this merger has only increased that feeling. I am ecstatic for everything the future holds and I can’t wait to see how we can change and impact lives in our community. PRIME - Welcome to the team.
Hannah Breal, PT, DPT, Made 2 Move
Elliot’s Perspective:
What a wild ride this has been. For those who don’t know me, my name is Elliot Lance and I am the founder and owner of Prime Performance Rehab, a direct pay physical therapy clinic here in Charleston, SC. We have two locations (Downtown inside Ethos Athletic Club and West Ashley inside Iron Bridge CrossFit).
We also have a couple of amazing people on my team. Katie Edwards of Katie Edwards Bodywork has been partnered with us for a huge portion of Prime’s existence and a lot of what we are today wouldn’t have been possible without her. Ansley Bucknam is one of our behind the scenes blog and social media contributors who I’ve always admired because of her work ethic and passion for helping others.
Finally, we have Dr. Rachel Heller. Rach is one of the most genuine, selfless people you will ever meet. She’s strong, smart, and passionate about each and every person that walks into her clinic. It makes her an incredible physical therapist and and even better person. I am beyond excited for everyone to get to know her as we start this new journey.
This merger is something that I have been looking forward to for quite a while. Hannah and I have always shared the same values as physical therapists and we also have a pretty decent relationship outside of work *wink*. It was always something that I knew would probably happen in some capacity… either I would work for Made 2 Move or that Hannah would come work for Prime.
I knew this merger would happen because of what Hannah and I both believe in: We believe that we want to help as many people in the Charleston area get out of pain and get back to doing the things that they love to do. We want to empower people around us to take ownership of their health. We want to reduce the barriers to health and wellness. We want to show people that the human body is strong, adaptable, and resilient.
If we both truly believe these things… then it makes way more sense to try and accomplish these goals together, rather than apart. We can have a positive impact with exponentially more people if we joined forces. So that’s exactly what we did.
Prime was born in the pandemic. It has been my baby and it has been something that I have poured my heart and soul into so that I could make a difference. After my last PT school rotation at Move Strong PT inside of Cressey Sports Performance in Massachusetts, I knew that I wanted to help people in a direct pay/cash-based physical therapy model. It was the only way I knew that I would be happy with my career.
Charleston at the time only had 1 cash-based clinic and they were hiring! Unfortunately, they hired another classmate of mine (Dr. Hannah Breal) which left me without an existing option in Charleston cash-based physical therapy. After sitting and talking and thinking and learning, I decided to go all in and open up my own clinic. I barely had any footing as a physical therapist and I knew almost nothing about business… but I knew that there was going to be no other way for me. This was what I am supposed to do.
Opening up your own practice/business is probably the best accelerated business school that you could possibly attend. You learn by drinking through a fire hose and I definitely have made a lot of mistakes along the way. I have had an incredible support system, namely Hannah, that have been by my side through all of the highs and lows. I will always be forever grateful for the love and support that Hannah has given me during these last couple of years. She is my rock.
When the opportunity to merge with Made 2 Move came knocking, it was bittersweet. Prime has been my pride and joy. It is something that I am extremely proud of because of what I’ve built and the lives that I have gotten to help. The thought of giving that up scared me -- but I kept coming back to my core beliefs… my values… as a clinician and a human being. If I truly want to help as many people love their bodies and be confident with owning their health, then merging is 100% the right decision.
Made 2 Move is a health and human performance company that embodies everything that I love and stand for in a physical therapy clinic. They are people and a community that truly understands how to help others move well and move often. They restore confidence. They empower others.
And now, We will get to do it alongside them. Together, We will share the message that everyone can start their own health journey. We would love nothing more than to be your guide on that journey and show you that you are STRONG, ADAPTABLE, and RESILIENT.
We are MADE 2 MOVE.
Elliot Lance, PT, DPT