Dr. Mae Hughes, pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of Movement Through Motherhood, shares her journey from treating female athletes to building a fast-growing pelvic health platform for women. She breaks down the myths surrounding pregnancy and postpartum fitness, highlighting how education and intentional training can transform confidence, strength, and long-term wellbeing.

https://drmaehughes.com/ 
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YouTube: @dr.maehughes 

🔍 Why Listen?

Ever wonder if your side project could become your full-time passion? This episode features Dr. Mae Hughes, a pelvic floor physical therapist and founder of the Movement Through Motherhood fitness app. Dr. Hughes shares her incredible story of turning a personal pregnancy journey into a thriving online business that now helps tens of thousands of women. If you've ever felt there's a huge gap in patient education or considered creating a digital product, this conversation is packed with inspiration and practical wisdom.

🧠 What You'll Learn

• How a residency in sports PT unexpectedly led to a passion for pelvic floor health.
• The organic process of building a business by documenting your own journey on social media.
• Key challenges in creating a digital fitness app, from filming logistics to website design.
• How to build credibility online and turn followers into a loyal community.
• The transition from a full-time clinician to a full-time entrepreneur.
• Common misconceptions about pelvic floor dysfunction that every PT should know.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Solve Your Own Problem: The idea for Movement Through Motherhood came from Dr. Hughes documenting the solutions to her own pregnancy-related symptoms.
• Credibility Comes from Education: Focusing on providing valuable, educational content on social media was more effective than any hard-selling marketing tactic.
• Invest in Professionalism Early: A professional website and branding from the start helped legitimize the business, even when it was just a side project.
• Organic Growth is Powerful: The business evolved naturally from one program to the next based on genuine demand from her audience, with no initial grand business plan.
• You Can Always Go Home: Dr. Hughes maintains her confidence by knowing she can always return to her first love—in-person clinical work—which removes the fear of failure.

🎙️ Memorable Soundbites

• "If I want to be the best sports PT, I need to address the pelvic floor, because all of these female athletes feel like they have nowhere to turn to."
• "It was just truly from sharing what I was doing that people then asked, 'Hey, can you create a program for this?'"
• "I think after maybe the first year and a half, I started just feeling like if I can grow a random business off of social media, I feel like I can kind of do anything."
• "One of the most important ones is that you don't have to have had a child as a female to have pelvic floor dysfunction."

🚀 Actionable Tips

1. Start Sharing Your Journey: Use social media to document what you're learning and doing. Your authentic story is a powerful tool for building an audience.
2. Listen to Your Audience: Pay attention to the questions people are asking. They are often pointing you directly toward your next business idea or product.
3. Invest in Your Brand: Even for a side hustle, investing in a professional website can significantly boost your credibility and build trust.
4. Embrace Self-Led Learning: Dr. Hughes took it upon herself to find continuing education and mentorship to fill the gaps in her knowledge. Don't wait for the perfect opportunity to learn.

💭 Conversation Starter

What is one common problem you see in your patient population that could be addressed through a digital product like a course or an app?